georgejetson

We aren't going back to the 60s, but mass-market RWD sedans are here to stay, like it or not. They always have been, really -- how many cars did BMW sell in the US last year? LX sales are down a bit because the Charger and 300 need a refresh, which is the problem with using trendy buzz designs, and because the Magnum has pretty much run its course as a product. Challenger will add some units, and there's a Chrysler coupe and a bigger sedan in the works too. Also, the Hemis need a redesign to get better MPG, which is coming in about a year. Meanwhile, GM is investing zillions to produce new line of RWD cars for North America -- next-gen Impala, Camaro, G8, GTO, next-gen Lucerne, next-gen DTS. Like Chrysler, they'll offer both front- and rear-drive cars, seeing that there's a solid market for both.

I think that was in one of the Detroit papers this morning -- the source was some anonymous GM flack "clarifying" Lutz's comments at NAIAS.

They may look pretty similar but they're completely different. The GTO (MSRP around $33k, btw, not $35k+) was derived from the Monaro, a fairly expensive limited-production car that was costly to build due to high levels of hand-work, that was based on an older platform, and that hadn't originally been designed with LHD or US regulations in mind. The Commodore is a mass-market sedan, designed from the outset with the US market in mind, built on a bleeding-edge modular global platform (Zeta) designed for flexible assembly, and assembled on a modern line that is running under capacity at the moment because Holden RWD sales are slumping due to competition from Asian brands. Very different calculations. And no, I don't believe they'll be selling LS2-powered super sedans here for $25k. I do, however, believe that they'll offer considerably better bang for the buck than the GTO and than the Mopar LXs -- $31k-ish, or about what they're asking now for the FWD V8 Grand Prix, for a well-equipped 400 hp G8 isn't out of the question. The Commodore is 4894 mm (192.6") long and has a wheelbase of 2915 mm (114.8"), according to Holden.com.au. How big is the Interceptor?

They have to build it, or something like it. The fact that they're showing a sedan on this platform at all is an acknowledgment of this reality: the one place where "American car" still means something is in mass-market RWD sedans and coupes. Chrysler's already there and GM will be there shortly. Ford has to join in -- or come up with an alternative, somehow. IMO this thing looks great, except for the front end. The truck grill looks stupid on Magnum, but this is worse. A front clip that was proportioned more like the Fusion's would be perfect. Get it done, get it an IRS, give it a heritage name (Galaxie, Fairlane, even LTD would work) and get it to dealers, and you'll start stealing Charger sales immediately -- and generating lots of new ones from people who can't abide the Five Hundred's dullness or the Charger's looks and iffy interior.

I'm not sure whether that was just an Autoweek goof or an actual trial balloon from some clueless soul in Ford's marketing department, but either way, it seems pretty clear that Ford got the message and won't be doing this.

There was a series of TV ads for Magnum that ran in 05 and early 06. They've been focused on other launches since. I don't remember ever seeing a Five Hundred TV ad.

It wasn't the station wagon stigma that killed it, it was the execution. The Magnum was conceived as 1) a muscle car that guys could sell their wives on, and 2) a car that would lure tough-guy SUV buyers out of their trucks. That's the premise. It's not a bad one - combine a bit of crossover functionality with a decent interior, aggressive looks, optional performance, and practicality - and Chrysler should get credit for trying it. But they screwed it up. The Magnum has one HUGE flaw. Sit any woman (and many men) in a Magnum for the first time and they all say the same thing: "Wait, I can't see out the back!" The rear view is comparable to that on a '70s mid-engined exotic, that is to say, like looking through a postal slot. Not good. Boom, end of spousal discussion, especially if the new car is going to be a kid-hauler. They either look at a Charger or go shop crossovers and SUVs.