What it means to be an American is, to a great extent, an ongoing and never answered question. I’d argue that the constant effort to find an answer is sort of the point, and if there ever is a truly definitive solution, then we’ve lost something of what truly makes this country so chaotically beautiful. That being said, there’s probably some common ground in that Americans believe in having choices.
This is both an outgrowth of the advanced free market that has developed over the years and an initial impulse that drove the Mayflower across the ocean, then filled the minds and documents that formed American society. While the political choices can sometimes run binary (or worse), commercial choices usually abound. If you don’t believe me, count the number of probiotic sodas available at fancy grocery stores.
The Morning Dump is getting philosophical today, and let’s start with a choice of sedans. If you’re a consumer in America, the options are dwindling when it comes to passenger cars that aren’t some form of SUV. A new report says that GM might fix that, tantalizing us with the option for at least one more sedan. I have ideas of what I want it to be.
Nissan still makes sedans, but the making of sedans isn’t making it rich. It’s still losing money and closing plants. Rivian is also losing money, but it’s less money, and it has achieved a gross profit. Lucid lost a little more than expected, but maybe it’s not entirely terrible?
GM Reportedly Needs To Build Two Passenger Cars… So What’s The Second One?
It’s no secret that GM will be creating a next-generation Cadillac CT5 on what’s expected to be the Alpha 2+2 platform, which is supposedly an evolution of the existing Alpha 2 platform that’s already under the CT5, and once held up the (sadly) lost Camaro. This is supposed to be built in GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly.
Here’s what CEO Mary Barra said about it in her latest letter to shareholders:
It’s clear that ICE volumes will remain higher for longer. We lead the industry today, and we are increasingly well positioned to meet strong, sustained demand.
For example, we are onshoring production of the Chevrolet Blazer, developing a next-generation Cadillac CT5 and redesigning and extending the Cadillac XT5. When Orion Assembly comes back online in early 2027, it will produce the Cadillac Escalade and then add our next-generation full-size, light duty pickup trucks.
Grand River ain’t a small place, and GM Authority’s, assumption, based on sources, is that one CT5 isn’t enough for the available capacity and that GM is developing “multiple variants” of Alpha 2+2. In order to maximize Lansing, there needs to be another car. And I mean car, not another crossover. And not an EV, a gas-powered car (or at least a hybrid). And a RWD-based one, at that!
So what does this mean? No one knows. That’s what’s fun about it. We can all use our imaginations and think of something completely out of the box, like a 2027 Chevy Malibu SS (I’m showing the Code 130R concept up top and the Malibu XTC Concept above for inspiration). Given that the emissions regulations (at least of the global warming variety) barely exist at the federal level, there’s also less of a penalty for the return of a Camaro and maybe a Camaro sedan.
A slightly more boring answer is a coupe version of the CT5, although that still sounds fun to me. I miss coupes.
Nissan Lost $1.4 Billion In First Half Of (Fiscal) Year, Pulls Guidance
The Autopian’s favorite car exec/drummer, Ivan Espinosa, has been trying to get Nissan back on the beat as the automaker struggles with its departure from the Renault partnership, the imprisonment of its CEO, tariffs, the inconsistent rise of electric cars, and all sorts of other issues.
It’s been tough, and Nissan has pulled its guidance for the year as it closes plants, sells its Japanese HQ, and does what it can to raise cash to get to whatever is next. The company’s first half of the fiscal year (April-September) showed massive losses due to reorganization and tariffs.
Without tariffs, the company says it would be close to breaking even, and Espinosa sees a path forward. Per Nikkei Asia:
“Our first half results reflect the challenges we face,” Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s President and CEO, said on Thursday. “But they also confirm that Nissan is firmly on the path to recovery.”
Espinosa, who took the helm in April, formulated the company’s restructuring plan, which called for the elimination of 20,000 jobs and reducing the number of car assembly plants from 17 to 10 globally by March 2028. The plan was developed after the company posted a net loss of 670 billion yen in the fiscal year ended March 2025.
“The plan is ongoing, and we are tracking according [to] our expectations in terms of speed and size of adjustment of the workforce,” Espinosa said. He has yet to reveal the exact number of staff cuts involved.
If Espinosa makes this work, the rejection of a deal with Honda will look remarkably wise. If not, then there’s gonna be a lot of pain that maybe could have been avoided (although Honda wouldn’t have solved Nissan’s overcapacity problems, so much of this is inevitable).
[Ed Note: A reminder that Nissan is absolutely worth saving. It’s a brand with an incredible history. -DT]
Rivian Makes A Gross Profit, Thanks In Part To VW
Electric truckmaker Rivian has had a long, difficult road to profitability. Just building enough cars has been hard, let alone timing them out to market demand. While the company was not exactly profitable in the third quarter, it did make a little more in revenue and lost less money than expected. It also posted its second quarter of gross profitability, which is important, as CNBC explains:
Regarding its gross profit, which is closely watched by investors, the company reported $24 million during the third quarter, beating FactSet consensus estimates of a $38.6 million loss. Both the company’s automotive and software and services performed better than expected.
“While we face near-term uncertainty from trade, tariffs, and regulatory policy, we remain focused on long-term growth and value creation,” Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe said Tuesday in the company’s shareholder letter.
Rivian’s gross profit included a $130 million loss in its automotive operations — which was a $249 million improvement from the same period a year earlier — that was offset by $154 million from its VW joint venture and software and services.
Ah yes, VW. While Rivian’s products might have carried it without help, VW’s offering over $5 billion certainly didn’t hurt. With some exciting cars coming, it doesn’t seem like a crazy bet to me.
Lucid Loses Less Money, Still Struggling To Ramp Production
Photo credit: Thomas Hundal
I haven’t driven one yet, but David and Thomas had great things to say about the Lucid Gravity, even though David thinks the styling was a misstep and that maybe the company is too nerdy for its own good. I have driven the Lucid Air a few times, and it’s an incredibly impressive machine. How’s the company doing?
Sales are up, losses are down, but the acceleration of production isn’t quite where it needs to be yet, according to Electrek:
Although supply chain issues hampered production in the first half of the year, Lucid’s CEO Marc Winterhoff said the company made “significant progress ramping production of the Lucid Gravity through Q3,” including adding a second manufacturing shift at its Casa Grande, Arizona, plant.
Lucid produced 3,891 vehicles in Q3, missing estimates of around 5,600. With 9,966 EVs produced through the third quarter, Lucid will need to build over 8,000 more to meet its full-year production goal of 18,000 to 20,000.
While Lucid doesn’t have a VW deal, there’s always the Saudi Public Investment Fund to fall back on.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
The idea of “selling out” is kinda a quaint concept in 2025. If you want to know what it felt like in the ’90s, “Sell Out” by Reel Big Fish is a decent primer.
The Big Question
What’s GM going to build and what do you think GM should build?
Top photo: GM
Probably building: Some half-assed rental-spec Malibu or whatever. I don’t have much faith in this.
Want to build: Bring back the Blackwing, you cowards. Or broughams. Or a Blackwing brougham. Also, Pontiacs? Hell, bring back Oldsmobile, too. Goodness knows, we’ve got the olds. And do broughams! Oldsmobile Broughams!!!
Also, a good, fun hot hatch would be cool. No one can afford the Oldsmobile Rocket-V8-revival Brougham right now besides the olds, so throw us broke folks a bone with something fun.
GM needs to bring back the Camaro and price it as if there had been no inflation since 1990. base model around $11K and top end at about $15K. I’d be all over that.
I’ll have some of what you’re smoking.
It’s a brisket. Plenty to go ’round.
“What’s GM going to build and what do you think GM should build?”
I’d like to see GM build a new Camaro… only this time, one with good sightlines. And I’d like to see them make a ‘4 door Camaro’ and that could be called the Malibu… or maybe the Impala.
And I’d like to see a Buick sedan version of a ‘4 door Camaro’… call it the Buick Wildcat.
As far as powertrains go, I’d actually like to see a hybrid as the ‘base’ powertrain, plug-in hybrid with more EV range as an option and offer a V8 of some sort in at least some models.
As for a manual option, I would love to see it, but I won’t hold my breath. Hell, I’d be happy if they simply brought the manual back in some future variant of the Corvette.
And apparently GM is working on some new hybrid powertrains:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/05/gm-files-patent-for-new-hybrid-powertrain/
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/01/gm-to-reintroduce-phevs-in-north-america/
Personally I think they should never have discontinued the ‘Voltec’ powertrain and instead, used that powertrain in more vehicles… particularly in their CUVs and made a variant for their smaller pickup trucks and even for vans.
Even though it would likely sell in lower numbers than needed, I would definitely be down for a CT5 Low Rent Variant. Base 4 or 2 door AWD or RWD with the Turbomax 4. offer it with both manual and Auto trans. and only Put the tech necessary to get it on the road legally. Make the options list a la carte so we can go back to building weird combo’s. Offer an RS version with the 3.6 twin turbo and the SS version with a 700 HP version of the supercharged LS. Might have to go away from the 6.2 since it now has a pretty tarnished build quality reputation.
Why, the Beretta of course
Forget more cowbell – we need more horns.
And Scott’s still a Dork
Will build: Malibu
Should build: El Camino
Perhaps GM could use this platform to create a new kind of vehicle: something with the lowered ride height of a sedan for improved handling and aerodynamics but combine it with the long roof design of a SUV for additional cargo capacity and practicality. A vehicle like that could have widespread appeal.
The could call it something like a Worldwide Automotive Globally Optimized Nexus or even shorten that to W.A.G.O.N.
A reverse Avalanche Even. Something that looked good when not hauling junk or kids and then went ugly flying boot when the family penalty kicked in?
That’s a stupid idea. Nobody in the past, present or future would EVER buy something like that.
/jk
Gemini’s generating some odd ones:
Wide Access Gear Organizing Needs
Weekend Adventure Grocery Overload No-limits
“commercial choices usually abound”
But do they? The rise of monolithic corporations and private equity usually means the differences in products on the shelf boil down to the marketing.
Because so many companies are in the same investment portfolio or under the same cooperate umbrella, they no longer really compete (airlines for example). They stay in business through anti-consumer practices like driving prices up and quality down.
This is why automakers are in their current states. You could argue this is also a very big part of what it means to be an American.
This, here! And largely the same products with different colors and name slapped on them (or “name” in regards to Chinese sellers with apparently endless Michael Scott Paper Company supplies of temporary disposable brands to use for the same exact product).
Hey, if you don’t like the disposable brands selling identical products, you can always get Amazon Basics branded versions of the same products!
Agreed. That’s less an example of American freedom and more one of American companies taking advantage of suckers with overpriced snake oil.
But hey, I’m feeling vaguely optimistic for the first time in about a year, so sure, FREEDOM!
Imagine a world in which BMW had forged a “merger of equals” with GM and then lightly redesigned the original 1 series into a Chevy [insert model name here] ala Mercedes, Chrysler, & the SLK-based Crossfire – the photo at the top of the story is 1000% what that car would have looked like. Is Chris Bangle working for GM now??
How about a station wagon version of the CT5? I still wouldn’t buy one given the inevitably stupid interior they will put in it, but one can dream.
Maybe GM could fix their engine manufacturing and stop destroying bearing surfaces.
Since cars were axed because classifying crossovers as Light Trucks gets around emissions regulations, how will they dodge requirements if they build cars again?
Requirements don’t exist anymore
GM should build an El Camino for the smaller truck market, and no crew cab version.
I’d love to see a Chevy sedan based on the Alpha platform with less exotic engines than the CT4/CT5 Blackwings. Sort of an SS replacement, but on the much better (and lighter) Alpha platform.
I greatly respect the Blackwings, but they are too pricey for me, bring me a Chevy version with a non-supercharged V8 and a stick shift, I don’t care what you call it.
They do make a CT5 V that isn’t full blackwing crazy. Granted it has a turbo-6 instead of a V8.
The non-Blackwing V’s are good cars, they just just need a manual transmission to be great.
Ah, I didn’t realize they are automatic only. That’s disappointing.
Right? They’re essentially Camaro sedans that you can actually see out of. A stick is a no-brainer
They need to build a big Buick sedan. Bring back the Riviera on the Alpha platform and print money!
And give it comfortable seats and a nice ride, too. FFS, with today’s capabilities, it shouldn’t be hard to do and still handle decently enough, if not set some stupid, pointless Nurburgring record.
1,000,000%, leave the Nurburgring for Corvette and Blackwing. Give me a competent, comfortable sport sedan!
Cars overall just ride so poorly now. I think my GR86 on the 17s holds it own for ride quality against regular cars, which isn’t right. I would love a good looking cruiser that handles decently enough for the real world of 1/20 on ramps that aren’t blocked by an idiot in a CRV.
I would like to see it cruising slowly around the ‘Ring while the driver and passengers enjoy the comfortable ride.
“What’s GM going to build”
An unreliable boring blob of forgettableness
“and what do you think GM should build?”
Excitement! Bring back Pontiac and it’s hood spanning Screaming Chickens!
I actually think Pontiac should come back. It won’t, obviously, but there is a gap in GM’s portfolio for a more sport-oriented brand and I think it would actually be received pretty well.
I imagine Cadillac has tried to fill the gap, though at the cost of luxobarge status on most everything except escalades I suppose.
Pontiac has youth appeal, Cadillac sounds classy and old.
except both Mercedes and BMW also sounded classy and old at one time and they got past it. Pontiac is an orphan brand for decades now. It was often a rude acronym describing Pontiac as a Cadillac alternative at one time.
Mercedes still sounds “classy and old” to me, though I’d agree with BMW.
I think it has something to do with styling/design language, but the name also just sounds that way where an initialism like BMW can feel more modern.
The names “Mercedes” and “Cadillac” have a certain feel to them, like they’re meant to be read in cursive. I don’t think that can go away.
Sadly, in this I suspect you are 1000% correct.
I suspect he’s 10,000% correct.
Possibly 100,000%!
“Excitement! Bring back Pontiac and it’s hood spanning Screaming Chickens!”
For many new-car buyers, ‘excitement’ amounts to heated ‘leatherette’ seats, a sat-nav system with a big screen, an ample number of USB ports and a name brand that gives the veneer of ‘prestige’.
Which means we need that screaming chicken all the more!
What GM should build:
Impala & Impala SS
Impala: Full-size, RWD/AWD, hybrid
Impala SS: Full-size, RWD, NA V8, manual option
An actually competitive hatchback/wagon (not a Cruze hatch)
Turbo 4 cyl., manual option
Call it a Nova??
A compact two-seat convertible roadster
What GM will build:
A 100K Cadillac sedan to compete against BMW 7 series
Also this is not relevant to the alpha platform question, but it’s crazy to me GM does not have an off-road SUV to compete against Wrangler/Bronco/4Runner.
A modern K5 with removable roof & doors would kill. Heck, even a mid-size Hummer (H3 EV?) would work.
Americans: *Looking what other countries sell
American Gov’t: “No, not like that”
GM should build a Chevy sedan. Something like what the SS was, but more aggressively styled and have some more pedestrian powertrain options to drop the price and juice the volumes. I’d like to see them call it the Chevelle since a larger sedan Camaro just seems off. They won’t do this, but I can dream.
I would also accept adding a wagon CT5 but that won’t exactly add the production volume they are looking for.
It’s going to be the 7th gen Camaro and I all that I am asking for is a car we can actually see out of with a trunk opening big enough for carry on luggage
You’re asking a hell of a lot out of GM
7th gen needs to be a 2nd gen retro design.
I kept waiting for them to do that, but they just went with increasingly ugly facelifts of the late 1st gen style instead.
I’d be all for it
GM probably should build something for Buick and Chevy, but at this point all I can think is that NASCAR is badgering them about a new Camaro. “C’mon, guys, ya’ll makin’ us look stupid runnin’ a car that ain’t bein’ made no more…”
If they need to boost Alpha volumes, they could always revive the Camaro again, and maybe spin off a sexier, more luxurious, Buick Riviera derivative
GM both should, and is going to (I’m manifesting here) build a new Roadmaster wagon.
Gimme that RWD wagon with a modern powertrain and that same optional 7000lb towing package.
^lights candles, orders wood-look vinyl and silently chants “Roadmaster Roadmaster”
An Impala would be good, with available police spec.