The “New” GM has refocused its efforts on automobiles, trying to build cars that appeal not just to Baby Boomers, but the up-and-coming “Millenial” generation that includes kids born between 1980 and 2000. This new focus away from Baby Boomers dreaming of “retro” cars brings with it all new challenges for a generation that wants affordable, sporty, and technologically advanced vehicles.
So GM designers went to work, consulting Millenials on their preferences and what they wanted in an automobile. A surprising number of them wanted a sporty-looking coupe, and so GM went to the drawing board and designed these two cars; the front-wheel drive Tru 140S, and the rear-wheel drive 130R.
First, the front-driver. The metallic-white Tru 140S is based on the Chevy Cruze architecture, and uses the same 148 horsepower/138 ft-lbs torque EcoTec four-cylinder turbo engine. It’s sleek design is inspired by European exotics, but, should it go on sale today, the price would start around $20,000. It’s a looker to be sure, especially the swooping back end and dual exhaust tips, but being a front-wheel drive car, it sort of kills any performance aspirations.
Enter the rear-wheel drive 130R concept, which looks like a Camaro romanced a Kia, and the love child came out not half-bad looking. While not as “exotic” as the Tru 140S, the 130R also uses the 1.4 liter turbo EcoTec engine and offers seating for four full-size adults. If there is anything the Chevy lineup could use, its an affordable and fun rear-drive coupe.
Being concept cars, they’re not slated for production… yet. But GM seems keen on getting feedback on these cars, and if they like what they hear they could decide to build one, or both, of them down the road.
So what do you guys think? Did GM nail it, whiff it, or are these concepts just… there?