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Chicago Auto Show: Lutz Confused, GMC's Pickup Truck Concept Coming to Chicago
Despite earlier reports the four-door Zeta-platform GMC concept pickup truck would be coming to the New York Auto Show, we've been told by people in the know it'll be hitting the floor at the Chicago Auto Show. We guess we'll be seeing it much earlier than expected. Maybe "Maximum" Bob Lutz was just having a senior moment of some kind. Our sources also indicate it'll have a drastically different look than anything else out of Australia with a truck bed — including the Holden Crewman ute up top. But it's not just the looks that'll be different. More »
10:30 AM on Fri Jan 25 2008
By Ray Wert
2,860 views,
19 comments
Latest by n/a: Why are they bringing that boat farther into the desert? more »
el camino
Report: Lutz Confirms Holden Ute-Based GMC Concept At NY Auto Show, Is The Crewamino Nigh?
It looks as though Maximum Bob Lutz has confirmed to Australian website GoAuto that a four door truck concept based on the Zeta platform will be appearing at the New York Auto Show as a GMC. While we can't be sure this is the precursor to the new El Camino we keep asking about, what we're picturing in our head is totally a four-door El Camino. Specifically he said "We will have a ute concept at the NY show, but that is going to be badged GMC... and a very interesting study in that it is a GMC tough-looking four-door ute that could then obviously be badged as a Holden for Australia." A lot of people have taken to thinking this refers to the Holden Crewman, which didn't get updated like the other Utes in Holden's lineup.More »
el camino
No Holden VE Sportwagon For U.S.: A Nation of Big Back End-Lovin' Auto Enthusiasts Mourn
We can hardly believe our eyes. We all were under the impression after the last set of rumors from Automotive News that we here in the U.S. would be seeing a Zeta-platformed wagon and ute sometime before the end of the decade. We'd even done our darndest trying to track down that rumor ourselves — first with Rick Wagoner at CES, then with Lutz himself at Detroit on Tuesday morning. Now, Australian auto media site GoAuto is reporting GM's main product man told them and other members of the media from down under the United States will not be seeing a Holden VE Sportwagon-based wagon. How could "Maximum" Bob Lutz leave us out in the cold like this? Here's how and why — straight from his "Maximum" mouth:"We looked at that, but the amount of change to meet US regulations was going to be quite a lot of money...and the sad truth is, as much as some of us like 'sportwagons', they just don't sell in the US.More »
8:20 AM on Thu Jan 17 2008
By Ray Wert
2,103 views,
103 comments
Latest by n/a: "sportwagons, they just don't sell in the US" Maybe if US made a good looking wagon like this this one! we don't want am el-Camino or another lame ass SSR looking vehicle more »
bring back the kingswood while you're at it
Holden Wagon Revealed?
This week, a provocative pic hit the webs, straight from upside-down land. It's a Holden VE Commodore in wagon form — part of a product presentation of undetermined origin. According to Australia's Drive.au, the wagon will launch next year, giving Holden a virtual lock on the midsize station wagon market in that country. This bodes well for a US version, though we're not convinced US carmakers are as ready to bring back the wagon en masse as we are. They're likely more concerned with market research figures and demographics than pure radness. That's a shame.[Drive.au via GM Inside News]
burnouts across the pond
Vauxhall VXR8 Nears UK Launch
The Vauxhall version of Holden's VE HSV Clubsport R8 is so close as to be generating its own gravitational field around the UK (hold on to your cider). It's yet another Australian-born teaser for the Pontiac G8, which will appear in the states sometime during the 385th season of "According to Jim." If we can survive another millennium (or so it will seem) of the unfunny Belushi brother, we'll may get a taste of what the VXR8 already has in its toybox. Of course, the most potent of Vauxhalls will get GM's LS2 producing 411 hp, while the G8 will likely get a 6.0-liter L76 producing 362 hp. If only we had a queen... More »
spy photos
Michigan plates, rear-wheel drive, 6.2-liter LS3 V8 under the hood — one would hope — and double esses across its hind quarters. We'd be tempted to think it's Chevrolet's version of the Pontiac G8 and Holden VE Commodore. But soon-to-be car site Motive — partially constructed by one who brought you the sadly defunct MPH — says it's more likely an Omega SS for the Brazilian market or a Lumina SS for the Middle-Eastern market. Plus, it's got the Holden "VE" badging, which makes us doubt our distaste for kangaroo sausage. [via My.IS]
2009 Chevrolet Impala SS, or Not: Emerging Market Muscle?
Michigan plates, rear-wheel drive, 6.2-liter LS3 V8 under the hood — one would hope — and double esses across its hind quarters. We'd be tempted to think it's Chevrolet's version of the Pontiac G8 and Holden VE Commodore. But soon-to-be car site Motive — partially constructed by one who brought you the sadly defunct MPH — says it's more likely an Omega SS for the Brazilian market or a Lumina SS for the Middle-Eastern market. Plus, it's got the Holden "VE" badging, which makes us doubt our distaste for kangaroo sausage. [via My.IS]
3:07 PM on Fri Jul 13 2007
By Mike Spinelli
28,265 views,
24 comments
Latest by brandegee: Not bad, but kind of bland. That's not a bad thing. Gorgeousness eludes the General like a giant squid. Anyone else think the Malibu Maxx SS is so hideous it's kind of cool? more »
jalopnik hearts chazwazzers
First Pontiac G8 Rolls Off Holden Assembly Line
Happy times for American hoons. Number minus-one from a first-year batch of 30,000 Pontiac G8s just crawled out of its shell. That is, the first Pontiac G8 — an engineering prototype not among the first production models — rolled off a Holden assembly line in the South Australian town of Elizabeth. Essentially, the G8 is a re-skinned Holden Commodore VE, which has collected reviews in several shades of awesome. To recap: A few months back, the General, spooked by the prospect of rising CAFE standards, said it had "pressed the pause button" on its rear-wheel-drive plans. Then, whoops, it pressed play again. Back on track, the G8 is the first American domestic market vehicle built off GM's RWD platform known as Zeta. (The Camaro will likely be #2.) A nearly 400 horsepower (391 hp) 6.0-liter V8, along with and six-speed manual, will be standard fare on the GT model. Good on you, GM. More »
i'm worth a million in prizes
Will Pontiac Go With the Screaming Chicken or the Goat?
Will dealerships resemble flaming aviaries or well-gnawed gardens when Pontiac gets its own version of the Zeta-platform coupe? It sounds like the GM division's leaning toward another iteration of the GTO moniker, according to Car and Driver. While the last model, despite its obvious horsepower and handling charms, failed to deliver the magic spark of essential GTO-ness, Pontiac seems to see it as a vehicle that wouldn't simply be a badge-engineered version of the Camaro. As it stands now, GM seems to think there's only room for one Zeta-derived coupe under the Pontiac banner, so if we do get a GTO, don't stick your head under water while waiting for a Firebird. You'll likely end up with prune-head. And you can't make your donuts with prune-head. More »
better red than dead
Random Appearance Of A Red G8 In Wisconsin
Cars.com's Rabbi Dave was out at a GM something-or-the-other in picturesque Wisconsin where the General decided to whip out some hot rear-wheel action for the auto journos in attendance. So for anyone out there who's been kept up at night wondering what a red Pontiac G8 would look like, here's a Dave Thomas exclusive crappy camera phone shot of the engine bay and that hot little rear end for you to be amazed by. More »
spy photos
Spy Photos: Holden VE Commodore Ute
The gossiping nellies of the car world (i.e., ours truly) have already speculated on a new ute (i.e., El Camino) based on the Holden VE Commodore (i.e., Pontiac G8) coming to the US on the back of GM's spate of rear-drive models. Oh right. Said spate, chairman Lutz said last week, has been kiboshed by pending higher fleet-mileage standards by the EPA. That means we're probably not getting the VE-based ute — above, wearing the gingham tablecloth — caught by a spy shooter down under. Hold out hope for that Ford Ranchero. More »
8:07 AM on Wed Apr 18 2007
By Mike Spinelli
4,593 views,
8 comments
Latest by aussiechris: hello from melbourne australia.i personaly no a engineer in holdens fishermans bend development depot,and he is currently working on diesel motor placement for the commodore range of cars,the spy photo you see was taken at stkilda beach ,just a stones more »
news
Question Of The Day: GM Forum Fans Want US Version Of Park Avenue -- Do You?
We showed you the new Zeta-platformed Buick Park Avenue a little earlier today and we were pretty surprised at how non-Buick the styling is, and how plush and non-General the interior looks. Apparently the fervent fans of the General over at the GMInsideNews forums are feeling the same way. They're wondering why the world's biggest automaker doesn't offer said RWD vehicle stateside for the Wood-y brand, especially given what we've heard about the similarities between vehicular desires in the two markets. Here's what a few of them have to say:"Every day that goes by, I become more and more embarrassed by GM's car offerings in the United States...I don't believe GM has the desire to sell something like this in the US. They couldn't do it with STS. They Certainly won't do it with Buick."
"Even if they wanted to bring that over here now they would say it is still 8 years away.. But its coming. Meanwhile we twirl in the wind as usual. GM you have got to give us product like this and faster!"
"Hey! I wonder if Rick and Bob have seen this car? The offerings here in the US sure don't indicate that!!!!!!!!!!"Maybe it's just Tiger Woods, but who knew there was such pent up demand for a Buick. So let's ask our readers the same question the GMInsideNews forumites are answering:
More »
news
Frankenstein Continues To Go Greek: GM's New RWD Platform To Be Named Alpha, Get Pieces Of Kappa And Zeta
According to the Road which bends in a Winding manner, the General's set to debut a new small-to-medium-size vehicle platform that the automaker's calling "Alpha." They're claiming the new franken-platform's going to incorporate pieces of the Kappa architecture and the Zeta architecture to create a brand new monsterrific rear-wheel drive base for the Pontiac and Cadillac brands. The WR boys claim the G6 will be the first to use the new patchwork RWD platform. All this is really cool and all, but we're mostly excited they called Bob Lutz the "Resident Car Czar." Now all we need is for him to get some bolts on the side of his head, get WR to call him "Maximum" and we'll be good to go! More »
news
Thunder From, Well, You Know: More on the HSV GTS E-Series
Muscle-car heads from the land of Oz are getting a new HSV runner with zero-to-60 figures in the sub-five-seconds range. Remember this little number we brought you last week? It's been unveiled (see above) and the specs are in. More »
new cars
The Camaro Is An Aussie Brickhouse: The New 2006 Holden Commodore VE SS
Pssst. Want to see the next Camaro, GTO, Impala SS, Buick Grand National, etc., etc.? No can do. But we can show you those upcoming (and prospective) cars' closest Australian relative. It's the new VE Commodore from The General's Aussie subsidiary, Holden Automotive, and it's the the first new Holden design since the HQ. The company's spent $1.04 billion developing the VE's rear-drive platform, but it won't merely be for hoons in the outback to get their kicks on the Northern Highway. Once known as Zeta (or modified Zeta), this is the Global RWD Architecture, baby — and it'll be the basis for all manner of fun new cars GM's cooking in its design studios. And really, it'll be good news, because although the VE's interior looks better than a bloomin' onion, the shell is plain as a Queensland Salad. More »
spy photos
Spy Photos: Next-Generation Chevrolet Impala
A strange, new prototype emerged from GM's proving grounds recently, giving spy photogs a jolt of
8:05 AM on Mon Jun 5 2006
By Mike Spinelli
1,183 views,
8 comments
Latest by skierpage: Yeah, it's a Chrysler profile and a bit of Cadillac cut lines trickling down into a generic design, with a Daewoo Opel feel. more »
