2009 chevy lumina SS V8

[RunsT]

hi folks, thought i would share of what a wonder we just got at work - not to name it, im workin for one of airlines dealing with international import/export, we got this beautyfull prototypes today - 2 chevy lumina SS - according to build book year 2009.
like mentioned, both are marked as V8, but was unable to find exactly what engine are those gonna be. (couldnt pop the hood)

well, enjoy! (srry for pic quality, its just phone camera)

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/RunsT/08-06-07_1239.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/RunsT/08-06-07_1238.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/RunsT/08-06-07_1237.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/RunsT/08-06-07_1236.jpg

[Nighthawk243]

The grill looks like a Pontiac Grill...

[jeremy96gase]

It looks like it has the G8 Grill.

Doesn't Holden sell these in the middle east as Chevrolets?

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by jeremy96gase
It looks like it has the G8 Grill.

Doesn't Holden sell these in the middle east as Chevrolets?
Yes they do.

http://www.gmarabia.com/content_data/LAAM/ME/en/GBPME/001/images/1L_gallery_big10.jpg

From photos it looks like GM used the Lumina SS as a test bed for the Pontiac G8 frontend.

[RazorDX]

Wow... I'm definitely liking the exterior styling to the new GM vehicles.

[bballr4567]

It might be a test mule and GM didnt have a Lumina front end ready.


Im really liking where GM is heading with the cars. Amazing!!

[Nighthawk243]

Exactly. The new vehicles feel alot better than the older ones. My dash in the G5 is actually QUIET.

[cavingman]

god damn, that things hot.

[HornetGT141]

Originally posted by Nighthawk243
Exactly. The new vehicles feel alot better than the older ones. My dash in the G5 is actually QUIET.

Haha, I await the day when I can finally experience that. This solid foam cutouts that I just got better solve my rattling issue. :lol:

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by HornetGT141
Haha, I await the day when I can finally experience that. This solid foam cutouts that I just got better solve my rattling issue. :lol:

You cannot even imagine how solid the interior is. To me, its like driving a BMW :D. It does not feel like a 15 thousand dollar car.

[thegeswho3]

^^^

Now if GM can just survive their financial troubles long enough to produce a bunch of these cars and get back in the black.

I was just talking to the owner of an upper NY Chevy/Pontiac dealer who told me something interesting. They aren't making any money on new cars so they are shifting they're focus to selling just enough new cars to cover their ass and hitting the used car market hard. He said they are selling 25 less cars per week than they did in 2005. I hope all of the dealers aren't abandoning GM yet.

[bballr4567]

That really isnt as widespread as everyone believes. The reason GM and the other two are losing money is because of labor. Simple as that. If they reduce the labor and health care costs from the workers then they will start making money.


Also you cant judge how a company is doing by one dealership. The GM dealers here cant keep an SUV on the lot for more then 15 days. Trucks are about the same. You have to go with official numbers.

[Nighthawk243]

GM is making money selling the cars... the Dealerships buy them off of GM. In order to help out the dealerships, GM gives incentives for potential buyers in order for them to buy the car, and thusly have to make the dealership get another one to restock its inventory.

Where GM and Ford are loosing their money is the UAW. Overseas automakers don't have to deal with the heavy demands of this group, and thusly don't have to pay nearly as much out to its employees. We all know how often the UAW likes to threaten strikes.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by bballr4567
It might be a test mule and GM didnt have a Lumina front end ready.

Im really liking where GM is heading with the cars. Amazing!!
I'd say its the other way around since the Lumina SS is already a production vehicle.
Originally posted by thegeswho3
^^^

Now if GM can just survive their financial troubles long enough to produce a bunch of these cars and get back in the black.

I was just talking to the owner of an upper NY Chevy/Pontiac dealer who told me something interesting. They aren't making any money on new cars so they are shifting they're focus to selling just enough new cars to cover their ass and hitting the used car market hard. He said they are selling 25 less cars per week than they did in 2005. I hope all of the dealers aren't abandoning GM yet.
This isn't just GM, it's the entire automotive market that is taking a hit in the past few years yet isn't as bad as one may think. Too be honest it's companies like Hyundia that are doing well. In our crappy american ecconomy everyone is pinching pennies, cheaper cars, cheaper insurance, cheaper fuel costs. Icon cars like the Mustang, Corvette, M3 whatever, don't make money for the companies, just barely enough to cover production and R&D cost that go into them.

However GM is still doing better than Chrysler. Infact DaimlerChrysler just sold the Chrysler Group to a private firm for almost $7.4 billion dollars. Daimler-Benz AG took over Chrysler for $36 billion less than 10 years ago. Talk about your crappy investments and bad turnover.

Maybe I'll get off my lazy butt and make a new thread about it. lol
Originally posted by Nighthawk243
GM is making money selling the cars... the Dealerships buy them off of GM. In order to help out the dealerships, GM gives incentives for potential buyers in order for them to buy the car, and thusly have to make the dealership get another one to restock its inventory.

Where GM and Ford are loosing their money is the UAW. Overseas automakers don't have to deal with the heavy demands of this group, and thusly don't have to pay nearly as much out to its employees. We all know how often the UAW likes to threaten strikes.
I agree.
Originally posted by bballr4567
It might be a test mule and GM didnt have a Lumina front end ready.

Im really liking where GM is heading with the cars. Amazing!!
I'd say its the other way around since the Lumina SS is already a production vehicle.
Originally posted by thegeswho3
^^^

Now if GM can just survive their financial troubles long enough to produce a bunch of these cars and get back in the black.

I was just talking to the owner of an upper NY Chevy/Pontiac dealer who told me something interesting. They aren't making any money on new cars so they are shifting they're focus to selling just enough new cars to cover their ass and hitting the used car market hard. He said they are selling 25 less cars per week than they did in 2005. I hope all of the dealers aren't abandoning GM yet.
This isn't just GM, it's the entire automotive market that is taking a hit in the past few years yet isn't as bad as one may think. Too be honest it's companies like Hyundia that are doing well. In our crappy american ecconomy everyone is pinching pennies, cheaper cars, cheaper insurance, cheaper fuel costs. Icon cars like the Mustang, Corvette, M3 whatever, don't make money for the companies, just barely enough to cover production and R&D cost that go into them.

Funny everyone cries when a car is rebadged but no one wants to pay the higher sticker price to cover the all the new tooling and R&D costs for a unique vehicle.

However GM is still doing better than Chrysler. Infact DaimlerChrysler just sold the Chrysler Group to a private firm for almost $7.4 billion dollars. Daimler-Benz AG took over Chrysler for $36 billion less than 10 years ago. Talk about your crappy investments and bad turnover.

Maybe I'll get off my lazy butt and make a new thread about it. lol
Originally posted by bballr4567
That really isnt as widespread as everyone believes. The reason GM and the other two are losing money is because of labor. Simple as that. If they reduce the labor and health care costs from the workers then they will start making money.
:agree: And you can blame all those worker labor unions for that. My father was a president for a workers union for decades. I watched him protect the jobs of far too many people that don't deserve to get minimum wage let alone a $20 a hour job driving around in a dump truck all day.

[bballr4567]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
I'd say its the other way around since the Lumina SS is already a production vehicle.

Ummm nope. The Lumina SS isnt on the Zeta structure. ;)


I also didnt notice the huge wing. Not sure if Im liking that or not.


Isnt the big three scheduled to talk to UAW sometime this month?

[Nighthawk243]

Afaik, they are.

Anyways, the labor unions also are, in their own way, tyranical. They have so much authority over the big three and their employees. Last I checked, membership in the UAW is not optional if you're working for either GM, Ford, or Chrystler... instead, in order to keep your job, it is MANDITORY that you join UAW and pay their Union Dues. If you're unwilling to sell your soul to the UAW, forget working for the big three.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by bballr4567
Ummm nope. The Lumina SS isnt on the Zeta structure. ;)

My point is that the Lumina SS is already produced over seas. As you can tell by the photos is that the body is already painted and seems to have been off the assembally line. However come around to the front and all the body panels that are not painted have strong Pontiac styling cues. Most likely because they yanked a production LuminaSS for testing G8 preproduction parts.

[bballr4567]

Oh yea I thought you meant the US. I forgot about the "Chevy" lineup that gets sold in the middle east. lol

[b2089]

Okay, to summarize and speculate. That may or may not be a future G8, hopefully a GXP prototype because you know GXP isn't far behind.

Nest issue, yes most union shops have mandatory union membership. The union has to function as a whole or it doesn't function. It wouldn't be fair to benefit from something you don't pay for, so all union jobs require all employees to pay dues.

I need to see a g8 in person. I keep imagining it as small but I'm told it's really big. The pictures make me think of something GA sized.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by b2089
Nest issue, yes most union shops have mandatory union membership. The union has to function as a whole or it doesn't function. It wouldn't be fair to benefit from something you don't pay for, so all union jobs require all employees to pay dues.

Thats the thing, I wouldn't job a workers Union and I wouldn't want their "benifits". Basically unions use extortion tactics to get what they want.

[Nighthawk243]

Yep. I'd rather see it where a union membership was completely optional. If you didn't join, you just won't get the "Protection Services" that that Union offers.

See, I'm not one that likes to be told that I am going on strike when I just want to work and keep food on the table. The issue with the union is that if you want to work though your break, or work while a strike is going on, you cannot do so.

[b2089]

I see the unions perspective here. How can you NOT get the protection they offer? If the union negotiates a better break room will you be barred from it? IF the union prevents a plant closing will you be laid off anyway? If the union improves the working conditions with better lighting and padded carpets will the leave a square foot undone for you?

I don't want to stray the topic any further, especially considering that I'm not pro-union.

One g8 question though. I was told the G8 will be unique to Pontiac. Then what is the Lumina?

[bballr4567]

Yes the G8 will be. However the new Zeta platform will be under the G8, Camaro and any other RWD car)Lumina or Monte Carlo) that GM will make.

[thegeswho3]

^^^^
This is the first I've heard of the lumina, any chance its just a g8 in foreign chevy skin??? In other words, ive heard no mention of a Chevy rwd sedan untill the 2011 Impala, maybe the Impala will die and the Lumina will return in glory, haha.

[bballr4567]

Well before all the CAFE standards went up and all that Chevy had plans for a Monte Carlo and Lumina RWD cars. I still think that the Monte is still a go but I havent heard anything in a while about it. The Lumina is pretty much dead from everything I have read.

The G8 is a Holden Commodore.

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/vehicleentry?vehicleid=4

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by b2089
I see the unions perspective here. How can you NOT get the protection they offer? If the union negotiates a better break room will you be barred from it? IF the union prevents a plant closing will you be laid off anyway? If the union improves the working conditions with better lighting and padded carpets will the leave a square foot undone for you?

I don't want to stray the topic any further, especially considering that I'm not pro-union.

One g8 question though. I was told the G8 will be unique to Pontiac. Then what is the Lumina?
Ok, so basically I'm making payments from my paycheck so they can upgrade my job? Why not just get a lower paying job where I don't have to worry about politics? I'd still make as much or maybe more in the end.

BTW, G8 is unique to Pontiac in the US, the Lumina SS isn't availible is the US.
Originally posted by thegeswho3
^^^^
This is the first I've heard of the lumina, any chance its just a g8 in foreign chevy skin??? In other words, ive heard no mention of a Chevy rwd sedan untill the 2011 Impala, maybe the Impala will die and the Lumina will return in glory, haha.
Go read the thread....

The Lumina SS is from the Middle East, as Chevrolet has always had cool RWD V8 middle eastern cars.
Originally posted by bballr4567
The G8 is a Holden Commodore.

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/vehicleentry?vehicleid=4
Correct, which is also the same body they use for the Lumina SS in the Middle East.

The only reason why the Lumina was mentioned was because the photos obviously show they are testing G8 parts on a Chevy and not a Holden.

[b2089]

I realize the Lumina is already in the middle east but I thought it was coming here. I read where Lutz had said the CAFE standards put that on hold, but then he later said that the platform (without mentioning any specifics or brands) was back on again. That is what I've gathered from reading a few magazines. He's being very tight lipped and I think the press is over analyzing. It's making it all confusing.

I guess well have to wait and see.

[TA^Guy]

As someon else mentioned I think GM was going to make a MonteCarlo orImpala RWD on the same platorm, however it won't share the same body as the G8.

[RazorDX]

I thought GM just axed the Monte Carlo. I haven't heard anything of them bringing it back in the near future.

[HornetGT141]

Originally posted by Nighthawk243
Afaik, they are.

Anyways, the labor unions also are, in their own way, tyranical. They have so much authority over the big three and their employees. Last I checked, membership in the UAW is not optional if you're working for either GM, Ford, or Chrystler... instead, in order to keep your job, it is MANDITORY that you join UAW and pay their Union Dues. If you're unwilling to sell your soul to the UAW, forget working for the big three.

Kind of like the grocery stores in the St.Louis region, Local 655... *sigh*.

I do like the looks for the Lumina thus far. :D

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by HornetGT141
Kind of like the grocery stores in the St.Louis region, Local 655... *sigh*.

I do like the looks for the Lumina thus far. :D


A grocery store union... :rolleyes:

Where I had worked, there was no union. If you didn't like the way the store was run, you got another job.

[TA^Guy]

^Amen. Let my employees start a Union, I'll go Cosmo Spacely on their asses and hire an entire new staff.

[b2089]

Taken from another post----------------------------------------
DETROIT — Despite earlier reports that it might have scrapped plans for a new family of rear-wheel-drive vehicles in North America, General Motors to the contrary has now expanded its Zeta architecture to include a variety of new products for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Pontiac, Inside Line has learned.

The first of the new Zeta models is the Pontiac G8 sedan, based on the Australian Holden Commodore SS-V and due in Pontiac showrooms in early 2008. It could be joined next spring by a new Buick Park Avenue sedan, based on the Holden Statesman and just introduced in China.

While those two rear-drive four-doors are only mildly revised versions of Australian products, the next wave of Zeta models for the States will boast unique sheet metal. They include the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, which goes into production in late 2008 and should begin arriving at U.S. dealers in early '09. It will be followed in short order by the replacement for the Pontiac GTO, which is due in fall 2009 as a 2010 model and will continue to be built in Australia.

In mid-2010, Chevy will unveil its new rear-wheel-drive Impala, based on the Zeta platform and built in North America. (The older front-drive sedan may be carried over for a year, aimed primarily at fleet customers and rebadged as the Impala Classic.)

About the same time, the 2011 Impala will be joined by redesigned editions of the G8 and Park Avenue, which will join their Chevy counterpart on the same assembly (probably at GM's Oshawa plant in Ontario). The '11 Park Avenue may nudge the older Lucerne from Buick's lineup as the brand's flagship sedan.

Cadillac had planned to shift the front-drive DTS sedan to the Zeta platform for model year 2011, but instead may drop the car. Now comes word from suppliers that a future CTS will switch to Zeta, in 2013, as Cadillac phases out its current Sigma rear-drive vehicles.

What this means to you: GM's vision for rear-wheel drive appears to be wide-ranging in the post-2010 era.--------------------------------------------

Okay, here's where I'm confused. I know we've been over it but it just seems wrong.

GM had / has plans to resurrect the Impala name on the same platform as the G8 but it will have different sheet metal (as in not just a re-skin which the G8 is of the Holden)

However overseas there already is an Impala that is just a re-skin of the Holden like the g8. It's so close that body parts are interchangeable hence the photo's.

So that means that in the Middle East the Impala will be a Chevy that is a Holden that is a G8, yet in America the same Impala name would be a different car.

However you see that the G8, a Chevy, and a Buick will share an assembly line. How different can they be on the same line? If it's more than just minor re-skinning wouldn't they need separate lines?

That would cost GM more money to make a different car unless they are planning on scraping the overseas Impalas and making the new US model the global standard. In any event that's why I don't buy any of the hype until I see it. I think the g8 will have a Chevrolet rip-off that will surpass it and Pontiac will remain a damaged brand with even more damaged names.

At any rate Pontiac won't be the signature rear wheel drive line up when everyone goes to it.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by b2089
Okay, here's where I'm confused. I know we've been over it but it just seems wrong.

GM had / has plans to resurrect the Impala name on the same platform as the G8 but it will have different sheet metal (as in not just a re-skin which the G8 is of the Holden)

However overseas there already is an Impala that is just a re-skin of the Holden like the g8. It's so close that body parts are interchangeable hence the photo's.

So that means that in the Middle East the Impala will be a Chevy that is a Holden that is a G8, yet in America the same Impala name would be a different car.
Nope, you got lost. :D

The Chevrolet shown in the first post and currently sold in the middle east is not a Impala, it's a Lumina.

And here is a section pulled from the news artical you quoted.

"While those two rear-drive four-doors are only mildly revised versions of Australian products, the next wave of Zeta models for the States will boast unique sheet metal. They include the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, which goes into production in late 2008 and should begin arriving at U.S. dealers in early '09. It will be followed in short order by the replacement for the Pontiac GTO, which is due in fall 2009 as a 2010 model and will continue to be built in Australia."

Are you fimular with the Ford fox chassis? They used the fox chassis on cars from the Mustang, Thunderbird, LTD, Fairmont, Granada. Also Mercury Zephyr, Capri, Cougar, Grand Marquis and Lincoln Continental and Mark VII. Now all those were built on one chassis design, few few had interchangable sheet metal. You could swap doors from a LTD to a Grand Marquis, but you couldn't swap doors from a Thunderbird to a Capri or Mustang.

Think of the Zeta platform working in the same manner. It's a great chassis with alot of possibilities. It might cost them more to make several different bodys that aren't interchangable, but they will still be saving money on tooling and chassis R&D by using a simular chassis for a wide varaity of vehicles. PReviously they had the F-Body, G-Body, N-Body, ect. All of which only have 2 or 3 different vehicles built on it. Now they will use the Zeta and get 3 or 4 times the vehicles on one chassis. In the long run parts will be easier, cheeper to find when needed.

[04REDGT1]

I just don't get the Lumina name. If the car is a V8 w/RWD, then why not name it Chevelle SS or something?


Jeff

[Nighthawk243]

Because the Chevelle fans would bitch ;). If they would do anything with the Chevelle name, it would have to be tied to the Malibu.


Gm already learned that the hard way with the GTO. :lol:

[TA^Guy]

Does it even matter, it's in the middle east. lol

[VanishingImage]

You can speculate all you want,I'll sit back and just act suprised:lol:

[Nozhayrz]

Actually, the union workers are the smaller percentage of the workforce. The vast majority of employees are salaried engineers, accountants, secretaries, managers, upper managers and CEO's. The most grotesque waste in the American auto industry is in the salaries and benefits of upper managers and CEO's. The ones who make millions per year on salaries and stock options. I recall a few years back one CEO giving his daughter a 2 million dollar birthday party in Greece(?). These guys are all crooks and are robbing you blind and are just now starting to go to jail. Enron and others in the energy industry come to mind. The union wages and pensions debacle is just the CEO's saving face in front of the cameras. The union workers are clearly not the problem.

I used to work as a salaried employee in the defense sector of GM back in the 80's.. FYI

Sorry about being OT!

[TA^Guy]

Thats no difference than any other big company/industry. COs might make alot or oingver little but thats how it works out there.

My father was the president of a local labor union for City workers. He'd fight for benifits or jobs of crooks who didn't desere the benifits in the first place. Come in late, leave early, long lunches, steal crap from the stock room or tool room. Fill up ther personal cars with gas from the city pumps, use offical city vehicles for personal use, ect. Yet they still cry that they don't ge any overtime or that ther dental plansn't fully paid for. Odd cause it sounds like most of these guys are getting pretty good benifits all ready.

[A Profane Legac]

They should rebadge it, and sell it here as the Malibu.

The automotive world is so confusing. They sell the best styled cars to our enemies in the middle east... and shaft us here at home with ugly designs.

Although I do admit the newer GM cars are looking better.