These are not your father’s Oldsmobiles.
Consider:
– An Olds Alero coupe powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, supercharged to generate 230 horsepower rather than the normal 150 h.p.
– An Olds Intrigue sedan powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 supercharged to deliver 250 h.p. rather than the normal 215 h.p.
– An Olds Silhouette mini-van (yes, mini-van) with a 3.4-liter V-6 with intake and exhaust systems tweaked to generate 210 h.p. rather than the normal 185 h.p.
In addition to dramatically increased horsepower, all three feature larger front and rear stabilizer bars, beefed-up springs and shocks, larger brakes, 1.5-inch lower ride heights, larger wheels and tires (Alero 18-inch radials, up from 15 and 16 now; Intrigue and Silhouette 19-inch radials, up from 16- and 15-inch, respectively, now) and plastic lower-body cosmetic cladding in keeping with the performance image.
Other touches include Recaro Airmatic seats with heating/air conditioning controls, titanium pedals and front and rear spoilers.
The Alero, Intrigue and Silhouette are called OSV (Olds Specialty Vehicles), concepts of possible limited-production models similar to the image-building BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG performance variants of the carmakers’ coupes or sedans.
Olds, a GM import fighter, and the OSV trio are designed to test reaction to low-volume, high-performance vehicles that could attract import shoppers as well as younger buyers to Olds showrooms.
Alero, Intrigue and Silhouette were chosen for OSV treatment because those three have helped boost Olds’ sales 23 percent and lower the average age of its buyers by 10 years in just three years, according to Peter Kosak, Olds manager of strategic planning.
Olds unveiled the OSV trio at the Specialty Equipment Marketers Association (SEMA) show here.
The OSVs are some of the first work from GM’s new specialty vehicles department headed by John Moss, whose task is to take existing cars and tweak them to come up with niche versions to create some excitement and attract more customers.
Moss labored for years to create “one offs” for Chevrolet–high-performance or novel versions of existing models. Credit Moss for putting a Corvette V-8 and a sports suspension in the Caprice sedan to create the Impala SS sedan, sold from 1994 through 1996, as well as the two-door Blazer convertible that’s thisclose to getting a production go-ahead for 2001. Both concepts were first shown at SEMA.
SEMA traditionally is devoted to displaying customized, performance renditions of existing vehicles for the media and SEMA members, who produce and sell aftermarket parts and accessories used to personalize vehicles.
After SEMA, however, the automakers usually mothball the concepts, except for such obvious standouts as the Impala SS.
The OSV Oldsmobiles are an exception. They will tour next year’s auto-show circuit, starting in January in Detroit and coming to Chicago in February, to give consumers a say on whether to produce them.
“It’s one thing to show a concept to the media and get glowing reviews. It’s another to get direct consumer feedback to learn what it is about the concept that he or she doesn’t like–and get that feedback ASAP,” Moss told us.
“Based on feedback from shows, we can learn what ideas backfired and reconsider concepts that we thought about producing. It’s better to have an idea backfire in concept form at the auto show than in production form in the showroom,” Moss said.
“It’s better to spend a few hundred grand on a concept rather than many millions to uproot an assembly plant to produce a new vehicle and then find you have to put money on the seat (offer a rebate) to sell it,” Moss said.
– Olds also used the SEMA show to unveil another high-performance car–the 2001 Aurora sedan that will pace next year’s Indianapolis 500 race in May.
The 2001 Aurora arrives at dealerships in January. Aurora will come in two versions, the 3.5 and 4.0, the 3.5 being the V-6 model, the 4.0 the V-8. Most automakers produce a street-legal replica of the high-performance pace car to draw collectors and customers to its showrooms. Olds said it won’t sell a replica.
This will be the tenth time an Olds has paced the Indy. The first was in 1949, when an Olds 88 with a new engine called the Rocket V-8 did the honors.
