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June 30, 2005
Podcast: GM's $33 Million Rollover Testing Facility
In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Bob Lange, GM's Executive Director of Vehicle Structure and Safety Integration, about the new rollover testing facility at the Milford (Michigan) Proving Grounds. Lange also talks about GM's vehicle stability enhancement systems and other safety advances.
Download the MP3 (11.3 MB)
Posted by Editor at 5:00 PM
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A Few Miles on the Clock
By Tom Stephens
Group Vice President
GM Powertrain
2005 Chevy Silverado HD
Today, J. D. Power and Associates released their 2005 Vehicle Dependability Study and the highest-ranked vehicle in the Heavy-Duty Full-Size Pickup category was the Chevy Silverado HD, with the GMC Sierra ranked third. It is a source of pride for us at General Motors, as it is an independent measure of the hard work and attention to detail that does into all of our vehicles. In fact, of the study’s 19 categories, GM vehicles top eight of them.
Not coincidentally, both the GMC Sierra Heavy Duty and Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty also topped their segment earlier this year in the 2005 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.
No doubt, one of the factors in the heavy-duty trucks’ top rankings was the performance and durability of their Vortec small-block V-8 engines. Perhaps no other vehicle is purchased as much for its workload capabilities as a heavy-duty pickup, whether that means towing a trailer or a heavy payload in the bed. We are continually amazed at the uses customers put our trucks through, especially those with the tried and true small-block V-8.
I could rattle off a dozen reasons why GM’s Vortec small-block V-8 truck engines helped the Sierra and Silverado climb to the top of the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study and Initial Quality Study, but the best example comes from correspondence we’ve received from Emily Wiles, starting in March 2003. She and her husband, Gary, run Wiles Enterprises, a transportation and delivery company that shuttles auto parts and other items between auto dealerships throughout the Midwest. In that first letter, Mrs. Wiles explained that the company’s three 2002 Chevy Silverado trucks – all powered by Vortec 6000 small-block engines – had each already accumulated about 200,000 miles after a little more than a year on the road. These were trucks that pulled freight-loaded trailers with gross combination weights of about 10,000 pounds.
We were enthused to hear of Mrs. Wiles’ experience, but frankly, not very surprised. Our heavy-duty engines are routinely tested and validated to 200,000 miles. The funny thing is, she kept writing with mileage updates. This past spring, she wrote to tell us that each of the trucks was nearing the 500,000-mile mark. She also stated that all the trucks have had only regular maintenance work performed on the engines – there have been no unscheduled repairs with the engines. Let me say that again: only scheduled maintenance with no repairs.
A single truck achieving such performance over a couple of decades is noteworthy, but the Wileses have had consistent and duplicated performance from all three of their Silverado pickups in just a few years. These are trucks that have traveled nearly a million and a half combined miles – several lifetimes’ worth of work squeezed into just three years of service. Two of these trucks are still on the road, making freight deliveries almost every day of the week. The third was delivered to us to run a battery of tests to determine the real-world performance and wear on our powertrains after more than 460,000 miles of rugged use.
Real-life feedback from customers like Mrs. Wiles is validation we take back to the drawing board. We are continually refining our small-block V-8 truck engines to provide enhanced quality, performance, fuel economy and, most importantly, durability. The Vortec 6000 engines in the Wileses’ trucks are great, but there are improved small-block engines already waiting in the wings and they promise to give our customers even more reasons to be excited. I wish I could tell you more about them, but you’ll find out soon enough.
Yes, the J.D. Power and Associates citation is something we’re proud of at GM. But stories like that of the Wileses are the accolades we really appreciate. It’s an affirmation that, after more than 50 years, the GM small-block V-8 is one of the best engines ever produced – and it’s only getting better.
We’ll continue to post updates from the Wileses on the performance of their remaining vehicles as they eclipse the 500,000 mile mark and approach 600,000. And this will be the first place we post the results of the analysis we conduct on the truck they provided to us. Be sure to stay tuned.
Posted by Editor at 2:15 PM
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A Two-Mode Hybrid for Highway Driving
The New York Times writes today about GM's two-mode hybrid system, to be available in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon in late 2007. The hybrid system, under development with DaimlerChrysler, will use a second set of gears and Displacement on Demand to achieve fuel economy in highway driving as well as in city driving.
Posted by Editor at 4:51 PM
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To Brazil and Back
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Last week, I had the opportunity to spend three days with our Product Development team in Brazil, and it was, honestly, an emotionally rewarding experience!
This small team, battling against stiff competition in a market just recovering from a severe slump, saddled with an exchange rate that makes previously profitable exports all but infeasible, and blessed with very little in the way of new capital, is responding with unmatched creativity and enthusiasm.
Their ability to re-use previously tooled parts from a variety of available sources, spend a minimum for new sheetmetal and bold, new interiors, add engines that can run on any combination of gasoline, ethanol or even CNG, is resulting in a stream of exciting new products ideally suited for markets that are developing and which cannot accommodate the costlier and more sophisticated products created in traditional Western countries.
They are striving to deliver the lowest-cost entry level vehicle line in the world, lower than the much-hyped Renault Logan or VW's rumored new low-cost project. And I am betting they'll succeed.
I left Brazil thinking: What a terrific, multi-talented company we have, and what an asset that we can exploit as we move forward in the implementation of "One GM", with one global product development organization, coordinated and providing mutual assistance and support around the world.
Up until now, this potential was not fully realized, as our strategy was a regional one. Now that we're global in our approach, we are raising our game to an all-new level.
To say I was excited at what I found would be a considerable understatement…
Posted by Lutz at 3:08 PM
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Pontiac Summer Solstice Podcast
In our latest podcast, we hear from the Pontiac Summer Solstice Party at Times Square in New York last night.
Listen to excerpts from the concert by JET, The Vacation, Citizen Cope and Kinky. We also talk to Maxim model Rachel Perry, hang with some big names at a VIP party, and of course, check out the new cars at Pontiac.
Download the MP3 (12.6 MB)
Posted by Editor at 12:07 PM
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Salón Internacional del Automóvil de Buenos Aires
Hoy, General Motors te invita a seguir por Internet su primera transmisión en español directamente desde el Salón Internacional del Automóvil de Buenos Aires, en el Predio Ferial de Palermo.
Vas a escuchar al señor Ray G. Young, presidente de GM Mercosur y a la señora Elizabeth Moscato, directora comercial de GM de Argentina. Ellos van a hablar acerca del desempeño de GM en el mercado argentino y sobre los nuevos vehículos que llegarán pronto a ese país.
También podrás escuchar al señor Maxililiano Laroquette, un ingeniero argentino nacido en Buenos Aires y que desde hace más de 13 años trabaja en el centro de diseño de GM en Warren, Michigan.
Esperamos que disfrutes de esta primera transmisión por Internet desde Argentina y te invitamos a dejar tus comentarios al respecto en el blog Fastlane. Bienvenidos a Radio Fastlane.
[This is our first Spanish language podcast. It's from the GM press conference at the Buenos Aires Auto Show held at Predio Ferial de Palermo on June 16.
Ray G. Young, President of GM Mercosul operations, and Elizabeth Moscato, GM Argentina's sales and marketing director, speak about GM Argentina's market position and future products for the country. The press conference also features GM Lead Engineer Maximiliano Larroquette, who is Argentine by birth and works at GM's Global Design Center in Warren, Michigan.]
Posted by Editor at 3:38 PM
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Extreme Interest
You may have heard that GM has been showing select media some of our key future products at the GM Design Dome in recent weeks. One of them was Peter DeLorenzo of Auto Extremist, who's normally a pretty tough critic of ours. We can't tell you more about the future vehicles yet, but see what he has to say. (Look below the photos of the Corvette Z06):
http://www.autoextremist.com/page6.shtml#table
Posted by Editor at 3:16 PM
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Corvette Z06 Details
Corvette Z06 Engine
FastLane radio host Deb Ochs talks to Dave Hill, chief engineer for
Corvette, about the 2006 Corvette Z06 launch. The Z06 is the fastest production Corvette ever and the fastest car GM has ever offered. Hill talks about the body structure and aerodynamics, and what's shared between the CR6 and the Z06. He also reveals how fast it is and how much it costs.
Posted by Editor at 9:44 AM
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Only the Best
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
2006 Chevrolet HHR
Earlier this week I was at the GM Annual Meeting and one of the shareholders asked me to give a glimpse into the future of GM’s product direction. As I was doing so, I decided that I should share my thoughts on FastLane since most of you were not in the ballroom at the time. So here goes . . .
There are fundamental changes taking place in our product development organization that add up to a winning formula. These changes are largely cultural, and as most of you know, cultural change often takes time. I’m sure some of you may have read Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, in which he identifies how minor trends become blockbuster phenomena. Well, I firmly believe we have reached a tipping point in our organization.
A few years ago, planners would sift through reams of data, segment the market, analyze and deconstruct the data until they discovered a niche in which we needed a new product. Once the need for the vehicle was determined, the designers were given a formula to work with. Not a blank canvas, more like a paint-by-numbers scenario.
Today, we’re operating on a much more emotional, creative level and our designers have been empowered to express themselves. Our winning products will not be determined by careful analysis; they will captivate and enthrall through imaginative design and flawless execution.
We’ll be introducing a lot of new products that reflect another new philosophy of General Motors, which is not to introduce vehicles that are merely competitive, but to really target being the best. This has, frankly, also required some recalibration of the internal culture, especially in the United States. And it’s taken some time to lift ourselves to the best international standard in sheet metal fits. Take a look at the upcoming Chevrolet HHR. I ask you to compare that $15,995 Chevy HHR —- in terms of sheet metal fits, hem flanges, the way all of the panels fit to each other —- to a Lexus GS 400, and tell me if there is any significant difference.
And, don’t forget to spend some time examining the beautiful interior. You could argue that in the past General Motors interiors were a little bit utilitarian. They were easy to keep clean, but they lacked charm, they lacked warmth, and they lacked attention to detail. Not any more. You’ll experience well-crafted interiors, great materials, knobs and switches that feel like they’re on an expensive Japanese camera, even in our inexpensive cars. That is the standard that the public expects –- it’s no longer just a question of: Does it last? Is it reliable? Does it start every morning? Those are givens. That’s the transportation part of the automobile business.
What we are re-learning as a company is that we are not simply in the transportation business; we’re in the art and entertainment business. So, what we’ve got at GM now, is a general comprehension that you can’t run this business by the left intellectual, analytical side of your brain alone, you have to have a lot of right side creative input. We’re putting a huge new emphasis on world class trendsetting design.
I will tell you: in the next two or three years, you’re going to see us bring to market a product line-up that takes a back seat to nobody. And that’s a commitment on the part of the whole organization.
Posted by Lutz at 2:05 PM
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Auto Prophet Defends Pushrods
We're not sure exactly who The Auto Prophet is, but he points out the merits of the pushrod engine, including its advantages as a platform for advanced technology, compact design that is easy to package within a motor compartment and great power and torque curves:
The Redemption of the Pushrod? Various pundits occasionally slap GM for selling pushrod engines. I have even been known to do it myself. But I have come to understand and respect GM's use of OHV designs, and the critics should stop and think about it for a few minutes.
We agree, and those are some of the reasons why we continue to develop OHV technology. We'd like to hear your reactions.
Posted by Editor at 10:22 AM
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(Almost) Summer Driving
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
2006 Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe
It’s been great to read all the Solstice comments in response to Lori Queen’s posts. I’ll just say that Lori and I appreciate your patience. You won’t be sorry you waited once you have one. I also noticed that amid the Solstice discussion, that issue of rear-wheel drive arose again, so I’d like to take the opportunity to address that one more time, along with a couple other questions I was asked previously.
About potential GM rear-wheel-drive products: First of all, for those who say GM is overcommitted to front-wheel-drive, I’d say that’s not quite true. We have the small rear-wheel drive architecture that will spawn the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. We have the Cadillac CTS, STS and SRX, three excellent rear-drive vehicles. And of course we have the Chevrolet Corvette and the Cadillac XLR. And the rear-wheel drive 2005 Pontiac GTO is practically sold out, despite initial worries of whether it would ever reach its targeted volume of 18,000 a year. Right now on the West Coast they just don’t have enough of them to go around, because it’s such a great car to drive. So there’s a whole host of rear-wheel-drive cars that we have already.
We’re fully cognizant of the advantages and disadvantages of rear-wheel drive versus front-wheel drive. We know that rear-wheel drive for the enthusiast driver produces a greater and more visceral sense of control. That isn’t to say that you can’t do a great front-wheel-drive car, and we certainly do a lot of those, with great vehicle dynamics.
But there is something very appealing about a rear-wheel-drive car, and it’s not lost on us. We have not at all abandoned our hopes and dreams for rear-wheel-drive passenger cars — we’ve just stopped work on one particular program. Does that mean there won’t be another and a better program to follow that one? No. Has the current trend toward nostalgia vehicles escaped us? No. Are we studying this phenomenon? Yes. That’s all there is to say about it at this time.
Also, someone asked me if I had to buy any car under $30,000, what would it be? I think, and I’m not just being a homer, I would go with the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, which is just south of $30,000, and a terrific vehicle to drive. I would also give strong consideration to the new Chevy Impala SS V8.
Finally, I was also asked what I’m driving currently… Right now I’m driving a test-fleet preproduction Solstice, a Hummer H3 and a preproduction Pontiac G6 coupe with the 3.9-liter V6. I’m sort of rotating through these vehicles, and enjoying myself very much. We get stopped a lot, both with the G6 coupe, and especially with the Solstice. People really like the looks of that G6 coupe — it does stand out. With the H3, it’s interesting, because people do a double-take. At first they think it’s an H2, but then suddenly it dawns on them that it’s smaller than that. It’s fun to watch.
It’s probably more fun to watch than to read about. But the H3 is doing very well right out of the gate right now, so I’m confident that you’ll have a chance to witness the phenomenon in person soon. Let me know what you think.
Posted by Lutz at 4:23 PM
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