USA Falls in Love with the VE

robjh80 · 25-09-2008, 07:44 AM

The Australian Built Pontiac G8 based on the VE Commodore has been shortlisted for "2009 North American Car of the Year Award"

Full Story here

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news...217304812.html

sfr rob · 25-09-2008, 07:53 AM

Don't blame them, it's a great car.
I have my eyes on the new hsv tourer sportswagon.... it's an awesome looking machine, I wonder if they will be sending them abroad as well?

birdman941 · 25-09-2008, 08:00 AM

The question is,
when will Ford grow a brain and bring the Falcons here.
WE ARE WAITING BILL FORD!!!

Cobra · 25-09-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdman941

The question is,
when will Ford grow a brain and bring the Falcons here.
WE ARE WAITING BILL FORD!!!

If they can make a profit on each vehicle I'd be be happy to see them go to you guys. It wouldn't take many to be sold over to you guys to make a big difference on our production line. But unfortunately if it was going to happen it would have happened by now. They were going to make the FG model compatable to be built in both RHD and LHD on the production line, but canned that idea mid way through the development. The onyl way you'll get a Faclon lob at your shores now is if they are all individually converted to LHD.

Chopped · 25-09-2008, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdman941

The question is,
when will Ford grow a brain and bring the Falcons here.
WE ARE WAITING BILL FORD!!!

I think the G6E Turbo & F6 would blow plenty of Americans away (pun intended) with their ability.

Ford AUS and Holden are both making the best mix of value & performance sedans in the world IMO.

Walt Kowalski · 25-09-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdman941

The question is,
when will Ford grow a brain and bring the Falcons here.
WE ARE WAITING BILL FORD!!!

How's Florida this time of year?

We are visiting October 2009.

The new FG Falcon is an awesome car but with Ford's incredibly bad marketing it my well end up a flop saleswise so the chances or it going to the US are practically zero but we live in hope.

My wife is convinced Holden pays money to the people who do the marketing for Ford in Oz.

Great cars.

Pathetic marketing.

AusM · 26-09-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfr rob

Don't blame them, it's a great car.
I have my eyes on the new hsv tourer sportswagon.... it's an awesome looking machine, I wonder if they will be sending them abroad as well?

I'm pretty sure the exchange rate has killed off Holden exports for the moment...

FalconXR6 · 26-09-2008, 03:27 PM

Another bloody VE thread!!!

I propose we ban all VE related talk...

banarcus · 26-09-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconXR6

Another bloody VE thread!!!

I propose we ban all VE related talk...

Careful mate, your one eyed view, one in which I was earlier accused of having in this thread, may get you into hot water. I agree with you 100% though.

fordlova8 · 26-09-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banarcus

Careful mate, your one eyed view, one in which I was earlier accused of having in this thread, may get you into hot water. I agree with you 100% though.

Here Here!

ORSM-XT · 27-09-2008, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfr rob

Don't blame them, it's a great car.
I have my eyes on the new hsv tourer sportswagon.... it's an awesome looking machine, I wonder if they will be sending them abroad as well?

The Holden Sportswagon is an exterior copy of the Chrysler 300c SRT Touring Wagon.

MethodX · 27-09-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberboy1991

The Holden Sportswagon is an exterior copy of the Chrysler 300c SRT Touring Wagon.

The sportswagon looks better.

csv8 · 25-09-2008, 10:40 AM

The Australian-made Pontiac G8 has been shortlisted for the 2009 North American Car of the Year (NACOTY) award.

The Pontiac G8 is one of 14 semi-finalists with the winner to be determined by a jury of 47 automotive journalists.

The car is an export version of GM Holden's VE Commodore and is built at the company's manufacturing plant in Adelaide's north.

It went on sale in the US early this year.

Holden said the nomination reinforced the global appeal of vehicles designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia.

The 2009 NACOTY will be named at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

That shows Americans are just as stupid asaussie car buyers !!!

Wretched · 25-09-2008, 12:47 PM

Good on them. What an achievement it would be if they won.
At least they were nominated well done to the boys and girls at Holden.
Goodluck.

trburnard · 25-09-2008, 05:42 PM

Maybe if FORD Aus could aggressively market it's vehicles the Aussie blue oval could also be recognised globally.

gthofan · 25-09-2008, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trburnard

Maybe if FORD Aus could aggressively market it's vehicles the Aussie blue oval could also be recognised globally.

We will be waiting a long time for that to ever happen..

banarcus · 25-09-2008, 05:48 PM

Good result for an Australian manufacturer but not relevant on a Ford forum.

mcnews · 25-09-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banarcus

Good result for an Australian manufacturer but not relevant on a Ford forum.

Maybe not for you, but it is for many of us that have more than one eye.

XR8putts · 25-09-2008, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banarcus

Good result for an Australian manufacturer but not relevant on a Ford forum.

Speak for yourself mate

:

uranium_death · 25-09-2008, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banarcus

Good result for an Australian manufacturer but not relevant on a Ford forum.

It is VERY relevant on a Ford forum.
It only justifies the view of many on this forum that the Falcon should be imported, like the Commodore is (successfully).
The FG models have been rating very well in comparison to the VE, and if Holden can export successfully and be nominated for an award in the US, then there is no reason why Ford cannot do likewise, barring engineering difficulties.

If you scratch beneath the surface, the relevance is quite compelling.

4Vman · 25-09-2008, 06:09 PM

Either exchange rates, CAFE or the US unions will eventually kill this car off in the US...
It has no long term future there.

Jason[98.EL] · 25-09-2008, 06:10 PM

another area G.M has it overFORD

irlewy86 · 25-09-2008, 03:28 PM

Be a massive wake up call to Ford HQ if the G8 wins North American Car of the Year and Falcon gets Car of the Year here

Jayden · 26-09-2008, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irlewy86

Be a massive wake up call to Ford HQ if the G8 wins North American Car of the Year and Falcon gets Car of the Year here

You'd think so, but they've had a lot of other wake up calls. They may have slept through their only window of opportunity to get their foot in the door now.

Paxton · 25-09-2008, 03:33 PM

Cobra - LHD Falcons are expected once Ford make the transition to V6. If you have a look at the inlet side of an I6 Falcon, it would be really difficult to whack a steering column down there. The I6 is also too high for Falcon to pass the US Pedestrian Safety regulations. Again, once we get the V6, things will change.

The thing about the Commodore is, that it is 100% better than 90% of the US made cars. It is miles ahead of the Charger/300c, and Ford have nothing to compete with it. Ford are too busy competing with Toyota.

Bossxr8 · 26-09-2008, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxton

Cobra - LHD Falcons are expected once Ford make the transition to V6. If you have a look at the inlet side of an I6 Falcon, it would be really difficult to whack a steering column down there. The I6 is also too high for Falcon to pass the US Pedestrian Safety regulations. Again, once we get the V6, things will change.

Word is the bonnet has to be raised slightly to clear the V6 as its quite tall, so that theory is up in the air.

As for the Focus, thats not even definate either. Word is that if sales of Falcon and Territory continue to drop then the Focus may not even make it here.

Either way I don't see how the Focus is going to save Ford Australia if sales of Falcon/Territory continue to drop, because lower sales mean that they will have no development dollars to create an all new version, and that would be the end of it. They will never make back a near billion dollar investment if they are selling less than 2000 a month and that looks like being a real possibility. Ford HQ most likely would not have approved the Orion program based on the number of sales its achieving at the moment. Funding was probably based on 4000 a month, soon it will be around half that if the rot doesn't stop.

Auslandau · 25-09-2008, 04:55 PM

Dont know why FORD USA would want the G6ET when they have the Fusion & Taurus!

: Least they have dumped the Crown Victoria and relegated it to taxi and fleet only.

.............. its also a problem with the strong union at the factory (US) hindering attempts for imports coming in which would compete head to head with there wonderful offerings. GM delt with that years ago and fixed it so imports are possible.

| [/url] |

ayeyew · 25-09-2008, 05:02 PM

I still reckon the GTO (monaro) is better

Skotty · 25-09-2008, 06:19 PM

I love them, Driven a few G8's they are great cars and look horn... work mate drives basically all the GXP's (we fit the trans coolers before the get on the boat) and yeah... apperantly VERY touchy comperd to the SS

Sprint XR8 · 25-09-2008, 11:48 PM

The USA has not fallen in love with the G8.
Sales have been well below the expected 3-4000 mth averaging 1500 mth.
Pontiac are discounting G8's at "employee price to all" to try and clear stock, G8 sedan (SV6) $25500, G8 GT (SS) $27800us.