They are still over-priced none the less. Plus they appeal to the older crowd going through a midlife crisis.

 

Off the top of my head, late 80s, early 90s Skyhawks were factory turbos. I'm thinking there were one or two others but might have been "sister" cars to the Skyhawk.

SAAB 9-3 is NOT priced to be a tuner car, and the Solstice/Sky are roadsters, which are - to me - a small subset of tuner cars. When you take away two seats, you're taking away over half of your market. You're now looking at confining your market primarily to the older population who have kids out of the house, people who never plan on having a family and don't need to haul other people, and people with enough income to have a 2nd car. Cars like the 350Z are the exception, not the rule. You're going to lose a LOT of people in the 18-30 age range looking for something relatively cheap that they can get a decent amount of power out of but yet have a somewhat "practical" car. I think they're shooting themselves in the foot if they don't bring out something to replace the SS/SC.

 

OK... I can agree with the expendible income and 2nd car theory... but midlife crisis???

I fit into the other segment... I would buy one if I didn't live HERE... in PA. If I was in TX, and didn't buy a Vette, I'd have a GXP or Redline in the driveway.

I'd buy a beater truck for everything else.



Anyway... back on topic...

 

Everything you guys have been talking about is what I was thinking about when I bought the SS. I wish GM would release a hard top coupe with rear wheel drive. Thats what I want. I hate convertibles. The camaro meets that requirement but its going to be heavy. I'm thinking if I stick it out with the SS for a bit something will come along in 2 or 3 years. If not then I'm shooting for a Z.

 

Well.... the big thing that should worry all of you planning on, or hoping to contiue modding the car is this....

With such a short model run ( 3 MY ), what ever is out there NOW for the car, is likely not to be joined by much else. The Geniuses @ GM haven't done much to garuntee a legacy system of adaptable parts that you can use. Heck, Subarus have parts that swap over from older cars to the newer ones.

Anyway.....

Dave, I agee... I'm not going to go with a RWD car though, unless I get lucky and find a beater... then a vette might be in the driveway. Otherwise.... I'm leaning towards an AWD sedan. I'm really not feeling the new Subys so far, but I hated the current gen when I saw it too... Now, the EVO X I love, but I'm not liking the direction they're going with it... meaning more like a AWD M3, and less like a fun, tossable rally car that you can autocross with.

Oh well.... I can't get a decent deal on a current STI or EVO, so I'm here for now. Don't get me wrong.. I enjoy the hell out of the SS, but I'm a car guy and always want something esle....lol

 

I think I might drop an exhaust on the balt and thats it. I'll keep it and make it my daily driver. Then maybe a Z or an older import that I can make really fast. I'd love to totally gut a car and start from scratch.

 

Dave and I are going to be out and about in Greensburg. If anyone else cares to join, give me a buzz.

 

Ive seen the turbo cobalt in person...and all the part numbers...and engineering drawings...the GXP is LNF iirc and the new turbo cobalt motor is LDK iirc...my buddy that works at gm gave me the whole run down before...He also showed me the dyno tuning schedule for the supercharged corvette (the blue devil)...it lives...has for a while actually LS9 ftw

Yes ive now become a chevy convert from my mopar days...I truely like gms now...cry...whats wrong with me

 

Uh oh, Dan's in Skittle withdraw.

I've been keeping your commentary on the matter in mind. I CAN see them skipping a model year in favor of more R&D time, but I'm with Dan, I really do think we will see a turbo model come out with the first redesign.

 

You've converted to Chevy, and I'm drooling over the Challenger... what's wrong with ME?!?

Actually, I always did like the old Mopars, and Dodge Cummins trucks FTMFW!!

As a side-note, I drove a supercharged Buick Regal around this weekend... boost is nice...

 

Mike... I got you beat... I drove a Supercharged MIATA over the weekend.... THAT was a friggin fun car.

 

I didnt know that about the skyhawks. My comments about the SAAB, Solstice and Sky were said in jest. What you said above is how i feel also. But GM doesnt seem to think so. Those cars, whether we like it or not, are their tuner cars.

And after seeing both the Camaro and Challenger this past weekend, i honestly dont know which one i like better. They both are teh sex.

Brian i was able to thrash a Jackson Racing Supercharged Miata a few years ago and all i can say is power-sliding, donuts and burnouts were never so easy to do. That kind of car with that kind of power is very fun.

 

Yeah, only reason I know about the Skyhawks is because I had one (NOT a turbo one). The GNX's were also turbo charged. There are more, I'm positive, but I'm drawing a blank right now.

 

Yeah... Turbo Regals / the GN/GNX , 20th Anniversary T/A , 79-81 Turbo Trans Ams ( including the 1980 pace car ).

Yenko made a Turbo Z28 back in 1980/81 as well.

Sunbird GT's were turbo'd as well. ( as you said.. the badge-engineered version of Skyhawk )

 

That's what I thought. I know factory FI isn't something new for GM. Between what Dan's seen and the success of the SS/SC, I'm pretty confident we'll see a turbo Cobalt round abouts 2009.

 

after hearing Manfred's GXP with the 3" pipe.... WOW.. that car sounded good. That car had NO muffler and sounded nice and not too loud. Nice POP when he shifted as well...lol


Oh.. and Hoosier still has my A3S05's in stock... and marked down even further.... $85 a piece.

 

I hate you.




That is all.

 

I dont think the GNX's or the GTA's are considered j-bodys tho. Thats where i got confused. I know Camaros and GTA's were not j-bodies.

 

Yeah, that's why I didn't mention them when I mentioned the Skyhawk/Sunbird which were definitely j-bodies.

BTW Brian, at some point could you shoot me the link to those Hoosiers. Chris wants some for the S4.

 

Well... I was more referring to GM's toying with FI cars in general ( at least in the latter part of the 20th century... ), but you are correct... GNX = G body Camaro = F-body.


Alicia, S4??????? Who is Chris?

They are at Hoosier's homepage... www.hoosiertire.com and then you go to the "discontinued tires" page. There's only a couple sizes available for the A3S05's left. Mine is one of them.

I'm checking my $$ when I get home and probably ordering them tonight. Koni's later in the week.

 

On a completely different note - gas prices are expected to reach 4.00 a gallon for regular this summer. San Fransisco is already at 3.65 a gallon. Just think....if cars become more fuel efficient, they wont need to fill up as often right? This in turn will raise gas prices even higher becuase in theory, cars wont be filling up as often and gas companies still need to gouge....er...uh.....make a profit...or....um....i mean....break even.

 

One of the guys from CPR, aka Jim's best friend from Philly. He's got an 05 Audi S4 w/18s. I doubt the tires will be wide enough though, but for the hell of it he asked for the link.

 

I'm SOOO tired of hearing about gas prices. Someone told my neighbor it was going up 12 cents today... meh.... it is what it is.

It's not going to curb my driving.

S4 = mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes... the sizes aren't going to fit his car well.

They are allll for me... me me me...

 

yea gas really does blow... its about $45 to fill up my car!

 

LOL, nah, he said they'll fit. He's actually buying the road racing rain tires too.