Good News ! Opel is coming back to US

[badbradgt]

I've met one of the insiders over at GM at a buisness expo thing about a month ago, and I asked about the Saturn Sky vs the Opel GT. He said that Saturn will slowly convert over to mosty rebaged opel cars. He also told me that Project Blue Devil is a go!!! (Project Blue Devil would be a Superchared LS7 vette... or so they say)

[baz]

blue devil is old news they are going to call it a sting ray

Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle: Corvette Blue Devil to be Called Sting Ray

[opel kid]

Well I guess that could be way back when from my point of view becaues I was born in 92

[cherokee]

I've met one of the insiders over at GM at a buisness expo thing about a month ago, and I asked about the Saturn Sky vs the Opel GT. He said that Saturn will slowly convert over to mosty rebaged opel cars. He also told me that Project Blue Devil is a go!!! (Project Blue Devil would be a Superchared LS7 vette... or so they say)

I was told that all of the new GM convertables where made in America. The Sky,Solstice,GT, he told me the there is even a Daewoo model that is going to be sold in Korea. All made in the good ole USA. He was pretty pumped that GM has made a car that the world wants, they can do it, they can go after the best in the world.

[opelbits]

I read awhile back that Lutz thinks it's silly to bring European/Asian engineering over here only to have our engineers re-engineer it so they can say it's 'American' (Think Saturn L series, the entire Cavalier/Sunfire program, etc.). He feels the redundancy is costing GM a fortune (probably many, many fortunes in the world of real people...).

Anyway, what I heard was that he wants to bring Opel stuff in with a minimum of re-engineering and fussing.So maybe there is a chance that the Little Car with a Big Soft American Fat Ass Ride Quality Syndrome won't happen. or at leats not as much as in the past.

It's a shame that GM is going to use Saturn for this. As was said earlier in the thread, Saturn is nothing like what it was supposed to be. All the promise of building and selling cars in way that is more rational and less painful has been folded back into GM dogma. The workers and the buyers will suffer the most. The only thing that may soften the blow is that they may use Opel to provide the high quality compact/subcompact lines U.S. GM has needed (but has been unable to build) for...oh, say....31 years?

Not counting Isuzu, though. Just think if the rwd Impulse had been used for the Cavalier? A turbo Cav/Sunfire in the mid-80's? An turbo Isuzu powered Fiero? Handling by Lotus? What might have been....


Although, it is kind of funny...Saturns built in Belgium, Opels built in the US.

[duvel]

For the moment are there to many Astra's produced in Antwerp. They talking to stop the night shift. Maybe is that one of the reasons that they decide to export the Astra.

[CoriolisSTORM]

What is the Ion based upon? The more I look at it, the more I like it.

[baz]

the ion is built on GM's delta platform same as the astra but the bodywork looks to be saturn's as its nothing from opel/vauxhall , i dont know or think its from one of the far east makers but could be !

[CoriolisSTORM]

Found this guys!
GM Media Online
The more I actually look at the Astra, (and liking my Ascona like I do even though it dont run), I might wait a while on my purchase, and beat on the Wrangler a little while longer. Maybe GM will offer it with a diesel option. I can always hope cant I???

[Wickedcool]

I really think they should just stick with the opel brand name instead of rebadgeing it to a saturn. Even if they did like ford did with the merkur line, it was a mercury merkur xr4ti, and sold at mercury dealerships. That move would benefit them the most since saturn has a solid reputation as economical bland cars not sporty machines.

Besides it's the way opels were originally sold at buick dealerships right?

[baz]

ah but ford had to change the name as there was a sierra name already registered in the US by GMC

[automata3.0turbo]

i was just on the saturn site looking at the astra, and i tell you i like it ALOT. i was planning on getting a scion for a good fuel efficent car but im seriously thinking about changing my mind and opting for the astra instead. very stylish, functional and it looks like a blast to drive. the interior looks awesome. itll be available in less than a month, cant wait to get down to the saturn dealer and take a closer look.

[heimue]

As soon as the Twin Top will be available here, I'm seriously considering selling my wife's Catera!

Dieter

[spamseptictank]

I had the pleasure of seeing the Astra up close and it doesn't look too bad. GM did a sales training session at the civic center where I work. They brought in those and the new Malibu along with some Mazdas and Toyotas for comparison. I don't know what the sales guys thought, but I think it could do well. A friend of mine has a '94 SL2 with about 300K on the odo. He's gotten his money out of it. I know it's an Alfa motor with the Opel suspension, but he's on the original half shafts...

[NineLivesGT]

Anyone remember going into the parts dept of your local Buick dealership in the early 70's for a part for your Opel? It was usually like pulling teeth. The parts guys just didn't even want to deal with it. It seemed like the employees were threatened by foreign built cars, and foreign made parts, almost as if the feeling was that every Opel that was sold through a Buick dealership was one LESS Buick that was sold.
I was not surprised, having the experience of owning Opels back then, and witnessing the shoddy repair efforts by the dealers and lack of help with parts, that Opel was so short lived in the US. They pretty much WANTED Opel to fail, as foreign built cars/parts were not in the best interests of the UAW.
Bob Lutz obviously has learned from GM's previous US Opel effort. I would have no issue with buying a Corsa, or an Astra, because obviously Maximum Bob's strategy is to bypass the dealership conflicts of the past, and simply label them, and sell them AS SATURNS.
Many months back, I had to laugh after reading that almost IMMEDIATELY after it was announced that the Opel Astra would be sold througn Saturn dealerships, the UAW went on strike, demanding, among other things, that they be guaranteed that the majority percentage of US market GM cars would be built here in the US, which they were successful in obtaining. Apparently the UAW, AND Lutz have learned well from the late 60's and early 70's lessons.
The only question I have.... when are the Steinmetz boys going to start marketing all those cool Astra and Corsa parts for US buyers? Their website seems to be geared totally for European buyers. Does anyone know if they ship to the US? All of their parts are available through Opel dealerships overseas. If Lutz want success and acceptance of the small, entry level Opels here in the US among you buyers, he'd be well advised to share the same Steinmetz parts/accessories platform available through Opel dealerships here, through Saturn dealerships.
I guess I should copy one of Bob Lutz's GM blogs on this and hope that he reads it.

[Aardvaark]

Anyone remember going into the parts dept of your local Buick dealership in the early 70's for a part for your Opel? It was usually like pulling teeth. The parts guys just didn't even want to deal with it. It seemed like the employees were threatened by foreign built cars, and foreign made parts, almost as if the feeling was that every Opel that was sold through a Buick dealership was one LESS Buick that was sold.

That was a shame, but just as today, not all dealerships were the same back then. I bought a brand new 1973 Manta Luxus and a brand new 1975 1900 dr (Ascona) and got great parts service for both. And when I did take them in for recalls ('73 Luxus failed back seat upholstery under warranty and '75 Ascona throttle plate loose screws recall.) both parts and work were done quickly and very well. The Manta was sent out to an upholstery shop for installation of the new maroon back seat covers. When I moved to a new location, the new dealer was fine too on parts up until early 1976? when it all
came to a screeching halt.
Sorry to hear that wasn't your experiance.

[Motor Mouth]

Recently I helped a friend of mine who was looking to buy a new car. Her wish list included the Corsa, Polo and Ford Fiesta and the first car we went to look at was the Corsa.

I have to say that although the styling is good, quality of materials is up on previous models the one thing that didn't impress me was the performance. The model range at present has only 3 engines (petrol models), these being a 1.2, 1.4 and the Trubo model...the latter being out of the question on price.

We ended up taking a 1.4 out and it was completely gutless, I remember my old Kadett Coupe couldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding and sadly this was the same!.....the car got srtuck straight off the list!

In the end up we bought a 1.6 Astra....it was amazing the difference the 200cc made, despite the extra weight.

If they do bring out a 1.6litre it should be a nice car, but for the minute you guys should only buy the TURBO.....it's bonkers.!

[Paul]

.....couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding......

That's too funny, I gotta remember that one....

[Motor Mouth]

Paul ....... only too pleased to brighten up a rather dull and Thursday evening.

[automata3.0turbo]

The only question I have.... when are the Steinmetz boys going to start marketing all those cool Astra and Corsa parts for US buyers? Their website seems to be geared totally for European buyers. Does anyone know if they ship to the US? All of their parts are available through Opel dealerships overseas. If Lutz want success and acceptance of the small, entry level Opels here in the US among you buyers, he'd be well advised to share the same Steinmetz parts/accessories platform available through Opel dealerships here, through Saturn dealerships.
I guess I should copy one of Bob Lutz's GM blogs on this and hope that he reads it.

Can't say for sure that Steinmetz will market to US buyers, but I'm almost 100% certain that there will be plenty of aftermarket upgrades available for the Astra if and when it establishes a strong foot hold with young buyers here in the US (such as myself). That also leads me to believe that there will likely be a redline model offered later down the road as well, and that will be the model to modify.