Chevrolet Caprice Back???
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Bob Lutz just mentioned (After just a few hours on his new job at GM) that GM is now considering selling the Pontiac G8 as a new version of the Chevrolet Caprice.
Which is the opposite of what GM had been saying since they announced the death of Pontiac.
What’s next? Saturn Sky as a Chevy too?
The picture above is a Chevrolet Lumina (Sold in the middle east and South Africa), which is basically a Holden Commodore with a Chevy front end. Just like our G8 is a Commodore with a Pontiac front.
It could work. But why not just have this ca as the new Impala?
Unless the next Impala is already to far along in design…
We’ll see…
vince, the holden does not look like an impala at all. impala = american.
caprice seemed to me like a budget impala. ppl will forgive that it looks australian……
i think its a good idea. i also want to stress that this CHAPTER 11 stuff was a hoax to get rid of the liabilities….. it becomes more obvious now.
Amazing, finally some common sense at GM. Hold on a second, I think there are pigs flying outside my window.
The Caprice should never be revived. I'd suggest creating a new name for the car. After all, it is the new GM. The company should leave the past in the past.
Great idea! I'm glad they're keeping this car in the USA. I wish they gave it the name Impala and gave the current Impala the name Caprice but I guess beggars can't be choosers. At least we will still have a rear wheel drive sedan for the masses.
How about using Chevelle?
I like it, hey, it's better than no G8 at all.
Though I'd rather them choose a new name, perhaps Chevelle or even Commodore? Chevelle would pose the same problem as the GTO did though, it doesn't look a think like the original Chevelle. Caprice works, I hope they end up selling them to Police too, that would be awesome.
That is the Commodore. The only difference is the Chevrolet bow tie and that chrome strip its mounted on. And its starting to get old. Wonder if that pic further up is the next Commodore?
There is a rumor that the "Impala" name is tied to the Canadian plant that pumps out the tired current W-body version of the car. Since this car would be assembled in Australia by Holden, it can't use the "Impala" name.
I think they should use the "Monte Carlo" name for a Commodore based Chevy sedan in the U.S. It looks like Chevrolet won't receive any coupe products in the near future that could use the name, so why not use it on a limited edition sports sedan for Chevrolet? It's too good a name to leave rotting in the archives and it would be totally appropriate for this car. "Caprice" seems a little too square for this car.
On a similar note, I think GM should import a limited number of Buick-ized Holden Caprice sedans under the "Riviera" name. "Riviera" is another great name that will probably never see the light of day again, so why not use it on a limited edition flagship sedan for Buick?
Vince said…
What's next? Saturn Sky as a Chevy too?
MONZA? 😉
Cookie McDougal said…
Though I'd rather them choose a new name, perhaps Chevelle or even Commodore?
I like the honesty of calling it the Chevrolet Commodore – but if it looks like the sporty rendering in the later post, maybe an ALL New name would be even better.
The Impala needs to be FWD for it to sell…The RWD Caprice will be sold to taxtakers…errr…Police.
Yeah! Probably the only good car GM makes! They sell it as the Caprice in the middle east.
Lutz is the man!
With Malibu being as big and gorgeous as it is; Caprice should be at least as long as the long wheelbase model from Australia. but mabey a short sheelbase G8 could be called "Impala SS" and slot right between Malibu & Caprice.
BY SAYING "CHAPTER 11 stuff was a hoax" you show your ignorance. Kindly refrain from making business observations if you haven't a clue.
Also, I sure hope they fix some of the gripes people had with some interior issues. Like the silly airbag light on the rear view mirror, the awkward manual seat adjustments, the useless storage bin on top the center stack and others.
They make good police cars in Australia and New Zealand. (when they don't break down)
The entire point of Chapter 11 is to get rid of liabilities…Are you from Cuba?
Police cars that break down is a good thing. Those tax-taking cockroaches don't need to go to the doughnut shop.
GM got in it's trouble partly from having too many models. This will be too expensive to sell as a Chevy, but maybe as a Buick. They need the FWD Impala at it's low price point. Chevy will not be competing with Buick. They just can't afford that, since all their cars will be sold in the same showrooms in North America.
The Genesis sedan is too expensive to sell as a Hyundai. Buicks don't even sell in America…Buick would have died long ago if not for the Chinese.
I dont care what they call it. The fact is, they already have it and they need attractive vehicles in the 4 remaining US marques that GM owns.
As for the Saturn Sky, it actually could make a nice Buick if they revised it heavily to compete against cars like the Infiniti G35. Infiniti was just smarter in that they got 3 really nice beautiful cars out of the same platform (the sedan, coupel and convertible… not including the Nissan branded vehicles). GM should listen to that logic for future redesigns headed to their near-luxury division. But for now, they need a reason for folks to come into their showrooms.
There is no real "brand" value in the Caprice name especially if the car is to be promoted as a performance model– My vote is to roll with Chevelle and co-promote it as a 4-door version of the Camaro which it is essentially. Chevy showrooms should feature these fraternal twins and well as sell the Saturn Sky as the Stingray, a bad_ss little brother to the Corvette convertible.
this model of the chevrolet caprice has been in the middle east since 2004, the lumina also with a lightly similar design
Vince,
The already have the Chevrolet Caprice on sale in the middle east, so maybe they're planning on simply selling it here. But I'm not sure this is Commodore based. I know it's a Holden, but it looks bigger. Whatever it is, it makes a pretty sweet large Chevy.
HERE IN BRAZIL WE HAVE THIS CAR (PONTIAC G8) AS A CHEVY MODEL.
IT'S CALLED CHEVROLET OMEGA
CHECK SOME PICS..