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Old 10-13-2008, 02:13 AM   #37 (permalink)
MisterMe
2.4 Liter SIDI ECOTEC
 
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: USA
Drives: 2009 Pontiac G8 GT
Posts: 395
Re: Merger, Who Is It Good For? A Big Al Rant

Quote:
Originally Posted by t-rex View Post
It's not that some of advocating axing Pontiac don't like the brand. It's more that there's simply not a business case for it in today's market. Firstly, it's difficult to sell "performance" in an age that's becoming more MPG-conscious, and secondly, it's difficult to sell "performance" when you've got V6 family midsizers that scoot up freeway ramps with 0-60 times that put even some old "muscle cars" to shame.

Now that's not say to say there's not room for hairy sports models like the G8, or interesting smaller models like the Solstice. It's more that these vehicles could just as well be Chevrolet products. ...
Assuming facts not in evidence. Nobody said anything about the G8. To the contrary, Pontiac was No. 2 in 2007 before the G8 ever reached the showroom. It is a limited production car that will have minimal impact on Pontiac's sales. Assuming for the sake of argument that Pontiac means performance, it does not follow that performance means a 4000-lb car powered by a large V-8.

As for GMC, the brand has a new and very successful model in the Acadia. I see no reason that the GMC can't follow-up the Acadia with other new and successful models.

It does, however, require recognition that we are entering a brave new world. If we are to survive here, we must adapt. Trying to hold onto the past won't cut it. Neither will blindly throwing away what we have. The automobile manufacturers that are still in business in 2020 will not be building a different mix of its current offerings. They will be manufacturing entirely new cars powered by a variety of different energy sources. GM is in as good a position as any to survive. However, it needs vision and imagination at its helm. It also needs patience among its customers.
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