GM Loosens Opel Reins

Opel to be sold beyond Europe

General Motors is down to managing four brands in North America now that Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Hummer have been sold or shut down.

Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick comprise its North American brands, but the company also owns Holden (Australia), Daewoo (Korea), Vauxhall (UK) and Opel (Europe). Holden and Daewoo are sold beyond their local markets, but Opel is not. Vauxhall is Opel in the UK and other markets, selling the same models under a different brand.

Up until now, Opel has been sold only in Europe. Its cars, which have been reworked and sold in the United States as the Saturn Astra, Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze, are a good fit for other markets, but GM has kept tight reins on the brand. However, that is about to change.

Opel Initiative

According to Crain Communication’s Automobilwoche (Automobile Week), a sister publication to Automotive News, Opel will soon be sold in China. GM has been enjoying a booming success in China where its Buick brand is a national darling. Chevrolet is sold there too as are some Daewoo products.

Interestingly, Australia is another market where the Opel brand is slated to be sold. That’s Holden territory, but the products likely to be sold down under should be different. Indeed, although the Opel Astra inspired the Holden/Chevrolet Cruze, they are not the same cars. Conceivably, Opel could sell the Astra there too.

Other Markets

Opel will also be selling its cars in two unidentified South American market and one unnamed Asian market besides China. Likely, some of those models will compete against existing GM brands which could present a problem for GM if the Opel introduction isn’t carefully managed.

Following its 2009 bankruptcy filing and reorganization, the General Motors Company has been on a fast track to remaking itself.  In North America and elsewhere, capacity has been realigned to match demand, reducing model availability to their lowest levels in memory.

Opel China

Opel isn’t entirely knew to China as Automobilwoche reports that its cars have been on sale there since mid-2009, with 4,000 units sold. That’s chump change in the world’s largest consumer market, something GM will rectify when the import reins are loosened.

Expect GM to continue to look at new markets for Opel, but the United States and Canada won’t be considered. GM has learned its brand management lesson and is doing what it can to bolster its four surviving North American brands.

Carbon Motors Inks BMW Engine Deal

WASHINGTON, DC – Carbon Motors, the upstart police pursuit vehicle manufacturer, announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement with BMW for the supply of diesel engines. Under the terms of this agreement the German automaker will provide Carbon with 240,000 turbo diesel engines for its E7 model. That engine is believed to be a 3.0L V6; BMW is also expected to supply the six-speed automatic transmission.

BMW Engines

The deal had been long expected as Carbon has been using BMW engines in its prototypes. However, Carbon Motors is trying to secure a federal loan to build its dedicated cop car, monies that have yet to be awarded. If Carbon succeeds in its quest the automaker will compete against the three Detroit automakers, two of whom are owned by taxpayers.

At a joint press conference with representatives from the BMW Group, Carbon’s chairman and chief executive officer, William Santana said, “America’s largest, and most visible fleets of government-owned vehicles, now in excess of 450,000 units, deserve the most durable, efficient and reliable powertrain available. The strength of BMW as a partner will allow us to provide our women and men in uniform with a diesel engine capable of the performance they desire along with the significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions that U.S. taxpayers need.”

Renewed Competition

Carbon will be facing stiff competition when (or if) its Indiana built police car comes to market. Ford announced recently that it was retiring its Crown Victoria, long the police car standard, in favor of a new model based on the Ford Taurus platform. That model change will occur late 2011, many months before the Carbon Motors E7 hits the market.

Beginning next year, General Motors will be importing a Holden built police cruiser from Australia, the same car based on the defunct Pontiac G8. In addition, Chrysler has promised that a new version of its popular Dodge Charger police car will find its way to the market sometime in 2011.

So, by the time the Carbon E7 hits the market, it will be competing against three new models. Still, the company says that they already have 13,000 orders for is model.

BMW Support

“We are delighted to support Carbon Motors Corporation with our engine expertise,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “BMW Group diesel engines have a clear lead over the competition when it comes to fuel consumption, emissions and performance. Today’s agreement with Carbon Motors marks an important milestone in BMW’s 35-year commitment to the United States market.”

Auto Trends will follow the development of the Carbon Motors E7 and its impact on the market and continue to report that information to our readers.

Source: Carbon Motors Corporation

Pontiac G8 GT Sports Sedan Excitement!

Pontiac has had mixed success over the years living up to its mainstream performance car billing, as parent General Motors has allocated more money and resources to Chevrolet than for its sporty brand. That neglect has been evident down through the years as fast cars such as the GTO and Firebird have come and gone, leaving Pontiac with a handful of copycat models that are sold and badged elsewhere across the company’s many other brands.

In an effort to revive Pontiac’s image, GM has turned to its quintessential Australian brand, Holden, to produce a modern sports sedan, one not completely specific to the automaker, but certainly unique to the American driver. Based on the Holden VE Commodore, the Pontiac G8 GT (Grand Touring) is acknowledged by most automotive experts to be one of the best Pontiacs ever built, a car that competes effectively with the BMW 5-Series, but for thousands of dollars less.

Rear Wheel Drive For Exceptional Handling

At the heart of the G8 GT is its rear wheel drive platform, a once common denominator for all large American cars, but replaced in varying degrees in favor of front wheel drive which yields more cabin room while sacrificing handling. To be truly successful as a performance sedan, only rear wheel drive can adequately navigate tight curves and, thanks to stability control and a sport tuned suspension, the problem of rear tail swagger has been eliminated.

Certainly not a lightweight, the five-passenger two ton G8 GT offers a solid street presence and is powered by a 6.0L V8 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Producing 361 horsepower and a robust 385 lb.-ft. of torque, the Pontiac still manages to achieve an EPA projected 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. V6 power is available with the base G8 sedan while the top of the line G8 GXP is powered by a slightly detuned version of the 6.2L LS3 V8 engine found in the Chevrolet Corvette.

Finely Crafted Interior

Inside, the G8 cabin has one of the best designed interiors found on any GM model this side of Cadillac. The front passengers are treated to sculpted cloth bucket seats (leather is optional), crafted to hold occupants in place while navigating tight turns and especially comfortable for those long road trips. All controls are within easy reach and the gauges are visible and clear through the steering wheel. Rear seating is comfortable, even bearable for a shorter, middle seating passenger, with plenty of maneuverability for tall occupants.

An AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3 playback, 6.5″ color LCD and Blaupunkt premium 11-speaker system is standard equipment along with dual-zone climate control with individual settings for both the driver and the front passenger. Various sound package upgrades are available.

Outside, the sport appearance of the G8 is emphasized thanks to its chiseled lines, dual hood scoops, machine faced alloy wheels, quad chrome exhaust tips, and clear lens tail lights. The front air dam and rear spoiler complete the G8′s fast track look, giving the sedan a powerful road presence.

Safety Is Standard Equipment

Safety is the name of the game for today’s motorists and the Pontiac meets that challenge. Anti-lock brakes are standard as is brake assist, with traction and stability control included to keep your G8 on the road under the worst of conditions. Front, rear and side head and body air bags offer crash protection while GM’s OnStar navigation and emergency unit can signal help if the airbags are deployed.

The G8 is most fully appreciated when taken out on the open road and given the chance to push all eight cylinders to their limit. From a dead stop to sixty miles per hour, the G8 hits that number in a respectable 5.3 seconds, a phenomenal speed when you consider the amount of weight being pushed. Passing a slow moving minivan is a snap as just a slight touch of the accelerator and couple of flicks of the steering wheel will put the family hauler in your rear view mirror within moments.

Just don’t expect to hear an aggressive growl from the rear as the exhaust note is surprisingly subdued, not matching the capabilities of the car. A minor disappointment, one that I would like to see Pontiac correct along with including paddle shifters and, if we dare to dream, an optional manual transmission.

Sedan V. Minivan: No Contest There!

For growing families desiring to upgrade to a larger vehicle, considering a minivan such as the Honda Odyssey is usually one option, but with the Odyssey EX and G8 GT being similarly priced and equipped (low 30s before discounts are applied) and with both vehicles getting 25 mpg on the highway, the fun driving belongs solely to the G8 driver. Unless, of course, you need additional cabin space and storage room, then you’ll have to work extra hard to sell the idea of a sport sedan to your spouse.

Thanks to Holden of Australia, Pontiac has a true world class performance sedan in the G8, one that is priced competitively while offering substantial savings over more costly European competition.