CAFE & CO2 standards to raise price of Challenger?

[sniper226]

I picked up something alarming off the Autoblog this morning. Anyone have any idea if this will trickle down into the Challenger and ultimately raise the price an extra $5K?

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/10/l...icles-on-hold/

Lutz sounds the alarm: GM puts RWD drive vehicles on hold

Bob Lutz is determined to rattle all the cages he can in order to be heard above roar of the CAFE and CO2 standards debate. First, he said that forcing automakers to raise CAFE standards 4-percent per year would raise the price of a new car by $5,000. That was in response to Bush administration proposals. Now he's putting car enthusiasts on notice, going on the record saying that GM's RWD models would be put on hold.

[Source: Chicago Tribune via Winding Road]


Telling the Chicago Tribune, "We've pushed the pause button. It's no longer full speed ahead," Lutz sounded the alarm. The new Camaro (due in 2008) and Impala sedan (2009) are meant to help GM out of its profit rut, but both are built on GM's large RWD platform and Lutz doesn't see a way to get 30% better gas mileage without a serious amount of investment (which would be passed on to consumers). Lutz declared it's too late to stop the Camaro, but said "anything after that is questionable," apparently including Camaro derivatives and the Impala sedan. Other cars that would be affected by the "pause" include a performance-oriented midsized Pontiac, the Buick Lucerne, a compact Cadillac, and high HP versions of the Solstice and Sky roadsters -- essentially, a full assortment of cars specifically meant to put GM back in the green.
All of the carmakers are waiting to see what the EPA does in response to the Supreme Court's ruling that the EPA can regulate CO2 standards (which they haven't done up to now), Lutz says GM will decide on its rear drive cars when the government settles the CO2 and CAFE debates.
Showing just how tense he is on the new emissions storm, Lutz said that "if we legislate CO2 from cars, why not legislate we take one less breath per minute since human release capricious amounts of CO2?" Even the new trio of compacts introduced at the show won't help -- Lutz saying "small-car mileage only counts toward CAFE if you build them here," and you can't build small cars here at a profit. . . . [The] domestic fleet is where GM needs help."

[Hypotenus Love Triangle]

Maybe the Detroit Automakers should just make a more effecient system/car. We have the technology and this problem with emissions/mileage/gas prices has been heating up over the last decade. Its their own damn fault for not picking up on this sooner and putting things into the pipeline. Maybe the Big 3 deserve to go out of business because the leadership has neglected to pay attention to consumer worries & desires as well as Global Issues. Its all about the survival of the fittest.
And I'm from Detroit - so whatever happens effects me greatly, and personally, I'm sick of seeing smog and haze cover the city as I drive into it.

[Cuda340]

If this happens, it will probably affect the 2009 or 2010 Challenger models. There goes my stategy of getting a 2009 Challenger at a reasonable cost!

In general cars are taking a bad rap. In New Jersey, the air quality is negatively affected by pollutants blowing eastward from factories and coal-burning -utility generating plants- not cars! That being said, I do wish they would clamp down on diesel-burning trucks and buses.

[RRHemi]

Great! Here we go with history repeating itself! Damne it to Helle! Just when muscle cars make their return.

[Rallye72]

Originally Posted by RRHemi

Great! Here we go with history repeating itself! Damne it to Helle! Just when muscle cars make their return.

yeah, well, just wait till gas hits 5 bucks a gallon or more.... it's coming gents.

[RRHemi]

So if I commute on my motorcycle six months out fo the year I think I should be able to burn some dinosaurs with a hemi the other six!
This gets my goat! I was born in 1967. Too young to enjoy the 60s/70s era. I did however drive several big block Mopars in the early 80's. Mid eighties, bought a 5.0 Capri, what a POC. Bought a Shelby Daytona which was good for whipping 5.0's. But front wheel drive just sucks. Nineties, bought a Z28. It was fun but it lacked...magic.
2000's gas goes to $5 a gallon and I have to buy a Subaru! WTF!

[BJoe]

Sadly this will affect all new cars under that regulation, and therefor, those of us that would buy them.

[Rallye72]

Originally Posted by RRHemi

2000's gas goes to $5 a gallon and I have to buy a Subaru! WTF!

I happen to currently own a Suby (92 SVX) and had two previously. They're great cars, but yes most Suby's are a bit short on the style factor.

So, at the risk of getting a little to serious in here this is what you "younger guys" are going to have to contend with: first of all nobody in the rest of the world, or even most of this country, gives a **** about muscle cars or our so-called right to own/drive one. The car compays build what people will buy regradless of impact. It's about money and short term profits.
Oil is an expensive resource. It's going to continue to get more expensive - forever and ever, get over it. This country is rapidly enetering into an era where people in India and China think they have just as much a right to the good life as do you (regardless of what you may think) and their populations dwarf ours by 3-4 times the number. Their oil consumption is going to grow to huge proportions in the coming decades, as will the pollution it causes.

While I look forward to the Challenger, if tomorrow they announced they had a technologically feasible electric engine for it that created whopping acceleration I'd go for it in a second. Of course, that's not going to happen.

Bottom line: the 60's/70's are gone, they're not coming back. Enjoy the ride you get cause it to will pass into history and believe it or not you'll find other things to concern yourselves with.

[RRHemi]

My apologies if my whining disturbs you. I am fully aware of the world's energy situation as I think we all are. This is a Challenger enthusiast site and if the car dies or becomes very limited a lot of us will cry. Please pardon my enthusiasm.

[Handmouth]

If the challenger project is canned I will shed a tear and then buy a original 70's model. Either way I will have one.