'Four-Door Corvette' on the Way From Chevrolet?
The Pontiac G8 was not only very capable family sedan, with loads of interior room and decent fuel mileage, but in GT and GXP trim it also enabled the average buyer to pick up a four-door vehicle with sportscar performance for a very affordable price. The Pontiac G8's V-8 powered editions benefited from being able to dip into the General Motors parts bin, which has recently been filled to the brim with high output engines, big brakes and snappy rear-wheel drive platforms culled from the sum total of the brand's worldwide vehicle programs.
Sadly, 2009 marked the final year of production for any Pontiac, and while there are indeed a few Pontiac G8's still lurking on clearance lots across the country, once they are gone there won't be any new models forthcoming from the shuttered brand. This leaves most car buyers in the lurch when it comes to rear-wheel drive sedans. GM still sells the Cadillac STS and Cadillac CTS-V, but their lofty sticker puts them out of the range of most families. An abundance of coupes are available, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger, but trying to stuff a baby seat in the rear of one of these muscular beasts is a frustrating experience at best.
With the Mercury Grand Marquis scheduled to soon rest its weary bones after 30 years of riding around on the same tired platform, it would seem that the only real options for fans of high horsepower, rear-drive sedans that don't cost an arm and a leg are the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. Unfortunately, these vehicles are entering their sixth year without a major update, which has many new car shoppers concerned about paying new prices on old technology.
Enter Bob Lutz and his plans for Chevrolet to pick up where Pontiac left off. GM's vice chairman has already discussed plans for the bowtie-wearing brand to produce a police-only sedan in the very near future, one that featured a rear-wheel drive chassis borrowed from the company's Australian division, Holden. This week, Lutz elaborated on the potential for a V-8 equipped version of this vehicle to eventually hit Chevrolet showrooms as a spiritual successor to the Pontiac G8, which was also based on a Holden design.
While the police pack special is being built around the Holden Caprice and will most likely be sold through fleet services as a Chevrolet Caprice, the civilian edition proposes to derive its charms from the more upscale Holden Commodore (pictured top). Lutz threw around the term 'four-door Corvette' with reporters - essentially the same posturing used to move the Cadillac CTS-V - and said that the vehicle would be sold in somewhat limited numbers so as to satisfy Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations.
A four-door Corvette would no doubt be welcomed with open arms by performance coupe fans gracefully transitioning into family life. Although any such vehicle would most likely be priced higher than the average sedan, its Chevrolet roots and parts sharing strategy dictate that it will still fall into the realm of the possible for most car shoppers. It would appear that the rear-wheel drive renaissance at General Motors isn't quite as 'over' as some had feared, with much to look forward to on Chevrolet lots in the near future.