This thinly disguised Holden Commodore based Chevrolet with SS badgetry was spotted yesterday (July 12) just outside of San Diego, California. Practically, we’re talking about a sister model to the upcoming Pontiac G8 GT with the 362Hp 6.0-liter V8 unit. Unfortunately, GM people impolitely covered the nameplate of the Michigan plated Chevy mule so we can’t be sure of the model. While many of you would love this prototype to be the rear-wheel drive successor to the Impala SS, we’re betting it’s either the Brazilian Omega SS or (most probably) the Middle-Eastern market Lumina SS.







http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2007/07...potted-in.html

 

I would think so because the new Pontiac G5 (I think thats it) is based off of that chassis. If thats the case then GM just got saved.

 

If we do get it here in the American market, it will be a good successor to the discontinued Pontiac GTO, though, like with the Dodge Charger, it would probably be better if they offered as two-door version as well. One of the Charger's biggest complaints is that no 2-door is available....that is undoubtedly restricted sales.

 

Yeah, looks like it's based off the Commodore.







The front bumper needs a little work but other than that, I think it looks alright.

 

Looks very nice.

But the reason GM is where it is at right now has more to do with quality than their actual products, IMO.

 

Fixed for accuracy.

The Lumina SS is an export version of the Holden Commodore and is shipped to Mideast markets; it shares much more with the Holden than the Pontiac G8 GT which we will get in 2009 and is also produced in Australia. The GTO replacement is supposed to be based from this car too.

Rumor has it GM is thinking of redesigning the US-market Impala on this chassis too, but Lutz has been whining over the new CAFE standards recently, so a car as important as the Impala may be too risky to release in RWD format.

 

You know, if it weren't for the fact that you're providing us with good insight, I'd call you a troll.

 

LOL, It's TRUE!! Since I didn't buy that Lexus I was considering back in March, this board has become trolling waters! Nah... there's some good reading material in here at times; other times, well..

How does that song go? "It's hard to rely on my good intentions when my heads full of things that I can't mention..."

 

Public perception?

Sorry, but why would the public come up with that if there wasn't any truth to it at all? I have owned Fords and Chevy's in the past and I consider myself and my family at one point to be one of those American loyalists. Off the top of my head, here are the Chevy cars that my family has owned

1985 Celebrity -- Died @ 75k miles
1979 Chevette -- Died at 80k miles
1984 Camaro -- Died at 90k miles
1994 Astro -- Sold at 110k miles

The Astro was the only one that ever made it to 100,000 miles. All of the cars were bought brand new, except for the Camaro. Not to mention the interior panels were crusty and falling apart. I understand these were older vehicles, but after being stuck in a few of them over the past few years (as rental cars), they gave me the same perception. Chevy's and Ford's use to dominate in sales. I think the perception has more to do with personal experience rather than just a thought everyone came up with one morning.

Now have their products improved? I doubt it, but I'm open minded, so lets give them about 10 years to see if their cars of today hold any better than the ones in the past. The automotive industry takes time. If these new cars from GM hold up, it's going to take years for people to see, just like how it took years for people to see what kind of cars that Toyota and Honda offered.

 

It really isn't large enough, IMO, to be a real Impala, unless the pictures don't do it true justice. The posted pictures, while nice, give it the basic styling and size of the Lexus IS300...a fairly small car.

 

Absolutely. 80's-vintage Chevys were junk. The worst car I ever owned, quality-wise, was a 1980 Chevy Citation....one of the infamous X-bodies....though the 1978 Plymouth Horizon I had before that was almost as bad.

 

You're exactly right about that experience, which helps to form the perception above. You were truly exposed to GM's "darkest days" of products where the quality problems really took flight. The same was said of Japanese cars just a few years before that, and now look where they have come. However, I'd like to think there are an equal number of import owners/fans who haven't given the Big-3 a look and are quick to snub their products because that's the "popular" perception to lead these days.

I'd say only half the race is won though; the Big-3 is in the middle of a rediscovery with their products, and [I'd like to think] are starting to develop their vehicles against competition from both shores to give us some great alternatives with value. It all started with GM's new GMT900 line of pickups and SUVs, then the Corvette Z06, into the Cadillac line, etc. The Pontiac G8 will be another great example that provides a unique product over its competition for a very attractive price. Look what Saturn has done now with their Outlook SUV... if you haven't looked at one yet, you seriously should and cross-shop it with others of similar price. Now they're unloading Camrys and Accords at their dealerships so you can compare their Aura directly. That takes *****.

We can all wait 10 years to see how GM, Ford, and CC (whatever you call them now) do, but if NOBODY gives them a shot today, they won't be won't be around for you to see in the future. And with them goes all of their US-based suppliers, support infrastructure, employees, communities, et.al'a domino-effect.

We may not be in a manufacturing/industrial-based economy anymore, but turning a blind eye to American goods implies a much LARGER impact than what you might first think of.

 

If Domestically-designed vehicles get better or deserve it, they WILL get a shot. Ford, in particular, has shown some improvements in quality lately. One of our most respected CL moderators has a new Explorer and loves it.

But American-nameplate companies didn't get to the state they are in today by accident. Trust me...I watched it and saw it for many years. They built JUNK......and reaped the results of what they produced. I myself wasted money on some of these cars before I saw the light. Like Hyundai, the domestic companies developed a negative quality reputation that is difficult to shake off, despite the fact that Hyundai no longer builds junk, and some Ford and some GM products are better than they were years ago. Still.....one of my co-workers (and Union Local President, no less) just traded in a defect-ridden 2003 Impala in on a new Hyundai Sonata and loves it (he asked me to help him find a new car)....so let's hope that the new Impala (the thread topic) has its act together, quality-wise.

 

JerryRig -- It's unfortunate, but that's how it is. Because of their automobiles of the past, people seem to not be given them the benefit of the doubt. Although they have put themselves in this spot, I do feel for them because of the impact on the American economy and even their place in automotive history. Build crap and you'll suffer within the next 20 years.

mmarshall -- agreed 100%.

 

My dad had a 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora. 4.0L V8 Northstar...died 75k miles as he was trading it in for my sister's brand new '03 Corolla. The Toyota dealer was not happy to get that car. I still cant believe they took it.