Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, Celebrities

Looks like American Chopper star Paul Teutel, Sr. has decided his 2011 Pontiac Trans Am Hurst Edition is getting boring. His reworked 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS, Smokey and the Bandit-style rebody and paint scheme was put up for auction on eBay Motors this week.

There are changes beneath that bodywork as well. For starters, the LS3 V8 is supplemented by a big centrifugal blower. Inside, a chrome Hurst shifter and gold-and-black interior further cement the theme of mustachioed 1970s badassery.

While we found the $125,000 "Buy It Now" price a bit galling, either someone else didn't and has already snapped up the faux Pontiac, or the seller has pulled the sale for one reason or another. We'll be sure to keep an eye out for a relisting, but that shouldn't stop you from stealing a few looks at Teutel's made-up musclecar in our gallery

eBay Find of the Day: Teutel Senior's Camaro-based 2011 Pontiac Trans Am Hurst Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Videos, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac, Saturn

Autoline Detroit recently played host to Bob Lutz, and, as is always the case, the former General Motors vice chairman dished out some great commentary. Lutz was promoting his new book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, and talk quickly turned to his role as it related to product development and high-level decision making at GM. While on the topic of brand management, Lutz revealed a few rather interesting tidbits about his former employer:

• All Chevrolet vehicles were required to have five-spoke aluminum wheels and a chrome band up front, as part of the Bowtie brand's overall image.
• Pontiac was required to utilize "see-through" headrests, despite the fact that they cost more to produce while offering no consumer value.
• All Buicks required a sweep spear in the exterior design language.
• Cadillac considered building a 550-horsepower supercharged Escalade.
• Saturn was working on a seven-passenger Vue.
• Many of the non-car person GM board members preferred to drive imports.
• Proportion and shape didn't matter as long as all the brand-image boxes were checked.

Lutz provides an interesting look at the type of decision making that forced GM into a position of bankruptcy. The automaker was being run solely by folks focused on techniques and ideals that don't work in the industry. We don't want to give away the entire interview, but it's worth watching all 26 minutes. Click past the jump to see for yourself.

Also, judging solely by the above screenshot, we'll cast a vote for Robert De Niro to play Lutz in the inevitable movie about this period in General Motors' history.

Continue reading Lutz dishes dirt on GM in latest Autoline Detroit

Lutz dishes dirt on GM in latest Autoline Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Buick, GM, Pontiac

Pontiac may be dead, phased out by parent company General Motors in the wake of its financial collapse, but you wouldn't know it from searching these interwebs. According to search trends tracked by BringPontiacBack.org, more people are still searching for Pontiac on Google than they are for Buick.

This, despite Pontiac's demise and Buick's increased sales and marketing. The Trans Am loyalists admit that part of the discrepancy could come down to the city of Pontiac, Michigan, which is still standing. But would that be enough to account for Pontiac's 2:1 search popularity over Buick? Or is it that Buick's demographic has yet to figure out what the internet is? One way or another, the numbers are interesting. Hat tip to Christopher!

[Source: BringPontiacBack.org]

Pontiac still a hotter Google keyword than Buick? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Chevrolet, Holden, Australia, Rumormill

A fountain of tears was shed when the Pontiac G8 sedans bit the dust along with their parent brand. The Poncho-fied Holden Commodore was one of our favorite rides - particularly in its delicious, LS3-powered GXP guise with a six-speed stick. As you know, Holden is once again ready to export Zeta-based sedans to the U.S. in the form of the new long-wheelbase Chevy Caprice police cruisers, but civilian variants are not part of the program. This brings us to the latest scuttlebutt published by Drive.com.au, which reports that a new export agreement to send standard-wheelbase Holden VE Commodores back stateside as Chevrolets may be on the horizon.

Drive quotes General Motors engineer Al Oppenheiser as confirming that negotiations are indeed underway, while a second unnamed GM source told the website that it's a done deal. A Holden spokesman told Drive that in terms of exports, the focus is presently on the Caprice PPV, but added that other deals are being pursued. There's good reason to be hopeful. GM North America President Mark Reuss was the boss at Holden in 2008 and 2009, and clearly knows just how good the product is.

The G8 won widespread praise during its brief tenure, and the lack of a legit sport sedan is a glaring hole in Chevy's otherwise comprehensive lineup. It's also important to remember that thanks to the Pontiac G8, most of the development to federalize the Aussie four-door has already been done. It would likely not take much to get the current VE Series II sedan ready for a U.S. encore. Hell, if it actually happens, maybe this time GM could even go through with the ute introduction, too. Naming the Chevy version would be a snap, after all.

Fingers crossed, everybody. Thanks to TriShield for the heads-up!



[Source: Drive.com.au]

G8 redux? Chevy comeback rumored for Holden Commodore originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac, Design/Style

We've seen companies attempt to turn the Chevrolet Camaro into a Pontiac Trans-Am, but the results are often mixed at best. Heide Performance Products, a customizing company out of Madison Heights, MI, is looking to change that. Is it successful? Well, let's just say we're looking forward to seeing HPP's pointy-nosed '69 Trans Am knock-off with our own eyes at SEMA next week.

The company has detailed the build process on its Facebook page, and there's also a second Camaro with T-Tops the company is bringing to SEMA. Finally, we have modern versions of the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird based off the current Challenger. See for yourself in our high-res photo gallery below.



[Source: Heide Performance Products]

HPP teases Firebird, Camaro customs for SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Specialty, Design/Style

Good news, Poncho fans: the Classic Design Concepts Firebreather is officially on sale. If you were one of the many souls whose minds immediately leapt to thoughts of a resurrected Firebird when GM first introduced the Chevrolet Camaro Concept way back in 2006, you're probably a bit bitter about the fact GM kicked Pontiac to the curb before that dream every came to life. Fortunately, Classic Design Concepts stepped in to fill the void in a big way. The Firebreather takes some of the more iconic elements of the Firebird's history and melds them with the already muscular lines of Chevrolet's pony bruiser.

In addition to the creative body work, the car packs a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that manages to dump 599 horsepower onto the rear tires and the Classic Design Concepts team also took the time to work over the interior with a few Firebird-like design elements. If you absolutely need one to scratch that insatiable Pontiac itch, get out your check book: The company is asking a big ol' $60,000 for the privilege. We'll tell you whether its worth it when drive the Firebreather next week.



[Source: Firebreather Car]

FireBreather now available from Classic Design Concepts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Minivan/Van, Sedan, SUV, Truck, Etc., Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GM, GMC, Mazda, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saab

Was your heart crushed when vehicles like the Mercury Sable, Pontiac Grand Prix or Dodge Durango got the axe? Well, fear not - these hot little numbers (and many more!) are still available from dealerships all across the country.

Automobile magazine has detailed a list of eight cars that are still on sale - brand new - even though they aren't 2010 models. And while these vehicles don't necessarily represent the sexiest cars currently sitting on dealer lots, it's probably safe to assume that they're all being offered with substantial incentive packages, not to mention full warranties (we hope).

Click through the gallery below to see high-res shots of all eight rides, and head over to Automobile to read the full details.



[Source: Automobile]

Eight vehicles you can still buy new... seriously originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jamie Hresko
GM Vice President, Quality

I’ve been watching how people are reacting to our voluntary recall of the 1.3 million compact cars that we announced late Monday, and I think it is important to clarify and expand on a few things. First and foremost, owners and customers of Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G4, G5 and Pursuit models need to understand that even if their power steering assist suddenly stops working, their vehicles can be steered manually.

The steering effort required could be greater below 15 miles per hour, but steering control is always possible.  On Monday, I drove a Cobalt in which we reproduced this condition to understand what customers may experience. Usually, this condition presents itself when the cars have been driven 20,000-30,000 miles.

While we have the same electronic power steering system in the Chevrolet HHR and Saturn ION, these vehicles are not included in the recall because every vehicle has unique tuning, tires and chassis, which causes some vehicles to be more susceptible to this condition than others.

We are working with our steering system supplier on repair scenarios, which could include repairing or replacing the steering motor. We will share more information, including when customers can expect notification, as soon as we have all the details worked out.

We decided to do the safety recall to help customers have peace of mind that we are stepping up to this issue.

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac

Communications professionals know that the best time to release bad news about a company is at 5:15 pm on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend. By the time everyone comes back to work the following week, so much other stuff has happened that the story often gets lost in the shuffle. In the auto industry, another good time would be late in the evening just hours before a major overseas auto show while at the same time your biggest competitor is mired in a crisis of its own.

As many of the world's automotive journalists were converging in Switzerland for the Geneva Motor Show late Monday night, General Motors announced it would recall 1.3 million Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s built between 2005 and 2010. GM will replace the motors on their electric power assisted steering (EPAS). Over time the motors can reportedly fail and lead to a loss of steering assist.

When the EPAS fails, the result is similar to a belt breaking on a hydraulic power steering pump. The car is still drivable and controllable, but the steering effort at low speeds rises significantly, making it difficult to maneuver at parking lot speeds. At higher speeds, relatively little steering assist is needed and drivers should be able to make it safely to the side of the road if the warning lamp comes on.



[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM recalls 1.3 million Cobalts, G5s for power steering problem

GM recalls 1.3 million Cobalts, G5s for power steering problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

Autoblog tipster Mark has sent in these images of what appears to be some sort of Chevrolet Camaro body restyling kit that turns the Bowtie musclecar a latter-day Pontiac Firebird tribute. As posted on GMInsideNews forums, there is speculation that the mule could actually be a Camaro Z28, what with its big hood bulge and all, but the styling doesn't seem right to us, nor does the prototype's camouflage pattern. We suspect it's more likely an aftermarket affair, something along the lines of the Kevin Morgan Designs 'Phoenix' project, the ASC redux, or the Lingenfelter 455 T/A concept.

The prototype was spotted in suburban Detroit area when its car cover partially blew off while parked, giving Mark the opportunity to capture his quarry. Unfortunately, the cover apparently never came all the way off, so we're left wondering what's been done to the back end. Judging by what we can see of the cover's outline, it doesn't appear to have been left alone, so our curiosity remains piqued. Thanks for the photos, Mark!



[Source: GMInsideNews]

Reader Spy: Are you a new tuner Pontiac Firebird homage, the Chevy Camaro Z28, or something else? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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