GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #15 – April 27, 2009, 02:50:14 PM You sure? They wouldn't need to really retool anything. Europe and the middle east already has the Lumina. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #16 – April 27, 2009, 03:02:59 PM I'm sure.http://www.leftlanenews.com/pontiac-g8-production-to-cease-this-year-with-no-pontiac-models-to-survive-beyond-2010.htmlPontiac G8 production to cease this year with no Pontiac models to survive beyond 201004/27/2009, 9:51 AMBy Drew JohnsonGeneral Motors officially announced on Monday its Pontiac brand will be phased out by the end of 2010, but the marque’s brightest star – the G8 – won’t even make it that far. GM CEO Fritz Henderson announced earlier today the G8 sedan will be phased out by the end of this year.According to Henderson, Pontiac’s relationship with Holden – GM’s Australian subsidiary and maker of the G8 – will end by the end of 2009. Henderson said production of the Pontiac G8 will wind down by the end of the year, with the automaker prepared to offer heavy incentives to get the performance sedan off dealer lots. News AU estimates the end of the Pontiac G8 will cost Holden more than $750 million in lost revenue.Additionally, Henderson said GM has no plans to move any Pontiac models to other brands. That means the Pontiac Solstice will ride off into the sunset shortly after the G8, with the Vibe likely to be the last model standing in the Pontiac lineup. The Vibe is made at a joint-venture plant with Toyota, with the five-door wagon set to be produced through 2010. The Pontiac G3 — essentially a rebadged version of the Chevy Aveo — and the G6, a platform mate of the Chevy Malibu, will also be discontinued. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #17 – April 27, 2009, 03:17:57 PM More on the subject: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8021029.stmQuoteAfter shedding Pontiac by the end of 2010, GM will focus on its Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC brands.The firm also said it hoped to halve its debts by persuading bondholders to swap $27bn (£19bn) of bonds for shares.GM also wants the government to swap half its current loans for a 50% stake.The government has so far given GM $15.4bn in loans.Shares in General Motors rose 24%, or 40 cents, to $2.09 after the announcement. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #18 – April 27, 2009, 04:08:41 PM Quote wow, better hold onto your gto's!!!! Theyll be worth a heck of a lot more now......Doubt it but who knows. Hopefully when the smoke clears and things are in a more "normal" way lessons will have been learned, attitudes will change and American car manufacturers (as well as other big corporations) will keep them selves in check. Ford at least is doing "well" comparatively. Reporting less of a loss than projected and getting a merit pin for "quality" products. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #20 – April 27, 2009, 06:56:24 PM Actually, I think the Solstice coupes (more like Targas) will be quite a collectors item, since they'll only be in production for a year. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #21 – April 27, 2009, 07:16:28 PM So what does this leave... Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick, right? Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #22 – April 27, 2009, 08:11:23 PM Right. The only ones that turn a profit. Well, Buick and GMC do anyway. I'm not sure about the other two. How bizzare is that? Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #23 – April 27, 2009, 08:23:06 PM I figured the would have killed buick over pontiac. I really dislike pontiac, but I dislike buick even more. Buicks all use totally different parts from the rest of the fleet as well. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #24 – April 27, 2009, 09:07:39 PM Quote from: Haystack;269430I figured the would have killed buick over pontiac. I really dislike pontiac, but I dislike buick even more. Buicks all use totally different parts from the rest of the fleet as well.Old people loves they Buicks... you can't imagine how many of them I see at the body shop I work at. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #25 – April 27, 2009, 09:08:51 PM Quote from: V8Demon;269303The worst thing to happen to Saab was their being bought by GM....All the originality of that brand was flushed down the toilet. I remember the old 900 turbos.... Very cool cars.You've obviously never worked on one I had the joy of working at a Saturn/Saab/Isuzu dealership, and those old 900's were WS to work on. The only thing that was easy to do in them was the clutch (with the engine in backwards, the clutch was right behind the front bumper, and replacing it only required the removal of a cover, step on the clutch, insert a tool into the pressure plate to keep it disengaged, unbolt the PP, slip the clutch disc out, and then bolt the PP back on, stick the shaft back in, remove the tool, reinstall the cover - it was an hour's job at the most). Their electrical systems were nightmares and the engines liked to eat head gaskets. The shop manuals were utterly useless - for a procedure such as replacing a head gasket the steps would be like:1) Remove bolts2) Lift head off engine3) Replace head gasket4) Reinstallation is the reverse of the removal...If you were really lucky there'd be a picture or two.They were pretty neat cars if you didn't have to work on 'em though...Quote from: Haystack;269430I figured the would have killed buick over pontiac. I really dislike pontiac, but I dislike buick even more. Buicks all use totally different parts from the rest of the fleet as well.Buick is actually making money and gaining market share, especially in China, which is poised to be the next big market. It's filling the position Caddillac had held before (boring, luxurious FWD old people cars) and slots into the same market Acura does. Pontiac was pretty much redundant. As for the G8: It has been a slow seller, so GM sees no reason to continue it. Had it been successful we'd probably see a RWD Impala, but nobody wanted 'em with Pontiac badges, so Chevy badges likely wouldn't move 'em any better. With 35MPG CAFE looming and everyone going on about global warming it was probably a wise choice anyway. The Volt makes a better ambassador for GM than the G8 (or a Chevy badged version) would have... Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #26 – April 27, 2009, 09:36:54 PM Quote from: Ifixyawata;269434Old people loves they Buicks... you can't imagine how many of them I see at the body shop I work at.My 72 year old dad drives a Mercury Marquis - he's NOT the only old person I've seen driving one of those Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #27 – April 27, 2009, 10:19:04 PM On the other hand I just saw a Fusion Sport on the road. Very nice! I'm glad they finally ditched those chrome taillights. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #28 – April 27, 2009, 11:26:10 PM I'm not making a blanket statement saying that all old people drive Buick's... I'm just saying that the older generation of folks are definitely the ones keeping Buick alive. Quote Selected
GM to pull the plug on Pontiac Reply #29 – April 28, 2009, 10:03:08 AM Every old person in Iowa owns a Buick, this isn't a mass generalization or an assumption. 99% of them really do own a Buick its weird. Quote Selected