Keep the faith?

[Fformula88]

Originally Posted by CHEVYSOL Right, right... November sales, annual rate, nationalwide… So indicative, so smart! Like snowplow sales in May. Talk about bean counters.

Bean counters are going to have a lot to say in all of this.

I am curious ChevySol, do you have, or think you have an inside source? You are certainly confident in your feelings... and yet there doesn't seem to be much basis besides idle speculation.

[CHEVYSOL]

Feelings are subjective, naturally.

After today’s money (boy, it is still a party here, I am awake for one as you see)
I can tell you, absolutely objectively, this:

Comes early March now, go to Milford around midday time.
Or better yet, between Mound and Van Dyke, mornings and evenings.
You can wait on the street, or drive in the Tech parking from the Old 13 Mile.
No one will stop you there (any current GM vehicle would be handy).

Get your camera ready. Take some Validol.
Look for a patchy camoed gray/black Solstices.
Look closely. You will get your facts.

[stevebad]

I'll tell ya one thing.... If the coupe is doomed to not ever going public, I'd love to get my hands on one of the pre-production coupes, like the one I saw at the B'ham auto show...

They would bring a small fortune if sold off as an asset ( think of the exclusivity!) .........but the dopey NHTSA will probably order them to the crusher.

[Fformula88]

I wouldn't classify them as being doomed yet. GM has a bunch of orders on hand already, and I am sure will try and do whatever they can to get them filled... since they are more or less cars already sold.

[Fformula88]

Originally Posted by CHEVYSOL Feelings are subjective, naturally. After today’s money (boy, it is still a party here, I am awake for one as you see) I can tell you, absolutely objectively, this: Comes early March now, go to Milford around midday time. Or better yet, between Mound and Van Dyke, mornings and evenings. You can wait on the street, or drive in the Tech parking from the Old 13 Mile. No one will stop you there (any current GM vehicle would be handy). Get your camera ready. Take some Validol. Look for a patchy camoed gray/black Solstices. Look closely. You will get your facts.

There is no Chevy kappa. Are you sure your not from Motor Trend?

Your not thinking of the camo Camaros are ya?

[LatinVenom]

I do not see any reason why not the Solstice/SKY could not be move to be sold under the Chevy brand. They do not even have to rename them.
Just think of a low cost roadster that gets over 30 MPG under the Chevrolet brand helping with the CAFE numbers and NO it does not threaten the Vette heritage.

[Fformula88]

Originally Posted by LatinVenom I do not see any reason why not the Solstice/SKY could not be move to be sold under the Chevy brand. They do not even have to rename them. Just think of a low cost roadster that gets over 30 MPG under the Chevrolet brand helping with the CAFE numbers and NO it does not threaten the Vette heritage.

There isn't any reason it couldn't be moved, but since they are not going to eliminate the Pontiac brand there would be little reason to move the Solstice either. Maybe Sky, if they do away with the Saturn brand... plus IMO the Sky would more closely match the Chevy styling trends of late.

[AutoTech]

I don't think GM goes under this year,but without alot of help, they will by this time next year. Ever heard of Packard,Studabaker,ect.?????.I was a make ready mechanic for American Motors in 1973.What happen to them...?? They built a very cheaply made car and the market made them pay the price. My (probably unpopular) opinion is ,they (GM)deserve it.They should have already developed composite/light weight platforms with max weights of 2900lbs. Killed the V8 / V6 years ago,and have turbo and supercharged 1.8 's getting 50 + mpg.The Solstice is closest to these numbers and thats one of the main reasons I bought one+I wanted to return to my roots..67 Le Mans 326 4 spd....

[Fformula88]

I am not sure GM compares to American Motors completely.

GM does have some stuff going for them. They offer a lot of efficient vehicles, and have new powertrains in the works which will really boost efficiency while retaining power. The 1.4L turbo SIDI engine that is destined for the Cruze appears to be very promising. Fuel efficiency should be very high, while leaving power somewhere between the 2.2L and 2.4L ecotec.

I would hope this engine makes it to the Solstice/Sky too.

Weight isn't as easy. You can cut it with exotic materials, but that really raises the price too. Plus, with cash worthiness regs continually getting stricter, even lightweight materials only tend to offset the increased structural needs of newer cars and platforms.

IMO, GM's biggest problem with the more efficient end of the market, especially smaller cars, is quality of materials, not powertrain efficiencies. A Cobalt XFE gets pretty good MPG figures, but it's lacks overly impressive build quality or high quality materials like some of the import offerings int he same class.

[AutoTech]

Whats hard for me to forgive is the fact that there has not been enough forward thinking...I hope your right and whats in the pipeline can save them..I would love a new Camaro..400 Factory HP..hell ya..and if it ran on water, I'd buy one right now..same with the Shellby/Challenger...IMO, those days are gone and the big three wasted alot of money trying to bring it back.

[LatinVenom]

I do not have a crystal ball but honestly I do not see our Solstice returning even with Pontiac surviving as a niche brand. You are right the SKY resembles the Corvette more than the Solstice, and that is the reason the Solstice would make a better choice to go to Chevrolet.

[Fformula88]

Originally Posted by AutoTech Whats hard for me to forgive is the fact that there has not been enough forward thinking...I hope your right and whats in the pipeline can save them..I would love a new Camaro..400 Factory HP..hell ya..and if it ran on water, I'd buy one right now..same with the Shellby/Challenger...IMO, those days are gone and the big three wasted alot of money trying to bring it back.

Yeah, they may have wasted big money... if their investment was big. Both are on existing platforms, so they may not need to sell as many units as it would appear to recoup their development costs. Still, with the current economy and the future of gas prices and mileage requirements, the 4000+ lb rwd v8 car seems to be an endangered species.

Yet, it is cool to see the Camaro back, and see Dodge get back into the game with the Challenger.

[LowLife1]

So politics aside, it sounds like the only way we'll know for sure if coupes are still a go, is when the factory re-opens and someone post pics of them parked outside.

[Fformula88]

Originally Posted by LowLife1 So politics aside, it sounds like the only way we'll know for sure if coupes are still a go, is when the factory re-opens and someone post pics of them parked outside.

Yes, but take it one step further. We'll know for sure the coupe is a go when there are coupe's available for delivery at dealers. Before then... anything is possible (and that goes for any vehicle, anytime).

[Lee Willis]

I run the marketing function for a Fortune 500 company: not quite the size of GM but within much less than an order of magnitude, so I will presume to know how GM might be thinking. They have no cash, they have government scrutiny, and they have to focus on core products and green issues.
I think it is likely they would dump the Solstice coupe just because its production would mean dedicating cash and effort and a model line split, all for a very short term gain (they would sell a lot in the first few months but then it would lead to multiple models at the dealers, etc.).
Of more importance: it is not beyond considerationt hat they would dump the entire line as a cost saving/market simplification move. They have sold all or most of the Solstices and Skys they ever will at high prices. All that is left is marginal market.