GM disbands unit that creates high-performance vehicles

[Cape Cod Bob]

DETROIT -- General Motors, focusing on mainstream products in a battle to survive, has scrapped a unit that produced high-performance vehicles.
GM today disbanded High Performance Vehicle Operations, which is based at the company's suburban Detroit technical center, and redeployed its engineers, said spokesman Vince Muniga.
"All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs."
The unit created low-volume vehicles for GM's divisions designed to appeal to enthusiasts and bolster the company's image. Products included V-series Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and a V-8 version of the Colorado.
Muniga said there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming cars.The move is in the spirit of GM's viability plan delivered to the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday. In the plan, GM said its future-product focus is on fuel- efficient cars and crossovers. It also pledged to increase its current offering of six hybrids to 14 by 2012 and to 26 by 2014. GM also boosted its request for federal aid by as much as $16.6 billion.
The High Performance Vehicle Operations unit could be reinstated once GM regains its financial health, GM's Muniga said.
"These guys are pretty good at what they do," Muniga said, "They are moving into different areas to work on core products."

 

[twiget]

And thus endith the second Muscle Car era.

I wonder what this means for the ZR1 (or the Z06 for that matter), since it is not specifically mentioned in the article?

Jason

 

[6 Shooter]

WOW - Yesterday I was able to see my 1st ZR1 in person @ the NCM...

...here's a shot someone snagged in the back of BGA last year. :cool

​

 

[Hib Halverson]

And thus endith the second Muscle Car era.

I wonder what this means for the ZR1 (or the Z06 for that matter), since it is not specifically mentioned in the article?

Jason

In the near-term, I don't think it means much as Corvettes were not developed by the now-defunct GM Performance division.

In the mid-to-long-term, the sitch might be different. The demise of the Performance Division could be a a taste of things to come, especially if GM continues to pursue Federal "welfare" in the form of loans or or taxpayer "investment'. The more of that GM gets, the more the populist liberals in Congress will want to have a say in GM's product plans. When it comes to automotive products, one thing populist liberals hate with a passion are high-performance cars.

 

[korvettekarl]

Of course the Liberals hate high performance, it's a taste of FREEDOM.

 

[Cruzen]

Probably just means that anyone wanting a high performance anything will have to go to the secondary market such as Calloway or some such if they have deep enough pockets or learn to turn their own wrenches. Nothing new, this is what car enthusiasts have been doing for years. Personally I felt that in some way this might be coming.

IMHO the HP race has resulted in too many people out there with high powered vehicles who don't know how to drive them properly.

Enjoy the ride,
Denny

 

[catbert]

Of course the Liberals hate high performance, it's a taste of FREEDOM.

It's the Dems that are promoting saving GM. The other guys are the ones promoting "sink or swim on your own." If it was up the sink or swim boys, we wouldn't be having this conversation, GM would be liquidating, and a lot more than the hipo would go away.

It ain't always about "liberal."

 

[korvettekarl]

The ONLY reason the Dems are for bailing out GM, Ford etc is they are in tight with the unions, VERY tight.

 

[johnm]

It's the Dems that are promoting saving GM. The other guys are the ones promoting "sink or swim on your own." If it was up the sink or swim boys, we wouldn't be having this conversation, GM would be liquidating, and a lot more than the hipo would go away.

It ain't always about "liberal."

The Libs only want to bail out GM so they can dictate to them (and us} what cars they will build. If the general wants to build cars they can actually sell they should go ito bankrupcy and when they come out they can build the cars the market demands. Enough already with this insanity. This administration has no problem putting the cost of these programs on our grandkids. It is unconcionable.