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Date Posted: 09:28:37 01/08/03 Wed
Author: Holden RWD Experts
Subject: Interesting Viewing

I love how all the supposed Pontiac freaks are spending their time bashing the car that will define the brand for the next 20 years (Monaro). What is it that hurts the most? no cladding? not designed here? or just having to wake up to globalisation.
Holden is going to become GM's expert on RWD vehicles, like it or not. Soon the Ute will be brought over, then the Commodore, then the Cadillac will be replaced with the Statesman/Caprice. You can either embrace the change or go line up to buy an Acura!

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Replies:

[> This is bullshit, mate -- Mark II, 06:47:59 01/09/03 Thu

Everyone in Australia is proud the Monaro is the new GTO, but GM is already moving back to their own RWD designs. Holden can't supply GM US - even if the unions rolled over and died, Holden would have to have ten times the plants. GM sold 32,000 Corvettes alone last year - a low-volume niche market seller in their terms. Sales of popular vehicles like the Ford Explorer are equal to Holden's annual total production.

If we're lucky, they might let us export SS Utes to them. Just be pleased all 18,000 GTOs appear to be spoken for, but there's no reason to make them more antagonistic than they are already. If the GTO is a sellout for several years it'll simply inspire them to build and sell their own.

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[> [> Not so fast swifty -- Tom, 15:22:47 01/09/03 Thu

Bob Lutz mentioned at the show that there is a very real possibility that other versions will follow and be produced inside the US. Holden is already redesigning fuel tank positions on the upcoming Commodore and its variants in order to meet US safety standards. The major sticking point has been the thermal ratings, the Commodore is rated to -15, but in order to meet US standards it must meet -30 degrees, leading to a redesign of several components.
In order to appease the unions, the car will be produced on a US/Mexico production line. Making the car US built.

My two cents.....

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[> [> [> Re: Not so fast swifty -- Mark II, 18:19:08 01/09/03 Thu

I don't have a problem with what you said, but to claim GM Australia as the domain of RWD excellence is taking things a bit too far. Our American friends are already asking themselves why they couldn't have built this car themselves, Some are saying they never would have with the styling which is much more subtle than US performance cars - their personal choice, I reckon it looks just fine, even better in the flesh.

Face it, we've still got a vehicle based on 50-year old engine technology and even the front/rear suspension design is somewhat archaic. It competes with cars with up to 50% less capacity. Having said that, and driven some Commodores including an SS I think they're great price/value cars that go, handle and stop in a way which belies their size and weight.

If GM built a good alloy V8 even with pushrod-operated 4-valves/cylinder it would be a great improvement and allow some nice head redesign work which would liberate some real power with a lot of civility.