---

Autoextremist Views the GM2000 Unveiling

27 October 1999

Special GM 2000 Show Car Edition as originaly published in Autoextremist.

 In an obvious counterattack move in the PR wars with Ford and DCX, over
 the weekend GM took the wraps off computer images of its new show cars
 for the upcoming season. Using a defensive, Stuart Smalley-like tone
 (I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn-it, I'm worthy
 enough!")in the accompanying press release, GM is hoping to prove that
 they are all the way back with this new array of show stoppers. We'll
 see. You can look them up for yourselves in Monday's USA Today
 Business section or in Automotive News. We'll provide our own
 commentary as follows:

                1. Chevrolet SSR. Proving that GM has
                mega talent lurking in those cubicles
                at Design Staff, the SSR performance
                truck is light years better than
                anything Ford and DCX has shown (so
                far). Confident and cool, this truck
                should be put into production
                immediately.

                2. Buick LaCrosse. Embracing the
                car/truck idiom in a very stylish and
                classy way, the LaCrosse should be
                another hit come January.

                3. Chevrolet Traverse. Chevy should
                quit screwing around with whatever
                version they're working on for the
                next Blazer and skip right to this
                one. The proportions are masterful
                (even if we don't like SUVs).

                4. GMC Terradyne. Reminiscent of the
                hot 50s GMC Tractor used in that
                ancient favorite show "Cannonball,"
                this truck humbles the "tough truck"
                show iterations from Ford and DCX.
                Another one of those "what are they
                waiting for?" questions for GM's
                decision-makers.

                5. Opel CVC, Saturn CV1 & Oldsmobile
                Profile. Three more renditions of the
                car/truck/mini-van hybrid, these are
                all competent and benign to look at.
                But someone needs to say "enough is
                enough" with these concepts, before
                they get out of hand.

                6. Cadillac 2000 Concept. Excuse us,
                but we spoke to soon. It already is
                out of hand as evidenced with this
                embarrassing monster attributed to
                Cadillac. The answer to the question
                that absolutely no one is asking,
                this wretched four-door "cruck" is a
                crock. So much for reinforcing the
                brand that is allegedly supposed to
                be "The Standard Of The World."

                7. Pontiac Piranha. Ah yes, last, but
                certainly not least, this disaster
                from Pontiac makes the Cadillac look
                somewhat appealing. A couple of years
                ago, Pontiac "designers" gave us what
                they called the "'Rageous," which was
                quickly dubbed the "'Diculous" for
                obvious reasons. Then last year, they
                let some misguided young "designer"
                do his rendition of the GTO, which
                was literally laughed out of Cobo
                Hall. And now we have the
                appropriately named "Piranha," which
                proves once and for all that the
                Pontiac "design team" is the finest
                puveyor of Clown Cars in the world.
                The Piranha is overwrought, overdrawn
                and just plain overkill. Hideous from
                stem to stern, it's "show" cars like
                these that should have GMPR rethink
                its advance press release hype.