Z-06

 

It is more, I think about, not killing the sacred cows. I can see LT1 would have been held up for Corvette and such would be the case for the 8-speed due to it going in the Cadillac CTS first.

 

Also, I think GM's sales goal for the SS (which is 3,000 per year I think) doesn't make any sense to that stuff at the moment. Which is a shame, because I really think an eight-speed could do some wonderful things.

 

Is 3,000 per annum a capacity restriction in the Victoria plant or GM's reluctance to build more?

Get back on GM sales.

Problem with ATS and CUE is perception. CUE is honestly not a bad product. It is intuitive and easy to remember. However, some complaints such as slow processing are valid. I think going CUE-lite like MYLINK would help to change the perception.

With ATS, it is now perception of space and size. There was a time with E46 and E90 when magazines would choose BMW solely due to driving dynamics despite of almost always being smallest of the competitors. These writers have moved on to be lazy and cozy.

Like Reg and SMK mentioned the ATS has faults, but so do its competitors. Lexus - with no manual, anemic V6. Audi - FWD queen. MB (old) - no sport, jaded interior. Infiniti - tired design, bland driving characteristics, no manual, confusing names. BMW - no more the handling queen but an entry level luxury barge, mediocre quality of materials. I just find hard to believe that sum of ATS faults are more than those of its competitors. But the faults that exist are made more glaring.

So where is GM faltering? Hard to beat the dead horse, but should, Marketing.

Also, some changes I would do with ATS,and Cadillac cars in general, in addition to REG's - entirely turbocharged lineup - the 2.5 and 3.6 are tired in the group of its competitors. Add ATS V-Sport with a ~350 hp engine. Retune the 2.0T, comments are indeed valid about its coarseness and lack of smooth delivery. Where is ATS V? I have a feeling that GM is caught by the chicken or the egg conundrum and thinking twice on this one given the abysmal sales of the sedan. Make sunroof standard and "delete" a $0 option.

It is more, I think about, not killing the sacred cows. I can see LT1 would have been held up for Corvette and such would be the case for the 8-speed due to it going in the Cadillac CTS first.

I do not think logistics is the issue. IIRC, transmissions and engines (V8s at least) for zeta cars are built in USA and shipped to Australia. That is why GTO power-train could be upgraded within 1 year of production or G8-GXP then had the 6.2, while other zetas did not have that engine.

I think by 2018 SS in its current form will disappear as Australian production terminates, unless GM retools one of the Oshawa or Lansing lines and continues the production. There is a darn possibility that given GM mentality more resources won't be put in the car. Thus, the engine will not be changed and there may be some hollowness to the rumor of the car getting stick-shift.

A couple of comments on the car:

1. The car is 98% there. Two things missing that prevents SS from greatness - a) LT1 and b) 7-speed Tremec and/or 8-speed GM/Aisin auto.
2. Dimensionally and performance-wise the car is really close to the CTS V-Sport. Yet both vehicles are distinct. If CTS-V sport gets 17/25 mpg, so should the SS. However, possibly due to aggressive transmission setup and having lower number of cogs, the vehicle is being handed the GG Tax.

Camry and Corolla sales fascinate me. If you take those out, Toyota is done. I guess as SMK says, if it is #1 selling vehicle, it has to be the best.

Short wheelbase Chevy SS and a long wheelbase Buick's Equus competitor is what should be done. Cadillac will have LTS anyways.

If it wasn't for Cherokee!

Pretty impressive.  Cadillac would give its eye teeth for a gain like this...

A3 is doing most of the gains. Take those out and the numbers look flat.

Too early, but Macan eating Cayenne. If it wasn't for Panamera, the brand would have been flat. People love SEDANS!

VW needs some time off in US to meditate and reorganize.

Looking at Ford over the last year or eighteen months, I see the trend that Ford is actually below the average at which the industry is growing and even staying flatter than the competitors. How come the company with most goodwill is showing those signs?

For starters:

1. Mustang and Ford F150 replacements in sight, there is a sign of hold-off on buying those vehicles.

2. Aging Taurus, Edge that are volume cars are down.

3. But strategically, I think Mullaly's two-brand model is starting to show its kinks. While there isn't enough analysis as to how much killing Mercury helped/hurt Ford, the numbers, if any do suggest that Ford is losing some sales in Mercury. If Focus, Fusion and Edge would have had Mercury twins the company would fare better and even surpass GM.

Cadillac, has been concerning in 2014. Chevrolet sedans sales are extremely volatile. Otherwise solid sales. This is where a strong fifth brand would have propelled GM to low 300k sales.

Belated HB guys.

No diesels... No RHD models... No dealer network in places potential shoppers go to... 2014 Euro CTS appears to have the amber turn signals at the top of the tail lamp assembly, thus breaking what has become the standard Cadillac visual cue of the top to bottom red LED strip tail light...

 

 

 

One wonders if anyone at GM knows what they're doing re Cadillac Europe...

This. It is more of a GM problem than Europeans not wanting anything other than the three German brands. GM has been half-hearted with Cadillac's presence and expansion in Europe.

Problem is Europeans don't think there is a role for something other than the three Germans, with the exception of Jaguar/Land Rover which mostly relies on the UK for sales.

And you know how?

 

Mercedes Benz E350. So what it is a RWD? It is possibly the most boring luxury sedan currently existing. The styling is bland, the interior is sub-par. Driving dynamics - let us just forget that point. It excels at nothing.

 

At least the diesel has some cache, however, with the 4-banger with anemic power now in, it may now be the second most boring Mercedes. Just a point A to point B transportation for people who want to spend money.

The E-class is the #1 selling mid-size luxury car, because all around it is the best luxury car.  The diesel gets 42 mpg, better than any Jaguar, Cadillac, Infiniti, or Lexus, better than a 5-series or an A6.  The E63 AMG S does 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, that makes it faster than any other 4-door on the market.

 

Camry is the best selling mid-size car, is it because it is best? And just because E250D gets 42 mpg, does not mean it is not boring. Prius gets that and better, is it exciting? Somehow I had a feeling, my statement would be challenged by rhetoric!

And remember I said E350, not other E class cars. No need to bring in discussion what E63 can do.

Mercedes Benz E350. So what it is a RWD? It is possibly the most boring luxury sedan currently existing. The styling is bland, the interior is sub-par. Driving dynamics - let us just forget that point. It excels at nothing.

At least the diesel has some cache, however, with the 4-banger with anemic power now in, it may now be the second most boring Mercedes. Just a point A to point B transportation for people who want to spend money.

Ahh COEs - I always have soft spot for them. Those Fords are beauts.

Z06 claimed the CLA was competing with the Cruze, clearly it is not. 

How is it not when:

• The dimensions are within that of small cars'.
• It is based on a FWD platform as small cars'.
• Quality of materials is same as small cars'.
• Intent of making volumes is similar to that of manufacturers of small cars.
• Chances of owners taking it to a race track (0.0) are similar to that of small cars', given how it handles like a pig (see below).

Like the small cars, it is nothing but a point A to point B transportation by Chevroletdes Benz, that is fitted with a tarted up engine and carries an astronomical price tag. There are better fun-to-drive pocket rocket options for less than half the price and 130% more the time to 60 than this highway robbery attempt. Non badge-snobs will sacrifice that 30% additional time to save over $30k.

 

Yet as competent as it is, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG feels sterile when hustled on track or road. It lacks the punch of an Evo and the sensitivity of a BMW 1-series. More disturbing, the CLA45 doesn’t have the reckless streak of other AMG models. Mercedes has made 355 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque in a car roughly the size of a VW Jetta feel downright civilized.

My issue is that Chrysler, Toyota, and Ford are sneaking in a bunch of big recalls too and getting very very little press about it. It is something I need to address here when I get a couple of seconds to breath.

Yes, my issue is with Hypocrisy. These guys have recalled as much as GM has, yet there is no one crying river on it.

Honda recalling airbags after 14 years? I want to see Blumenthal calling for a Congressional hearing for that and those victims' families standing holding signs saying "Honda is Bad."

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!

No matter how it is twisted there is no excuse for a $64,000 Cruze/Focus competitor.

 

 

 

 

Bye bye resale value......

 

How so if the vehicle is fixed?

 

 

 

Would you want to buy something that has "been through so many recalls"?  People who are not car people are going to wonder why a company is recalling so many cars....whether it is in good faith or not. When my neighbor refers to my Cobalt as the "junky" car, this kinda gives you a little insight on just how the media is running wild on this.

 

 

Question is just how damaged the rep is right now.....

 

 

Do you have hard evidence other than hear say or perceptions?

 

Z, it's okay man-I'm not here to bash on GM....

 

For us car folk, all we can do is shake our head and moan. It is annoying, but it's not going to stop me from buying or recommending GM cars and trucks.  And GM took care of me when my Cobalt went in for recall work. So all is good there.

 

It's those non car people who listen to the media I am more worried about. Most people don"t even ask questions, like the whys and hows. Like my neighbor who now thinks everything GM makes now is junk. Or some of my co workers....

 

 

As far as evidence, I don't have any...I just take what is going around me. Though I did visit a buddy who works at a local Dodge dealership, and while talking to him, joked about trading my balt in to another guy. Not sure if he thought I was serious, but he did tell me that the most he could give me was like 1500, because there was no way he was going to be able to sell it on his lot...which i interesting, since I think it is more like 5 I think..

 

Hence why I mentioned the damaged rep.....

 

Damaged reputation is different than resale value. The entire question started with what makes you think the resale value is down? When numbers from KBB, ALG and Blackbook actually show that the values have not been affected for the recalled vehicles nor for other GM vehicles. By supporting or condoning the misinformed people, knowledgeable people just exacerbate the problems, don't you think? The misinformation agenda has its goals accomplished.

 

 

Bye bye resale value......

 

How so if the vehicle is fixed?

 

 

 

Would you want to buy something that has "been through so many recalls"?  People who are not car people are going to wonder why a company is recalling so many cars....whether it is in good faith or not. When my neighbor refers to my Cobalt as the "junky" car, this kinda gives you a little insight on just how the media is running wild on this.

 

 

Question is just how damaged the rep is right now.....

 

Do you have hard evidence other than hear say or perceptions?

Bye bye resale value......

How so if the vehicle is fixed?