Saturnized Corsa on the Horizon?

[Charlie]

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=1774]Saturnized Corsa on the Horizon?[/drupal]

Rumors of the subcompact Opel Corsa coming stateside to join Saturn's lineup have been circulating for long time. The idea became a matter of when

[SaturnSdn]

LOL I said the ASTRA and Corsa would be sold as SATURNS right after the Opel/Saturn LS hit the market.

[BOSSC2]

How much will it cost is th most important question. These new small cars are too expensive to justify buying one over a slightly used car.

Other than that, I think it is good. I'm glad we are getting Vauxhalls. Now can we get some european Fords please?

[Uzzy]

We need these cars YESTERDAY! (Especially here in Canada, where the small car is king.) I just hope thye're not too expensive.

But Cahrlie, becareful in your title block wording, jeez! If you're not careful, you'll conjure up some unwanted parallels.

Ya know, that other european designed sub-compact.

[AuraDrvr89]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

Ya know, that other european designed sub-compact.

hahaha.. The Omni/Horizon has become a well loved car on this forum apparently!


The Corsa looks girly... Hahaha.. I think it will do well among rich-daddies-trying-to-buy-their-bratty-daughters-brand-new-cars crowd

[VTHokie00SL2]

My brother drives a Corsa (really his wife's car, but he's finally got an English driver's license).

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by VTHokie00SL2

My brother drives a Corsa (really his wife's car, but he's finally got an English driver's license).

Did he get an English accent like Madonna and Britney?

[Greenhornet]

I feel that it was GM's plan to leave the Corsa price market segment to Chevrolet as Saturn's direction is clearly "up scale markets". But that was before $3.00 a gallon gasoline. We all heard Mr. Lutz state that the next generatrion Opel Corsa would be marketed here as a Saturn Corsa.

Regardless of Saturn's up scale direction, they need the Corsa to compete in this insane $3.00 per gallon fuel market because gas prices aren't going down anytime soon. All indications are, gas will continue it's upward spiral.:

[BOSSC2]

All I wanted as a kid was an Omni. For some reason I really liked them. I still get a little excite when I see one.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet

I feel that it was GM's plan to leave the Corsa price market segment to Chevrolet as Saturn's direction is clearly "up scale markets". But that was before $3.00 a gallon gasoline. We all heard Mr. Lutz state that the next generatrion Opel Corsa would be marketed here as a Saturn Corsa.

Regardless of Saturn's up scale direction, they need the Corsa to compete in this insane $3.00 per gallon fuel market because gas prices aren't going down anytime soon. All indications are, gas will continue it's upward spiral.

I don't think GM was intent on taking Saturn out of this market segment. It's not as much a matter of price as it is segment. The Corsa will/should cost more than the Aveo, since Saturn is still going to be more upmarket compared to Chevrolet. This would mean that the Corsa would come with more features standard and be a better all around car.

Is it just me, or does anyone else see a lot of future Corsa in this Saturn Concept that was revealed on Monday?

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by BOSSC2

All I wanted as a kid was an Omni. For some reason I really liked them. I still get a little excite when I see one.

Trust me, you're much much much better off in your SC2. I had an Omni (Horizon actually) and all I wanted to do was not have one.

NOTE: The picture I posted a few posts up is actually of a Plymouth Horizon, and that was my tie-in to the title. The only difference in the cars was a subtly different grille and badges (only name bages, all the Chrysler products wore the samepentastar, which fueld the confusion ). Chrysler was just as bad if not worse than GM for it's rebadging in the 80's, they just had fewer divisions to spread the cars across and only one logo to use.

[Low Saturn]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

That was my first car. Almost identical to that one. Mine was a 1979 that I bought in 1989.

[Low Saturn]

Originally Posted by BOSSC2

All I wanted as a kid was an Omni. For some reason I really liked them. I still get a little excite when I see one.

The regular Omni or the GLHS?

[VTHokie00SL2]

Always thought it was a blatant ripoff of the VW Rabbit.

[Low Saturn]

Originally Posted by VTHokie00SL2

Always thought it was a blatant ripoff of the VW Rabbit.

Yeah, it does look a lot like the rabbit at the time. I think it may of even had a VW engine in it. I know it wasnt a Chrysler or Mitsubishi engine. The thing was more gutless than a Saturn TBI SOHC. At least the regular Omni/Horizons were. I never drove a GLHS.

[onefunkar]

most cars in those days were pretty gutless. gms 3800 v6 was 110 hp. celebritys, cieras etc with the iron duke were about 90 or 95 hp. high output v6 was 130 and z28s and transams were about 180hp. in those days 200 hp was just a dream except for a few cars like the vette which was right around 200 depending on the year.

[john95SW2]

Originally Posted by Low Saturn

Yeah, it does look a lot like the rabbit at the time. I think it may of even had a VW engine in it. I know it wasnt a Chrysler or Mitsubishi engine. The thing was more gutless than a Saturn TBI SOHC. At least the regular Omni/Horizons were. I never drove a GLHS.

VW motors till 1981 then 2.2L K-car motor

Yes most then were gutless - 205hp in the GT Mustang seemed huge at the time...

[Low Saturn]

Originally Posted by john95SW2

VW motors till 1981 then 2.2L K-car motor

Nothing wrong with the K-cars. My brother has a 1992 Spirit R/T. That sucker is fast. And its all stock.

[madpogue]

Originally Posted by john95SW2

VW motors till 1981 then 2.2L K-car motor

The 2.2 became available in the Omni/Horizon/etc. in '81, but the standard, 'til '83, was still the 1.7 VW engine. (That's what your '79 would've had, Mike.) Automatic trannies were all Chryslers, but the 4-speed was a VW tranny. Lookit that TDI -> SL2 drop-in for a glimpse of what it sorta looked like. Photos of that project show the same funky flat flanges on the tranny outputs, driveshafts bolted to with six allen bolts. Actually made it very easy to do both driveline and suspension work, since you didn't need room to pull a splined shaft out. I transplanted a complete engine/tranny in one, using a "fat lady lift".

For a while, they put some funky French 1.6 in 'em, with a Mitsu carb or some such. They really made some weird mongrels of those cars. Then, of course, there was the Shelby and GLH (Goes Like He!l).

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by madpogue

The 2.2 became available in the Omni/Horizon/etc. in '81, but the standard, 'til '83, was still the 1.7 VW engine. (That's what your '79 would've had, Mike.) Automatic trannies were all Chryslers, but the 4-speed was a VW tranny.

For a while, they put some funky French 1.6 in 'em, with a Mitsu carb or some such. They really made some weird mongrels of those cars. Then, of course, there was the Shelby and GLH (Goes Like He!l).

They were developed by Simca, a European arm of Chrysler Corp at the time. My '86 had the 1.6L Simca engine and auto tranny. They were ugly ( I had that afterthought 3rd brake light stuck on the back of mine) and very simple cars (perhaps some could liken them to the S-series) and they served their owner's well. I enjoyed mine because I hated it at first and it proved itself a decent ride.

And BTW, K-cars RULE!


But this Corsa is something GM really needs right now. The Aveo is cheap crap and it shows. Hopefully the Corsa can add some quality to GM's small car reputation. The same goes for the Astra, as well. We're about to find out how that goes...