Lame. Talk about a rip-off.

 

The SSR, the HHD, and the Aztec. Why aren't the sales guys and the dealers listened to? GM market shae is down - way down - yet Caddy seems to be doing nicely. Ford has no direct Caddy competition - but it should - in Lincoln. Lincoln gets anothr truck (two Edsels aren't enough?) and an upgraded Mazda M6 named after a greek god/steam engine (Zephyr). If Ford can get right with the Mustang; then they can get in right with other models.

 

my thoughts exactly

 

 

Let's see, the HHr was originally supposed to be an SSR sport-ute, but the SSR gets an LS2 with a 6-speed this year and the HHR gets a 4-cylinder FWD Cobalt chassis?!?!?! So much for that idea. Also, I used to have a PT Cruiser for a daily driver (back when they were considered something new and fresh) and I can't believe how much the interior of the HHR resembles the interior of the PT. Can you say "ripoff 3 years too late"?
:notnice:

 

i know "edsel" is an old car, but what are you referring to there? this is the second time today i've heard it, last time referring to the pontiac aztec.

 

It sounds like Lutz is feeling the pressure:

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101560

 

Deleted - Accidental double post

 

judging by the past few GM designs, it probably reminds them of their childhood

i know, i know, its mean, but still

 

Lutz is nutty IMO.

"Some writers have derided the retro-styled 2006 Chevrolet HHR as a Chrysler PT Cruiser clone. And General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz is hopping mad about that.

He told reporters at the Los Angeles auto show last week: "I read a news story today that is the height of stupidity - 'GM's reply to the PT Cruiser but it comes to the party at least three years late.'

"Who the heck says there is some magic period when you must absolutely introduce a heritage-derived vehicle for one of your brands? Who says that three years ago was the right time to do it? Who says the PT Cruiser stinked up all the demand for small front-wheel-drive cars that draw on the corporate heritage for their definition? By that definition, the new Ford Mustang came to the party 40 years too late because that was the last time they used that style!

"I swear to God some of your colleagues just don't understand this business, which doesn't prevent their busy fingers from moving over the keyboard. Read my lips, the HHR will be sensationally successful. I don't apologize for it."

GM aims to sell 80,000 to 100,000 HHRs a year."

Autoweek

 

I'll stick with a Freestyle, thanks.

 

We'll see, Mr. Lutz. You also thought you'd sell 18,000 GTOs. Strike 1. And you thought the SSR would be the hottest car since, well Mustang. Strike 2. HHR...

 

Brad, I honestly think he is jealous of the success the PT Cruiser had right after he bailed out of that program as well as DC in general. Just my guess though.

 

Have you read about the new Corvette ZO6?

http://vorlon.case.edu/~aap8/gallery/c6z06spy

Or the Pontiac Solstice?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-2006-Pont...ce-Roadster.htm

Or the 2007 Saturn Sky?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-2007-Satu...ky-Roadster.htm

Or the Milford Road Course?

"General Motors' new 2.9-mile Milford Road Course, a.k.a. the Lutzring. (GM product guru Robert Lutz wrote the $5 million check for the facility, which opened this spring.) Corvette engineer Mike Neal did an excellent job of distilling the essence of some of the world's most challenging race circuits, especially Germany's Nürburgring, into this ribbon of whoops, hollers, and deliciously long straightaways. No finer place exists on the continent for studying supercar strengths and shortcomings."

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/coupe...2_corvette_911/

Pick up the February, 2005 issue of Road & Track to read about the new Cadillacs.

Mercury and Lincoln need to get the ball rolling now.

(replace the LS and Town Car with a Continental and make a Mustang-based Mercury Cougar)

 

Z06 can't be counted on as any sort of significant income producer, it's too limited. Its function is to create a buzz, not to rake in the dough, same as the Viper. That being said, they've even been able to create negative controversy about the new Z06 with the tacked-on side scoops and guppy mouth up front, which many purists dislike.

The Solstice looks ok, and the Sky is a reskin of the same (which looks much better, I might add ... scary that Saturn is turning out better designs than the rest of GM these days), but both will have slim margins if they do get it in the $20-22k range. I'm thinking it will compete price-wise with the Mustang GT for decent equipment.

So we're back where we started, with GM and specifically Lutz being boneheads.

 

Have anyone of you seen the hideous GM commercial where the trailblazer and Malibu mate to Let's get it on? Out comes- get this: A MALIBU station WAGON!!!!!
Greif, GM is bad-Didn't Malibu used to be a cool car in the 70s?
With that said, the carpool and soccer mom set outta love that fugly thing...And this schoolbus you have brought us.

 

Have you read about the new Corvette ZO6?

http://vorlon.case.edu/~aap8/gallery/c6z06spy

Or the Pontiac Solstice?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-2006-Pont...ce-Roadster.htm

Or the 2007 Saturn Sky?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-2007-Satu...ky-Roadster.htm

Or the Milford Road Course?

"General Motors' new 2.9-mile Milford Road Course, a.k.a. the Lutzring. (GM product guru Robert Lutz wrote the $5 million check for the facility, which opened this spring.) Corvette engineer Mike Neal did an excellent job of distilling the essence of some of the world's most challenging race circuits, especially Germany's Nürburgring, into this ribbon of whoops, hollers, and deliciously long straightaways. No finer place exists on the continent for studying supercar strengths and shortcomings."

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/coupe...2_corvette_911/

Pick up the February, 2005 issue of Road & Track to read about the new Cadillacs.

Mercury and Lincoln need to get the ball rolling now.

(replace the LS and Town Car with a Continental and make a Mustang-based Mercury Cougar) [/b][/quote]
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then....

 

Eww.....You all are forgetting the worst thing of all: DEATH COOL!
Oh and they killed Oldsmobile, not a bad car except for the orange stuff and the whole engine getting eaten by it thing.

you name the truck with four wheel drive,
smells like a steak and seats thirty-five..
Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down,
It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown!

 

CANYONERO!

 

I think this HHR is hideous, but I still say the SSR is a cool looking car/truck/thing. Just priced horribly... I always think of buying one, then see the price and say (like alot of others) "well, I'll get a vette instead for that price".