Lutz Now Claims That the G8 Won't Become the Chevy Caprice

So 'Maximum ' Bob becomes 'So what' Bob when he puts his marketing hat on. Bummer. That means the end of the new GM as Bob was (just about) the only one working at GM that was a car guy. :(

So 'Maximum ' Bob becomes 'So what' Bob when he puts his marketing hat on. Bummer. That means the end of the new GM as Bob was (just about) the only one working at GM that was a car guy. :(

I guess if your rich you can get a Cadillac CTS V but if your just an average joe you can't get a Camaro Z-28 or G8/Caprice that would be more affordable. You have to drive a putt putt car. Ford is our only hope now.

Bah! If they are worried about the fuel regulations, why don't they just offer it with smaller, more efficient engines. Then produce an SS version for the people that are excited about this car.

U.S. car manufacturers need to get a clue. We want fuel efficency as well as a economical car but we still want fun cars. The new Taurus is a good example of this. Wide product range, from the fuel efficient grocery getter to the fast and fun SHO.

This car isn't competitive in it's current form. Looks, below average handle is still not refined enough. The only thing it really had was class leading straight line go and it's cheap. It's just a rebadged CTS anyway.

I was going to go off on a rant about how the Caprice was no Taurus, but frankly Ford is pulling some BS out of the works here:

2010 Taurus:
Length 203
Wheelbase 113 in
Width 76.2

2009 Crown Vic
Length 212
Wheelbase 115 in
Width 78.3

1996 Caprice
Length 214
Wheelbase 116 in
Width 77.5

1996/2000 Taurus
Length 198
Wheelbase 108.5
Width 73

Well it's not quite as big as the Crown Vic, but hell it's close. I think if anything you should be comparing the Chevy Impala to the Taurus at this point.

And frankly that's the problem here. Ford doesn't sell the Crown Vic to the public anymore. It's a fleet vehicle. I'd love to see Chevy bring back the Caprice, even for fleet work. The Caprice (much like the Taurus) should be offered with the choice of two engine, a base V8 or a supercharge V8 (SS version). DONE. This is more or less an old persons car, or a cruiser, or if you want to pour some money into it a very fast cruiser.

You might not sell TONS of them, but I'd think they'd still sell well in the fleet side.

Oh and Gabe:

"U.S. car manufacturers need to get a clue. We want fuel efficency as well as a economical car but we still want fun cars. The new Taurus is a good example of this. Wide product range, from the fuel efficient grocery getter to the fast and fun SHO."

What is this? Have you actually seen the Ford website for the 2010 Taurus? Two engine options, 1 mpg difference. That's a wide range. Fuel efficient too, 17/25. 2009 Impala, up to 19/29 for mileage on the economy side and 16/24 for the SS V8. Not saying it's better, but Ford is falling right in line with everyone else.

Good. That Caprice was a hideous travesty. I don't much care for the looks of the G8 from the fenders on back but it's got a great face. The G8 should become the new Impala and that FWD piece of crap Chevy has now can go die with everything else.

They should keep the RWD platform and put a direct injected turbocharged 3.6l V-6 in it with a really tall overdrive gear.

If the LLT can get 17/27 in a LaCrosse and 18/29 in a Camaro, there is no reason a Caprice can't get around the same mileage.

As for a smaller engine then that, I think that's as small as it can get in a car this size. The 3.0L DI LF1 in the LaCrosse gets 17/27 and weighs about 100 lbs less, same as the LLT. Small engines in 4,000 lb cars just don't work.

As for the SHO, its not a performance car in the least. Reviews are saying its a boat on the track and its more of a luxury cruiser then a sports cruiser. Its AWD and 365 hp get it to 60 mph in the mid fives with the quarter in the low 14s. The problem? The thing weighs 4,400 lbs. For comparison, the Charger SRT8 is 4,100 lbs and the G8 GXP is 4,100 lbs as well. Both the Charger R/T and G8 GT put down better numbers with similar gas mileage. If Ford can justify this boat, then I am sure the Caprice can have a market. Heck, put AWD on it if that's what people want (Zeta can handle AWD).

@ RX-7 Guy

Can you explain how the G8 is a rebadged CTS???

I think you are talking shit. Scrap that, I know you are talking shit.

G8 = commodore = Not an American product. Therefore it is not a Cadillac. Designed and made in Australia. Chances are the cadillac uses parts from the commodore, otherwise they would still be front wheel drives grandma cars.

And the handling not refined eneough, have you even driven one??? You can drift in them straight out of the factory. Or drive them around the corner normally. How many cheap rear wheel drive family sedans can do that?
And yes I have driven one, pretty easy to do in Australia since its pretty much the highest selling car here.

Pitty Lutz aint gonna import them, at least you will still have the Camaro which is the same platform anyway.

Weird that he's worried about fuel economy, there is talks of an engine revamp here soon.
3.0L V6, the 3.6L V6 out of the cadillac, and the 2.8L twin turbo V6 that saab uses. They could possibly use the 3.2L V6 that are in Alfa's as well. Holden builds all these V6 engine and havn't used them for them selves, go figure. They just used the low rent baisic 3.6L V6 ones instead all this time. Oh yeah plus the GM 6.0L, 6.2L and 7.0L V8's.

I also found it odd from the article from the other day that they showed the long wheel base model, ie caprice. We have 2 wheel bases for this car. The G8 was the short wheel base, which is probably big eneough all ready. The long wheel base just gives you extra rear leg room(not really needed when the short wheel base leg room is allready huge), but no extra boot room. They are more used as VIP cars here, a choice instead of a BMW 5/7 series or Merc E/S class, or funeral and wedding cars.

"I also found it odd from the article from the other day that they showed the long wheel base model, ie caprice. We have 2 wheel bases for this car. The G8 was the short wheel base, which is probably big eneough all ready. The long wheel base just gives you extra rear leg room(not really needed when the short wheel base leg room is allready huge), but no extra boot room. They are more used as VIP cars here, a choice instead of a BMW 5/7 series or Merc E/S class, or funeral and wedding cars."

I'm guessing that they picked the Holden Caprice specifically for it's extended wheelbase. Partly to further separate it from the Chevy Malibu (which is a FWD 4-door) and Buicks, and partly to attract the traditional old-timers that traditionally seek out vehicles like the Ford Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis?
Who knows. And since GM is waffling on this, who cares.

I'll take an SS-V, manual trans, in Phantom Metallic please. Hold the traction control.

I'm so rich. If GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have let such an awesome car which wasn't even out that long to die off. The 415hp V8 in the GXP might quite possibly have been straight from the land of milk and honey...Of corse if GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have went bankrupt in the first place...

Thanks goodness! I thought there for a second that GM might sell a car that someone might actually want!

Glad to see that nothing has changed.

Get your pocket books ready for bailout #3. (yep, #2 came and went while you weren't looking)

Seriously.... the American people want a choice. And they want a big V8 engine in many cases. I personally think it would be pretty neat to have a car that could also tow a boat and/or 18' camper. Used to be that one could buy such a thing. Now today you have to buy a pickup/huge SUV.

Thanks goodness! I thought there for a second that GM might sell a car that someone might actually want!

Glad to see that nothing has changed.

Get your pocket books ready for bailout #3. (yep, #2 came and went while you weren't looking)

Seriously.... the American people want a choice. And they want a big V8 engine in many cases. I personally think it would be pretty neat to have a car that could also tow a boat and/or 18' camper. Used to be that one could buy such a thing. Now today you have to buy a pickup/huge SUV.

Yep it does not make good business sense to continue selling a car that they sank billions of dollars into developing. Lets shelve that idea.
It is not cost effective to sell something that is already made and ready to go.
Am I missing something here?

I'm so rich. If GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have let such an awesome car which wasn't even out that long to die off. The 415hp V8 in the GXP might quite possibly have been straight from the land of milk and honey...Of corse if GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have went bankrupt in the first place...

Let's not forget it took a French guy to save Nissan from bankruptcy not too long ago. And that was when times were good in the auto industry.

I'm so rich. If GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have let such an awesome car which wasn't even out that long to die off. The 415hp V8 in the GXP might quite possibly have been straight from the land of milk and honey...Of corse if GM were as rich as Nissan they would not have went bankrupt in the first place...

Let's not forget it took a French guy to save Nissan from bankruptcy not too long ago. And that was when times were good in the auto industry.

The G8 is the best car that I ever had. It is not your typical North American car. You have to own one to appreciate this car. Scrapping this car was a mistake. Can you give me one reason?