How Might GM Bring An Affordable Small RWD Chevrolet To Life?
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General Motors North America President Mark Reuss is perhaps the highest-ranking executive within the company that looks out for us enthusiasts. Problem is, enthusiasts are a vocal crowd, they’re dwarfed by Joe Camry and the rest of his boring and tasteless friends who view their cars like they do their refrigerators, with driving abilities being equally awful. Despite their dull ways, GM and the rest of the auto industry tend to answer Joe Camry’s calls more than anybody elses, because they bring in the money. Bean counters love money.
What they don’t love, is a business case based on passion — which can’t be added to the bottom line of a balance sheet. That being the case, Reuss and company have an uphill battle to get approval of a small, rear-wheel-drive and affordable Chevrolet vehicle — what many relate to as something along the lines of the Code 130R. Reuss has been successful of late, with such enthusiast-focused products as the 2014 Chevy SS and 2014 Camaro Z/28. It’s very likely that GM has the Zeta architecture underpinning both vehicles already paid for, but something like the Code 130R is more of a challenge.
The problems, which Jalopnik recently laid out, are nothing that we haven’t outlined here before: GM’s Alpha platform can’t really shrink any more than what we see with the Cadillac ATS, making it a bit too big for the proposed vehicle. There’s also the fact that the next-generation Camaro will dowsize and lose some weight, and would therefore perhaps encroach on where the Code 130R-esque vehicle would exist.
This, seemingly, means that a little RWD car would have to require its own architecture, and therefore a lot more money than perhaps the finance guys would want to see put into the project. Adding a platform also seems to go against GM’s plans to halve its amount of current platforms by 2018.
Considering its niche attraction, the model would also need to have appeal globally, thereby allowing GM to leverage high economies of scale.
On Twitter, Reuss addressed Jalopnik’s Matt Hardigree, saying he needs some “creative on how to do it.” That being the case, the GMA community should assist, and sound off…
…Go.
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A smaller platforms lines up Cadillac to make a 1 Series competitor. Opel and Holden could benefit too. Holden is seemingly the ones who will develop the platform anyways.
Build it on Cruze’s architecture? My guess with that though is there might be an issue with implementing RWD on a platform mainly designed for eco boxes.
Croze’s platform isn’t rwd. And it isn’t light enough. Even if it were both of those thing, it still isn’t really good enough to make a worth while sports car.
Everyone is looking at the code 130r as a new vehhicle. Think differently. Remember when the camaro was that car? Affordable? Fun? Desirable? The dawn of the next gen camaro is nearing. This concept was to test the idea of having a lower power affordable coupe. The camaro will be that. Think global.
Base 6th Gen: 2.0T: 18,999-23,999 290 horse
Base 6th Gen w/ 3.6 option: 22999-28999 340 horse
RS 6th gen: 26999-32999 3.6 v6 or 5.3 v8 option 340-390 horse
SS 6th gen: 29999-47999 w/ 6.2 standard and 1le option 440 horse
ZL1 6th gen: 51999-59999 6.2 sc standard 615 horse
Mark has already stated how they would do this car. Yes Alpha is too large so he said they would use a Sub Alpha platform, in other words a new smaller platform.
To pay for this they need to make a business case for not just this car but 2-3 others and make it a global platform.
Doing it as a Chevy would be easy as it would be shared with Holden and Chevys global fleet. If they could use it as a Opel there would be some appeal in Europe for a small RWD too and it would then also be shared as a Buick here and in China.
Also in time this platform could be designed and built for future use as a Camaro etc as the size of car shrink as it could be the way forward to save RWD in the future as they will still have to cut more weight.
As it is a small coupe would be lower in volume in GM’s line up as it will never be a volume car like the Cruze. But what else this car can or could be is what will be needed to win the business case when presented.
Just how many cars can we make from this with out duplication with in the company and what would they challenge in the global market This and other questions need to be answered. GM is being careful with the Alpha not to step on its own toes here and this car need to do the same.
I would love to see them make a small Jeep like vehicle from this for GMC. A small Hummer Jeep like vehicle.
Think with a open mind as there are many things they could do and just what ones would present the most profit potential. This is how we need to think on this now as that is what GM is doing and what Mark has to present.
There is no business case for any new platform and Zeta needs to be retired. G M already has too many platforms, and will still have too many once Gamma, Delta and Zeta are retired.
The car part of Gmt only needs the new Delta/Gamma, Epsilon 2 (short and long), Alpha and new Omega plus what they use for Vette.
The only option is to partner with another auto maker and outsource production. Partnerships are great for low volume cars and G M should be working more with others.
G M needs mod platforms like VW but in the short term can shave costs by getting even more strict than One Ford.
Joe Camery is correct from a profit and margin perspective and this is where the company is weakest
OK, this is stepping back in time, but what platform were the Solstice and the Sky built on? A Sky Redline with the GM boost kit made 300 hp. They made a Solstice hardtop right before they killed the brand. Seems to me you could do the small RWD car with already engineered components pretty inexpensively. Of course this doesn’t contribute to halving the number of chassis goal.
You have several problems here.
Many of the parts other than the engine were from vehicles they no longer build or have in productions like the old 1st gen CTS and would have to be retooled to be brought back. That being the case you may as well do a new unit.
Second the Kappa was a parts bin car much like the Fiero. The limited budget presented many compromises. Granted they did a better job than the Fiero but it still could and today should be a better car with more funding.
Note the Kappa platform due to the lack of funding was limited on adaptability and growth. GM did not have money at this time and did the best they could with what they had. They did a nice job but left a lot on the table.
The original plan was to make the adaptable for a small wagon and even a small Hummer but the end result was a car that could be nothing more than it was.
Besides today the Kappa would be a 10 year old design as it was started 10 years ago . That would not wash with todays market. If word came out GM was bringing out a 10 year old design imagine the out cry from the public and the image damage.
If you want to have fun look around the Solstice and see if you guess where many of the parts came from. I recall the First gen CTS, GP, HHR/Cobalt. Trailblazer/Envoy etc.
Complaints about the lack of trunk were do to cost savings by using what they had and saving money on design. If the engineers had more time and money it would have been fixed.
I think you would be better off taking the Alpha and resizing many of the parts into a new platform. While it would not be an Alpha it could easily supply the many in production parts. Weight savings has already been a factor etc. But then again GM I think is looking to do it right and make a dedicated platform to where it will be right and not a compromise like past efforts.
Anyone who has driven the new Alpha can see and feel the results of a properly done platform. GM today can afford to do it right and it will take so little more time to do so.
This is a 4-5 year deal no matter how you do it.
The real factor is they need to finish fixing Buick and Cadillac as this is where most of the car profits will come from. Luxury and near luxury cars provide most of the Auto profits while Chevys mostly comes from the Truck and Cruze.
Sorry but sometimes the business of making a profit gets in the way.
If you look to Toyota on their new coupe it is nice and selling well but is far from a profit center for the company. It provides good income but not like the others like a boring Camry, GM still has a lot of work to do in their comeback and they are well on their way. The gaps will be filled in time but the real work needs to be done first too. The better business case they make the better chance this has to being done.
This is a time to think like a business man and not a enthusiast. I hate to say that but you need both. If not you end up with a brief case coke in FBI photo’s to keep your dream alive. Just read Lutz book as he addresses that money people are a necessary evil. .
Solstice and Sky were on the Kappa, and the Kappa II platform was in development but got scrapped with the bankruptcy. I’ve said ever since then that the Sky should’ve lived on after Saturn as a Chevy.
Once again GM management has to play catch up to Toyota with their FRS. I remember a time when GM led the market. Anyway, they need to make a RWD car that is larger than the FRS, which is dinky. I’d call it a Chevelle, but it needs to look like one. Square it off a bit in styling so it appears larger, like the current Camaro or the Malibu. NOT boxy though like the tired Scion. Those jelly-bean fin mobiles all look like an old Ford Probe or a Hyundai Genesis.
Something like this rendering:
http://artandcolour.blogspot.com/2010/09/im-seeing-red-today.html
I know this is a Cruze concepet, but it works.
Or, a SUPER COOL Nomad “wagon”. The practicality of a PT Cruiser without the ugly:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9eWxQnsxuqI/TYKq9fvmbiI/AAAAAAAAAng/4I_PzKkgOWA/s1600/Chevrolet_Nomad_Concept-7-vi.jpg
Doesn’t the Buick Encore have AWD so base it off that eco (spark) platform
AWD doesnt = RWD. It is a FWD platform that can transfer power to the rear. This isn’t about having just a rwd platform. This platform needs to be light, stiff, flexible; GM is looking to make a sports car, not a small Cruze coupe
while I like the idea, I think gm has too many holes in it’s lineup to take on this project. chevy already has enough halo cars in the camaro, corvette, and ss. I’d rather them add 2 door versions of either / both the sonic and cruze to attract more younger buyers. Unique styling would be key similar to what was done with the cts.
In order for this to work, the next Camaro CANNOT shrink very much
The new car is a 2 seater only (I believe the code concept is 4 seat), has around 215 HP for the base, and has beautiful driving dynamics. The car has to be the Camaro’s evil twin. Different demographics, different architecture, different engines, different sizes. The similarities are the prices. At all performance levels, the two should start within $1000 of each other.
A good all-new car steals buyers from other companies and markets, and does not take buyers from within the company.
A 2+2 based off a new GMC Ute that could be utilized globally or like I said before get creative with the Sonic Spark Encore
Scott and Andrew, completely agree with your comments… Bring on a Kappa 2, make this a global platform for a range of vehicles… How sweet it could be…
Love the bit on bean counters we all love to hate them lol, with there MPV’s & SUV’s & spending all the profit on loss making no demand hybrids, yes it would be nice to have a range of V6, V8 and performance and nothing else but unfortunately in the real world a compromises are needed to balance the books & keep customers interested & buying hence a excellent range covering many sizes, budgets & markets along with V6, V8 & performance 😀
Look at all the people here saying to use the Delta(II) or Gamma platform.. *ahem, bean counters*.. we are surrounded by them in this very blog
A nice VX220/Speedster etc replacement would be great it’s a fine balance of balancing books for future survival and keeping the range exciting for future survival (too many MPVs for example isn’t good) a excellent range is a must.
I didn’t buy my 2008 Solstice to impress people. I bought it because one of my 1st cars, in between 2 years of Nam tours, was a used MGB. It was my favorite car.
Retiring a few years ago, I treated myself to a used Solstice that had 7000 miles on it. I never had a car that has had as many compliments and questions about the car, like the Solstice.
Manufacturers don’t make much money on halo cars like the Solstice, but the vehicles draw people, of all backgrounds to the show rooms and car lots. GM never advertised the Solstice or the sky, or my wife’s car, the G6 hardtop convertible. But the cars draw people to them, and surprise that they were GM vehicles.
GM doesn’t have to do anything other than slap a Chevrolet emblem on rejuvenated Solstices, made on the same machinery that made the cars for Pontiac… if the machinery still exists. It would be a shame if it doesn’t.
Good article.
The sports car market (2 seater MG types) seems to be a market most firms tend to avoid (Mazda started the ball rolling again) its not a marketplace I would buy from (maybe if I was single/no kids or maybe when I retire, but not now) the VX220/Speedster was Lotus based & in my opinion given what little demand there is (although there is demand) GM would be better placed buying up a small sports car firm & putting whatever GM badge on it. The other option is to work alongside a sports car firm and produce joint models like original VX220/Elise.
Very true ^^ it has to be a raw out & out 2seater RWD mid engined sports car that handles & drives well. Not purchased to show off to others but to please its driver, to be used for track days or just a romantic drive in the country with twisty roads & a lady. Not a large market true, but like everything else if done right sales are there (as proved by Mazda, even if this in my opinion is a little too watered down). A little dinky RWD mid engined 2 seater open top sports car should (like a muscle car should) get all enthusiasts excited.
Kappa Platform (extended for 2+2 seating, Solstice coupe similarities maybe) or any platform that would allow for a small RWD coupe and Kappa seems like the only candidate
Family I Gen III A16LES TwinPort or Family II Ecotec Gen III LTG or Family II Ecotec Gen II LDK/LHU (E85 maybe?)
6 speed maunal or 6 speed automatic
LSD
Lightweight is key
Keep it simple
Honestly, not sure about Chevy having a small RWD coupe under the Camaro since the Camaro is shrinking in size anyways, but maybe a small RWD coupe could work as a Buick since Buick seems to be getting all the Vauxhall/Opel rebadged cars. A V6 Camaro starts at around $24k MSRP, so if Chevy did do a small RWD car they would most likely have to price it under that, so the car probably wouldn’t have that great of an engine or parts. Buick on the other hand does not have a coupe, but they could benefit from a $25k MSRP RWD coupe.
Standard and Premium Trim packages (Premium having leather, touchscreen, Bose, Power seat, push button start, etc.)
101 inch wheelbase
2800 lbs
think Opel GT resurrection
let me know what you think…
Riviera Concept
@Marshyd1589 on Jalopnik eh!
lol you and I are ctrl+c : ctrl+v between Jalopnik and here
The list of potential models is desirable in terms of desire/want & sales/profit/balancing books a platform that is RWD and could be adapted for front or mid engine gives GM a Vauxhall/Opel/Buick/Chevy/Holden/Cadillac sports car with differing body shapes plus the potential of a small 1 series rival for any of the above company’s (Astra 3dr shooting brake, Cadillac 3/5dr for examples).
It’s easy.
GM only needs to bring Pontiac back!
Chevy would be here to sell tons of cars while Pontiac could offer RWD cars. I think there’s enough market for Pontiac and I wouldnt mind if I had to pay a little bit more for one. Pontiac wasn’t meant to be the best selling brand. It was all about passion.