Holden, Chevy to Build BRZ Competitor?
An Australian magazine reports GM may build a compact RWD coupe to challenge the Subaru BRZ.
Could General Motors build an all-new compact sports car for under $30,000, with a high-output 4-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive? According to a report in the latest issue of Australia's Wheels Magazine, the answer so far is a secretive "yes."The rendering is an Aussified version of the Chevrolet Code 130R concept first shown last January at the North American International Auto Show. Wheels is calling it the modern-day Holden Torana, the sporty Australian compact built from 1967 to 1980 that led racing driver Peter Brock to numerous victories in the '70s.
The original Torana was attractive, quick, and affordable -- a winning formula that Hyundai revamped on the 2009 Genesis Coupe and which the 2013 Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are now trumping. For younger enthusiasts who aren't dazzled by larger Camaros and Mustangs, those Asian coupes are the only cars that deliver big performance in a tight, budget-friendly package.
While the Wheels report names no direct sources, the magazine quotes Michael Simcoe, GM's chief designer outside North America, as saying a production Torana "makes sense" given the history of Australian muscle cars.
Annalisa Bluhm, a Chevrolet spokeswoman, told Exhaust Notes that while the Code 130R was not yet planned for production, "it would fit pretty perfectly" against the BRZ and FR-S. So far, Bluhm said the concept has been a hit among Millennials -- the under-35 set targeted by the Japanese coupes.
"We thought the 130R would really resonate because it's hot. It's a racer," she said.
With the short, stubby styling of a BMW 1-Series, the Code 130R and Torana could be built from GM's new Alpha platform, a smaller rear-wheel-drive chassis now underpinning the Cadillac ATS. In January, GM said it could sell a production 130R in the "low $20,000s" with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 150 horsepower and 40 mpg.
Holden, GM's Australian division, has catered to speed-seeking Australians for decades. While much of Holden's lineup -- like the Volt and Barina Spark -- are rebadged Chevrolets, the brand retains a very distinct flavor, different from Detroit. (Case in point: the Maloo R8, an El Camino hotrod stuffed with a Corvette V8 that runs on liquid propane.) The 2009 Pontiac G8, a rear-wheel-drive sedan praised for its sharp handling, was entirely designed by Holden and is still sold (and raced) down under as the Commodore.
Given the initial fervor from the BRZ, we're betting GM will be watching this performance segment very closely as it tries to cast Chevrolet as a youth-friendly, premium small car brand.
[Source: Wheels Magazine via Holden]
Uuuuhhh, aaahhh, Holden! That is a brand with a special place in my heart! Of all the GM divisions, Holden has the hottest cars and the best technology!
Why oh why will GM not bring the Holden brand to the United States?
X 100!!! I love Holdens, I wish we could get them here.
I like the look of this coupe too, but while it's right (rear) wheel drive, it's about 100hp short of being interesting to me. Why not slap in the turbo 2.0 from the Buicks? 270hp sounds about right for a car that size. I don't know how anyone could get excited over 1.4L and 150hp, unless the car only weighs 1000lbs.
For younger enthusiasts who aren't dazzled by larger Camaros and Mustangs, those Asian coupes are the only cars that deliver big performance in a tight, budget-friendly package.
I will be fair to the US sports car offerings. The new muscle cars aren't that bad of a deal. The V6 models start in the low 20's and the V8's start right around 30. All of the foreign sports cars now start somewhere around mid 20's (BRZ, Genesis Coupe I4T) to low 30's (370Z). So the muscle cars are definitely budget friendly too, and they are far sportier than they ever have been. However, I still appreciate the more compact and lightweight design of an Asian sports car even if it might be slower than a Mustang by the stopwatch.
Plenty of people are "dazzled" by the modern muscle cars, they just can't afford them. That is all there is to it.
Nooo, that is NOT "all there is to it"! I can afford anything in GM's lineup, but what I want, GM does not offer in the United States, and what I want is a clean diesel performance station wagon; even a clean diesel muscle car would be a good start. GM, are you reading this?Why oh why will GM not bring the Holden brand to the United States?
While much of Holden's lineup -- like the Volt and Barina Spark -- are rebadged Chevrolets
Actually, most of Holden's lineup are either genuine Holden designs, or come from Opel.Holden is the technological and design hotbed for a lot of U.S. models.
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