The March 13 issue of Autoweek reports that although GM is killing the current GTO this year, the company will replace the car in 2008 with a car built on the Zeta RWD platform (same as the Camaro). Bob Lutz made this announcement at the Geneva Auto Show. When asked about rumors of making a new Firebird he said, "No, that's not something we are planning. We are not going to do that car." Interestingly, the article refers to the GTO and Camaro as sister cars.

At the GTO Club meeting here in De (sorry no Firebird Club), it was mentioned that production of the Solstice / Saturn Sky is strong and they are ramping up to make at least 50,000 a year due to heavy demand. However, overall the guys in the club who work at the plant are wondering if Pontiac will even survive.

Dave

Soooo... maybe the "NO New Firebird" path will raise our values?

I think this fits in with GM's new corporate plan. It doesn't make sense for them to make the Camaro AND Firebird.

The way I understand it, there is a LOT of platform overlap within GM - producing very similar cars in 3 or 4 different ways. True - there's a smaller cost associated with engineering the sister cars, as the platform and everything is already there - but at what unseen cost? Diluting sales of the sister cars.

The theory is that if GM were to make the Camaro AND Firebird, who's sales are they stealing but mostly each other's. Adding a 3rd car to that mix wouldn't give them a larger market share, but likely just reduce the sales of the first two.

GM's latest plan (the way I read it) is to differentiate each brand name - instead of the mess it is now, and have just a few models per marque. So - they're not "killing off" Pontiac, but they may only be selling 3 different cars in the future, instead of.... 7 or so they have now?

They can still use platform sharing across divisions to save costs, but each division's use of the platform would have to be specific to that brand's image, and target buyer. So that's why the Saturn Sky is going to sell for $25k, where-as the Pontiac was important to come in under $20k.

Basically - if you look at it, the whole structure of GM lost it's form. The answer to get it back in line, and back in the black might be to make large cuts across the board - and stop making 3 versions of the same car that nobody wants in the first place. Chevy will probably end up as the "economy" division - cars (and trucks) for the common man, aside from the Corvette. Pontiac will try to capture the sport/youth crowd, Buick will target the "old man" crowd with 2 large cars to choose from, Cadillac is on their way with "large sport luxury" cars, and Saturn will hold on to it's "Family" image - somewhat bland cars, but with some more upscale features not found on Chevys.

That's my take at least. Heck, I'm just surprised /elated they're coming back out with fun RWD cars that have performance and are affordable! The Solstice convertible and hatch will be 2 hot selling items for Pontiac. The new GTO will likely have the luxury/high performance mix (but with a little edgier styling). I guess there's room in Pontiac for a FWD sportscoupe/sedan (G6?) to round out their lineup - but as far as I'm concerned, they can drop everything else.

Only time will tell what will actually happen though. That's if we have oil to propel these cars in the future! But that's another thread...

Yeah, I read something very similar about GM the other day but I can't remember where... Sunday paper maybe?
It does make sense. Today GM offers about a zillion different models, each overlapping the other too much. Remember in the old days each brand only offered a couple of models and each model offered two or three trim levels. That was it.
I was looking at some little convertibles at the Chicago Auto Show for the wife. (remember, if Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy!) While the Solstice looks like a fun little car the top is "extra GM cheap" IMO - complete with Velcro to hold the back panels on. Oh yeah, look at one with the top up. Pure crap. Same money gets one into a very similar Mazda model (forget which) with a real top. Hmmmm... wonder which one I'll buy?
GM's lost. They don't seem to understand what people want. IMO their products, at least the ones us working folks can afford, are poorly built relative to the rest of the market.

That said, topless, the Solstice is much sexier that the Mazda.