Jumping Off the Bandwagon: F**K RWD.. The IMPALA Should Stay FWD/AWD - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Cmicasa the Great XvX · 11-27-2009, 08:10 AM

Because someone brought up the Impala and it staying FWD as being a bad thing...

I want GM to be profitable.. so they don't go down the same road they just came from.. or the same road in FACT.. that the only other manufacturer of RWD mainstream cars for the masses is currently on. Yes.. I'm talking about Chrysler. They manufacturer RWD vehicles in the mainstream line-up and STILL.. are having financial issues. The also send a huge majority of those vehicles to FLEET.

GM offers the Camaro and Corvette as their mainstream RWD vehicles. IF they could have continued the G8 as the Caprice for mass consumption.. built in NA, then I wouldn't have squawked. But to turn a 250K+ unit per year vehicle into a RWD vehicle for mass consumption would be ludicrous. Especially considering it would probably tap out at 100K in sales. To do that they would have to sell it at G8 prices +$2K.. with no incentives. ($29K-$40K)... and the majority of those would have to be V6s to keep CAFE off your back. Doing RWD in Cadillac is the way to go because it's low volume. Having a RWD ENTHUSIAST vehicle at Chevy... the mass producing division at GM is suicidal... and V6 sales of the Camaro better get more of the share, or the Camaro's days will be numbered again.

So ultimately I'm saying "Eff RWD on everything advocates!" And I have 3 RWD vehicles and love them to death... but if the my CTS-V and Vette came in AWD I would have bought those version in a heartbeat. GM needs to move forward.. and give the buyer what it wants. Catering to a strict diet of enthusiasts who take up maaaaybe 20% of the total market, 10% of that 20 who either buy their ENTHUSIAST cars used or not at all, would lead GM right back down the same path that brought us crap like the SSR or last gen Monte Carlo. Look how well its done for Chrysler. REEEEEEEEEEEAL well.

U fellas need to look at this from a BUSINESS point of view, and not the ENTHUSIAST one. That is... if U are gonna discuss product and development outside the realm of competition. Track or otherwise.

It's funny tho. Many of U praise Alan Mullaly and Ford for their direction, yet scathe GM for not going in the opposite. Quiet as it's kept.. FORD ONLY HAS ONE RWD car in it's line-up left. The Crown/Grand Marquis were hardly something to be proud of either, but still gone nonetheless. Nissan only has the 370Z outside of it's niche brand Infiniti. Toyota has none. Honda has none.

Who are trying to compete with then?

Ultimately I have heard nothing but praise and wishful wanting plees for the new Ford Taurus, but then we see people denouncing the idea of a completely competitive Impala using the same engineering policy. That is taking a High Near-Lux vehicle (MKS in the Taurus's case) and turning it into a dumbed down version to appeal top the masses with a "WOW... look at what I can get in a lowly Taurus" effect. The Lacrosse can be this to the Impala.. or more precisely.. the SAAB 9-5.. since Saab seems to riding with the "Boat Man" possibly real soon. I say why waste a stellar car when Chevy needs an updated vehicle ASAP.

The vehicles are literally ready for launch. Anyone looking at the 9-5 and not seeing a vehicle that is low-key enuff to make it as a Chevy Impala is absolutely bonkers. I mean it is plain in a way that screams "200K sales per year." It's low key in a way that screams another 200K sales per year in Europe as a Chevy Flagship.. .or even dare I say... OPEL FLAGSHIP. Yup. That's a no-brainer in a loooooong line of no-brainers. Opel currently has the Insignia, a car the same size as our upcoming regal as it's top ride. WHY would GM not take the 9-5 and make it the Flagship of the Opel brand in Europe? Why would they not take that very same car and give it slightly less expensive leather... a cloth seat option, and a 3.6L Turbo and make it the 2011 Chevy Impala to RIP the A-Hole outta the Ford Taurus the way Big Milo did to Lil Willy in their cell on the block back at San Quinton.

fp115 · 11-27-2009, 08:12 AM

I assume you mean "remain FWD"?

lil_chef · 11-27-2009, 10:25 AM

is the 9-5 big enough to be the impala? if so i say WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR???!?!?!?
its a beautiful car

FenwickHockey65 · 11-27-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lil_chef

is the 9-5 big enough to be the impala? if so i say WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR???!?!?!?
its a beautiful car

It would require a lot of sheet metal changes for Chevrolet design cues.

Anyways, the next-gen Impala is already in development on Super EpII, so the FWD vs. RWD debate shouldn't even matter by this point.

Captain Awesome · 11-27-2009, 10:44 AM

RWD on the impala doesn't bug me too much because it's not a flagship car or a halo car, it's an everyday people transportation type car. Save RWD for the Cadillacs and Camaros and Corvettes.

TheCaptain · 11-27-2009, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

RWD on the impala doesn't bug me too much because it's not a flagship car or a halo car, it's an everyday people transportation type car. Save RWD for the Cadillacs and Camaros and Corvettes.

I can agree with this. But i will also miss my RWD 91 Caprice when it gets traded in for the SRX real soon....

syr74 · 11-27-2009, 02:06 PM

My only issues with a fwd Impala is that The LaCrosse arguably isn't upscale enough in lesser trim levels to leave a lot of room for a really well executed Impala. Don't get me wrong, GM may find a way to live with some product overlap, but they would have to keep it minimized or they are going to revisit some of the same issues they have run into in the past.

SleepWarz · 11-27-2009, 02:51 PM

Another name trashed by the shitcar industry.

Number 3 · 11-27-2009, 03:03 PM

Won't disagree with your point on FWD or RWD for an Impala. At one point a couple of years ago it was RWD and would have been in production now. It was publicly cancelled by Mr. Lutz due to CAFE.

As for taking the Saab 9.5 and rebadgining it? Well first of all Saab still may get sold. Part of the sales pitch would be the all new 9.5, and a soon to be done 9.4 (NAIAS 2009). The 9.5 is so distincly Saab in style that making it a Chevy or Opel would be nearly impossible. So that leaves the question as to whether an Impala would work off of that architecture.

Could you do a LWB Epsilon for Opel? Sure, GM could have very easily made that decision several years ago and the decision was no.

Cmicasa the Great XvX · 11-27-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syr74

My only issues with a fwd Impala is that The LaCrosse arguably isn't upscale enough in lesser trim levels to leave a lot of room for a really well executed Impala. Don't get me wrong, GM may find a way to live with some product overlap, but they would have to keep it minimized or they are going to revisit some of the same issues they have run into in the past.

BS!!!

The base Lacrosse is still slick enuff to compete with the Taurus, Accord, and even Maxima.

Truth is the BASE Lacrosse should simply be the CXL... the CX (Base) could easily be an Impala.. and a damn nice one at that.

255 hp 3.0L DOHC Spark Ignition direct-injection engine with 6-speed automatic transmission, electronically controlled with overdrive, includes Driver Shift Control
Dual-stage frontal and side-impact air bags for driver and right-front passenger, head curtain side-impact air bags in front and rear outboard seating positions
Ice blue ambient lighting: front and rear doors, console, and instrument panel
8-way power adjustable driver seat
Front Bucket SeatsFront Bucket Seats

Audio System with Single Disc CD and MP3 Playback Capability Audio System with Single Disc CD and MP3 Playback Capability

MSRP¹: Starting at $27,085

Put that side by side to even the Taurus SEL and U will find that the base Lacrosse equals it and certainly betters the base SE Taurus. But I digress.. as the Impala in is what we are talking about, and BUICK should be an upgrade from Chevy in the same way Lexus is to Toyota.. Acura is to Honda.

Cmicasa the Great XvX · 11-27-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

Another name trashed by the shitcar industry.

Don't see it that way, and if U actually go look at the Original Impala it wasn't what 1994 made it into. It was a basic Family car using the only driveline of the day for mainstream cars... RWD.

SleepWarz · 11-27-2009, 06:07 PM

I don't care about the drive line, I just would like to see some style.

FenwickHockey65 · 11-27-2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

I don't care about the drive line, I just would like to see some style.

From what you drive, you consider this style?

BackinBlackSS/RS · 11-27-2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

From what you drive, you consider this style?

Easy now.

11-27-2009, 08:10 AM	#1
Cmicasa the Great XvX Account Suspended Drives: 07Taho, 11CamaroRS, 12CTSV Coupe Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: MD Posts: 705	Jumping Off the Bandwagon: FK RWD.. The IMPALA Should Stay FWD/AWD Because someone brought up the Impala and it staying FWD as being a bad thing...** I want GM to be profitable.. so they don't go down the same road they just came from.. or the same road in FACT.. that the only other manufacturer of RWD mainstream cars for the masses is currently on. Yes.. I'm talking about Chrysler. They manufacturer RWD vehicles in the mainstream line-up and STILL.. are having financial issues. The also send a huge majority of those vehicles to FLEET. GM offers the Camaro and Corvette as their mainstream RWD vehicles. IF they could have continued the G8 as the Caprice for mass consumption.. built in NA, then I wouldn't have squawked. But to turn a 250K+ unit per year vehicle into a RWD vehicle for mass consumption would be ludicrous. Especially considering it would probably tap out at 100K in sales. To do that they would have to sell it at G8 prices +$2K.. with no incentives. ($29K-$40K)... and the majority of those would have to be V6s to keep CAFE off your back. Doing RWD in Cadillac is the way to go because it's low volume. Having a RWD ENTHUSIAST vehicle at Chevy... the mass producing division at GM is suicidal... and V6 sales of the Camaro better get more of the share, or the Camaro's days will be numbered again. So ultimately I'm saying "Eff RWD on everything advocates!" And I have 3 RWD vehicles and love them to death... but if the my CTS-V and Vette came in AWD I would have bought those version in a heartbeat. GM needs to move forward.. and give the buyer what it wants. Catering to a strict diet of enthusiasts who take up maaaaybe 20% of the total market, 10% of that 20 who either buy their ENTHUSIAST cars used or not at all, would lead GM right back down the same path that brought us crap like the SSR or last gen Monte Carlo. Look how well its done for Chrysler. REEEEEEEEEEEAL well. U fellas need to look at this from a BUSINESS point of view, and not the ENTHUSIAST one. That is... if U are gonna discuss product and development outside the realm of competition. Track or otherwise. It's funny tho. Many of U praise Alan Mullaly and Ford for their direction, yet scathe GM for not going in the opposite. Quiet as it's kept.. FORD ONLY HAS ONE RWD car in it's line-up left. The Crown/Grand Marquis were hardly something to be proud of either, but still gone nonetheless. Nissan only has the 370Z outside of it's niche brand Infiniti. Toyota has none. Honda has none. Who are trying to compete with then? Ultimately I have heard nothing but praise and wishful wanting plees for the new Ford Taurus, but then we see people denouncing the idea of a completely competitive Impala using the same engineering policy. That is taking a High Near-Lux vehicle (MKS in the Taurus's case) and turning it into a dumbed down version to appeal top the masses with a "WOW... look at what I can get in a lowly Taurus" effect. The Lacrosse can be this to the Impala.. or more precisely.. the SAAB 9-5.. since Saab seems to riding with the "Boat Man" possibly real soon. I say why waste a stellar car when Chevy needs an updated vehicle ASAP. The vehicles are literally ready for launch. Anyone looking at the 9-5 and not seeing a vehicle that is low-key enuff to make it as a Chevy Impala is absolutely bonkers. I mean it is plain in a way that screams "200K sales per year." It's low key in a way that screams another 200K sales per year in Europe as a Chevy Flagship.. .or even dare I say... OPEL FLAGSHIP. Yup. That's a no-brainer in a loooooong line of no-brainers. Opel currently has the Insignia, a car the same size as our upcoming regal as it's top ride. WHY would GM not take the 9-5 and make it the Flagship of the Opel brand in Europe? Why would they not take that very same car and give it slightly less expensive leather... a cloth seat option, and a 3.6L Turbo and make it the 2011 Chevy Impala to RIP the A-Hole outta the Ford Taurus the way Big Milo did to Lil Willy in their cell on the block back at San Quinton.

11-27-2009, 03:03 PM	#9
Number 3 Hail to the King baby! Drives: '19 XT4 2.0T & '22 VW Atlas 2.0T Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 12,169 View My Garage	Won't disagree with your point on FWD or RWD for an Impala. At one point a couple of years ago it was RWD and would have been in production now. It was publicly cancelled by Mr. Lutz due to CAFE. As for taking the Saab 9.5 and rebadgining it? Well first of all Saab still may get sold. Part of the sales pitch would be the all new 9.5, and a soon to be done 9.4 (NAIAS 2009). The 9.5 is so distincly Saab in style that making it a Chevy or Opel would be nearly impossible. So that leaves the question as to whether an Impala would work off of that architecture. Could you do a LWB Epsilon for Opel? Sure, GM could have very easily made that decision several years ago and the decision was no. __________________ "Speed, it seems to me, provides the one genuinely modern pleasure." - Aldous Huxley

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Impala Staying FWD, Super Epsilon II Model for 2013	FenwickHockey65	General Automotive + Other Cars Discussion	12	10-06-2009 12:21 PM
RWD Impala, GTO Shelved	stovt001	General Automotive + Other Cars Discussion	9	01-22-2008 10:57 PM
GM's global rwd approach promises savings	KILLER74Z28	5th Gen Camaro SS LS LT General Discussions	1	02-21-2007 12:11 AM

11-27-2009, 08:12 AM	#2
fp115 Drives: 2010 CGM 2SS/RS Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oshawa, Canada Posts: 213	I assume you mean "remain FWD"?

11-27-2009, 10:25 AM	#3
lil_chef Banned Drives: 2010 Mustang GT Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jacksonville Posts: 1,823	is the 9-5 big enough to be the impala? if so i say WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR???!?!?!? its a beautiful car

11-27-2009, 10:44 AM	#5
Captain Awesome Account Suspended Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New York Posts: 3,746	RWD on the impala doesn't bug me too much because it's not a flagship car or a halo car, it's an everyday people transportation type car. Save RWD for the Cadillacs and Camaros and Corvettes.

11-27-2009, 02:06 PM	#7
syr74 Account Suspended Drives: Thunderbird Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 951	My only issues with a fwd Impala is that The LaCrosse arguably isn't upscale enough in lesser trim levels to leave a lot of room for a really well executed Impala. Don't get me wrong, GM may find a way to live with some product overlap, but they would have to keep it minimized or they are going to revisit some of the same issues they have run into in the past.

11-27-2009, 02:51 PM	#8
SleepWarz Banned Drives: 1991 New Yorker, 69 Tbird, ABM2SSRS Join Date: May 2009 Location: BC Canada Posts: 2,248 View My Garage	Another name trashed by the shitcar industry.

11-27-2009, 06:07 PM	#12
SleepWarz Banned Drives: 1991 New Yorker, 69 Tbird, ABM2SSRS Join Date: May 2009 Location: BC Canada Posts: 2,248 View My Garage	I don't care about the drive line, I just would like to see some style.