Pontiac has been designated by GM as its performance brand and the launch of the eagerly-awaited G8 that will spearhead a revival of the American marque, but this might also be the last attempt of sportiness for the brand.
Indeed, GM said there won’t be any Trans AM derived from the Camaro and blamed the stricter CAFE regulations. Likewise Pontiac rear wheel drive models have been put on hold because of the CAFE regulations. Unless they lack expertise in making cars, how would the CAFE regulations stop making rear-wheel drive cars? As said a car dealer to Automotive News, “The plan is being tweaked because of the gas situation,” Lynn Thompson, owner of Thompson Motor Sales in Springfield, Missouri but “I hope they don’t give up on performance because they don’t have to. You can use four-cylinder engines to achieve incredible power.”
GM is using the upcoming CAFE regulations as a smokescreen to hide the fact that they might not have a clear, cohesive product strategy for Pontiac. The CAFE regulations are going to drastically change the entire auto industry, but there are available technologies that GM could use to provide ample power without sacrificing fuel efficiency. It’s hard to believe that an experienced, multi-billion dollar car corporation like GM is having so much trouble defining a brand image for one of its divisions and supplying that division with products that support that brand image.
By canceling the Trans Am, GM kills a bit more the Pontiac brand. When will it disappear?
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