Volt

[Damn True]

Hmmm......in maybe a nice little cocktail dress you think?

Yeah, something that'll show off those cyclists legs w/o being trashy.

[trapin]

Yeah, something that'll show off those cyclists legs w/o being trashy.

I'd have said bikini but she's too classy for that.

Damn it True, see what you've done. Now you got me going. LOL!

[Damn True]

Someone had to get you to step away from the ledge.

[PhillipM]

Standard GM.. Get me all excited and then go and ruin it for me. Why do these electric cars always look rediculously normal. I wish they would have gone a little more edgy.. More like the first generation CTS.

[Damn True]

What is the cd of the CTS?

[BADVELLE]

I wish those photos didn't have those people in them. As someone who works every bit as hard as they do for this company, I think it's rather elitist and sends the wrong message. It takes several thousand people to bring our cars and trucks to fruition, not a chosen few. I am really getting tired of our designers and executives pushing their faces into the spotlight every time we introduce a new vehicle.

Do Toyota and Honda do this? No. So why do we have to?

Just show the damn car. Nobody cares who the damn designer was or which executive green-lighted it.

Agreed! Happens in every company, the indians do the grunt work, the chief gets his/her picture taken.

[6'9"Witha69]

I tink it looks great for a plug in electric. Hell, any car for that matter. I don't like that color as much but the blue in the transformers clip is definitely hot.

I would seriously rock one of these.

[Jim Nilsen]

Those white pills with pink flecks didn't even help the looks of the guy standing in front of the Volt .
The first thing I thought of was that the only way to detract something ugly from your first look is to put something even uglier next to it, but I didn't really want to insult that guy. Now you opened the door for me and I have to totally agree with you Tony. The old marketing people must be all dead or retired at GM because they knew that you could make ugly look appealing just by putting someone young and beautiful next to it.

That pic needs a bubble that says" look ma ,it's the last car they will ever let me have anything to with at work, did I look good in this pic?

Honda and Toyota will probably use that pic as the posterboy of who will be fired next if they redo a concept to look that plain

The first year of the Volt should be as innovative and striking as it can be so the first buyers can feel like they are on the cutting edge of something new instead of on the cutting floor of a hollywood editing room. It also leaves room for them to improve it more for the next years model if they had left it the way people really liked it.

[Jarcaines]

I loved the concept car, it's too bad they had to change the look, but I tell you what, if they make one fully electric and affordable, I will buy one no matter what it looks like.

[Damn True]

Conceptually the volt is perfect for me. I drive 30 mi per day, 5 days a week. If they made it a small wagon it'd be even better. Now I prefer the look of the concept, but the form shown in the transformers video is still pretty nice.

[hdesign]

It looks like a typical concept to production transition to me. It has many of the same characteristics but the wheel flares have been smoothed, the gigantic wheels have been shrunken and a more realistic greenhouse and side glass were added. Not bad for an eco-box.

[redfire69]

from camaro-isk to priusk... now we just have to wait for them to figure out how to implement the battery configuration to overpay for this turd...

[trapin]

From a packaging perspective I always thought the concept was a little too "over the top". And I guess I was right as they had to go in an entirely different direction. No bother. I think some of you guys are being hard on it. It's an attractive car and will do well if it's priced comparatively with the Honda and the Toyota offerings.

[redfire69]

Hopefully they can develop the battery technology to keep the price competetive (not 40K!)

http://wot.motortrend.com/6254608/ac...40k/index.html

[Jim Nilsen]

Hopefully they can develop the battery technology to keep the price competetive (not 40K!)

http://wot.motortrend.com/6254608/ac...40k/index.html

From my understanding of it, the batteries will be a constant changing enigma that due to the 90% plus recycling ability or better that will help offset the R&D cost to keep upgrading them for customers as they fail or don't live up to the expectations they set as the goal . I think it is a good marketing plan in theory to be able to bring an unproven car to market now and the money that would have been spent in testing will be spent in a direct partnership with the buyer. I keep wondering if it will be like lift truck contracts that make the battery a seperate entity and leasing of the batteries leaves them as the property and warranty liability of the manufacture? I think they already know what the numbers are from lift trucks and feel it is worth the risk to bring them out sooner than later so they don't get stuck following the boat load of cars coming this way or completely missing it altogether. With the right success in production cost if it comes , the price of the batteries could get to be a lot cheaper than estimated allowing better profits and a lower cost. let's keep our fingers crossed.

[bigvegan]

"It's an attractive car and will do well if it's priced comparatively with the Honda and the Toyota offerings."

Yes indeedy!

But given that the Prius starts at about $23k, and the new Honda Insight is going to start at about $19, GM may have a hard time moving them at $35k.

Chevy has a hard enough time keeping up with Honda and Toyota at the same price point. Throw in a 40-80% markup and GM is going to have a serious non-starter on its hands.

Sure, GM's technology may be better, but it's got enough work to do to prove it can compete with Honda and Toyota at the same price point to even think about trying for a premium.

[SaturnVUEguy]

Just came across this on Autoweek.com...

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...FREE/809169995

[BuddyP]

It was obvious from day one that the concept would not be able to hold it's design. This car is built around the idea of running on electric, and they needed every little bit of aero they could get out of it, hence the smoother sides, rounded front and smaller (17") wheels.

The interior looks great imo!

[PhillipM]

From a packaging perspective I always thought the concept was a little too "over the top". And I guess I was right as they had to go in an entirely different direction. No bother. I think some of you guys are being hard on it. It's an attractive car and will do well if it's priced comparatively with the Honda and the Toyota offerings.

I totally agree.

[rockdogz]

I am starting to like it more now... getting over the initial shock of how different the end result was from the concept was difficult