An Open Letter to Jim Wangers
Nobody asked me but . . .
Jim Wangers
389 Wide Track Blvd
Pontiac, Michigan 14032
Dear Jim,
I’m sure you’re enjoying your retirement. But GM needs you . . . again.
Here’s a news alert hot off the Automotive News website regarding Chevrolet:
"General Motors will put the Chevrolet Camaro sports car into production in late 2008, and put it on sale in early 2009, CEO Rick Wagoner said today.
The Camaro will closely resemble the concept car unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show, Wagoner said.
The new Camaro will be a rear-wheel-drive car with ??independent rear suspension.?? The car's styling work is being done in the United States, while the rear-drive platform is being engineered in Australia, Wagoner said. Buyers will have a choice of V-6 and V-8 engines, and manual and automatic transmissions."
Blame me for the double question marks around independent rear suspension.
I’d bet that Pontiac didn’t talk to you before they introduced the latest Pontiac GTO. You know. The one from Australia with the bland styling and the fuzzy image. The one that is quietly disappearing off the Pontiac order sheets because of total disinterest by the buying public. Is there anyone at Pontiac who even knows what GTO stands for?
I know you weren’t a Chevy guy. But you are a Car Guy and Chevy is in need of your assistance. Desperately. They are about to do a “Pontiac.”
Help Chevy to remember that three of the reasons customers love muscle cars is because they “Go fast, waste gas and kick ass.
Okay, these days you would be persona non gratia at any auto company if you even hinted that wasting gas was a good thing. And I agree totally. But, hey. Two outta three ain’t half bad these days. In fact, my K&E would have that “half bad” slide-ruled out to 66.666666666%. Which, I think you’ll agree, is better than 50%.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of the other reeeeealy important reasons for the muscle cars’ success: Bang for the Buck! Ford got it right with the new Mustang—300 ponies for under $25 grand when it was introduced in 2005.
Chevy’s thinking is already on the wrong side of the road when they start mentioning features such as independent rear suspension for the Camaro. What’s next? A nav system, stability control, wood trim, an electronic parking aid?
The working acronym should be KISS not MI$$!
The only GM sporty car that needs IRS is called the Corvette. If GM wants to copy a failed model, they need look no farther than Oh Dearborn and the last Mustang Cobra.
The only hue and cry for independent rear suspension on a Camaro will come from those who have never driven a real Camaro, never heard of Mark Donohue and only read (and believe) what all their other friends read (and believe) about IRS being God's gift to handling.
Lord knows you can’t make anything with carburetors and solid axles go fast or handle these days. Just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.
There, I got that off my chest and I feel better.
Thanks for your help, Jim.
Sincerely,
The Carmudgeon
PS I have a free 2008 495 bhp Pontiac GTO and a Bridge in Brooklyn to the writer of the best response, for or against, Chevy’s Camaro design philosophy. Me? I’m hoping Rick Wagoner’s words are pure spec-ulation, because I’m not feelin’ e-lation.
Jim Wangers
389 Wide Track Blvd
Pontiac, Michigan 14032
Dear Jim,
I’m sure you’re enjoying your retirement. But GM needs you . . . again.
Here’s a news alert hot off the Automotive News website regarding Chevrolet:
"General Motors will put the Chevrolet Camaro sports car into production in late 2008, and put it on sale in early 2009, CEO Rick Wagoner said today.
The Camaro will closely resemble the concept car unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show, Wagoner said.
The new Camaro will be a rear-wheel-drive car with ??independent rear suspension.?? The car's styling work is being done in the United States, while the rear-drive platform is being engineered in Australia, Wagoner said. Buyers will have a choice of V-6 and V-8 engines, and manual and automatic transmissions."
Blame me for the double question marks around independent rear suspension.
I’d bet that Pontiac didn’t talk to you before they introduced the latest Pontiac GTO. You know. The one from Australia with the bland styling and the fuzzy image. The one that is quietly disappearing off the Pontiac order sheets because of total disinterest by the buying public. Is there anyone at Pontiac who even knows what GTO stands for?
I know you weren’t a Chevy guy. But you are a Car Guy and Chevy is in need of your assistance. Desperately. They are about to do a “Pontiac.”
Help Chevy to remember that three of the reasons customers love muscle cars is because they “Go fast, waste gas and kick ass.
Okay, these days you would be persona non gratia at any auto company if you even hinted that wasting gas was a good thing. And I agree totally. But, hey. Two outta three ain’t half bad these days. In fact, my K&E would have that “half bad” slide-ruled out to 66.666666666%. Which, I think you’ll agree, is better than 50%.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of the other reeeeealy important reasons for the muscle cars’ success: Bang for the Buck! Ford got it right with the new Mustang—300 ponies for under $25 grand when it was introduced in 2005.
Chevy’s thinking is already on the wrong side of the road when they start mentioning features such as independent rear suspension for the Camaro. What’s next? A nav system, stability control, wood trim, an electronic parking aid?
The working acronym should be KISS not MI$$!
The only GM sporty car that needs IRS is called the Corvette. If GM wants to copy a failed model, they need look no farther than Oh Dearborn and the last Mustang Cobra.
The only hue and cry for independent rear suspension on a Camaro will come from those who have never driven a real Camaro, never heard of Mark Donohue and only read (and believe) what all their other friends read (and believe) about IRS being God's gift to handling.
Lord knows you can’t make anything with carburetors and solid axles go fast or handle these days. Just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.
There, I got that off my chest and I feel better.
Thanks for your help, Jim.
Sincerely,
The Carmudgeon
PS I have a free 2008 495 bhp Pontiac GTO and a Bridge in Brooklyn to the writer of the best response, for or against, Chevy’s Camaro design philosophy. Me? I’m hoping Rick Wagoner’s words are pure spec-ulation, because I’m not feelin’ e-lation.
posted by The Carmudgeon at
8:51 PM
4 Comments:
Back when the suits said "no muscle cars," Jim Wangers and John DeLorean came up with the Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO) designation (a rip-off from Ferrari)as an "option" for the Pontiac LeMans and moved tons of metal before the guys upstairs realized what had happened and said, "Hey, we're making money, so why not!"
Today, GM is searching for the next magic bullet to reverse their slide. The new Camaro is at least a step in that direction. Granted, they're using modern technolgy, but why not? GM was once an innovative market leader. Now, they copy the leaders. In this case its Ford with the retro Mustang. The proof will be in the actual performance and of course... consumer reaction. Let's just hope that its not another toy GTO with no link to its performance heritage.
By
Anonymous, at 11:14 AM
Dear Anonymous,
And what’s with the anonymous? You are “right on” with everything you’ve said about the original GTO. But I hope you are not referring to independent rear suspension when you said, “Granted, they’re using modern technology, but why not?”
IRS—the suspension design not the tax guys—has been around for a long time. My real concern in hearing Rick Wagoner list this feature is that it tells me GM is not looking closely at the formula that made the Camaro a success in the first place.
Stay focused and keep it simple is my philosophy. I don’t believe a Camaro customer is looking for modern tech. I think foremost on his wish list is performance and a low price. If you take your eye off the mark in one area, all too soon someone chimes in with something else that adds weight and cost. And both can multiply quickly.
There is IRS and there is IRS. With lots of power to the rear wheels, I’ll take a well-designed live rear axle over an “adequate” IRS every time and under every condition except for a washboard road.
By
The Carmudgeon, at 1:46 PM
IRS won't kill that car as fast as cheap materials, shoddy assembly and/or a dealer network that lacks relevance by current standards. Not saying this is the plan, but if it's the execution - oh, well.
They need Wangers to remind (er, teach?) the current corporate all-stars the importance of image in the marketing of these (or any?) cars. It's an emotional purchase.
GM seemed to bail on any GTO brand equities when they marketed the current car. Might as well have called it the "Larry".
Word is the current GTO's looks aren't for everyone. Keep in mind, the '64 Tempest was a rental car fleet darling, too, before Wangers and Co. went and did what they did.
Re: the new Camaro - GM knows they have to answer the call from a product standpoint. They also need to have the right folks saying the right stuff in the right way on the product's behalf.
Hear you on Wangers.
By
Anonymous, at 11:42 PM
Dear Anonymous,
Again, you are "spot on" with your comments regarding ". . . cheap materials, shoddy assembly and/or a dealer network that lacks relevance by current standards."
The Pontiac Solstice and early examples of the retro T-Bird suffer from the former, and models such as the Capri and Merkur suffered from the latter.
By
The Carmudgeon, at 9:53 PM
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