FUTURE_OF_GM

I'm actually kind of optimistic about that but it makes too much sense, so I doubt it'll ever happen.

If GM files for Ch. 11, they will NOT be around in 20-30 years. There will be NO "quick and easy" bankruptcy. And once that damage is done, NO ONE will buy GM cars. Hell, GM can't even get the import idiots to consider their cars NOW much less once they're "No longer a safe bet" because of bankruptcy. Let me outline it for you in a few bullet points: 1) GM will NEVER conquest sales again... Not unless they "raise" buyers by marketing to the youth. The import intenders didn't give a rats ass about GM to begin with and now that GM's predicament and the media have all but cut the head off of this once mighty company, they will NEVER see those people again. 2) Even if we except that fact; at least 50% of the population is pissed off that "such a horrible company" is getting "a bailout" from "the dream team". Those people will not only NOT buy GM, they will work as hard as possible to get others not to. 3) GM still has its owners and loyalists, right? NOT SO FAST.... GM has alienated MANY of it's loyalists now that it has eliminated 2 of it's hottest brands (Saturn & Pontiac -- Go to any GM site, to the "people that know" these are two of the hottest brands) one of which pulls a HUGE amount of buyers (fleet included or not) It has alienated MANY more enthusiasts by eliminating it's 2 most customized/niche brands (Hummer & Saab --- these brands hold a lot of the mOST loyal people) 4) There is NO SUCH THING as an "easy" bankruptcy... The government isn't going to help GM any more than they have to. This is because of 2 reasons 1) Consumer/citizens WANT the company to fail, ESPECIALLY the citizens that this administration plays to. 2) Because GM is the government's enemy. Everyone seems to keep forgetting that these people HATED this company not even 6 months ago. GM will 1) eliminate Pontiac to appease people that never intend to buy a GM car in the first place. 2) Enter bankrupcty with the assumption that big brother will be it's savior. 3) Big brother will abandon GM and the company will suffer a long, painful death while big brother hypes Ford and "transplants" as the key to our success. -OR- GM will 1) eliminate Pontiac to appease people that will never buy GM anyway 2) Enter bankruptcy where GMC will be killed as a condition of big brother guiding them through it. 3) emerge from bankruptcy like a lion 4) watch as sales stagnate because no one will buy cars from them. 5) Eliminate Buick and move cadillac down market withing 2 years of the filing. 6) Sell Cadillac and 7) continue to sell Chevrolets as a NICHE brand to those of us that still care until we die off. Everyday, I fear more and more that there will be NO good end to this. The media, half of the population and half of the government want to burn GM on the cross, so much so that I just realized that I won't HAVE to buy Pontiacs in niche capacity, I'll get to buy Chevrolet's in a niche capacity! When it all shakes out, the sales leader in america will be Toyota with around 20% of the market. Hyundai & Kia will be #2, Honda and Nissan will battle it out for #3 and Ford will sit at #5 (Their image is still too negative for most americans to care... Not to mention, once GM and Chrysler have "been dealt with" the media and anti-Detroit will refocus it's energy on a 'fragile' Ford until it finishes the job)

DISCUSS (for the 30 seconds that this thread will be open) And I I'm not sure I agree with the implications of the article, but whatever.

You'll never see that happen... GM is at the mercy of the government now. Zeta will die with Pontiac and Alpha will not accomodate a V8, mark my words.

Is this REALLY what everyone is so excited about? Is this REALLY 'markedly' better than the domestics?!?! LOL... What a scam!!! I mean, I know the Corolla is no star and it certainly isn't top of the class. But people buy them in DROVES only to think that they're somehow a superior offering to GM/Ford/Chrysler. I guess perception really is everything. The entire car screamed *CHEAP!!!* to me... I mean, talk about a sea of hard, mismatched plastics! Even the design and layout looked like something out of Fisher-Price. Gawdy buttons and Rubbermaid controls... A sea of gray on light gray with little or horrible texture. Fake woould that looked like it had been airbrushed. I'm just floored... One interesting note... The windshield wiper was flopping/rattling with the wind. I'm thinking, this car hasn't even got 2,000 miles on it and what a blatant and obvious defect. Oh, and I also enjoyed how Toyota slapped a big black strip pf paint on the B-pillar to hide the fact that the door don't exactly meet. LOL. PERFECT. This just makes me that much more pissed off about the position the domestics are in. I almost hope they DO comeback with 3-4 strong brands just so they can TIME WARP these asian assholes on the technology/fit front and gain customers back.

True.... It did at one time... But the media whined (because aggressive = bad or "tacky") and f*cked that up.

+1 I'm tired of fighting the battles that GM should be fighting. They can't even defend themselves in the media for gods sake. The door is open to destroy GM and it will happen. There are too many determined to see it through.

The same can be said of ANY car design. Just look at the clinics where domestics are debadged and passed off as imports, then revealed as imports. SSDD.

With that vague description, any car could belong to ANY brand.

You're saying the Solstice, Solstice coupe, G6 coupe and convertible, G8, and G8 ST aren't original? (In relation to the rest of GM?)

Umm.. because I was barely alive and couldn't drive?

I've been screaming this for months...

In a society in which 60% of population wishes for the failure of the automakers?!?! I'd say that's not sad, it's par for the course. Or a cause for celebration (for some)

Read the news lately? I'm only commenting on what I'm 'told'. And damn right I'm angry... There is no reason for the stupidity that this company has displayed for the better part of 5 years. And there is no reason for the continued stupidity that our government officials (affiliation doesn't matter, they're all just as ignorant as the next guy) continue to exhibit. A GLOBAL manufacturing force that actually benefits america is crumbling, yet they don't seem to care. Have fun working at Walmart or McDonalds. That looks to be our future!

I never said they were. I'm betting their sites are set on the next "target"

DAMN! Oh well, If one of the mods wants to combine the topics or delete this one...

Until bankruptcy... Beat me to it...

Car is dead (apparently) Whatever... I'm over it... I've watched GM f@#k everything up my entire life... Looks like the "new GM" will be no different. Anyone want to take bets as to how long Buick lasts or how long until Obama and his minions assassinate GMC?

You seem to have a skill set that EVERY man wants. :AH-HA_wink:

Yes, Camino... Grow up and give up your freedom of choice and desire. The arrogance on this board astounds me sometimes. (Especially coming from the members that seem to spew it most often)

EXCELLENT READ! Too bad americans are so stupid...

They ARE STILL an also ran, for all intents and purposes... The new product is excellent, but it's going to take time to gain traction (Just like with all of the "damaged" NA brands) Not to mention, technically GME was the FIRST part of GM to meltdown. So the 'holier than thou' attitude is just ridiculous. The Insignia is SOOO HOT!!!! (Back in 2002)

It's almost as if the "GM tribalism" was more present in GME than GMNA (Which might explain why it had it's meltdown and subsequent bailout a few years ago. All politics aside, I'm just not excited about GM "giving up" that much presence across the globe. It can't be good and in this economy and as much as americans hate GM, the corporation must be global to survive. I must admit though... It would be nice to see a lot of car development come back to the U.S. And it would be even nicer to see GM's 6 global brands (The NA 5 + Holden) sweep across the globe. I bet it would rally the troops here as well if GM did a "Made in America" campaign.

Of course. No one gave damn about the GTR price hike. But by god, the camari better have flawless brakes!

I think the article makes some great points. But like Croc, I find the satire simply annoying. This is one example as to why the media is no longer taken seriously