The General Motors-SAIC partnership has been a healthy one for both companies, and has helped GM flourish in the Chinese marketplace. Both companies have already expanded into early engineering for products outside of the Chinese market, namely powertrains.
That’s the backstory for what Automotive News Europe proposes to bring the stunning Opel GT concept to life. SAIC also owns the storied, and decidedly British, MG brand. MG has struggled to regain traction in the UK, its only market at this time.
As it stands, Opel has stated it has very little intent to produce the GT, stating the concept was merely a design study. In order for Opel to bring a proper, rear-wheel drive sports car to life, it would need to utilize some sort of economies of scale, and MG-SAIC could bring just that. Platform sharing would give the GT proper bones (because a FWD GT won’t fly) and a suitable powertrain could be the icing on the cake for this project of dreams.
Vauxhall availability could open up right-hand drive markets (Hello, Oz), and the roadster could easily help consumers swallow the “That’s A Buick?” campaign. Everyone wins.
As the report states, Opel needs a proper halo vehicle, too, just as CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann has stated with the “take a fresh look at Opel with a new set of eyes” mantra surrounding the Opel GT concept.
Plus, the GT is just too cool to become stillborn.
Comments
This hinges on the MG of today caring one iota about the original MG. Considering what MG sells today… um, not counting on it.
That’s the big Unknown.
What would matter here is that would mean would sales in China be enough to push a business case.
Also how would Europe deal with an Opel from China.
I think you do not necessarily have to automatically envision “an Opel from China” because it is surely just as likely to be built in Europe or even somewhere else. But the thing is, there are going to be Buicks from China soon and I would hazard a guess that would be more of an issue for some Americans than such a product would be in Europe.
No! Ever since the bankruptcy and sale/repurchase of the Chinese J/V “golden share” and loan, SAIC has enjoyed too many technology transfers. Already, the new global architecture partnership will further enpower a GM competitor while depriving The General lucrative licencing fees. A stronger MG could adversely effect Vauxhall sales while the two companies would be selling a very similar competing product.
This GT could possibly ride on a sawed down Corvette platform or a future Cadillac architecture. Also, Avista as a sedan and coupe would be a better proposition in today’s market.
Damage Vauxhall sales? Really? I seriously doubt it! I would hazard a guess that the idea of a Chinese Buick Envision gives you hives…
An alliance between GM and SAIC on this is an obvious route … Automotive News has picked up on a vibe already bouncing round in Europe. A while back, GM had the Kappa platform which begat the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel GT (the latter a Europe only rebadged Sky). Before GM crashed in 2008, there had been talk from some of the people close to MG at the time about a platform share, but it never happened. GM shuttered Pontiac and Saturn and sold the remnants of the Kappa to a Spanish company. Since then, GM has recovered strongly and has many crucial alliances with SAIC. Next year, like it or not, they’ll be shipping Buicks to North America. Nowadays “MG” is a sister brand to Roewe (a China only brand) and is seen as SAIC’s export marque. Products to date have been, to be kind, competent but won’t set anyone’s pants on fire: their latest product is a crucial SUV called the “GS” which is on sale in China and is being rolled out in Thailand this month and the U.K. this summer. A joint project with Opel could lead to a shared platform but different sheet metal. Just like the Mazda MX-5/ FIAT 124. Will it happen? Who knows – but you can bet the phone and email lines have been buzzing.
Well, the MG brand is associated with such small roadsters, but the current GM Motor company has never produced or developed kind of car. Nick Gibbs, UK Correspondent of the Automotive News Europe and author of the article discussed here suggested that such a car should be developed by Opel/Vauxhall engineers, i.e. from the scratch. But then – why use the MG name plate?
Not so – look at GM across the world rather than just the USA. There is potential under the Opel, Vauxhall and other brands. The reason for the MG link is that this would be a way for a joint venture like Mazda/FIAT and BMW/Toyota – and GM and SAIC, owners of MG, already have close ties.
Whoops, more than one typo in this phrase of mine: “the current GM Motor company has never produced or developed kind of car.”
I meant, of course, the current MG Motor Company, MG, not GM.
The idea to produce a street going version of the Opel GT concept car together with SAIC’s MG brand plays with the memory of older people still remembering the MG Midget or the Triumph TR5 and similar roadsters.
http s:// commons.wikimedia .org/wiki/File:MG-Midget.jpg
http s:// commons.wikimedia .org/wiki/File:Triumph_TR5_PI_Front.jpg
The real predecessor on the Opel/Vauxhall side was the Opel Speedster (Vauxhall VX220) which was actually a version of the Lotus Elise and also built at the Lotus factory in Enland. Lotus Cars did belong for some years to the GM (General Motors) conglomerate.
http s:// en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Opel_Speedster