Jalopnik: Zeta

2011 Buick Lucerne With Rear-Wheel Drive Is Not Dead Yet

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Automakers are gnashing their teeth over how to deal with the second malaise era looming over us like an 800 lb gorilla with a stolen banana. The General's combatting the murky fog by playing switcheroo with some of its product plans — specifically plans for rear-wheel drive. Originally, the 2011 Buick Lucerne was to shift to rear-wheel drive, in an attempt to move Buick slightly out of stodgy territory and into crotchety. Speculation's been that the plan was nixed due to all the doom and gloom lately, but it seems that may be less than true as we're now hearing the next Lucerne's rear-wheel plans are still quite "Fred." As in not-yet-dead.

Motor Trend's Motor City Blogman, Todd Lassa, is reporting the news of the RWD Buick Lucerne's demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Along with a lot of background info, Lassa says the Buick will be staying rear wheel drive, but moving off the 118.5-inch extended wheelbase Zeta platform and onto the smaller "midsize" 114.8-inch wheelbase Zeta — the same as the Pontiac G8. So it'll stay rear-wheel driven, but shrinking a bit in the process.

Enthusiasts will hate the idea of a rear-wheel powered Buick, sure. Want to know what they'll hate even more? The Blogman's also reporting GM's plans for a rear-wheel drive 2011 Chevy Impala is still dead in the water. The world is a crazy mixed up place sometimes, ain't it? [Motor Trend]

Chicago Auto Show: Lutz Confused, GMC's Pickup Truck Concept Coming to Chicago

Ray Wert — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST

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.

We're told the form factor will be an entirely unibody design — not just the weird-ass unibody front end with a half-chassis welded on to the back like the Crewman. A true car-based pickup truck. The mere thought's causing our pants to start to tighten. We mean, is this GMC an xtremely interesting development or what? Come on, is this seriously the new GMC — Caballero? We can only hope. But one thing's for sure, we'll have more info later on as the story develops.

Report: Lutz Confirms Holden Ute-Based GMC Concept At NY Auto Show, Is The Crewamino Nigh?

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:45:00 EST

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.

As expected, the new El Camino would likely be a Pontiac, which Lutz hints at by saying "Pontiac would be focused on sporty, high-performance passenger type of vehicles, and that's where the ute fits, that's where the G8 fits, and that's where the Pontiac Solstice fits - and that's how we want to focus that channel." It's like music to our ears. Go on over to Go Auto to see all the details on how this could be the new El Camino. [GoAuto via Winding Road]

No Holden VE Sportwagon For U.S.: A Nation of Big Back End-Lovin' Auto Enthusiasts Mourn

Ray Wert — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:20:52 EST

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.

"How often do you see an Audi wagon? How often do you see a BMW wagon? How often do you see a Mercedes wagon? The answer is, almost never...they're just not fashionable. I can't explain why."

We understand Bob, we understand — just as long as you don't kill the ute. Please don't kill the ute. And if you are going to kill the ute, give us the exclusive on it, so we can personally slap you in the face for teasing us — and so you have to watch us cry. You big mean Bavarian man. [GoAuto]

Holden Wagon Revealed?

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:26:58 EDT

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]

Vauxhall VXR8 Nears UK Launch

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 07:43:33 EDT

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...

Press Release:

VXR8 media information

Introduction

There was every reason to mourn the passing of the Monaro, but the Thunder from Down Under hasn't stopped yet...

What better to replace the 6.0-litre V8, rear-drive Aussie performance icon with than an all-new Antipodean muscle car. A car, in fact, just like the VXR8 - a car even more powerful and exciting than the Monaro.

The dramatic-looking new saloon is powered by the same 6.0-litre V8 as the outgoing Monaro VXR, but revisions have made it even more efficient. It now develops a massive 417PS and 550Nm of torque, giving it enough grunt to sprint from 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds. No other supercar offers this sort of power for anywhere near the VXR8's bargain price of just £35,105.

Yet the VXR8, based on the Australian Holden VE HSV Clubsport R8, offers more in the way of practicality than the Monaro, with four doors and space for all the family.

Although practical, with a spacious boot, comfortable, long-legged cruising ability and luxuries such as climate control and leather trim, the VXR8 is certainly no softie. Driver aids such as the stability system and traction control can be turned off at the flick of a switch - perfect for drivers who want to hone their skills on a track day!

In response to customer demand, the VXR8 will also be the first VXR model to be offered with an automatic gearbox, but that doesn't mean that VXR shifted to being dull. Performance figures are hardly affected, and the auto's fuel economy is actually better than the manual's.

Satellite navigation and 20-inch wheels are among the options for those who want to make their VXR8 look more distinctive and help find their way to the best driving roads. Even with all the option boxes ticked however, the VXR8 is still around half the price of other cars with comparable performance. As all fast car fans know, Aussie rules - and here's why...

When was the last time you saw an Australian bloke drinking a half of lager? Never? That's because the Aussies don't do things by halves, and if you need proof, look no further than the VXR8. Beefy, muscular and well-toned, the feisty four-door wouldn't look out of place flexing its muscles among the beach crowd. Based on the elegant yet unassuming looks of the latest VE-Series Holden Commodore, VXR8 takes the clean lines of a well-proportioned saloon car and gives them a supercar touch. Neat styling features include a butch-looking front spoiler with extra mesh air intake, along with piercing round driving and foglamps set in unique, trapezoidal pods. Supercar-style cooling fins adorn the car's
flanks, while the wheelarches are flared outwards to give the appearance of stability and provide room for the huge tyres - 245/40 19s at the front, or 275/35 19s at the rear. If 19s are too weedy, 20-inch alloys developed by Walkinshaw Performance are available as an option at £2,500, along with a Walkinshaw developed exhaust system, which sounds even more brutal than the standard set-up and costs £950. At the rear, VXR8 comes with a twin-post rear wing, quadruple exhaust outlet pipes and unique 'afterburner' rear lights, which include the latest LED technology to not only look stealthily cool, but also offer greater safety by being faster to reach full brightness than standard bulbs.

2009 Chevrolet Impala SS, or Not: Emerging Market Muscle?

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:07:07 EDT

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]

First Pontiac G8 Rolls Off Holden Assembly Line

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:43:48 EDT

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. – Jonny Lieberman

Holden holds on to U.S. [Adelaide Now]

Will Pontiac Go With the Screaming Chicken or the Goat?

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:45:00 EDT

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. – Davey G. Johnson

2010 Pontiac Firebird or GTO? [Car and Driver]

Random Appearance Of A Red G8 In Wisconsin

Ray Wert — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:45:00 EDT

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. – Ray Wert

Hands On: Pontiac G8, Buick Enclave [Kicking Tires]

Spy Photos: Holden VE Commodore Ute

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08:07:42 EDT

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. – Mike Spinelli

Holden VE Ute Spyshot [Caradvice (AU)]

Question Of The Day: GM Forum Fans Want US Version Of Park Avenue -- Do You?

Ray Wert — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:40:54 EDT

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:

[Hat tip to Ming!] – Ray Wert

Shanghai Motorshow: Buick Park Avenue Debuts (Updated w/ GM Press Release) [GMInsideNews.com]

Related:
China's Zeta Cake: Buick Park Avenue [internal]

Frankenstein Continues To Go Greek: GM's New RWD Platform To Be Named Alpha, Get Pieces Of Kappa And Zeta

Ray Wert — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EDT

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! – Ray Wert

GM's Next RWD Platform: Alpha [Winding Road]

Thunder From, Well, You Know: More on the HSV GTS E-Series

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 13:00:00 EDT

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.

At base, the HSV GTS is the faster sibling of the VE Commodore, the first GM model to be built on the Zeta (sorry, global RWD architecture) platform. It's powered by a tweaked-out 6.0-liter LS2 — and plans for a top-range LS7-powered model may be in the works.

Design chief Juilan Quincey said of the car's performance and technology — including the GM-developed magnetoelectric ride system found on some Cadillacs and the Ferrari 599GTB — "We want to conquer Europe and we can genuinely do that now." Right-o, but how about the US? If GM doesn't start diverting his kind of hardware to American ports of call for Chevy and Pontiac soon — FYI: GM's got an announcement regarding its rear-drive plans coming this week — we're seriously considering a Jalopnik Canberra outpost.

VE NEWS: HSV's super-sedans break 5.0sec barrier [Drive.com.au via Winding Road]

The Camaro Is An Aussie Brickhouse: The New 2006 Holden Commodore VE SS

Ray Wert — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:00:00 EDT

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.

VE Day: all-new Commodore debuts [Wheels]

Spy Photos: Next-Generation Chevrolet Impala

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 08:05:08 EDT

A strange, new prototype emerged from GM's proving grounds recently, giving spy photogs a jolt of ~~money~~ recognition. Could the next-generation Impala have shed its awkwardly applied skin in favor of a sleeker, new configuration? The Car Connection speculates the new model shares the company's rear-drive Zeta platform with the next Holden Commodore, a sign that GM's Austraila-based rear-drive development will bear fruit in the mid-size sedan category. But is that a bow tie on the grille or an arrowhead. Time will tell. [UPDATE: For context, our buddy (and yours), Yozzie provides a link to Holden Commodore VE spy pics.]

Spy Shots: 2008 Chevrolet Impala [The Car Connection]

Related:
Pontiac Returning to Rear-Drive Roots? [internal]