thegriffon

More seriously perhaps it should be called Enigma

So whose idea was it?

As I understand what evok has said before, "Zegma" is his term for the Camaro platform, a blend of Zeta (Global Rwd or Medium Rwd) and Sigma, to create a smaller? cheaper architecture. The Grand Prix replacement/G8 would be pure Zeta. If the G6 and Malibu are switching to Epsilon II, surely some work not affected by the change could continue, while other would have to be cancelled? As for the Aura replacement, timing is probably dictated to some degree by that of the NG Opel Vectra, which has undergone a less dramatic facelift and will need to be replaced sooner than the Aura. Any delay may be dictated by adjustments made for upgrading Fairfax to EpII, perhaps why there was a 2nd new Malibu planned in the first place.

As has been mentione before GM will have plenty of fwd midsize sedans - the budget Malibu, sporty Aura and premium LaCrosse. Why not give Pontiac something unique with a rwd sedan and coupe to underpin the lower-volume GTO. No other company can do this in the US, but GM's breadth of brands enables them to offer something unique through Pontiac - an entire lineup of sporty rwd cars at an affordable price (Toyota with their five sales networks—Toyota, Toyopet, Corolla, Netz and Lexus—does something similar in Japan with the Brevis, Mark X and Crown etc.).

So is the "new" Astra. GME dumped Delta and went for an update using the old platform, which made it even easier to develop the Vectra as a variant of the new Astra. The new Vectra uses the lwb platform developed for the Astra Caravan and Zafira. The new Astra uses the slight increase in wheelbase previously engineered by GM do Brasil. Although the chassis systems are much improved the platform itself is carryover. They probably won't be able to do that next time, but I doubt they will use Delta.

No, it has a larger V10 on the "new" Audi 90deg V6/V8 block, The Gallardo V10 was based on the old, less compact V6/V8 block. The V10 has lkess power and torque than the W12, but it's a "real" Audi engine, not a VW engine shared with the Phaeton and Bentley Continental and related to the RV6 in the Passat. Audi likes to remind people they are not entirely owned by VW, and assert as much independance as they can get away with.

Wrong platform. I don't think GME, now responsible for the Global Compact cars, was at all impressed with Delta. I suspect that the next Ion will now be a sedan variant of the next Astra, just like GM do Brasil's Chevrolet Vectra. There may be detail changes to the styling, but nothing you be able to see from the sketch. Cobalt will probably also be affected, since there will also be a Daewoo/Chevrolet based on Global Compact Car to replace the J200.

You're reading way too much into a simple reference to "Knocking on Heaven's Door" from the soundtrack to Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. "Mama take this badge offa me..." is just the first line.

Buick is so far unaffected, and Pontiac isn't going away either.

You don't know yet how much power the 3.7 L I5 would have.

Don't be so blindly vindictive. Wagoner and GM know ther are improvements that need to be made, but he was addressing three big areas of misconception - productivity, quality and fuel-efficiency. For the rest—"Simply put, we are committed to doing a better job of designing, building and selling high-quality, high-value cars and trucks that consumers can't wait to buy. No excuses. We will step up our performance in this regard."

You're all thinking too much. A number of programs beside Malibu and Ion will be affected by GM's focus on the Global architectures (Small, Compact, Medium, Rwd—Greek alpha's are out). There will be some delays, some re-assignment of responsibilities internationally, some global program mergers, and more radical changes for some products. "Tip of the iceberg" probably gives the wrong idea though. Product development will not be decimated as many of you seem to fear.

Even "The Horse and His Boy"?

It will be Vectra/Aura this time, remember? I'd like to think GM will give some reassurance on the Malibu and Ion replacement as both were shown to media and analysts, but we may not hear anything until the international versions are revealed in two or three years.

a.) The older-generation HV V6s are being built and used in China (in different capacities). b.) The 3800 plant being closed is being replaced by another plant for the HF V6s. (yeah, as some people have implied the plant closures are a little bit smoke and mirrors in some cases since new plants had been announced earlier and others will be re-opened with new product after a short hiatus).

As I said in another post, don't get too upset. There will be replacements for both sedans, probably looking pretty much like those shown to analysts. But why build two sedans that look like the Ion, one based on the Astra and one on Delta just for North America. Why build two midsize Chevrolet sedans, one on Epsilon for NA and one on Epsilon II for everyone else? GM isn't imploding, this is the result of GM getting really serious and making smart, if painful, decisions. Of course this also means it may be more difficult to find out as much about the replacement programs. With engineering being done all over the world and GM Europe in charge of the Compact and Midsize programs, suppliers and staff in NA may not even know the vehicles they are working on are the Ion and Malibu replacements. It may be like Vue/Antara: "Oh, by the way, that's the Malibu."

Err, yes, but probably not the way you are thinking.

No, they are not being delayed or cancelled for the crossovers. Although Ah-HA may be frustrated by the changes, it appears they are doing what they should have done fromt he start—ensuring they get the maximum bang for the buck by consolidating sedan programs internationally, and switching all North American midsize sedans to Epsilon II, even if that means a slight delay for the Malibu. By concentrating resources on a single program instead of two or three duplicate models, they may even be able to bring things forward in some cases.

You're forgetting the unibody, fwd GMC mobile home GM used to build.

I said exactly the same thing Sixty8. The nose also reminds me of the Lumina.

Medium duty trucks includes vehicle not sold by any og the imports. DCX, Toyota and Nissan have seperate subsidiaries which sell medium trucks, so they don't get counted, and the Japanese don't have the sales GM does even if they were.

The major magazines may all have official photos already, but by now will be unable to release them before the NAIAS due to the lead times required (which is why there are embargoes). If GM were to release official pics now they would not make any friends in the media, something they have enough trouble with already.

Don't get too upset. GM is constantly revising prigrams and seems to be in a consolidation phase, eliminating overlap in order to make development dollars go further. That means products that would have been on a US-only platform variant (like the Ion replacement) are being cancelled as the global platform teams take hold. It could turn out to be good news.

Both Saturn and Chevrolet will have midsize fwd cars, and Buick the V6/V8 LaCrosse. Switching the G6 to "Zegma" improves the business case for the GTO variant (minor exterior changes and a HO V8) and Camaro and gives Pontiac a unique position in the market to distinguish it from Saturn and Chevrolet. Just imagine what would happen to the G6 with the kind of buzz generated by the 300 (and maybe they could call it the Tempest). They only have to sell 10,000 a month to outdo the G6, and with the GTO and cabrio that could easily be surpassed. Look at how many 300s Chrysler sells.

The Nissan Skyline is already sold as the Infiniti G35 in the US. It makes sene to sell the GT-R as an Infiniti as well, in those markets where both brands are used.