FUTURE_OF_GM

"My Apocalypse" --- MetallicA

A.K.A. GM doesn't have the budget to launch a new name.

Sounds like you're having a really rough year man. Maybe a change of location could fix things? I know it's getting pretty bad up there now.

NICE! A MetallicA reference... You're a man after my heart. Fortunately, I don't own anything but the Focus. The Camaros are in someone elses name (In case times get real tough, like they looked to be getting recently, they can't use the cars as collateral) So the theif couldn't sue me for much. I really don't need an assault charge though, especially if it's a kid. In reality, I don't think I'll do anything. But they better hope I never catch them in the act, because then it's on. Doesn't matter if it's my car/GF/whatever or not.

TANGENTS TO SET UP THE STORY --- YOU GUYS KNOW HOW I LIKE TO TELL STORIES TANGENT 1 1) The Focus has had a really rough summer, as have I (worst headf**k I've been through since 2001) Firstly, I was motoring around the house and busted a shifter linkage. Ironically it was in the same place that I was stranded in the middle of the road back in 2005 when the 45 mph 18 wheeler took me out and totalled the first Focus I had. So, I decided that I WOULD NOT be stuck in the road there again and damn near melted the clutch to get the car up a hill. (It was stuck in 3rd). As a result the Focus was down for about a month since I live in Charlotte most of the time and didn't have the time to fix it. (Weeks are spent in Charlotte, 2-3 weekends a month are spent at home - I'm always bouncing back and forth) So I had a mechanic friend fix it. He said a piece of tire (from someones blowout) flew up and got caught on the linkage and when I tried to shift, it busted. the clutch is okay, but not quite as solid as it was. 2) A few weeks later I'm in Charlotte and the Focus up and dies on me. I hop on the forums to see what it might be. Eventually we narrow it down to something in the fuel system (shear brilliance, I know) I read that A) Foci tend to crap fuel pumps at 100,000 miles and that's no coincidence since I had just celebrated the 100,000 mile mark. and B) A lot of cars are experiencing fuel system problems now that many gas stations are adding 10% Ethanol to their fuel. One of the main companies that does this is Sunoco and guess what I filled up with the day before the car quit? You got it. So I grab what few tools I can round up at the complex here (All of my good stuff is at home) and I jerk the old filter off and install a new one hoping that this will be a quick and cheap fix. The car ran for about a minute and would not start again. At this point, despite being able to hear the pump kick over, I'm pretty convinced it's the pump. So the car sits for 3 months while I save and plan to either drop the tank in my lot and replace it myself or haul it 2 hours home to do it there. Hundreds of dollars and a headache later: fast forward to last weekend and the Focus is back up and running better than it ever has. Improved gas mileage, better performance... All is well. TANGENT 2 For a couple of years now, someone has been committing larceny and holding people up at gunpoint on and around our campus. This is particularly troubling to me for a few reasons 1) My GF is often in studio until 3 or 4 in the morning. 2) I'm often there with her until 1 or 2 in the morning 3) I'm often outside on the campus doing marketing campaigns for Relay For Life at 12 or 1 in the morning (It's the only time the campus is dead enough for me to set things up) 4) Being raised in public service, it really pisses me off when someone preys on the weak or innocent. I've always been lucky though, no one has ever tried to mess with me or my stuff. Not surprising since the perp is supposedly 5'4" and about a buck eighty and I'm 6'9"/ 350 and not so obviously armed. CONVERGENCE Yesterday in broad daylight, (and by that I mean POURING RAIN) in front of security cameras and other people/cars I presume, someone shattered the passenger side window in my Focus and stole my CD player. The guy was good too, didn't leave a mark on the car anywhere and was probably very quick about it. It's not about the money... The CD player was a cheapo (+/- $100) and my insurance should most likely cover the window and the player. It's about the fact that I am 1) a car guy that is offended when people so much as touch my cars (even if it is my tame daily driver) and 2) I'm real sick of no one putting this jack ass in his place. So, I'm very tempted to get everything fixed, put my iPod and camera on the front seat and park in the same place. Then I'm going to hide in the woods across from my car with something akin to a baseball bat (but not exactly) and I'm going to make whoever (doesn't matter if it's the original guy or not) breaks into my car so VERY sorry that they were even born. Anybody think this is a good idea???? bad idea???? Am I just a crazed, violent redneck? (Keep in mind that this is all said kinda tongue-in-cheek, but the thought is in my head pretty serious right now to do exactly what I've laid out here.)

My Apocalypse is freakin' SICK!!!!! I love it!

I'm an hour out. (Greensboro NC that is)

I agree. But at the same time, that could be suicide. GM is already 'out of favor' with most dealers because the Japanese gravy train has arrived. Most of the dealers are (wisely, from a business standpoint) pumping money into the asian brands. And the more Detroit fumbles and bumbles, the worse the dealers confidence in a recovery gets. To just ignore the dealers might be the 'straw that breaks the camels back' if you know what I mean. It's just too bad that GM couldn't either buy back dealerships or set up a new chain of corporate owned dealers. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Mac store. Exclusive, upscale and with the ability to sell any GM product from any division. Or maybe GM could seek out 'mom n pops' people and then market a 'small town one-on-one feel' for their dealers to combat the HUGE and ANNOYING big dealers that sell everything under the sun and have no vested interest in the survival of the company. Think about it... If you're a dealer that sells Toyota and GM, what does it matter to you if GM goes down the tubes? That just means EVEN more, more profitable Toyota sales. IMO No one cares (outside of us) if GM and Co. just roll over and die. The greenies and media want it to happen because of past axes. The government is going to go where the money is and votes are (the asian companies) the dealers are just as happy peddling trash from Japan and the consumer gave up on Detroit when trucks (aided by the same media and govt that is trying to eliminate Detroit) fell out of fashion.

One of the best posts I've ever had the pleasure of reading! Please tell me you work for General Motors!

That's fine... Us 'american car fanboys' will have fun making them look like fools at the track AND on the street.

This is something akin to what I was talking about if fuel economy regs get too tough. The automakers could spin the niche performance models to new companies and still "offer support" Not that I want to see that happen, but if it means the car/model doesn't have to die, then so be it.

Meh, no big deal! (No need to feel embarassed) My dad was a fire chief for 20 years (still is a fire marshal) and growing up in the biz I actually saw this sort of thing quite a bit. Just look at it this way: You had the heart and determination to get out there and do a service for your community despite being sick and weak. People like you should be commended because most would not have done that. Even now that my dad no longer fights fire, I still have it in my blood. If I see a fire somewhere, or worse, smell one I just have to scamper (I really want to run) to the car and "find it"

Awesome... I've already started collecting and informed my GF (A fellow car nut) that our garage might be bigger than our house. I told her if she didn't like it, then she might not want to marry me. My MINIMUM goal is to maintain at least one car from every american car division that has existed in my lifetime. I'm seriously at a point where I've decided to just invest in classic iron and leave the new cars for people who want to be "green"

LMAO!!! Well, that is the future after all. I'm also digging the BEAUTIFUL ZR1 photos... Wow!

Yep, I remember the first F&F was the first movie I ever tried to see that was sold out. I actually loved that movie, hated the second one and never saw the third. This one might be worth a look though! I remember the riced out poser boys in the parking lot too. RE: THE 5.0. Those cars will run like CRAZY and they have an exhaust note that is next to god IMO.

I think that was the plan with the Z/28 (Which has supposedly been cancelled now)

OH NO!!!! Someone's pushing the import apologist button again!

Bull$h!... Once the engineering for the platform is done (For Chevrolet or Buick or whatever) it takes mere pennies (Not literally) to create models from that platform.

Excellent post!

Simple... Dealers. Like enzl said, the dealers are the connect from GM to consumer. To cut their throats would be VERY bad business for Buick/Pontiac?GMC AND GM as a whole. Pontiac needs this to survive, and as long as they don't lose sight of their heritage and the products aren't rebadges I say bring it on.

Why not? Better yet, why should Pontiac be locked into RWD V8? You guys know how I feel about it... My first new car purchase will be a RWD V8 car. eff gas prices, eff the greenies, and eff what anybody else thinks. However, I have a feeling that it's either this road (first, because GM is cash strapped and two because the future isn't volume RWD V8, sadly) or Pontiac dies. And I would rather try to save a reinvent Pontiac than just kill it. (It should always be the place to go for RWD and/or V8. But why should that be it's mainstay?

Great post that I agree with 100%. But all I'm saying is; be open minded. Maybe GM WILL differentiate the Pontiacs and do their best to ride out the storm. That would be the smartest thing to do IMO, since the products which the Pontiacs are based on are fresh. If they are just badge engineered copies of Chevrolets, then we'll know to start the death count for GM again.

Man, that black car is sexy as can be! I'm so glad they did away with the stupid "Supercharged" emblems.

So the C&D article is referencing the Bullitt and SRT-8 Challenger for the V6 Camaro?!?! NEWS FLASH: There is a V8 coming guys. I know you hate to follow the Detroit companies and are probably a little foggy on the details, but just so you know. And this is why the Camaro is my car... Because it communicates my personality.

We all know that GM never sticks to a plan... Ya know, for months we've come to Cheers and Gears and told GM to have a diverse line up. Maybe this is just that. Let's face it, we like big RWD V8 cars and with Zeta, the line up would've been badly skewed to RWD V8 trucks and cars. Maybe GM is just giving us a diverse line (finally) I'm fine with that... As long as they don't half ass anything and still sell a few products that I want (RWD V8, heritage style stuff) We need other buyers too and this is the only shot at getting them IMO. Pontiac as a volume division? WHY NOT? A G3 that co-exists with a G8 (Or something along those lines)? WHY NOT? An economical, but stylish and peppy G3? WHY NOT?