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I thought I would pass along this quick update on the G6 GXP. The current sedan will be a 2005 Model year car. Because it is only a sedan, the Grand Am will continue in 2005 as a coupe only. This is to facilitate a slow ramp up at the G6’s Ohio plant. A new model always has glitches, and it is easier to work them out on each model at a time than it would be to intro all three G6 models in one year. The sedan will launch with a 170 HP Ecotech base version, 200 HP 3.5L GT, and a 240 HP 3.9L GTP. The coupe (which was shown on GMI earlier in the year) will come online in 2006, with a hardtop convertible following it by 6 months to a year. At some point late in this process we will see a 6 speed manual and AWD work their way into the mix as options. The market will dictate when and how these options are available. If the US continues it’s love affair with AWD, that option will be available across the whole model range. If not it will be reserved for the GXP version. The 6 speed is most likely to go across the whole model range since more and more companies are offering them.
That last piece of the G6 puzzle is the GXP version which will likely show up in 2007. Initially, it will likely only be available on the coupe and convertible versions, with a sedan coming later and depending again on the market. The hardtop convertible will be the centerpiece of the group sporting an ASC roof unit similar to the SSR’s. It will also have an upgraded interior, AWD, the 6 speed, and about every other option GM can cram on the Epsilon platform. The car will be powered not by the rumored supercharged 3.5L engine, but instead by a 3.9L OHV V6 armed with three valve heads, variable valve timing, and Displacement on Demand. This engine will be good for 270 hp plus, and offer superior fuel economy to the supercharged 3.5L. Expect the price for a G6 GXP to run very near $35,000 by the time it is out.
In closing I want to stress that things at GM change daily, and the timeline for this is far from concrete. Everything mentioned in this article is fully engineered and likely to happen, it is just a matter of when and whether the market dictates it.
AWD+270= 8)