Camaro502z
04-19-2007, 12:48 PM
General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz dealt enthusiast hopes a blow last week when he announced the suspension of GM’s future rear-wheel-drive (RWD) large car platforms, including the 2010 Impala.
Citing concerns about meeting tougher fuel-economy standards proposed by the Bush Administration—mandating annual 4% increases in fuel economy from 2010 and nearly 34 miles per gallon for domestic cars by 2015—Lutz told the Chicago Tribune that GM had “pushed the pause button” on its RWD platforms. “It’s no longer full-speed ahead.”
Unaffected by the proposed new standards are the new Camaro and Pontiac G8, already in early production stages.
The decision cools the fires of enthusiasts hungry for Detroit’s return to rear-drive performance metal, particularly for fans of the Impala, an icon in the '60s, then again in the mid-'90s, before reinventing itself as a midsize, front-wheel-drive sedan in the early part of this decade.
“I think it’ll be a big disappointment [with the enthusiast community],” says Bryan Herter, owner of PCMforless.com and a noted GM tuner who specializes in the Impala, “especially for the guy who can’t buy a Corvette or who wants a sporty car but needs four doors, I think it’s a big disappointment.”
Enthusiasts will share their blues with specialty-equipment manufacturers that had anticipated a loyal and hungry Impala fan base.
Herter says that more than half of his business comes from LT1 engine owners, the engine used widely in GM’s ’94–’96 product mix—including the Impala SS. He sees opportunities to tune the new Impala vanish with GM’s announcement.
“I think a lot of people who missed out on the ’94–'96 would jump on it this time,” he says, pointing to the chatter he’s heard and read in online forums like impalassforum.com and the Impala Email Digest.
“Chrysler has done really well with its Hemi cars, such as the 300C. They know there are sales out there and that they’re what people want. The 2010 Impala—there’s an audience waiting for that car.”
And if the past is any indication, that audience will want to tune it. Scott Hartmann, President of Intrax Suspension Technology, says that the mid-'90s Impalas still pull very well for his products.
“We sell a lot of stuff for those early ones,” he says. “The Impala builds an image for GM, and it’s still a huge part number for us. I can’t imagine that this is going to be a smart move for [GM].”
Hartmann notes that Intrax, a company known more for its European and Japanese fitments, has seen steady growth for the last five years among rear-drive platforms such as the Mustang and Charger, as well as older Japanese RWD platforms such as the Nissan 240SX and Toyota Corolla.
“We’ve put a lot more emphasis on the domestic stuff,” Hartmann says. “We’ve had a lot of growth there. That whole segment is getting bigger and bigger for all of us, so anytime someone like Chevrolet makes a decision to get rid of the performance end—and that’s really what RWD is aimed at, the performance market—yeah, we’ll feel something there.”
Unfortunately, GM’s position seems unlikely to be simple political posturing, predicting hardship on American industry to curry sympathy with legislators.
“Sadly I think Lutz’s threat is very real,” says Motor Trend editor Angus MacKenzie. “The proposed corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) numbers are tough. All automakers—not just GM—will have to change their model mixes dramatically to comply.”
MacKenzie notes that the rear-drive Zeta architecture upon which the Impala is to be built was not designed to be an “ultra-light, ultra-efficient platform.” A rear-drive Impala will be bigger, heavier and burn more gas than the current model, he says, and GM will likely need to sell a good number of high-margin V8 Impalas to make the program profitable.
It’s still possible that the Bush Administration reconsiders its CAFE proposal. Likewise, diesel, ethanol and other fuel technologies could come online in time for GM to react with more fuel-efficient powertrains that speak to enthusiasts. But for now Lutz’s talk has thrown GM and Impala fans into a lurch.
MacKenzie voices the fear of many domestic new muscle fans.
“It looks like the industry faces a drastic upheaval that really does threaten the resurgence of the great American RWD sedan.”
Citing concerns about meeting tougher fuel-economy standards proposed by the Bush Administration—mandating annual 4% increases in fuel economy from 2010 and nearly 34 miles per gallon for domestic cars by 2015—Lutz told the Chicago Tribune that GM had “pushed the pause button” on its RWD platforms. “It’s no longer full-speed ahead.”
Unaffected by the proposed new standards are the new Camaro and Pontiac G8, already in early production stages.
The decision cools the fires of enthusiasts hungry for Detroit’s return to rear-drive performance metal, particularly for fans of the Impala, an icon in the '60s, then again in the mid-'90s, before reinventing itself as a midsize, front-wheel-drive sedan in the early part of this decade.
“I think it’ll be a big disappointment [with the enthusiast community],” says Bryan Herter, owner of PCMforless.com and a noted GM tuner who specializes in the Impala, “especially for the guy who can’t buy a Corvette or who wants a sporty car but needs four doors, I think it’s a big disappointment.”
Enthusiasts will share their blues with specialty-equipment manufacturers that had anticipated a loyal and hungry Impala fan base.
Herter says that more than half of his business comes from LT1 engine owners, the engine used widely in GM’s ’94–’96 product mix—including the Impala SS. He sees opportunities to tune the new Impala vanish with GM’s announcement.
“I think a lot of people who missed out on the ’94–'96 would jump on it this time,” he says, pointing to the chatter he’s heard and read in online forums like impalassforum.com and the Impala Email Digest.
“Chrysler has done really well with its Hemi cars, such as the 300C. They know there are sales out there and that they’re what people want. The 2010 Impala—there’s an audience waiting for that car.”
And if the past is any indication, that audience will want to tune it. Scott Hartmann, President of Intrax Suspension Technology, says that the mid-'90s Impalas still pull very well for his products.
“We sell a lot of stuff for those early ones,” he says. “The Impala builds an image for GM, and it’s still a huge part number for us. I can’t imagine that this is going to be a smart move for [GM].”
Hartmann notes that Intrax, a company known more for its European and Japanese fitments, has seen steady growth for the last five years among rear-drive platforms such as the Mustang and Charger, as well as older Japanese RWD platforms such as the Nissan 240SX and Toyota Corolla.
“We’ve put a lot more emphasis on the domestic stuff,” Hartmann says. “We’ve had a lot of growth there. That whole segment is getting bigger and bigger for all of us, so anytime someone like Chevrolet makes a decision to get rid of the performance end—and that’s really what RWD is aimed at, the performance market—yeah, we’ll feel something there.”
Unfortunately, GM’s position seems unlikely to be simple political posturing, predicting hardship on American industry to curry sympathy with legislators.
“Sadly I think Lutz’s threat is very real,” says Motor Trend editor Angus MacKenzie. “The proposed corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) numbers are tough. All automakers—not just GM—will have to change their model mixes dramatically to comply.”
MacKenzie notes that the rear-drive Zeta architecture upon which the Impala is to be built was not designed to be an “ultra-light, ultra-efficient platform.” A rear-drive Impala will be bigger, heavier and burn more gas than the current model, he says, and GM will likely need to sell a good number of high-margin V8 Impalas to make the program profitable.
It’s still possible that the Bush Administration reconsiders its CAFE proposal. Likewise, diesel, ethanol and other fuel technologies could come online in time for GM to react with more fuel-efficient powertrains that speak to enthusiasts. But for now Lutz’s talk has thrown GM and Impala fans into a lurch.
MacKenzie voices the fear of many domestic new muscle fans.
“It looks like the industry faces a drastic upheaval that really does threaten the resurgence of the great American RWD sedan.”