2002 caprice

[Norm reynolds]

Found this site I did not know that GM still makes the carprice
It is a rear drive V8 300 hp but here is the thing it is only sold
In the middle east ??? what gives


Norm
http://popularmechanics.com/automoti...th/index.phtml

[GMH454]

They are rebadged General Motors Holden Statesmans. Run crate LS1 as will the new Monaro old Camaro. Built in South Australia. We also have a Holden Caprice, have now since 1974
Australia home of the modern Muscle Car.
And wait to you see what Ford OZ has done. Don't beleive it myself but I may be driving a Falcon soon.
Rgds Terry

[Keith Tedford]

Lately we have been getting the Australian Supercar Series on the Speed channel. Looks like the New GTO has potential if they don't price it out of sight.

[MikeA]

I just don't understand why GM would not offer the Caprice in the US, emissions? That is a good looking car and I would have went with the Caprice over our '98 Regal.

[GMH454]

They have priced the Monaro, (the donor car ) at US$35,500.
This is a loaded car.
PW, leather,premium sound, climate control air, ABS, traction control, LSD, etc
What they will price it at is a figure that will allow around 20,000 sales per year.
They sell around 8,000 - 10,000 here and it needs around 30,000 to justify its tooling R&D cost (also sell some to the middle east. Not sure how many )

[GMH454]

Mike we scatch our heads on that one here and don't understand it either. Our Caprice/Statesmans only sell in numbers under 10,000. Why they can't sell them to the US is GM policy. To meet your Design Rules, it requires a move in the gas tank, no big deal. Fully loaded they sell here for around US$35,000, although the non leather version, can be had with LS1 for around US$30,000.
GM has decided that you all will drive Front wheel drive cars, as they are cheaper to build and engineer. or Trucks, which is something else no one in the world outside the US understands.
GMH's latest problem is matching the Ford Falcon output. Their last Commodore LS1 ran under 14.00 at the mag road, test (our drag tracks have virtually no rubber build up to help the launch so the speed could be repeated on the open road,) I'll bet that the car had been played with, something Holden usually does not do.
The Turbo six Falcon ran 14.2 in three different mag tests, (one of those carrying a passenger )and that is their no. 3 car. Its 240KW, with 260KW & 290KW, 5.40litres cammers coming in March. These are 4 valve engines, not available in the US.
Holden now has to do something with the LS1, as it is going to lose the bragging rights real soon. Hope Chevrolet has something waiting in the wings.

[elcamino]

<font color="red">Not enough buyers!! No one wants the rear wheel drive cars + they drag down the CAFE for GM. They sell too many trucks and SUV's and need all the economy cars that they can sell. The Olds Delta 88 and the 98 are gone, the Park Ave is a slow seller. And Pontiac is struggling selling a lot of Bonneville's. Poeple want Tahoes, Yukons, Suburbans etc.

I know the owner of a Chevy dealership for many years, said he sold more front wheel drive Impala the first year than he sold rear wheel drive ones in 5 yrs. People want a change, sure some would like them they way they were but not enough do.

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[Norm reynolds]

I Have to disagree about no one wants a rear wheel drive car
I have three front wheel drive cars and my 91 blazer
My blazer in two wheel drives better than any front
Wheel drive car. My 2001 Pontiac front wheel with
Traction control is awful A few weeks ago we had a little snow and ice
I had to drive my wife to work . Because this car was not safe was all over the road you have to be real careful
The front end will go sideways real quick
I am now looking for a rear drive car for my wife and
Dumping the front wheel car hope to get rid of the other two
Also. I HATE front wheel drive cars
I am not alone on this I hear it all the time is why
There is no rear drive cars to be had This is why there is
More suv,s being sold . I know one reason is the four wheel
That most suv,s have but it is also the rear drive
My local chevy dealership is all ways telling he wish he could
Get rear drive cars because he would sell a lot more of them
That is why I am glad the pontiac,s new GTO will be rear drive
And I hope that when GM brings back the camaro they leave it a
Rear drive car I wish I could get this rear drive caprice
Sorry for the long post but I just really hate front wheel drive cars

[hvychev]

IMO unfortunately peolpe do not want big RWD cars. At my dealership Crown Vics are as stale as 5 year old crackers.
It's a shame because they are a great car for the money.

[elcamino]

<font color="blue">I see the Crown Victoria is in the news for bad gas tank design. I see a couple of police got killed in a firery crash and now some police agencies are suing Ford over the cars. One of my coworkers brother is a MSP officer and he says he hates the Fords and would rather the Tahoe or Jeep Cherokee.

Rear wheel drive cars are not popular anymore, there design can't keep pace with the more fuel efficient front wheel drive cars. The GTO has to be imported because none of the GM assembly plants except for the Bowling Green Corvette plant are geared up from rear wheel drive cars.
I am not found on front wheel drive cars either. Of the 4 I have owned, I traded or sold each one because I did not like the way the drive, e.g. torque steer. The best one of the lot was a 1995 Buick Park Avenue, ones I hate and would never but again are the Lumina, Monte Carlo. Worse handling car IMHO. You can see what I prefer below. </font color>