Post: #301

Post: #302

You Americans should get a laugh out of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYeBHtoxs7g

"Lifes about, shooting your load"

Post: #303

I can only imagine how GOOD it would feel to drive this thing around. .

Post: #304

I'm very excited about this car:

Post: #305

I'm a GM guy at heart, that SS is awesome. Something chev has needed for a while

Post: #306

Think G8 GT with updates and much nicer interior and that's pretty much the SS.

Looking forward to taking on for a rip, although I really hate the name. Call it the Impala SS and it's all good.

*Yes, I know a new front drive Impala is coming but it still works better than just "SS". Traditionally SS has been a performance package, not a separate stand alone model. "Super Sport" would work better even.

Post: #307

Hotwheels has a GM hamster
[attachment=10113]

Post: #308

Well, considering the family owns a Chevy/Cadillac dealership it is kinda understandable.

Had one of these right out of high school;



Same color but mine had white interior. Had nine broads in it once.

THAT car pulled some trim back in the day.

Post: #309

Gramps worked for GM in one of their engine plants for 40~ years, still meets with all his buddies there on Tuesdays lol.. He cringes when family doesn't buy GM. Other grandfather worked at Studebaker and Chrysler and my great grandpa owned a ford dealership back in the 20s and 30s.. Lots of history haha. I'm by no means a purist, I've got love for anything that has a motor... Some companies have got better aspects then others and vice versa.

I don't have a huge problem with them calling it the SS but they could've been more creative.. Caprice woulda been too dated IMO, not sure what woulda worked -- there's always time to change it afterwards.. Not sure if you remember the ford five hundred(Taurus). They switched the name back after like a year or two if I remember right. That's what focus groups do lol.. Make it a contest and get the consumer to make up a name.. Free promo

Post: #310

Athlone, I am excited but a couple things baffle me.

1) Price...AUDUSD is not in Chevy's favor. This thing is likely going to be pricey, over $50k

2) Why no manual? In most cases, a manual is a lot of extra expense for little payoff (maybe 10 percent of new car buyers opt for it if you're lucky on an average car, obviously this is higher with sports cars) BUT not only does GM have a good Tremec gearbox sitting around, but it would be a competitive advantage over the SRT products.

3) Short life cycle. VF Commodore is going to last 3 years at most. Then it's going FWD. It's like the G8 all over again but in a bad way.

10/10 Would bang for the car itself but the business case is a bit odd. This is how I see things at least, as a gearhead and someone who has to look at the business side of things for a living.

Post: #311

They don't plan on it being a big seller. More of another "halo" car to go with the Camaro and Vette to build desirability for the brand.

I've been hearing about $40K and up.

IIRC G8GTP's were around $40k, several years ago.

If you could find one.

Post: #312

(02-20-2013 02:11 AM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  I'm very excited about this car:

Very good for Adelaide Australia, as that is where its made!

http://media.gm.com/media/au/en/holden/n...F_SSV.html

Total PISS OFF is its $10k less in USA, has a larger motor, and more kit/gear as std. v the Holden SS of which is what it is.

As you can see we are the so called "lucky country" WHERE? I fail to see it.....

"Lifes about, shooting your load"

Post: #313

(02-20-2013 05:48 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  They don't plan on it being a big seller. More of another "halo" car to go with the Camaro and Vette to build desirability for the brand.

I've been hearing about $40K and up.

IIRC G8GTP's were around $40k, several years ago.

If you could find one.

GXP's are still around 30-34k IIRC. I would not be surprised if this was $50k or more (based on the shitty exchange rate and absurd costs of Aussie production/importation/homologation of such a small volume of cars) and they sell every single one, just like the 94-96 Impala SS.

I want to see how it stacks up against a CTS-V. I had a 5 AM date with one of these in Napa a few years back. 4 hours later, I nearly called the doctor about my priapism.

Post: #314

GXP's (brain fart in my post) are up there in resale because they are pretty hard to find and in demand by those that are in the know. Definitely badass cars. The Caprice PPV on the other hand, with a 6.0, stickers around 32 so I doubt the similar SS will be 50 large.

Don't be surprised if the SS knock's down the GXP's resale a bit.

I feel very confident in saying a V will destroy an SS. The SS will be a great car but not in the same league as the Caddy. Too big of a power disparity.

Speaking of the 94-96 Impala SS. I'd love to get a black 96 and drop an aluminum 540 in it.... Those cars are big and bad looking.

Post: #315

Who's into turbos? I have a 2.3 ford I'm gonna boost... 1987 ranger should be a fun little truck and I will have done the majority of the work myself. Should pull mid 14s with a stock 1987 thunderbird turbocoupe motor.. Thinking ill have $3000 into the truck by the time it's running. Another $3k will put me into 12s easily.. Insurance is dirt cheap(they think it still has 95hp) and 1988 or older dont need any emissions equipment in Ontario. Straight pipe turbo back anyone?

Post: #316

(02-20-2013 05:30 PM)Donnington93 Wrote:  Athlone, I am excited but a couple things baffle me.

1) Price...AUDUSD is not in Chevy's favor. This thing is likely going to be pricey, over $50k

GM was hinting at the low to mid 40's as a starting point, and there won't be many options. I'd guess about $45k to kick things off, which isn't unreasonable.

Quote:2) Why no manual? In most cases, a manual is a lot of extra expense for little payoff (maybe 10 percent of new car buyers opt for it if you're lucky on an average car, obviously this is higher with sports cars) BUT not only does GM have a good Tremec gearbox sitting around, but it would be a competitive advantage over the SRT products.

GM is trying to cut costs here and the manuals don't really move. They brought over 1826 G8 GXPs, and if I recall correctly only about 800 of them were manuals.
The trend is moving toward the autos, so it makes enough sense to just leave it at that.

Quote:3) Short life cycle. VF Commodore is going to last 3 years at most. Then it's going FWD. It's like the G8 all over again but in a bad way.

I think it will be better this time. Unlike the G8, this will be an unambiguous Halo car. We're not getting a base V6 and a GT like we did with the G8. Instead, they're going straight to the GXP and leaving it at that. This should help a bit with the marketing angle and the profit margin.

3-4 years is the likely max, but if things work out and the car moves they could opt to bring whatever global replacement they get over here as well, even if the car is RWD. I'm sure Holden will still build something large and sporty enough to wear the SS nameplate if GM sees fit.

Quote:10/10 Would bang for the car itself but the business case is a bit odd. This is how I see things at least, as a gearhead and someone who has to look at the business side of things for a living.

Your concerns aren't unwarranted (I had some of them too), but I still have some faith in this project. It can work, but we'll have to wait and see. GM is taking a better angle with the imported Commodore this time around than it did last time with the G8. With the exchange rate the way it is, this car makes much more sense as a Halo car with all the goodies thrown in standard, and I think it can be marketed better that way too.

Either way, I'm hoping this will help G8 prices dip a bit more so my broke ass can get into a used GT a bit sooner. Those are the kind of "trickle down economics" that I can believe in.

Post: #317

Next Commodore will probably be some kind of big FWD sedan, based on comments made by Holden brass. Fingers crossed for something based on the Alpha (ATS) platform. Camaro is getting this, it could work as a Buick (China) and a Holden/Chevy. I can't see Aussies giving up their rwd so easily. They do not like the big fwd Toyota and with the Falcon dead for 2016, Holden will own the market.

Post: #318

BMW 135i/335i with sequential gearbox. In blue So much fun to drive!!

Post: #319

(01-16-2013 05:10 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Hardly anyone knows how to drive a stick anymore. Sad...

Is that actually true for America? Is Canada the same? That would be unthinkable over here, or anywhere in Europe to be honest.

Post: #320

911 GT3 RS

Post: #321

(02-21-2013 08:43 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 05:10 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Hardly anyone knows how to drive a stick anymore. Sad...

Is that actually true for America? Is Canada the same? That would be unthinkable over here, or anywhere in Europe to be honest.

Less than 10 percent of cars sold in America are stick. It's more in Canada depending on the region. Walk along the street in Montreal and they favor small hatchbacks with a stick shift like Europe. In Alberta it's all pickups with V8s and automatics.

The stick shift will only get rarer as automatics improve in weight, fuel efficiency and performance. Mazda makes some of the best manual transmissions in the game, but their newest gen automatic is even better. You cannot feel the 1-2 shift (generally the benchmark for how smooth a gearbox is), it matches revs and gets better fuel economy than the manual. The trick is it uses automated clutches as well as a torque converter rather than the usual torque converter so there's no compromise between performance and comfort. I would buy the stick for myself because I enjoy the act, but anyone who has asked about the Mazda3, I've recommended the auto. It is that good.

Post: #322

The thing a lot of people forget about with DCT's is they are expensive as fuck to service. The minimal mileage gains are eaten up in the shop. Of course fuel economy regs do not take that into account...

The parents have an ATS4 3.6 and the auto in that bangs off shifts as well as a DCT when using the paddles without the insane maintenance.

GM hasn't offered a manual in a full size truck for years due their being little demand. Even the HD's are auto only.

Post: #323

(02-21-2013 08:43 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 05:10 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  Hardly anyone knows how to drive a stick anymore. Sad...

Is that actually true for America? Is Canada the same? That would be unthinkable over here, or anywhere in Europe to be honest.

I can't drive a stick. When I was a kid (9-12), my mom drove a 96 Mazda Protege with a stick and sometimes when I was in the passenger seat I would shift for her. That was as close as I've ever gotten to actually driving a manual. I wish we'd kept that car-it was super reliable, cheap on everything, and if we still had it I'd probably have figured out how to drive a stick by now.

Frankly at this point, given the rarity of manuals, it wouldn't be all that easy to learn either. You really don't see them around very often.

Post: #324

1st Gen CTS-V

Every one of them is a stick and I love it.

Post: #325

1st Gen Camaros


3rd Gen RX-7's


Dodge Challenger


240's


Nissan Silvia s15's


Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R