The truth about GM High Performance Vehicle operations

[That_Guy]

DETROIT - There's a bit of confusion following Automotive News' report Wednesday that General Motors has shut down its High Performance Vehicle Operations. HPVO's 60 engineers have been moved to other projects, mostly alternative fuel/powerplant vehicles and getting better fuel mileage out of conventional internal combustion engines, for example.

GM will continue to produce low-volume performance cars that have been designed, including the Cadillac CTS-v sedan, Chevrolet Cobalt SS and HHR SS and, of course, the Australian-sourced Pontiac G8 GXP. Spokesman Vince Muniga likens it to Ford's shutdown of its Special Vehicle Team about three years ago. Ford has just unveiled SVT versions of the F-150 (Raptor) and 2010 Taurus (SHO).

And because the CTS-v sedan has been on sale for several months, there's a good chance you'll be able to buy a CTS-v coupe some time in 2011, following the 3.6-liter V-6-powered coupe's planned launch in late 2010.

Corvette engineering and design were never part of HPVO, so ZR-1, Z06 and even Camaro SS production are not affected. We've reported, however, that Chevrolet's Z/28 version of the Camaro, which would have used the CTS-v's engine/tuning, is on indefinite hold.

So what does this "hiatus" affect? Mostly future product that would have gone through the HPVO pipeline. Frankly, that makes this almost a non-story, as cash-strapped GM has put much of its future product on hold in order to get the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze on the market (the new Opel Insignia, just launched in Europe, too). You were expecting, maybe, a Volt SS or Cruze SS?

Indeed, the future of GM's performance division relies as much on what emissions and fuel economy standards the government imposes on the auto industry as it does on whether the automakers get any more federal money.
I Hope this Helps with ALL THE BS.

[Voodoo Chick]

No new Z/28's???? That REALLY sucks.