GM to add two models to new Oshawa car plant-report

[HotCarNut]

Originally Posted by K Dawg ONE

Wow, you truly do see the cup as half full dont you, lol....j/k

I think his cup's full of something that's at least 85 proof

[K Dawg ONE]

Originally Posted by HotCarNut

I think his cup's full of something that's at least 85 proof

Hahahaha...ZING!

[gardnet1]

I don't get the "New" car plant bit. GM had Oshawa 1,2, & 3 Plants and I believe with truck plant closing there will be only 1 Oshawa plant left. By new, do they mean retooled as a flexible manufacturing plant?

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by SkiD666

DTS and Lucerne replacements?

I was thinking the same thing, but that would depend on IF those two products remain on a RWD platform as originally planned. We've heard rumblings that GM is looking to possibly halt development of the premium Zeta products -- not good.

The Impala, I'd think, would be built in Fairfax or Orion since it's rumored to be based on a stretched version of Epsilon II -- but again, that's a guess.

[K Dawg ONE]

I know there is a GM/CAW meeting at 11am and another at 415 today in regards to Oshawa...will we know about the cars from that meeting?

[fp115]

Originally Posted by gardnet1

I don't get the "New" car plant bit. GM had Oshawa 1,2, & 3 Plants and I believe with truck plant closing there will be only 1 Oshawa plant left. By new, do they mean retooled as a flexible manufacturing plant?

Oshawa only ever had 2 car plants. The third was the truck. Earlier car 1 and 2 were merged together in order to build even more cars quicker and with better quality. Bringing 2 more cars will allow the car plant to work closer to full capacity.

[mjd1001]

Originally Posted by paul8488

By 2012 do you mean... well, 2012?!? Yikes... that poor car is going to be tired in another 4 years!

If the Impala is staying around till 2012, I HOPE they find some way to put a 6 speed automatic in it. It will just be one more thing for people to complain about (I might even list myself as one of them), if GM is selling one of their mid-full size cars with only a 4 speed automatic by then.

[doh]

http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/serv...N/ctv-business

General Motors of Canada Ltd. workers in Oshawa, Ont., will be offered retirement incentives of as much as $120,000 and the company's new flexible manufacturing plant will begin producing front-wheel-drive vehicles alongside the rear-wheel-drive Camaro under a deal the Canadian Auto Workers union has struck with the auto maker.

[K Dawg ONE]

Correction, Impala will now stay till 2013MY....*sigh*

Production of one front-wheel-drive vehicle will begin in 2010 and output of another in 2013 in addition to the Camaro and another rear-wheel-drive model, union officials said after concluding a deal that ends weeks of negotiations with GM and a bitter dispute over the company's plan to close its truck plant in Oshawa next year.

GM has signed letters promising to add new products to the new flexible assembly plant in Oshawa as well as extend production of the Chevrolet Impala at its existing Oshawa car plant for an addition year, to 2013.

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by K Dawg ONE

Correction, Impala will now stay till 2013MY....*sigh*

Wow, if that's true, then I hope that GM gives the Impala a nice update in the next year or so. It has good sales behind it, but the look needs to be updated to keep consumers interested.

This is ESPECIALLY true if a new Taurus is coming online in the next year or two.

[Rick_VT]

Originally Posted by PontiacBixler

How can no one have guessed the answer as it stares us in the face?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
What car would GM NOT tell us about at this moment in time???
Think.....
Think.....
A little bit more....
Almost there.......

The Firebird guys!

GM won't announce the Firebird until NAIAS 2010 and then release it that Fall as a 2011 or 2012 model. Cost saving measures to help the initial cost of the Camaro!

Dude you know that if they announce a firebird in 2010 it wont come out until 2014 at the earliest

[PontiacBixler]

Originally Posted by HotCarNut

I think his cup's full of something that's at least 85 proof

Originally Posted by K Dawg ONE

Hahahaha...ZING!

You guys just wait and see.....

Think about this:
-Why would GM make a blanket comment about "one unnamed vehicle"? They are being bland here because it is something that they feel could generate some buzz for the company. Otherwise they would have let the cat out of the bag this early.

-Bringing the Firebird out can only HELP GM. There is not a single negative connotation to bringing it out. It would help Pontiac by getting people into the showroom and bringing back that "excitement" feel and not the retarded "... is CAR" tagline.

-If there is ever a downtick in Camaro sales, then you increase production of Firebirds if the sales are there. Then should the Camaro start to show dominance over the Firebird, you do the exact same thing on the line. It keeps people employed, dealers happy and consumers coming to the showrooms.

-For all I know, it's the GTO that is coming back, but GM really botched the second coming in marketing. The GTO to the majority of the Millennial Gen'ers has the same appeal as Old Style Westerns did to Gen X'ers.... none at all. The Trans Am has a bit more of a stable base to relaunch from with name recognition over the last 20 years.

Just my thoughts.... so flame away.

[PontiacBixler]

Originally Posted by Rick_VT

Dude you know that if they announce a firebird in 2010 it wont come out until 2014 at the earliest

Not at all.

All the work is done. It is all up to the design team to create some new fascias that bolt right onto the existing panels, along with new lighting structures. A production ready model could be unveiled at NAIAS and be on lots 9-10 months later. It's happened before!

[Chaz_23]

Awesome! Finally they've seen the light and are bringing the Firebird Trans Am Ram Air back?

Originally Posted by PontiacBixler

How can no one have guessed the answer as it stares us in the face?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
What car would GM NOT tell us about at this moment in time???
Think.....
Think.....
A little bit more....
Almost there.......

The Firebird guys!

GM won't announce the Firebird until NAIAS 2010 and then release it that Fall as a 2011 or 2012 model. Cost saving measures to help the initial cost of the Camaro!

[HotCarNut]

Originally Posted by PontiacBixler

You guys just wait and see.....

Think about this:
-Why would GM make a blanket comment about "one unnamed vehicle"? They are being bland here because it is something that they feel could generate some buzz for the company. Otherwise they would have let the cat out of the bag this early.

-Bringing the Firebird out can only HELP GM. There is not a single negative connotation to bringing it out. It would help Pontiac by getting people into the showroom and bringing back that "excitement" feel and not the retarded "... is CAR" tagline.

-If there is ever a downtick in Camaro sales, then you increase production of Firebirds if the sales are there. Then should the Camaro start to show dominance over the Firebird, you do the exact same thing on the line. It keeps people employed, dealers happy and consumers coming to the showrooms.

-For all I know, it's the GTO that is coming back, but GM really botched the second coming in marketing. The GTO to the majority of the Millennial Gen'ers has the same appeal as Old Style Westerns did to Gen X'ers.... none at all. The Trans Am has a bit more of a stable base to relaunch from with name recognition over the last 20 years.

Just my thoughts.... so flame away.

1. They didn't feel they needed to remind everyone that they already announced that production of the Pontiac G8 was due to move to Canada in 2010....

2. The negative connotations are all over the place with the Firebird. It will be seen as another muscle car when the world is currently interested in hugging trees. Most in-the-know enthusiasts will slam it as a badge-engineering exercise. Plus, the press will get to write yet another story about how GM is focusing on products that the market doesn't want instead of small fuel-efficient vehicles (and they'll probably show clips from "Who Killed the Electric Car?")

3. Given that they are the same vehicle, a downturn in Camaro sales will most likely represent a downturn in the segment. There will be a similar downturn in Firebird sales rendering the scenario you outlined mute. In order to do what you are truly proposing, GM would have to manufacture like Honda where they can build any vehicle on the line, from a Ridgeline pickup to a Fit with no difference. There is no changeover required and they can be built concurrently.

4. Sadly, neither vehicle will be returning until GM can make ALL of it's vehicles profitably. Simply too niche to make much of an investment as they cannot move the needle for GM as a whole.