At last week’s SEMA Show, General Motors rolled out a selection of modified vehicles hinting at more than one direction the automaker may go when it comes to performance vehicles. In an article by Automotive News the suggestion was raised that GM may look to bring back performance brands – which it cut from its lineup during the recession in an effort to both reduce development costs and to brand itself as a greener automaker (not to mention one that doesn’t use taxpayer’s dollar to build 500-hp machines).
This rumor does have legs, especially with GM recently announcing a new performance vehicles and motorsports division.
However, in an interview, Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing, seemed to hint at another direction for GM, commenting that it, “might be initiatives around parts and accessories.” In other words, GM would look to leave the real performance parts business to the aftermarket (for now) while focusing on the highly profitable customization segment. At SEMA GM did introduce modified “Z-Spec” versions of its Cruze, Volt and Spark, all with bolt on parts. This would seem to hint at a more Scion-like method of offering extensive in-house customization options to buyers, especially those interested in models more attractive to the younger demographic.
[Source: Automotive News]