http://jalopnik.com/tag/high-performance-vehicle-operations/?id=5156124
To be honest, I'm quite surprised it didn't happen sooner...
I am of the same feeling man, I'm kind of suprised Chrysler and GM didn't decide to merge. I think that would have been their best option.
No, a merger would have been terrible. I want GM to survive, and anything attached to Chrysler is already dead.
I saw that on LLN yesterday. I'm sure in a few days someone from GM will say the projects are on hold, and that the performance division is just going away for awhile. Kind of like SVT, though they didn't really disappear, they just started slapping Shelby badges on instead of the acronym.
*edit*
http://www.leftlanenews.com/high-performance-camaro-corvette-models-safe-despite-death-of-hpvo.html/comment-page-1#comment-440534
High-performance Camaro, Corvette models safe despite death of HPVO
General Motors recently announced that it has killed its High Performance Vehicle Operations, but that doesn’t necessarily spell the end of performance-minded GM vehicles. In fact, a number of GM performance vehicles could completely sidestep the ax.
GM spokesman Vince Muniga revealed to Edmunds that a number of GM vehicles won’t be affected by the death of HPVO. Cars like the Chevrolet Camaro SS, Corvette ZR1 and Z06 were actually engineered as standard vehicles, with no affiliation whatsoever to GM’s HPVO.
“Camaro SS, Corvette ZR1 and Corvette Z06 are all regularly engineered cars,” Muniga told Edmunds. “They did not go through HPVO. Most people did not realize that. They are safe.”
However, Cadillac’s V-Series cars and other high-performance models – such as the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and HHR SS and Pontiac G8 GXP – were developed through HPOV. Those vehicles will continue as planned for the time being, but likely won’t be replaced after their current lifecycle is up.
But all hope might not be lost as Muniga compared GM’s HPOV to Ford’s SVT. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team stopped production in 2004, but has reformed to create the Ford Raptor. “This is an indefinite hiatus,” he added.
Exactly.
You hold a good point. Chrysler is a sinking ship. You hear about Saturn's death?
saturns death doesnt surprise me. i dont ever really see a new saturn around. i think the only thing that could have saved saturn would have been the sky, although i bet sales on those have sucked, and the vue. thats really the only saturn i ever see thats new. they might be dead right now but once everything gets better in the next.. what 5 years? they might be back. if they're completely out of the game right now i guess the saturn sky is somewhat rare and might go up in price marginally for really really low milage cars. resale price that is.
also thanks oldraven, i was just about to ask in here if the camaro ss and Zr1 were still going to be produced and sold. im REALLY glad thats ganna happen b/c they just released the camaro and didnt they just start production, or at least sale of the zr1? those 2 seem like an actual high performance cars that actually has demand.
Yeah, and it's not really that surprising. The division has never turned a profit in the 20 years they've been around. Killing the Pontiac division made sense too, since they haven't developed anything in..... I can't even think how long it has been since Pontiac had something unique, as in chassis or engine. Since the bulk of their development comes from other divisions, it is just good business to cut the redundant fat. We'll still get Pontiacs, they'll just get all of their chassis development done by others (Chevrolet/Cadillac/Holden/maybe Opel) and their styling will be done under the Buick umbrella, since they're essentially merging with Buick as one division.
Saturn was dead the minute they started using other GM platforms and slapping nameplates on them....
http://allcarsallthetime.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-saturn-dead-lutz-fears-worst.html
And as far a Chrysler, EVERYTHING Cerberus touches -- no matter the industry -- withers and dies a sad, lonely and agonizing death. I recently read of a California based Mervyn's department store chain built from the ground up by ONE MAN who sold it in 2004 to Cerberus. They filed for Chapter 11 a mere 4 years later..... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/18/BU3U13JKLR.DTL
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27240897/
Thats what Cerberus does, they buy something, completely dissasemble it and sell off what they can for profit. Good thing they decided not to buy out GM. I'm not a GM fan but lets not screw up all the competition. I like GM more that Chrysler so..... Lets watch Chrysler murder itself.
humm,, is it really possible that we could be coming up close to a year where no new cars will be made (for the second time in history)?
I find it odd to say this but the possiblity is there.
What they need to do is make "affordable" cars again....25k is too much to pay for a new car, nevermind 32k. And i dont understand how they can make sooooo many new cars even when im sure they know that the economy sucks.........its stupid and pointless. they need to take a break or think things through, pretty much start all over again....just my two cents.....
If they didn't have to support all the UAW workers and retirees, maybe they could sell a less expensive car. At the end of this year, we'll have a better outlook whether or not the manufacturers will be doing anything next year. Some of the "experts" are now coming out saying we'll see a 22-25% unemployment rate by year's end. If that's the case no one will be in any shape to buy a car, let alone drive one after this Summer's gas price hikes.
This just sucks IMO. Without good healthy competition, Ford wont have as much impetus to grow their performance group :(
Watch for the return of the K car. haha
A buddy of mine picked up a Bonneville 94, Still had the the sale sticker in it. 24000+, I think thats a bit hi. What does that equal today?
He paid that much in 1994?!
I paid 26K for the Stang new in 2005...
So I guess Henry Ford's idea of paying his workers a relatively high salary was a bad idea?
Maybe you meant to say this instead?
If they didn't have to support all the overpaid executives and management ...
The executives and managment aren't the only ones who are killing the company. When an employee can retire with full benefits at age 48, how do you honestly expect the company to be able to fund that? The manufacturers end up dumping so much money into the retirement and health care funds they have to raise the costs to make up for it. I'ts simple economics. You simply cannot fund the benefits of the retiree's and the current employees without the money coming from somewhere. That somewhere is the consumers products. Simple solution: don't buy the cars.
Oh wait, that's already happening. Hence the need for a bailout package.
I don't fault the workers for wanting better pay and health benefits. I know I do. But added up, they make about $80.00 an hour (better than most in the US) and according to news sources, it takes 3 employees now to pay the retirement for 1. A retired worker was on the news (caller on the radio during another person's news story) saying he was collecting his pension for 40 years....longer than he worked there, and I forget the amount, but it was outrageously high. He said he was willing to take a 2/3rds pension cut to allow current workers to keep their jobs. (this was before the first big 3 bailout hearing) He went on to say a few other things about the union and how they could save the co. they worked for. The reporter asked him what his name was. He replied, " Are you crazy!! They would kill me!" so given that, and all the current workers gripes, I have little sympathy for them. The managers are on a whole 'nuther level.
That idea worked great, when there was no such thing as international competition. If you think foreign makes don't have heavily overpaid executives, you're dreaming. The cost disparity is on the production side.
I don't think they'll cease all production, Cassidy. Since cutting production, firms like Mitsubishi are already increasing again, after clearing enough inventory to keep lots full. GM is already clearing inventory and has slashed production by vast amounts. I think they'll get to their target supply numbers by mid summer. I don't think it will ever go back to what it was, though. And that's a good thing. We just have too many frigin' cars on the road. There's no reason we have to replace one every three years either. That kind of marketing was killing the industry.
Here's a simple solution to a huge problem. Universal Health Care. (OMG, he's a Commie!)