PARIS – General Motors Corp, will build at least one car from its new global family of rear- and all-wheel-drive cars at a plant in the United States, company vice chairman Bob Lutz revealed in an interview at the Paris auto show, according to the Detroit Free Press. Lutz did not indicate which U.S. plant would produce the cars, when production would begin, or which brands would sell them. GM will also build a long luxury car based on the new global vehicle architecture in China, Lutz said, according to the Detroit Free Press. The new rear-wheel-drive architecture, called Zeta, will form the basis of the Chevrolet Camaro and a number of other cars for GM’s brands in North America. GM has not identified the other models, but they are likely to include large sedans for its Buick, Pontiac, and Chevrolet brands. The Camaro goes into production in late 2008 or early 2009 at GM’s plant in Oshawa, Ontario. The Chinese model will be called the Buick Royaume. Lutz did not say when the previously unknown new models would go into production, but GM began assembly of the first car from the program, the Holden VE Commodore, earlier this year in Australia, according to the Detroit Free Press. GM also unveiled the new Opel Antara, which is virtually identical to the all-new Saturn VUE SUV. Cars with rear-wheel-drive are increasingly popular in America because the layout lends itself to better handling, more power, and eye-catching styling for sporty models and cars larger than a Honda Accord or Chevrolet Malibu, reported the Detroit Free Press.
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