Study Indicates GM May Be Killing The Wrong Brands

If pontiac were to live they would need the kind of attention that buick has been getting. Bring back a pseudo luxury/sport Grand Prix (2 door g8 with agressive styling... not that uninspired gto), a new fire chicken, the G8 st, keep the solstice and g8 while killing off the g3/g5/g6 abortions. That would let GM have it's premium exciting brand. Oh, and do not make a SUV pontiac ever again (or van :P).

KILL KILL KILL KILLL the Pontiac G8 V8 with no spare tire!! Another big sedan sans a spare! Even the "beloved" Camaro V8 has no spare or even run flats for that matter!!

At Least the Plastic Chevy Corvette Z51 that can not even handle as good as a new Ford Mustang, as per edmunds inside line today, has run flats!

lol the 911 must be crap too! it doesn't have a spare tire and instead of at least using plastic they used carpet to make their rear seats! :P

The only people who respect Edmunds either work for or at Edmunds.

Killing Pontiac was the best idea GM has ever had. Most of the sales were for fleet and all the cars were rebadges. The G8 can just live on a a Buick.

If GM continued Pontiac they would have to restructure the line-up so they just produce niche, high performance vehicles in smaller quantities. Cars like the G8, GTO and Solstice.

Let's face it, how desirable was the Vibe?

Problem with this business model is that the profit margins are not so large, from my understanding.

Good point.

An on-line survey of members of one site is about as "scientific" as flat-earth research.

The real survey has been done in the marketplace. Pontiac is not selling. The G-8 may be a great value, and I love the Solstice (wish the interior were a bit nicer, and that the trunk was more than symbolic) but Pontiac is not doing well in the ultimate survey: People who put down money to buy one.

The only reason for these results is because Pontiac has the most memorable history of popular and exciting cars out of all these makes. But no one actually WANTS to BUY a Pontiac today, and the cars that made their history would just be niche models today, not volume.

As sad as it makes me, it's the right decision. Today's market (well, the market of the last 20 years) is vastly different than the market of 50, 40 and 30 years ago, when the market could support these different brands. Hummer will only work as an expensive niche car, and even then I have my doubts. If Saab's new owners fund it properly and get the right product, it may just work as an alternative (like in the old days) to BMW's, Volvos, etc. As a uniquely Swedish/European company, as opposed to just another GM brand, it may again appeal to those seeking something different than the default brands, like BMW, which has totally lost its exclusivity.

They killed the right brands at the end of the day. It is all about the sales numbers, not what people say in a survey. Polls and market research is not always accurate. Bottom line is that people VOTE with their money, that is non-negotiable.

GM has flubbed up a lot of things. Those brands would not be damaged merchandise in the first place if it had not been for GM's utterly lacking marketing and product planning.

The brands that were the least flubbed up got to stay alive. They are damaged too make no mistake, but they have the best chance at being rescued.

GM has been the model of what happens when committees instead of individuals run the game. Mediocrity always rules the day.

chevy as a brand has as much bad baggage as any other gm brand. it just happens to be outweighed by the very FEW good cars in its history.

Oh contrar Mr. joe_Limon Porsche offers a spare tire package as a dealer installed Option...You are not as dark as me. ;)

Kill Pontiac. Kill Buick. Kill GMC. Keep Saturn. Oops. Too late.

kill chevy too.

lol.

actually, chevy is the LAST HOPE for gm. even the most profitable caddy is just a rebadged chevy.

but chevy definitely needs a MAKE OVER of their logo. nothing SCREAMS "CHEAP! CHEAP!" like the over-simple bowtie, which once was at least surrounded by a more impressive "shield" like caddilac still sports.

WHY has the gm marketing types not seen this, and ACTED!? other gm divisions had logo makeovers. pontiac, olds, even stodgy buick.

as a commentator said the other day on NPR, nobody cares to park a chevy in the driveway next to their mercedes benz. (a toyota, otoh, would be acceptable.)

it mite be noted that the most notable chevy, the corvette, seems to be ASHAMED to display the chevy logo.

ole Louis Chevrolet must turning 1000 rpm in his grave, seeing what's become of his namesake.

LOL! in intent, as a bottom feeder for the massesm, you are correct.

oops. masses.

(trolling down there, even my keyboarding deteriorates instantly!)

For 2010, Hyundai is offering a 2 door that accelerates faster than my stock 1998 FWD Grand Prix GTP. Took that long to catch up. My stock 4 cyl. 2005 station wagon is still faster than this V6 version of this Hyundai Genesis, LOL! Sadly, unlike all HyundaiSmoke's posts, mine is accurate.

Crack? No. You are just automotive illiterate. The wagon is a 2005 Forester XT 5mt. 0-60 5.3 sec; 1/4 mile 13.8 sec. It is about .2 seconds faster than the Genesis 3.8 all around. Oh, no I di 'int. ;)

Pontiac G8 = 2012 Buick Grand National