Technically, GM would have to build their rear wheel-drive Zeta-platform-based Cadillac and Buick flagships and THEN kill them for the cars to be D.O.A. Not to be pedantic (much), and keeping in mind the fact that I was the one who wrote that headline, if this rumor from GM Inside News is accurate, then GM's flagships are stillborn. In any case, it's another cut-and-paste moment for the ill-fated Zeta: on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again. And yes, I left one out. Or two. While we await confirmation, can there be any doubt that Car Czar Bob Lutz and his minions are an abject failure at product planning, lurching from crisis to crisis without any coherent long-term plans? I'm reading between the lines here, but it seems that even GM Inside News is fed-up with this "fluid" state of affairs. "If true, this is just yet another twist in the ever-changing product programs at GM. Recently there has been a lot of shuffling with the product programs to reflect the changing market and GM's current financial position. Stay tuned, I'm sure we'll have more soon!" Roger that. So to speak.
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Well, the Zeta-Jones platform is still lovely. I was going to mention handling but, nevermind.
GM would be incredibly stupid to cancel a Zeta flagship. The STS/DTS replacement needs to be a knockout. (remember, “rich people don’t care how much gas costs”). Just for the prestige issue alone.
Zeta was the single most promising product program GM had in the pipeline for the past few years.
A return to mainstream RWD and distinctly American cars based on the new Holden VE Commodore which Holden finally released in 2006. It promised a stunningly styled and stunning driving RWD Impala, a real Buick flagship, and a line of RWD Pontiac muscle cars, all of which would have helped the brands immensely.
What did GM do?
They basically killed it in favor of investing all the resources into pushing their redesigned fullsize trucks into production to market first. Just like they did back in 2000 when they decided ot starve the F-bodies of further investment in order to create more SUVs, resulting in the death of those cars after their cycle was up. Even before that GM similarly ceded the entire RWD fullsize sedan market to Ford (and later Chrysler) when they opted to kill their fullsize Caprice.
GM’s on-again off-again product plans aren’t a new phenomenon, it’s been a trend for the company for quite awhile. A hugely destructive one.
Coherent planning. It’s myopic to toss GM in alone here. Toyota and Datsun showed up late to the SUV/Truck boom didn’t they? And then came to a gun fight with chopsticks.
Does this seem to be lacking in most forms of bureaucracy? Hate to make the analogy to Gubment, but hell, it is there…
I bet that somewhere in Japan Toyonda et al are secretly designing large, RWD cars in anticipation of oil prices tanking. Much like they were (no so) secretly designing hybrids in the 90’s when oil was $30/bbl. Meanwhile, back in Motown, all the cars and tooling for large RWD cars and SUVs will be destroyed (much like the electric car, right before oil went through the roof).
More money wasted because of total disorganization. I can’t understand how a company the size of GM with billions of dollars flowing through it could have no clear plan for the futuare and just flies by the seat of their pants every day, even mom-n-pop bakery shops have a clear plan for the future and stick to it or they go out of business eventually. Why do people make excuses for this sort of stupidity (cough monkeyboy cough), if everyone company in this country was run like they run their business the US would be a 3rd world country by now.
Just because the Japanese were a little late to the SUV game does not mean they don’t have coherent planning, quite the opposite. They had a long term plan and had to revise it a little after the boom, but they didn’t drop everything else they were working on to make some SUV’s and trucks. The made a plan stuck to their guns and came out with products to compete in a new market, while continuing with their core values, not on-off-on-off-maybe-on-off again like GM.
Clueless Motors!
If this is true, it would be a huge blow to both Cadillac and Buick. These are two cars that exemplify each brand’s values.
I thought Cadillac and Buick made money.
The CTS is a great car, but it certainly cannot carry the brand if they scuttle the DTS/STS/flagship. Come on GM.
I hate to say it, but for the first time i am starting to lose faith in GM.
See? They’re now cutting the muscle to get to the bone. Things are rather dire at the RenCen these days.
teoluke: you still had faith? Based on what, pray tell? Or did that one fly over my head with a Northstar whoosh?
GM has plans. They have lots and lots of plans. The problem is that no sooner is a plan semi-complete that they ball it up and start over.
For years they’ve wasted untold billions starting and stopping programs. They keep saying they’re going to stop doing this, as it’s clear that Honda and Toyota derive large efficiencies from their relatively fixed product development cadences.
I think GM is about keeping pay checks flowing to top executives for as long as possible. Cars don’t matter.
K-Body Cadillacs and Buicks live on!!!
Long live the front wheel drive muscle car!!!
……. are those crickets I hear? ……..
Redbarchetta: I don’t see much that will keep the U.S. from ending up a third world country right now.
Never fear, never fear. The plan will change tomorrow and the Zeta’s will be back on again.
Patrickj not the reaction I was hoping for when I wrote that, unfortunately I agree with you if we continue down the path we have been on for some time.
Has GM come to the point that they are so financially strapped that they are cutting development of new models and scrapping them to save a dime. Cutting the muscle to get to the bone looks to be right, not good.
GM’s partners in China show signs of understanding the Buick brand far better than HQ does. Perhaps they will simply pick up this dropped ball and run with it.
Didn’t they build this silver car about ten or twenty years ago? I think it was called an El Dorado:
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f70/only-gmi-cadillac-zeta-car-rumored-dead-67684/
Let me see here… Yep, 1992-2002:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Eldorado
It sold so well, they want to bring it back! Or at least they thought about it. Then realized they only have enough cash to last till the end of the year. I don’t know how they plan on making any money after that. If they had any sense, they’d be making some contingency plans. The more wild, crazy, and creative the better. Do something extreme and exciting.
They need the Camaro now and the Volt now.
It does suck a bit that Caddy will be losing the Zeta for a flagship, although it would be just as good if GM could rework the Sigma more and make its flagship a much better version of the STS.
But for Buick, that is still up in the air. There is nothing to confirm it is still going to get cut. But Buick could use a Zeta model even more than Caddy. And unless GM desides to remodify the Sigma to work better as a flagship platform, there is a good chance niether brand my be getting one.
If they kill it before it’s born that makes it an auto abortion.
And no, I didn’t want a picture of the DTS. Can you just put different photos of her on EVERY post? I can’t think of any cars I’d rather see…
Perhaps GM will start marketing their large cars in Hemmings and other antique car venues. Why for instance should I pay someone for a restored large front wheel drive buick or cadillac from some dealer/restorer in Southern California, when I can have a brand new old car from GM? Where else can I get the wonderful 3.8 pushrod six cylinder and the tried and proven (for 20 years) four speed automatic? Plus I need a long front end housing a sideways pointed engine and a lot of space left over up front (for prestige, which I need). I need this car to swallow bumps and make U turns on airport tarmacs. I need a car big on the outside and small on the inside because of 1980’s space utilization. And I need a resale value at the bottom of all autos. I can buy it from Hemmings without a warranty or GM with one. Such a choice.
GM could simply import federalized versions of the Chinese long-wheelbase STS for Cadillac and Park Avenue for Buick, although that would destroy the last bit of goodwill from the “car patriots”. Still, that would require the ability to recognize and utilize existing assets, so it will never happen.
the rumor on GMI says that the DTS replacement has been killed. maybe GM was planning two versions of a cadillac zeta…short wheelbase STS and long wheel base DTS…and has cancelled the long wheelbase DTS…i hope this is the case because Cadillac definitely needs a flagship.
anyways…the more interesting post on GMI was about rumors that Saturn would be merged into BPG…if this is indeed true then its an important step forward towards consolidating the GM brands….below are my thoughts on a BPGS lineup
Buick: Lacrosse/Invicta
RWD/FWD Lucerne replacement
Enclave
Pontiac: G8 – sedan/wagon
Alpha – sedan/wagon/coupe
Solstice coupe/conv
GMS: Sierra
next-gen Canyon
One replacement for Yukon/Envoy
Acadia
Saturn: Corsa
Astra – lower range EREV variant
Insignia
Delta Van and/or Crossover
Delta FWD coupe
Vue
And there should be micro hybrid (engine stop start) and Li-ion mild hybrid variants of all small vehicles and dual mode variants of all large vehicles where it will be easier to package the system and absorb the cost
It’s good to be mike douglas, that’s for sure.
Instead of T-mobile commercials she should do GM commercials.
“GM, wish for more”
TriShield:
Zeta was the single most promising product program GM had in the pipeline for the past few years.
Why, why, why?!?! Chronic fishtailing when driven in winter anywhere north of the Ohio? Mammoth driveshaft housing taking up half the cabin space? Lousy fuel economy?
RWD is niche. It is for sports cars, pistonheads, and luxobarges. Most of that niche already owns a 300/Charger, a Mustang, a BMW, or a GS/LS. It is not suitable for economical, mainstream transport, which is what GM really needs to nail if they have any hope of survival.
GS650G:
Instead of T-mobile commercials she should do GM commercials.
She makes Jill Wagoner look like Hillary Clinton.
Luv the new headlights – a prominent feature I appreciate