Posts Tagged ‘pontiac’
53 Cool Concepts… Part XIII
- Image by Bidgee via Flickr
Everything old is new again… Happy Days, set in the 1950s came out in the 1970s. That 70s show, set in the 1970s came out in the 1990s. How many shows from the 1990s are running in syndication right now? And doesn’t it seem like all of the shows we liked 20 or 30 years ago are becoming movies?
Trends get recycled… Rat Rods are referred to as “traditional” rods by many aficionados. Retro is hot… The New Bettle… The New Mini… Mustang, Camaro, Challenger.
One trend that might be ready to resurface is ‘Sedan Deliveries’. They have a few advantages over traditional vans.. and they are cooler. Because they are smaller and lighter, they would use less fuel. Many of the vans running around are mostly empty anyway… at least they are most of the time.
- Image via Wikipedia
They were big in the 1930s… and again in the 1950s. They popped up in some compact cars in the 1970s. And then minivans got real popular in the 1990s. There were some minivan delivery specials a while back, and more recently, the PT Cruiser and HHR have had Sedan Delivery variants…
But what about full size vehicles? The Dodge Magnum would have been a great choice. The Ford Taurus X was another one… Just how cool would a company look with a fleet of Dodge Magnum delivery vehicles?
Of course, having a 2 door would be much more authentic. GM has a perfect platform that would be relatively easy to deploy… The Holden Commodore Ute. Holden is the Australian marque for General Motors. Previously, GM brought the 2 door Commodore into the US as the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO. The again tapped Holden when they brought the 4 door Commodore in as the Pontiac G8.
- Image via Wikipedia
Holden has a ‘Ute’ version of the same platform. It has undergone a lot of testing in the US and should be pretty easy to certify for US sales. It has plenty of engine options, ranging from a nice V6 up to a couple of 400hp+ Corvette V8s.
Pontiac is gone now… but there is no reason that Chevy couldn’t be the brand that benefits from the Australian Connection. Heck, they could even bring back the Nomad name. I don’t think it would be a top selling model… but it would be a killer niche vehicle. Maybe that trend is ready to roll back around again.
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- 53 Cool Concepts, Part XII (lanebailey.com)
- 53 Cool Concept Cars… Part I (lanebailey.com)
View CommentsLane’s 10 Best New American Cars
Listening to the mainstream media, you wouldn’t know that there are at least 10 cars from American car makers that you can wander into the dealership and buy RIGHT NOW that are kicking the butts out from under anything coming out of Japan, Germany, Korea… or anywhere else.
Here is a sample:
A Shadow of What it Once Was… GM
The news this week was that Saab was on the block… first the sale block, then the chopping block. Now there are a couple of possibilities that might mean that Saab won’t go the way of Saturn, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Maybe closer to the way of Hummer, though…
View Comments101 Cars… Part 59…
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Earth Day… and cars… great combo, no?
In 1984, Pontiac introduced a groundbreaking car. It was the first two seater produced by Pontiac since 1938, and the only mid-engine, rear wheel drive two seater mass produced by an American manufacturer.
There were other groundbreaking aspects to the car, not the least of which was the construction method, where flexible plastic panels were affixed to a steel space-frame. The method achieved wider production with the introduction of GM’s Saturn division, but the idea was first introduced with the Pontiac Fiero.
The problem was that despite is being one of Car & Driver‘s 10 Best… it was a dud in the real world. It sold magnificently. After all, it was a very handsome car, offered great gas mileage… and could be recycled… ;^ )
It wasn’t until 1988 that the car really lived up to its looks. And it was the last year of production. And the rarest of the cars, with the lowest production numbers.
The rumors were that Lotus had a hand in the suspension re-design. Coupled with an optional V6, the Formula or the GT were some serious autocross cars.
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View Comments101 Cars, Part 56
Pontiac G8GXP
Ok, I am willing to admit up front that this is not just a car I want to drive… but likely one that I want to own. I need to just go take the test drive… because it might actually be the first GM car that I actually want to buy. That’s right, of the scores of cars I have owned, I have never bought a General Motors car. I owned a Saturn, but it was inherited from my father…
I suppose that I could own a Vette… in fact I have thought about buying one more than a couple of times, but the thought of a Pontiac family sedan?
I guess if it has 400+hp LS3… The automotive press is comparing this thing to a 5 Series BMW… and it isn’t looking like a turd in that comparision, either. And it doesn’t look like a turd going down the road either…
So, are you familiar with the Pontiac G8GXP? I want to be… (BTW, if there are some high ranking people from GM reading, feel free to send one to me… call and I’ll give you the address…)
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I have just struck a deal with The Video Connector to provide video content for my sites. Look for lots of cool videos from Tara and TJ from Reel Productions. They have been the providers of my video tours for a couple of years now, and really have a handle on the real estate market. Enjoy.
