GM may not have enough cash for a production Cadillac Converj
Click image above for live shots of the Cadillac Converj Concept
Regardless of how much fiscal sense it might make to produce a Cadillac-branded vehicle that features the Voltec drivetrain shared with the upcoming Chevy Volt, General Motors might not have enough money to take the Converj coupe (your fav) from concept to production. The always-quotable Bob Lutz has said that there is much work left to do before any decisions are made, though a production Converj could still happen if all the cards fall into place. Basically, since there's only so much R&D cash to go around, the accountants would need to conclude that there is a better chance of making money with the extended-range electric Caddy (the Caddy that zaps?) than there is with some other vehicle that's already being considered. All of this makes plenty of sense, but we'd also add that the Volt has been given top priority in the GM camp, and a Converj for sale could help defray those already substantial costs. Stay tuned.
Gallery: Detroit 2009: Cadillac Converj
[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mike 8:23AM (1/20/2009)
I don't really get this one.
I know a lot of people really liked it.
But to me it just looks like an overblown toyota celica
- mike.
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Red 8:56AM (1/20/2009)
Or a Caddy interpretation of a Civic Si.
Red 8:56AM (1/20/2009)
That is the biggest crock of crap ever. What Lutz was really saying is, "if you like this car, you should give us more money to build it".
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GoodCheer 9:14AM (1/20/2009)
Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought when I read the headline too.
"We don't have the cash... give us ANOTHER $9 Billion."
[...and another, and another, and another...]
Tim 10:15AM (1/20/2009)
Saying that there "is not enough cash" is just begging for MORE taxpayer paid corporate welfare.
It won't make GM "well" because it won't get rid of legacy costs and it's NOT "fair" to the taxpayers who compete with the big-3 or are not in the auto industry.
Oh, buy the way did you know that the newspaper industry is lining up for corporate welfare too.
If you’re politically connected and “too big to fail” line up and the Democratic-Socialists and NeoCon-Fascists will “steal from the poor (taxpayers) to give to the rich (giant corporations). THIS IS “CHANGE”?
Obama is the “Sheriff if Nottingham” PRETENDING to be “Robin Hood”!
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Red 10:06AM (1/20/2009)
Grow up. *rolls eyes*
Tim 10:19AM (1/20/2009)
Red #6
WAKE UP!
Learn more about Statism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statism
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BGJ 10:43AM (1/21/2009)
It's true GM doesn't have the cash to do it now. The 2009 budget is already locked and will only adjust downward at this point if at all. Depending on how things go this year, GM could find room for capital expenditures for the Converj starting in CY2010, making it a late MY2012 intro at the earliest.
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BGJ 10:46AM (1/21/2009)
Take your -ism's and shove it. Can we please keep this an automotive blog? We are tired of your schtick already, go away and post on political blogs where you belong.
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rhys26 4:05AM (1/23/2009)
AMEN!!!!!!