ZaphodBeeblebrox

If you're using IE 8, that's your problem, it's very slow. Try Firefox, Chrome, or Safari...

Great. The Saturn experiment has been an epic failure. There are what, 450 Saturn dealerships? 450 dealerships x $1 million buyout fee = $450 million. Shut it down. (Unless there's no Buick-Pontiac franchise nearby - offer one). The no-dicker sticker is a failure. Only good thing to come out of Saturn is the improved customer service/dealer service (make this a hallmark of the new Buick-Pontiac franchise). Send Opels to the Buick/Pontiac dealership, branded as Pontiacs. There are more than 1000 B-P-G dealership groups - get more exposure to these vehicles. Pontiac Astra, Pontiac Insignia (would compete with the Lacrosse/Invicta, sure, but make it more "sporty"), rebadge the next Vue as the Torrent (is Buick still getting a TE?), bring over designs for the Corsa and Meriva, and retain the G8, and you've just rebuilt the Pontiac franchise without spending more $$$. You've also tied Pontiac more closely to Opel and Holden (since Holden sells some rebadged Opels, as well as the Korean crap which Chevy should be peddling here), and given it the Euro driving experience which the GTO and G8 have finally brought to the brand (after many years of "wishing and hoping". Pontiac's brand is damaged by selling cheap rebadged Chevy's, poor dealership experiences, and questionable styling. But Pontiac has history and heritage - something Saturn does not. Saturn still has the impression of cheap plastic cars. It'd be easier to revive Pontiac's branding than to completely change Saturn's. Besides, would you rather that GM had a BP division or a BS division? Pontiac Custom S seems to have a lot of experience with the latter...

But when? Holden swears up and down their contract with GMNA is for the length of the current Commodore's lifecycle, i.e. 2012 or so. Wonder what Holden will do at Elizabeth to fill the G8 export volume of 30k-50k vehicles? I *assume* it would be built in Oshawa. The Camaro starts production in Q4 2008, with the 'vert and hi-po variants starting a year later. Presumably the large "aspirational" RWD Chevy sedan will start sometime in 2010 as a 2011 model. When would the G8 replacement get added to the stable? What's the program code? I don't believe the G8 could be built at Oshawa in its exact current form, seeing how Holden uses Blaupunkt for radios, Mitsubishi for alternators (and a whole slew of other Japanese suppliers), and their assembly methods/recipe don't translate well to the GM Production System that GMNA uses... some number of elements would have to be redesigned on the platform for GMNA assembly...

To each their own, but I'd rather buy a GTO (even used) than a new G6. Much better interior, better driving dynamics, way better performance. Styling is subjective. The GTO is just a much better driver's car. The G6 sedan I drove (base, when they first came out) was a rental car/appliance. Sure, I know, there's RWD vs. FWD (you're in PA - snow tires fixes that), and the GTO's limited trunk space, but do yourself a favor and take one for a spin before consummating that G6 affair...