The Holden Concept is shown below. Supposed future competition for the Challenger.

Auto Sleuth -- High-powered coupe from Pontiac?

Article Launched: 04/10/2008 05:18:59 PM PDT



GM s Pontiac division considers adding a high-powered coupe: The Sleuth s hot tip this week is that Pontiac s lineup might grow to include a high-performance G8 two-door that bears the GXP name. It would include much of the same hardware as the GXP sedan as well as a 402-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette-sourced V8 and the six-speed manual transmission. It would certainly give Pontiac the firepower to compete against the 425-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8, wouldn t it? Insiders report there is still an internal battle as to whether to build the car, but if green-lighted, it would be available within three years.


Beat gets stronger on the street: General Motors unveiled a trio of Chevrolet small car concepts about a year ago the Beat, Trax and Groove and left it up to you to decide which model should make it to production. After tallying the votes, the Beat emerged as the victor, receiving nearly half the vote, and it looks as though the small car s progression from concept to production is moving right along. The Sleuth hears that GM is testing a prototype in China and the overall shape and size is very similar to the concept vehicle. GM has yet to set a launch date for the Beat, but the car is

slated to replace the company s Chevrolet Spark (Daewoo Matiz in some markets) in Europe. Expect a version here by 2010. However, the Sleuth thinks that GM should produce at least two of the three concept vehicles and not just the Beat.

n Audi R8 bristles with twin-turbo

Power: On a personal note, the Sleuth loves the Audi R8 supercar with its 420-horsepower 4.2-liter V8. And now the word is that Audi will fit the two-seater with an even better engine: a V10. In fact, it s the same twin-turbo powerplant used in the RS6 Avant. That means 580 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. The car will even get a new name: RS8. Expect it to roar down your street in mid-2009.



Model selection: Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally s experience running Boeing (yes, the airplane company) should help Ford drastically reduce vehicle combinations and save money in the process. Before Mulally s time at Boeing, the airliner company offered hundreds of shades of exterior white to satisfy each individual airline customer. Once Mulally took control, there was just white . . . and that s all. That same mentality will see the Ford Focus possible combinations of options and features drop by 99 percent for the 2008 model year, the Sleuth hears. This year s Ford Expedition will also see a combination drop of about 95 percent. Chrysler President Jim Press is bringing about the same kinds of changes at his company. According to Yahoo, Chrysler s possible vehicle combinations have been decreased by 93 percent over the past two years. That number will continue to fall during the coming years as the automaker aims to eliminate redundant vehicles. General Motors will also make similar changes in the coming years. On the plus side, less selection might actually mean lower prices.

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Pontiac mulls G8 GXP Coupe based on Holden concept

Posted on Tuesday 1 April 2008


Last month Holden celebrated its 60th anniversary with the unveiling of the Coupe60 concept car, a two door version of the VE Commodore sedan that many suspect will eventually spawn a successor to Australia’s Monaro Coupe. Holden has denied rumors of a new Monaro, as well as its Pontiac GTO cousin for that matter, but a number of reports claim the Coupe60 is actually based on a former Pontiac design and that officials are now c

 

The car looks like something fresh out of a teenages garage that has no concept of how body pieces should be put together[&:]

I'm not liking the body design.[:-]