Three Marvelous Missed Opportunities From GM

"Blake Noble" (blake-noble) 12/03/2014 at 19:35 • Filed to: Marvelous Missed Opportunities, General Motors

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While !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , there have been plenty of other botched products in its checkered history. Some of them could’ve been truly special — even revolutionary — had GM done a better job of doing its job. Let’s take a look at three of them.

Welcome to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , a maybe-sort-of-regular series on Oppositelock where I profile brilliant ideas, cars and technology that could’ve changed the automotive landscape we know today if the automakers responsible for them had properly executed them.

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3.) Hummer

Let’s be clear on this: Hummer didn’t make this list !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to dash through the snow to grandma’s house this Christmas. Instead, Hummer makes this list because GM squandered its only chance to seriously rival Jeep, and in record time.

In 1999, General Motors acquired the rights to the Hummer brand from defense contractor AM General. Then one year later, GM yanked the covers off of the very yellow and very huge Hummer H2 concept at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show. The production H2, still very yellow and very huge, followed in 2002 for the 2003 model year.

Building the Schwarzeneggerian H2 was where GM colossally screwed up with the Hummer brand. After its introduction, it didn’t take long for it to draw ire from critics who had grown weary of America’s appetite for SUVs. And rightly so: the H2 was a comically hopeless tyrannosaurus that was horrifying to use on paved roads and too large for off-roading enthusiasts to really take advantage of its prowess out on the beaten path. A $50,000 base sticker price and fuel economy estimates in the single digits to very low teens didn’t help either.

By the time GM introduced the smaller-ish and sensible-ish H3 in 2005 it was too late and the damage had been done. Just six years after acquiring the rights to the Hummer name, the H2's bad rap had permanently tainted the brand’s image. When GM shuttered the brand in 2010 one year after filing for its government-backed bankruptcy, no one shed a tear.

If GM had skipped over building the H2 and started out building leaner, meaner Hummers like the HX concept (pictured above, sans doors) it introduced in 2008, perhaps the brand could’ve survived somehow and went on to lock horns with Jeep today.

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2.) Quadrasteer Technology

When GM introduced its four-wheel steering system for pickup trucks in 2002 on the first GMC Sierra Denali, it was supposed to revolutionize the way Americans drove full-sized pickup trucks. Except it didn’t.

Dubbed Quadrasteer, the system was based around a hardy Dana 60 rear axle and was electronically operated. The end result allowed for a pickup truck the size of most living rooms to maneuver into tight parking spaces as neatly as a Honda Accord. It also allowed for greater stability and handling while navigating tight winding roads, and made !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

While GM wasn’t the first company to use four-wheel steer on its vehicles, it was the first to use the technology on a truck. And it really was a brilliant idea. (For the record, my father owns a Quadrasteer Sierra Denali and it’s bloody amazing to drive with Quadrasteer engaged.) So then why don’t more trucks feature it today?

Well, GM made two huge mistakes with Quadrasteer. The first mistake was its poor marketing campaign. Those two ads I linked to earlier? That pretty much sums up the entire ad campaign. Sure, Quadrasteer makes pulling a trailer, a camper or a boat a breeze, but it was good for so much more than that. Eventually, GM stopped advertising Quadrasteer all together.

The company made its second big mistake with the price it charged buyers for a Qudrasteer truck. Although the technology was initially limited to the ‘02 Sierra Denali and its $45,000 base price, it went downmarket for 2003 and was available on most GMC Sierras/Chevrolet Silverados and Chevrolet Suburbans/GMC Yukon XLs for the low price of $5,600. Customers who weren’t even aware of Qudrasteer, let alone what it could do, weren’t about to fork over that kind of money for something they considered to be unproven. Customers who were aware of it weren’t about to fork over that kind of money because they didn’t own a trailer.

For 2004, GM sliced the price to $4,495. Sales only managed to twitch before falling flat again. Then they cut the price again to a paltry $1,995 for 2005. Sales picked up for something like three hours, then someone sneezed.

GM’s sloppy marketing and initial high cost doomed Quadrasteer. In 2006, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that would’ve cost even less and looked far more conventional.

What a pity. Although Ford and Ram are now leading the way in full-sized truck technology, GM had a big head start with Quadrasteer. When their own stupidity ultimately forced them to back away, they chose to stay conservative with their trucks and have ever since, and that just might come back to haunt them. Which is even more disappointing when you realize GM is the automaker that more or less gave us the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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1.) Zeta Platform

While Hummer and Quadrasteer technology both represent two huge missed opportunities from General Motors, perhaps its biggest missed opportunity was and still continues to be its Global RWD Architecture, also known as the Zeta platform.

The world got its first glimpse of the Zeta platform when GM Australia rolled out the fourth-generation Holden VE Commodore for 2006. But even before the VE Commodore went on sale, internet forum boards, car blogs, websites and buff mags were !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! beyond the Land Down Under. That list included: a new Camaro and a new rear-drive Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Impala; a new rear-drive Buick or two; a new rear-drive Pontiac sedan and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Even Cadillac was supposed to get a flagship car based on Zeta.

Then in 2005, word got around that GM had pulled the plug on the Zeta program. Indeed it had done just that, instead choosing to use the money for Zeta to speed up development of the sixth-generation Chevrolet/GMC trucks and SUVs. However, two cars eventually managed to squeak through in the end: the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac sedan we now know as the G8, which was a rebadged version of the lovely VE Commodore. But the story doesn’t end here.

Now GM didn’t need much to promote the new Zeta Camaro. It had been hyped to hell and back since it was unveiled as a concept car at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. But it showed little interest in attracting buyers to the Commodore-cum-Pontiac G8. The only decent ad GM released for the G8 was a sort of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and it was ruined by a tagline written by a simpleton: “Pontiac is car.”

Then there was the G8 ST debacle. The G8 ST, which would’ve finally brought the VE Commodore-based Holden Ute to US shores and carried on the legacy of the Chevrolet ElCamino, was revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show and was slated for a 2010 model year release. In January 2009, GM pulled the plug on the ST as it scrambled to rearrange the deck chairs on its quickly sinking ship. The G8 itself soon followed the ST into oblivion when GM shut down the Pontiac brand, leaving the Camaro as the only Zeta-based car to be sold in America.

The story still isn’t over. Although there was support within GM from folks like Bob Lutz and Mark Reuss to reintroduce the Commodore/G8 as a new Chevrolet Caprice, that plan was met with resistance, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Henderson would eventually cave and allow the long-wheelbase version of the Commodore to enter the US as the Caprice PPV, limiting its sales to law enforcement.

It would take the Holden Commodore five years to come back to the United States as the Chevrolet SS, once again facing the some of same issues that put it in a stranglehold as the Pontiac G8. This time, though, it’s been labeled with an expiration date right out of the box. When Commodore production in Australia ceases in 2017, the Chevy SS will go with it.

Zeta could’ve been a real winner for GM, had they managed to follow through on their initial plans or at least just marketed the cars it chose to bring here (the Camaro notwithstanding). Around the time Zeta was being planned for North American consumption, buyers were going gaga for retro-ish rear-drive American cars (i.e. Dodge/Chrysler). And for those of you who want to pull the whole “Australian-to-US dollar” card, consider this for a second: it’s said that GM’s assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada has had the capability to produce any Zeta car in production since it started building the current Camaro.

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You can follow the author of this article on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 19:42

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The truck thing bums me out. See name!

inb4 GM is eval

Blake Noble > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 12/03/2014 at 19:49

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Me too. I really wish GM would bring back Quadrasteer. I mean, the technology was so good, apparently even Nissan considered using it on the Titan and Armada. And I don't have to tell you Nissan knows a hell of a lot about four-wheel steering.

maxburto > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 19:50

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Everything wrong with pre-recession GM, Ford, and Chrysler could be summed up with ... instead choosing to use the money to aid in the development of trucks and SUVs

Blake Noble > maxburto 12/03/2014 at 19:52

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Ha! More or less, I suppose.

Alex from Toronto > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 19:56

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Since Hummer failed I think GMC could become the true Jeep fighter, Since GMC doesn't do much other then Trucks and Suv's.

Blake Noble > Alex from Toronto 12/03/2014 at 20:02

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Maybe. But the cachet of the GMC brand is worlds apart from Hummer and Jeep. Would Jeep buyers even cross shop GMC for a decent off-roader?

Alex from Toronto > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 20:15

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I think they might cross shop. Let's say GMC comes out with a realistic concept and build it like what Toyota did with Fj cruiser in 2006, GMC might have a chance dipping into jeeps market.

Blake Noble > Alex from Toronto 12/03/2014 at 20:26

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True, but the FJ Cruiser was also cashing in on the legacy of the old FJ40 Land Cruiser. Which was very CJ Jeep-like.

AthomSfere > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 20:39

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Actually, I'd add the H3 was a disaster in its own right.

I mean, wasn't the whole marketing scheme "It looks like a Hummer, but is useless"

Not that it wasn't capable, but people that liked the H1 and H2 thought these were poser cars, and everyone else thought they were H2s or H1s.

shop-teacher > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 20:45

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I can't tell you how badly I wish they'd bring back quadrasteer. That's the only thing I can think of, that would make me replace my '06 Sierra crew cab, sometime before 200,000 miles.

Redd, the RX-7 that could > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 21:13

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I remember when it came out, then when I stopped hearing about it, I just assumed it was because the technology was a gimmick and not really necessary or beneficial.

Blake Noble > shop-teacher 12/03/2014 at 21:29

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If GM were smart, they'd bring it back for the next-gen full-sized trucks and SUVs. However, it wouldn't shock me if another automaker beats them to it.

Blake Noble > Redd, the RX-7 that could 12/03/2014 at 22:06

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Blame GM's crappy marketing for that.

Blake Noble > AthomSfere 12/03/2014 at 22:24

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I'm going to regret admitting this, but I own a five-speed H3. With that said, I mostly agree with you.

The marketing scheme really wasn't so much "it looks like a Hummer, but is useless." GM tried to promote the fact the H3 was nearly as capable as the H1 and H2:

But the whole ad campaign also felt like a quiet and sort of half-assed apology for the H2. It only got worse with ads like this:

Then GM made the mistake of going after soccer moms. Call it a hunch, but I think this is why the H3 has a such a poor reputation with (insecure) H2 owners:

The H3 wasn't and isn't a good vehicle. I'll be the first to admit that. It's build quality is hopeless. It's road manners are boorish. It's as slow as the second Bush administration. But it is very good off-road and isn't any worse on fuel than any of the XJ Cherokees I've owned. In fact, the reason why I bought it is because it reminded me so much of the XJs I've had. You can also score one for far less than a JK Wrangler Unlimited and you aren't missing much other than a removable roof and doors.

Anyway, I'll be getting rid of it as soon as I find something else that piques my interest. Especially since we're going into the heart of wintertime and GM dealers can't seem to get their hands on enough of them.

shop-teacher > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 22:38

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Agreed 100%

If they put quadrasteer in the next gen pickups, I'll be first in line (for the second model year).

dogisbadob > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 23:08

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I hope this gets reposted to the troll page!

I remember reading in Car and Driver, back when magazines were a thing, that pricing Q-steer at $2000 was below cost.

I would;ve loved to see it in their large sedans and possibly sports cars like the Corvette

morse > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 23:23

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Who comes up with this crap...there's a reason they are absent.

Blake Noble > morse 12/03/2014 at 23:26

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I came up with this crap. Explains a lot, amiright?

Blake Noble > dogisbadob 12/03/2014 at 23:31

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You know, that's another mistake GM made with Quadrasteer: they limited it to just their 1500/2500 series trucks and Suburban/Yukon XL. Why didn't they offer it on the Tahoe? Or the Avalanche? Or the Cadillac Escalade and all of its different flavors? Or the Hummer H2? God only knows it needed it.

And they could've adopted most of the tech for passenger car use, too.

AthomSfere > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 23:47

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Oh geez, the commercials were worse than remembered!

So what modern SUV is the SUV to get anyway? I sort of like the FJ, although it leaves a ton to be desired too.

BikeandGolf > Blake Noble 12/03/2014 at 23:49

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Sorry, but quadra steer was NOT as great as you profess ...

First let's start with how the technology was used - the axle was ok, but the width of the axle was kept and the steering mechanism and other bits were added on to make the rear about 8 inches wider than a stock pickup truck. All of the trucks with this option had a "awkward" appearance of being not quite as wide as a duelie but certainly wider than the normal single wheel standard rear axle. So to compensate, GM made a wider "fender" addition to the truck bed (complete with side clearance lights) ... which to be honest, looks pretty stupid! In addition, if you follow this truck down the road, it really looks like it struggles to keep straight as it moves down the street.

Second, only available with the three-quarter ton truck or chassis ...

Finally, the cost was really out of whack - I suspect that anyone who bought one was either into the concept, or offered a great deal to take one.

In summary, it worked ok, but was a solution in search of a problem - even the Honda 4WS Preludes and Subaru's with 4WS were interesting, but not compelling ...

So, that's what you have as 1/3 of the winners that GM missed?

What about - turbo engines? Diesel half-ton trucks? Meaningful styling? Aluminum body construction? Always dealing from behind ... GM is ...

Blake Noble > AthomSfere 12/03/2014 at 23:58

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Yeah, they're bad and they should feel bad.

That's a good question. I mean, they're all too beastly for their own good on dry pavement, and it's true that's where they spend most of their time. But ultimately, I guess my nod goes to the post-bailout, Pentastar-powered JK Wrangler. I just wish Chrysler-Fiat didn't charge a frigging war price for one.

bryanbeachboy1970 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 00:03

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I gotta agree with you about Zeta: it was a wasted opportunity! Great car (awesome even), far better than any other car in the GM stable, coulda even given us a new El Camino! But no, twas not to be. At least , except for the Camaro and the current Chevy SS.

Ford made the same mistake when it chose Taurus over the Aussie Ford Falcon.>

Maybe its because I prefer RWD, or maybe its because I loves me some Charger, but I have trouble taking the Ford and Chevy FWD cars seriously. They compete for the Accord and Camry money, instead of being different (and therefore more interesting), like the Charger/300 siblings.

my $.02 worth anyway.

Tatanko > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 00:04

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I remember Quadrasteer going kaput about the same time as the Envoy XUV. That thing was neat, but Quadrasteer was a way better idea in reality than a sliding roof.

Blake Noble > Tatanko 12/04/2014 at 00:22

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Yeah, I didn't get the thinking behind the Envoy XUV. The XUV was sort of neat I guess, sure, but what was the point?

catjudo > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 03:34

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I'm going to disagree with the Zeta argument simply because GM screwed the pooch years before when they decided to throw all of their eggs in the front wheel drive basket. It may have made sense for their small cars to have the efficient packaging of an original Mini or an early Accord, but they largely abandoned any real performance just when the engines started to make enough power to make it viable again. Worse, as the engines in the front drivers got ever more powerful, the handling suffered as the cars tried to cope with steering input and lead feet at the same time on an already front heavy chassis. It certainly didn't help that the interiors continued GM's tradition of awful design and dreadful materials assembled with such shoddy build quality as to make a Trabant or a Lada look relatively decent. The proof is out there; I still see the boxy Monte Carlos, Cutlass Supremes and Regals from time to time, but I haven't seen the GM10 versions from '89 onward in a very long time.

William Byrd > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 06:31

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Good article. I'm a performance guy, so I normally focus on grieving over what I call GM's "Trifecta of Australian Failure", the GTO, G8 and SS (sorry, calling that one early). But I was next to a Hummer of some variation the other day and had the same thought that this could have been their Jeep.

I have 3 kids, and one of my favorite recently owned vehicles was a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited. Great truck, but with kid 3, it would have been too crowded in the back seat. Jeep doesn't currently offer a 3-row I don't think, so we traded it for a few year old Suburban. Great at what it did, but not nearly as much fun.

So my point is that even the H3 (if it came in 3-row) could have been the cool alternative to the JWU, but it just wasn't. Not sure why, you point out some good possibilities above, and below in the comments. Oh well, missed opportunities indeed.

THE ANTI CUB > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 08:13

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LOL Aw poor GM missed out on Hummer. Who fucking cares? The whole Hummer division was nothing but a big running joke and the last thing this country needed. We can all thank a roid wuss for ever getting the most annoying trend since disco started in this country.

Sweet Trav > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 08:26

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Quadrasteer was absolutely nothing but problems, my uncle bought a Silverado 2500 brand new and had it to the shop more times than he could count.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 08:47

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No, they wouldn't. Simply because as soon as the GMC badge goes on a vehicle, the sticker price jumps like $10k for no reason. It's amazing GMC is still around, but for some reason people buy them.

Nibbles > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:31

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God yes

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:42

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Agree with just about everything you said, except the H2. It was smart for them to have made the H2 hippies be damned, although I would have preferred the H2 to have been more excursion-esque than it was. Still a massively squandered opportunity.

2 Wheels awesome! > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:54

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THIS looks like pure sex.

CarMudgeon > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:58

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I'd argue that no car company has been able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so often as GM.

AspenRS > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:58

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I always wanted an H3 5-speed pickup. (No idea why, just always have.) I'm aware they're probably terrible but dammit I don't care.

fxbdfh > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 09:59

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———————————> http://www.jobs700.com

Maxzillian > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:01

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As good an idea as it was, people just didn't buy it. Why? Because even at a low low price of $2000, people didn't find it appealing enough that the truck could turn tighter. Maybe it's just the area I live in, but it's really not that hard to navigate a full size truck.

Ultimately it was a convenience feature and one that was largely invisible to the owner of the vehicle. I honestly can't say I'd drop down $2000 for a feature that'd save me from three-point-turning a parking space once a month.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 10:02

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I love the H3, you just can't see shit out of them. I enjoyed driving it even with the 5 cylinder.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:05

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Hummer: the execs thought that the future looked exactly like the past. Lincoln was making $15k PROFIT!!!!! on every Navigator and GM couldn't help but think more bigger more money. The idea of something smaller and lighter and more cultist (Wrangler.) was the antithesis of what Hummer was supposed to do. Not swanky enough to me a luxury SUV. Not capable enough to be a true off-roader. It was for accountants who wanted to intimidate people out of the left lane.

Quadrasteer: Should have been standard and then you had to no-cost option out of for people who really think they need fixed rear axles. Ford didn't make the third suicide door an option. If you got the extended cab, you had to own it. Now you can't buy a truck without one.

Zeta: Wow. They 'Dodge'd a bullet with that one. American's only want safe front wheel and all wheel drive. That rear-drive crap is extinct like the dinosaurs. Good thing they listened to the focus groups and bean counters.

Dest > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:06

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I don't understand how something that's over a THOUSAND pounds more than an XJ can remind you of one.

ThatbastardKurtis > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 10:09

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If GM/Hummer had built the HX, I would have rocked the shit out of it. In black. That is what they needed to go up against Jeep.

CommonSenseIsn'tCommon > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:09

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Personally, I think the greatest missed opportunity of GM was the Fiero.

The concept was excellent - a mid-engined RWD sports car. The execution... not so much. A wheezy Buick V6? Really?! A small OHC V-8 or even a *good* V-6 would've done that car justice.

ColonelKurtz > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:10

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GM=General Morons.

So much stupid there it's scary.

CheapIsTheWord > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:11

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GM really needs to dust off the H4 and give it to GMC.

nope > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:11

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A few years ago my wife and I took her brother's Sierra Denali to the mall while they worked on her car at his shop. I was dreading parking it because it was the Christmas shopping season and I was quite familiar what a PITA it was to park my work truck in such a lot...a 01 Silverado Crew Cab 1500. Well we got there and I whipped that Sierra into the spot like it was my E36. At that moment I said to my wife, who obviously didn't care, "Damn, that was easy! This must have 4 wheel steering!" Shame it didn't stick around, but I could see how maintenance and repairs could be procey for it.

theart > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:12

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Every time I've driven a Tahoe, I've been shocked at how maneuverable they are. The curb to curb turning circle is almost exactly the same as the Impala. There's really no need to add the expense and complication of four wheeled steering to either of them.

Tatanko > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:12

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It was like an Avalanche but with "more" of a roof I guess? Haha.

Gabriel > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:14

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If they had come up with something like, it would have been a HUGE success. Just look how the Toyota FJ Cruiser have done.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:14

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The HX was such a promising concept... A vehicle that was to redefine Hummer. I can't, for the life of me, understand why its core engineering/values weren't shuffled to GMC after the bankruptcy.

Mark P > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:14

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Well here's one of the biggest bungling stupid things GM did. Remember the most popular names before GM decided to go with numbering or updating. Those hot selling names like Cutlass, LeSabre, Grand Am, Fleetwood, Eldorado, Blazer, etc. When you have hot sellers, you don't get rid of them. Lincoln is dealing with that right now and they're selling horribly.

GM also had some of the greatest turbo cars that had power and actual longevity, which is rare. They're nowhere to be found now.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:17

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Re: the H2.

1) Why should ANYONE care what others in a society think of their freedom to purchase anything they want? If I wanted an H2, I'd buy an H2. 2) I wouldn't exactly call the H2 a fail. GM made TRUCKLOADS of money on that model.

Jeeper1 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:17

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I can't rave enough about how much I love my Pentastar JKU. It's reasonably quick. It's tremendously capable. My kids love the top down, doors off ride. And, a golf bag fits in the back. What's not to like.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:20

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GM couldn't market water to a nomad (even today). Sadly, that's been the death knell of much of the company. BTW, I thought Nissan picked up this technology for the Titan at one point.

gla2yyz > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:20

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I've driven pretty much every vehicle GM has sold in North America in the last ten years and the G8 GT was one of the very best (behind the CTS-V and the C7 Stingray). If I could have one that wasn't five years old and overpriced (current G8 GT owners know what they have) I'd be driving it now. I put it ahead of the Camaro owing purely to good visibility and functionality.

IDM3 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:21

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GM wasn't the only one to use the Quadrasteer technology. Honda used a similar setup on its last-generation Prelude. They didn't promote it, either.

Also, they can still build the Ute, as well as the SS/Commodore and Caprice. Just send the manufacturing process to a shuttered or underused facility in North America, then build them as low-volume vehicles ( and ship some back to Australia and New Zealand).

alan > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:21

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The El Camino zeta would have outsold the SS and SSR combined had they offered here. i have no idea why GM did not reach into their heritage for that

Dslay04 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:22

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Can we get the "Like a Rock" theme back for the Silverado??!?!?!

tobythesandwich > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:22

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Yeah. Quadra steer was a disaster in terms of reliability. It had nothing to do with cost or marketing. And it didn't really do a whole lot. Except give you the fun chance to replace tie rod ends continuously on the rear of the truck. So if you really like doing toe adjustments on your truck, the Quadrasteer was perfect for you.

And the Zeta Platform. GM didn't miss anything there. It was meant heavily for everywhere else except America. And they got their moneys worth. They sold a ton of Camaros, and a modest amount of G8's and SS' here in the US. Not to mention all the commodores, Caprices, etc they sell of them overseas. There was no missed opportunity here. Not at all.

EdWunclerJr > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:23

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Quadrasteer must work, damn near every duraburb I see has one. That being said lets talk about duraburbs. G.M. we all want a Duramax powered suburban, I shouldn't have to go to an outside vendor to get one. The fact that there's an underground market for these means G.M. dropped the ball on this also.

AdmiralAkbar > CommonSenseIsn'tCommon 12/04/2014 at 10:23

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Or a Japanese I4. Amiright?

caddyshack > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:29

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These are all prefect examples of a company with a highly talented engineering and design divisions, yet plagued with top heavy out of touch management, paired with terrible marketing. GM as had so many firsts in the Automotive industry, but they never marketed there ideas or executed them very well.

Its really a shame.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:30

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Zeta is a great story, depending on who you choose to believe. One big issue with Ohsawa was the lack of a supplier base for the program. GM simply didn't have the cash to execute the program and groom a supplier base. As we all probably know, the awesome Holden Coupe 60 concept previewed the next GTO. The G8 was, of course, marketed terribly yet STILL SOLD WELL (just like the Monaro-GTO, which was a financial success) considering fuel prices, the economy and pretty much all of its demographic knowing that GM was very close to giving up on Pontiac (sadly). The Ute has been a no-brainer for YEARS. And I have a feeling some inside GM feel the same way since Chevy actually mentioned its return on Social Media a couple years back. Styling from the "beautiful" Zeta Chevy was supposedly adapted to Super Epsilon and is the Impala we currently have (you can't deny the new Impala's appeal). Speaking of Super Eps, it pretty much exists BECAUSE NA Zeta died. Not sure how much the XTS resembles the Zeta Caddy. But hopefully the new 'Omega' Caddies will carry that torch.

sumfoo1 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:30

0

Also i hesitate to trust an axle with CV joints in it to carry the majority of the torque in a towing situation for long periods of time.

Bob > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:31

6

I'm so lucky to have snagged mine while I did. Never letting go now!

BorkBorkBjork > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:32

0

Speaking of Hummer, advertising, and missed opportunities, does anyone remember ever hearing from GM about how well Team Hummer was doing in Baja? Even the H2 was dominating its class during the 1000. It would have been smart for GM to mention that to public...

And the H3 was doing pretty well too:

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:32

0

GMT355 was very capable off-road. Even the previous Colorado and Canyon did well.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:33

0

I think so... If done right.

todaytomorrowSD > maxburto 12/04/2014 at 10:35

1

Not necessarily... Those trucks/SUVs fueled RECORD profits until fuel prices shot up (And the media started railing against Detroit).

55_mercury > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 10:36

1

The volt should have been no. 1. A truly massive engineering undertaking and the end result was and is one of the best EVs on the market. GM did an awful job of explaining how the car worked. 4 years later I still have to explain to people that it has a 40 mile EVEN range and also a 4 banger engine that kicks in after the battery drains. The public simply has no clue about the volt and all due to poor marketing. Meanwhile Toyota is selling the shit out of their plug in Prius with its pitiful 10 mile EV range.

todaytomorrowSD > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:37

1

Speaking of GM missing opportunities, I'd add the GMC Denali XT (Zeta?) and Granite (and its truck counterpart) to that list.

observationisstillkey > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:37

0

Why must you keep opening old wounds!? I bought the damn GTO. I bought the damn G8. All I really wanted was this:

They brought it over here, they marketed it, they showed it off like a prize pony. They teased me for months about finally being able to carry around tubs of mullet relaxer in the back while going about my daily commute. Then they pull the rug from right out under my feet and I'm still going to weekly support groups over this loss.

The Little Engine That Couldnt > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:38

2

The Alpha platform negates the missed opportunity with Zeta. If GM wants to make affordable RWD sedans under the Chevy brand they still can, and they have scalability. Zeta was massive with no other size options. Alpha ranges from small-medium to pretty big.

mad.anthony > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:41

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I always thought it was a shame that the best Hummer came out right before they killed the brand - the SUT. A smaller than full size 4 door pickup with a decent size bed.

Kornatoski > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:43

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with apologies to those below ... probably the only folks that cared about Quadrasteer were those that replied here...GM is a corporation and they don't care about the individual consumer...their major concern is the bottom line .... "will it net me a profit"... a corollary to this is "AWS" (All Wheel Steering) offered in the Honda Preludes ... seemed like a great-idea at the time...it's gone also probably due to high cost and low demand ...

JB1 > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:44

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Just imagine if Hummer had some kind of smaller black opps style vehicle. Similar to the concept above. The opportunity for the brand was large. Unfortunately, everything was just too big. By the time the H3 came out, it was too little too late.

In addition to GM blunders. What about saturn? The astra was finally available, but it needed a better engine. The aura was a great family sedan, the sky/sky redline were great as well. I felt that brand had a serious chance towards the end.

Papa Van Twee > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:46

0

I just saw one of these in a parking lot yesterday. I thought it was cool, and probably custom. Didn't even know they made these. Amazing.

FromCanadaWithLove > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:48

3

I really hope Regular Car Reviews reviews the Hummer H2 sometime.

dieseljester > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:50

0

Just because there is a great opportunity to have a Wrangler competing vehicle now doesn't mean they made the wrong choice 10 years ago. GM sold TONS of Hummer H2s. Those things couldn't have been more popular in their prime. They made the perfect choice.

Personal experience with Quadrasteer is that it's functionally great at steering, but very poor at staying aligned for straight driving. The highway MPG was terrible because the truck crabs sideways when the rear wheels didn't properly realign. My truck was back at the dealership for an alignment more than 3 times with the same response; nothing we can do about it.

Zeta platform - couldn't agree more. The new Impala would be a killer if it were RWD. If the SS looked as good it would be hard to beat.

CobraJoe > dogisbadob 12/04/2014 at 10:51

1

There was an old Hot Rod that I read where they showed off some of the GM test mules. One was the "Push me Pull me" citation that had two 200hp V6s and two transmissions, and another was an 80's Camaro that had 4 wheel steering.

If I remember right, they stuck a stroked 350 in it to get some speed, an electric rear steering rack on it, some controlling computer that would steer counter at low speeds and same direction at high speeds, and a little knob on the console to adjust the total amount of steering by the rear. Supposedly, it made it very maneuverable at low speeds and more stable at high speeds.

I wonder why it hasn't caught on with the supercar crowd yet?

Papa Van Twee > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:52

0

I thought this would make the list as well. They stepped outside of the box with a lackluster product, then once they finally removed their head from their tuchus and built it with a competent engine and suspension, they killed it. Would have loved to see a second generation on this one.

Admiral Picard > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:54

0

This is really simple. Chevy fails because, Chevy.

CobraJoe > CommonSenseIsn'tCommon 12/04/2014 at 10:57

2

Even the buzzy little V6 would be great if it lost a bit of weight and had a tighter suspension.

txgenius > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 10:59

0

would be just one more thing to go wrong on a gm vehicle

Ruprecht the monkey boy > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:01

0

If that back roof comes off, I would have bought one of these over my JK in a heartbeat.

the7thearlofgrey > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:04

0

and this co developed with Corvette

Leo > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:09

0

Totally agree with all of the above. I have a feeling they will bring it back one day once it is possible to produce these awesome looking prototypes for the price of a jeep.

maxburto > todaytomorrowSD 12/04/2014 at 11:13

3

They fueled massive profits for the manufacturers, but those profits were inherently unsustainable. Unsustainable because by focusing all of their money on trucks and SUVs they let their passenger cars wither on the vine and were caught empty handed when the recession came and many people switched to the more fuel efficient Japanese and South Korean makes.

burntartichoke > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:15

1

OMG I remember seeing the Quadrasteer commercials when they came out! I wish more tow vehicles had this as it makes backing a trailer almost a joke!

adamftw > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:23

0

I would imagine a 5.3 V8 H3 Alpha with the off-road package (4:1 low range, f/r selectable lockers, 33" tires) would be quite the beast off road. The I5 though... yea, probably bad. Never driven one.

Izaerian > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:24

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For anyone that hasn't actually driven a G8 GT or more importantly the GXP, find a way. I drove a couple before I ended up with my GTO, and while I do love the Goat, to this day I regret not getting the G8. If it was a 6spd one I would have. Slightly better performance, and room to scare the shit out of my friends. Plus to me it just looks right. Good mix of subtlety and brawn, and it was the beginning of GM's turnaround on interiors. Sucks even more that I have to stare at one at the car lot across from me all day. Still though the GTO is nice since I have seen only 1 other in Cosmos Purple, and that was 3 hours from home.

RaptorConner > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 11:31

1

The modern 4Runner has alot of the same off road bits as the outgoing XJ. Its one of the last off road ready SUVs

Bring Back Pontiac > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:32

0

This was a cool concept. Remember seeing it at the Chicago Auto Show.

Octavian > Tatanko 12/04/2014 at 11:36

0

Too bad the Envoy looks like Niki Minaj

BorkBorkBjork > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:36

0

Oh and lets not forget their biggest missed opportunity of all, the 4.5L Duramax:

Designed to fit anywhere a small block V8 would, the 4.5L Duramax would have given a much needed boost to GM 1/2 ton trucks and SUVs. I would personally kill for Diesel Tahoe...

mallthus > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:37

1

My opinion of what doomed Quadrasteer:

Let's offer a technology that transforms both towing and the whole way a large truck drives!

Great. How about we put it on the smallest full size trucks we have?

ricspics > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:39

0

I used to think GM missed the boat on how they marketed and built (and still build) all their vehicles. To me, each brand represented a segment of the overall market, and much of the crossover serves only to cannibalize sales. They could have re-vamped their entire strategy and had each label cater to each segment:
Chevy - caters strictly to the everyman. These would be plain-Jane cars, with few trim levels. SS trims would move to the Pontiac division, LTZ trim would move to Cadillac or Buick/Oldsmobile. Silverado would move to GMC much like Dodge has done with their truck lines.
Buick/Oldsmobile would be the higher mid-range vehicles bought by folks who prefer the leather and finer trim levels. Not quite luxury, but not run of the mill either.
Cadillac would be pure luxury division - not far from what it is now.
Pontiac would strictly be performance. No need for the G6 or the lower level G8. Just hell on wheels - Firebird/Trans-Am, GTO, GX8 (or whatever they want to call it), SS. They could also bring back their racing monikers like LeMans and Grand Am and GT.
GMC would strictly be trucks & SUVs of most trim levels including the Silverado, reserving the Escalade for Cadillac.
By streamlining what each division does, they could realize efficiencies, increase quality, and when they sell an Impala LS or Malibu, they wouldn't be stealing sales from one of their own sister companies, eliminating competition from within their own ranks.
But, day late, dollar short. Probably wouldn't have worked anyways.

dasautoya > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 11:39

1

Didn't it come with a 5cyl?

mallthus > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 11:42

0

I'd argue that the vehicle itself wasn't too bad. Certainly the early models had all the same problems their Canyon/Colorado platform mates had (cheap interior plastics, crap 5 cylinders) and the pillbox windows don't make for great visibility. But, I'd love to have an H3t Alpha.

For the record, I briefly sold these when I tried my hand at car sales. In my three months of selling cars, I sold two cars. A Cadillac SRX and an H3 manual, which was, apparently, the last manual H3 sold in the state of Oklahoma.

RoadToad > Blake Noble 12/04/2014 at 11:44

0

THIS IS A TRANS SPORT.... PLEASE STOP

JCAlan > AthomSfere 12/04/2014 at 11:45

0

Ya. HOLY HELL