(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 in Cars & Trucks
Ricardo Navarro
I want to let you know my thoughts about a specific new rear-wheel drive vehicle.
I think Cadilac will benefit with other SUV, this year even the SRX is below the sales figures of last year.
The market is out there and:
· GM has the Sigma architecture.
· You have over capacity on Lansing Grand River. By the way this week the facility is on down time.
· Cadilac has all the power train: The Global V-6 motors, the manual and automatic transmissions and AWD developed for SRX and STS, that in a near future you will need also to adapt on the CTS.
· The SRX has received many great reviews but still struggles to meet sales expectations. I have to believe that the big size is one of the main factor.
· It must be an entry level SUV, more personal (not just for the family) in size, feeling and look.
The development time and cost will be minimum.
You will optimize the use of Lansing Grand River facility.
The opportunity is now. Just do it.
You have even the name CRX
kathy
Bob,
Funny how you and Lori beat aroung the bush so well!! Most of us would like some answer regarding production times????? Because when you call your dealer they have nothing to tell you!!! Very poor comunication at GM.
Chris
“Has the current trend toward nostalgia vehicles escaped us? No. Are we studying this phenomenon? Yes.”
Sorry to say Bob, but this is typical GM - stand around scratching your head until the market has moved on to something else… then bam! The brand-new 2012 GM Nostalgiamobile. Try getting out in front of the trends if you want your vehicles to be desireable again.
John
So that means that if I want to drive a GM car with RWD and a V8 for less than $25k sometime in the next 5 years, I’d better go ahead and start taking night classes at the local community college, because it doesn’t look like GM’s going to come through for me with anything new and affordable.
Ford’s going to make a fortune with the Mustang while you all are “studying this phenomenon.”
Don’t be stupid, the only reason the Camaro didn’t sell was because the name has negative name value (yes, I know it’s got a great heritage, but it’s also got the gold chain crowd “b***hin’ Camaro” thing as well, as does the Monte Carlo) , the driving feel was lacking, the rear seats were worthless, and it looked silly.
None of those are difficult problems to fix. Take the CTS Spec V engine, manual transmission, and chassis, pop the Monte Carlo / Grand Prix body over it(2dr and 4dr options), (I don’t need to tell YOU ALL to throw in a cheap interior) and sell it at a fixed price of $25k without rebates or dealer markups, sell it as the Chevy Chevelle. Sure, you’d have to use different factory lines, but it’s not like you don’t have the idle manpower or capacity available.
Sure, you can stick with the front wheel drive vehicles with their “great vehicle dynamics”, and you’ll also stick with a market share that continues to plummet.
A whole host of RWD vehicles? Yeah, none of them are available for less than $30k except for the Miata copies that won’t even be available until after Mazda launches its newest model.
Quit lying to yourselves and us.
Rockin’ V8 Powered RWD cars that sell for a bargain price are what made GM great and what will make GM great again.
Come on Bob! You’re responsible for the Dodge Viper and the Solstice for Pete’s sake, and you fly a fighter jet in your spare time. Don’t try to shill for the GXP and the Impala, it’s just not even remotely believable.
They hired you because they knew you’d help GM make great cars again in spite of itself. It’s your job to help them do that, not convince us that pig’s ears are really silk purses.
Seriously, the ingredients for a great American car are as follows:
Rear Wheel Drive
V-8
Reasonable Price
Stick Shift
Wicked Sound System
Decent driving feel and handling
Note, none of those criteria mention number of doors, vehicle layout or anything like that, so they’d be equally applicable to Minivans, Sedans, Coupes, or Ragtops.
Ditch all those ponderous front-drivers and get with the program, or we’ll just have to wait for the bankruptcy buyout and hope someone who actually likes cars gets to make the decisions on what goes into production.
Edward Hayes
Nothing beats seeing them on the road. At the autoshow against exotics, hype, flash and window dressing its hard see through the glitz. Even the Mustang looked uneventful until you see it on the road. But even with the glitz the Solstice and H3 stood out.
Lutz what do you think about Buick repositioned as the car end of Hummer? The H3 with its high thin window profile seems to mimick the Buick 8, just the kind of retro heritage vehicle that will make Buick explode.
Buick/Hummer “The ultimate escape on the road and the ultimate escape from it.”
Pontiac/GMC “Professional grade, professional sport engineering.”
One appealing to the blue collar professional the other to the white collar elite. But please the tripple thing Pontiac/GMC/Buick is not a strategy at all.
Smaller volume automakers sell their cars in their own dealerships.
Buick is the Hummer of the car world.
Thank you Lutz and GM for this amazing forum!!!
“GM will be #1 for the next 75 years.” R. Wagoner
David Snyder
Front wheel drive is better in snow and cheaper whereas Rear wheel drive is more fun to drive, but what about AWD. Given GM’s relationship with Suburu, I’ve really been surprised that more hasn’t been done with their AWD technology and infusing it with GM’s small car line. Growing up in Michigan and the mountains of Pennsylvania, I would love to have a sporty midsize AWD GM car… (while I’m dreaming, I’d also love to have one that is a manual and has a fuel efficient diesel engine… probably from Opel’s stock). What would be even sweeter is the idea of being able to turn of the AWD feature and be strictly RWD, so that the car can have better EPA ratings for the summer. Would love to hear your thoughts.
kurt
When/IF “AutoshowinMotion” (an excellent marketing program) swings around our way again, I’ll be happy to check your new RWD and AWD offerings. As mentioned before, the products are getting better.
As for casually visiting a GM dealer, or seriously considering buying a first year GM car again, no thank you. Some GM things never seem to change.
gtluis
Mr. Lutz,
You are very brave to give the employee discount to everyone. I think it is good move economically and toward the production woes at GM. It also alleviates a lot of old product. I feel that the more product of your creation that gets to market, the better your will portfolio look.
The solstice, G6 coupe, and H3 are great examples. The solstice will do well against its only competitively priced vehicle, that of the miata. The G6 is seriously a more desireable coupe option than the coupes from sedans like the camry, accord, and chryslers. You really need a coupe, performance wise, like the mustang though. And the H3 was done right with the smaller engine because the market is more cautious towards bad mpg these days. Besides, I know I wouldn’t want to barrel down roads in a heavy H3. What’s the point, I feel? In that case, I think you should offer a v8 option or something. Hopefully you will continue to rain in more product because you’re company needs you with all the negativity swirling around.
The TrueTalk Blog
Bob Goes All Wheely
Tonight’s Bob Lutz post is all wheely-frosting.
Steve G
I agree about the AWD.
Ford is taking full advantage of its relationship with mazda and getting better suspensions.
Ford is taking advantage of its relationship with Volvo and putting AWD in its 500.
So, what is GM doing with Subaru?
The answer is to make some cars, like the Impala, or build a new Chevelle, make it RWD with an inexpensive AWD option.
RWD is hot now.
Don’t wait 3 years to give the public an affordable RWD car!
And you and i can see how popular the CTS is, I see them all over the place. Kinda obvious that RWD sells.
Use the platform that is on the Soltice and Sky and build a new Camaro and Firebird with it. Imagine the excitement that would bring. A V6 version for under 20 Grand-that would get the teens out of the import frenzy they are on and bring back some American glory.
Come on, just freaking do it!
Chet
A pair of toys, a single coupe, and a pair of premium-price sedans doesn’t give the SS/Excitement family man anything he can afford to own. Unfortunate that you don’t have the resources to build the car most enthusiasts could buy.
Would it kill you to build a Pontiac/Buick Sigma? Maybe you’d sell a few to people who like the CTS but just can’t get past the styling.
Dale Coats
A simple plan -
Build a small, affordable, rear wheel drive sedan, based on the Kappa (or Beta?) platform.
The entry-level sport-compact Pontiac G4.
Lead into a new segment, not follow.
gtjeff
I would say GM places too much emphasis on trucks and Suvs. You must have a balanced product portfolio.
GM has shown that they can execute a very nice rwd car in the $30-50k range, but below 30k is what the majority of us can afford. Where is a new Fiero GT, Grand National, Camaro, El Camino, Nomad, Chevelle, 300 c competitor? How about a remake of the 57 Belair? There are many of us who dont want a loss leader Miata. Build cars like these and many of your problems will vanish.
Charles Philippou, O.D.
[quote]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.[/quote]
Come on Bob, I wanna hear you say the “C” word.
Ok, I’ll say it - CAMARO!
Here are some things that you absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it, have to get right on this car:
1) Right sized. We’re talking tidy 21st century ponycar here - not a midsized 2 door. Think G35 coupe/SN95 Mustang.
2)Drop dead gorgeous sheetmetal/proportions/stance. Yes ALL of those.
3) World class chassis dynamics.
4)A joy to own, drive and sit in.
Further details available upon request.
Thanks,
Charlie
Scott Larsen
it is amazing how people think an all rear wheel drive line up will turn gm around. I am a chevy salesman and yes having more rear wheel drive options is a must. front wheel is probably still more valueable, at least in most of the country that has snowy winters. focus on QRD (quality, reliability and durability)and STYLE. Get rolling on the VVT, DoD, Stabilitrak, onstar, more gears in auto and manual (the 5spd auto mated with the 3.4 in Equinox makes the power more noticeable)I tell people everyday how confident in GM I am and I hope I am right. Live up to “Only GM” soon
Kyle Markley
Bob,
(Argh! I can’t embed HTML links in comments? Fine, you’ll get the plain URLs…)
You can get a great LaCrosse for under $30k. I did. I didn’t like the Grand Prix so much, and the Impala didn’t offer stabilitrack.
http://arbyte.us/blog_archive/2005/05/Bought_Car.html
I have some advice on makng the online shopping experience more pleasant. Please consider it.
http://arbyte.us/blog_archive/2005/05/To_Automakers.html
My vehicle was a factory order, so I’m not sure what GM’s June incentives package means to me — the price was negotiated in May. Fortunately I don’t think I’ll take delivery until mid-July, so the incentives will have changed again. You should blog about the new incentives! Aren’t your employees upset about them?
A question about LaCrosse. There was more road noise than I expected on the test drive, and I’ve read the tires it ships with aren’t so great. Is this true? How can you QuietTune a car but give it loud tires??
Joe R
Having owned AWD, FWD, and RWD cars, I will take a rear wheel drive car over any other configuration — unless I live in the snow belt. I think GM needs to offer all three but keep the performance oriented vehicles to RWD and AWD.
It is great to have GM executives reading this blog and hearing the unvarnished feedback of car buyers. There is no lack of ideas out here on how GM can help itself win again in the marketplace.
David
Bob,
While you guys are “studying” the nostalgia and RWD trends, other companies are making money off of it. Of all the problems I can think of at GM, it’s the fact that you guys review and focus group eveything to death that hurts you the most.
How come little Holden was able to design a terrific RWD coupe in such a short time while it takes GMNA years to even get a plan together?
P.S. Thanks for bringing over the GTO - we like ours a lot.
Lisa
Bob, I too did a double take when I saw my first H3. Great looking truck. Now, I’d like to see you guys driving around Detroit in a hydrogen vehicle. All the fleet hydrogens you are doing with government agencies is great, but what about giving some to your employees at the Ren Cen, Warren and possibly across the regions (namely CA). You could have Shell Oil outfit a station near the Ren Cen and Warren to provide the fuel and then get some real world test driving done with these cars. It would create the much needed exposure for your Hydrogen program and give you some real world evaluation. It’s costly, I know, but I’d love to see you guys pull way ahead in this race to make hydrogen a reality.
Tom
Mr. Lutz,
My instincts tell me that you are playing your future RWD plans close to the vest for maximum impact at product unveiling. If that’s the case, I want to make sure that you are aware of the huge corporate spying scandal being exposed in Israel. See here:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/06/01/israel.computer.breakin.ap/index.html
I’ll be buying a GTO next year, and I’m looking forward to being a regular GM customer. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got up your sleeve!
Mikko O
Bob,
I was left feeling let down that you and your team is just studying possibilities for a future rear-drive program. GM seems to be late to the party all too frequently. I’m begining to wonder if we’ll even see a concept Camaro, and full-size RWD vehicle to compete with the Chrysler 300C for the 2007 Detroit car show. Forget about 2006, I just think I would be living in a pipe-dream to think you could have almost production ready concepts to show us in under seven months.
Ford and Chrysler must be ecstatic that you haven’t bothered to give them competition for the new Mustang and 300C. Please prove me wrong and dare to compete with these two sucess stories. The sooner that better!
Scott Larsen
2.4 vvt turbo 6 speed manual Cobalt SS
Malibu SS 6 speed manualstay fresh with designs, frequent updates, integrated antenneasfor xm,onstar and radio in rear window.make the performance models more available. I’ve been waiting 6 months for a Cobalt SS order. People want to see the exciting cars before they want to see the base models.
New_Mexiso_Sunset
Very good news to hear. I just got back from the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch where I took a 3 day course in advanced driving in C6 Z06 and C6 Corvettes. I would hope IF a ‘07 Camaro Z/28 does come back that it has foot pedal position which supports “heel/toe” shifting and has a seat position for proper performance driving placement.
I look forward to seeing some of these models very soon. I am very anxious to see performance RWD return, finally, with an excellent selection of exterior and interior materials.
Jordan T. Marmara
Mr. Lutz:
Quit Studying RWD, DCX has beat you to the punch, twice! Come on GM, get with it!
Chris
Dear Mr. Lutz,
If you need to give everyone employee pricing to spur sales, it should be telling you something. The price of your cars and trucks are out of reach of the average consumer. Forget the “Hot Button” promotion, just announce that you are going to lower the prices on all your vehicles - your already adding incentives to almost ever car. And if the dealer still can’t close the deal, throw them a little dealer cash and they’ll make it happen (and it won’t kill the residual values). Apparently, your marketing team skipped a few days of Marketing 101 (product, price, distribution and promotion). Price them accordingly, at least until you really have some gotta have products - I’ll go over supply and demand in a later course.
Worried Detroiter
Mark
You know what is funny, and seems to be a common theme throughout this entire blog?…That everyone wants RWD,HP,and a return of the Camaro… Now how many times do we have to say it before GM starts to listen?? As I have said before, I really really hope that there is some secret programs going on that will give us a Camaro, Chevelle, Bel Air, Firebird, Grand National, any of these great car legends within 2-3 years time. We are tired of the same old stuff. Hit a homerun like Ford did. What makes American cars great?, and what aspects do old collector cars have? Big V8’s, twin exhaust, manual trans, with cool features. You don’t see any “Classic” hondas or toyota’s on the road! The American V8 will always be king of the road. Now make some affordable variations and we would be all set. Imagine a big old remake of the Skylark convertible?? That would be awesome! Nothing coming out of Japan or Germany would look like that! We have enough SUV’s!!
Davvy
Keep studying Bob, i bought a new Mustang. Coundnt wait any longer…
Dave
Sean McGrath
Speaking of the H3…are you also “studying” the current phenomenon of car buyers leaving the SUV market in droves?
Why does GM always seem one step behind?
Bob
Bob,
The comments in this blog so far are very interesting, they are from your customers and I agree with them, quit studying and start doing, duh!
I want to thank you for the GTO, I bought an 05 on Good Friday and wow, what a fun car to drive. I’ve wanted a GTO since my high school days (1967-69) and by the time I could afford one the GTO was nothing more than a decal package. I can’t understand why some of the car magazines ripped on the Goat unless they didn’t bother spending a few hours with it first.
The GTO is back to it’s basics, raw untamed power. The only negative comment I have about the GTO is the key, it is like a small sword. Outside of the obvious, I really like the manual climate controls, I have yet to see a decent automatic HVAC system yet. Just build back to basic fun cars and I will continue to follow.
Bob
Thomas
Two different choices:
(1) Let’s do a study of the recent RWD performance car phenonmenon. Find out why people likes cars with better handlings and more hp….etc.And probably miss the boat.
(2) Start making affordable performance RWD cars and make boat load of money like Chryler with its 300C.
What would GM choose? Option 1 of course.
James Clifton
Where is the Camaro? I have owned many Camaro’s over the years with the 68 & 69 being my favorite. I currently have a 96 Impala SS that I am ready to let go of. I now find myself for the first time in my life looking hard at the 05 Mustang. I am a hard-line Chevy man but GM has let me down here. I need to know, will Chevy answer Fords call or do I change camps (I still can believe I’m thinking this). Take the GTO, rip off the terrible body and give us a retro Camaro.
I have to agree with most posts about GM missing the mark on car models and interior. Chevy once ruled the street and now I find it over run with rice burners and Mustangs. It is time for GM to declare war. Is anyone in Detroit listening?
indi500fan
The H3 looks great. Any chance they can slide in the aluminum 5.3 with DOD?
I think the gas mileage would be close to the 5 cyl with lots more “guts”
Collin MacDonald
Bob,
I just finished reading your article and the responses of the people. I own a 2002 Corvette and 63 Corvette, with a 05 Silverado Diesel 2500HD, and a Mini Cooper. Do you know which one of all these vehicles is the one I most enjoy (key word enjoy) driving? The MINI COOPER…do you know why, they got a complete package. Sorry I own old and new Chevrolet, and GM just doesn’t get it. Cobalt is nothing more then a Cavalier on steriods….and you pay for it. You are so busy reaping profits the past years from the SUVs you have forgotten about rear wheel performance cars. GM has a pathatic line up this year. If I remember correctly this was suppose (2006) be the year of the intro of the new Pontiac Solstice, MONTE CARLO LS1 Rear Wheel Drive, the NEW NOMAD, the NEW BELAIR, along with the Z06 Corvette…and the General only could produce the Solstice and Z06 Corvette (to me the C-6 Vette is nothing more then a C-5.5)
Yet FORD has the GT40, New Mustang and now the new Shelby Cobra, along with a couple of others in the wing.
Bob, the state of GM is simple, you guys just don’t listen..we ask for a good solid muscle car and you give us an SSR truck or have to go to Austrailia to import the GTO or put a big engine in a caddy (CTS_V) with a unaffordable price tag….Ted Cole, Zora Duntov, and Bill Mitchell are rolling over in the graves…GM is dying slowing..simply because you guys and gals in the DETROIT Culture DON’T LISTEN…while you study, Chrysler and Ford are producing excitment…you produce SUVs and Trucks… I miss the old GM…sorry but I have seen the demise of the Camaro, Firebird, Buick GN, Buick GS, Olds 442, Impala SS (94-96), and the list goes on only to be replaced by Japanese clones, Malibu, G6, Cobalt, LaCrosse (know as the Buick Taurus), and the famous Aztec….sorry Bob…maybe you need to get back in your plane a fly away…
Craig Storm
Keep on “studying” Bob. Wow, we just bought a 2005 Dodge Magnum RT AWD to replace our 2002 Impala LS. Study that! A big rumbling V8 engine, FIVE SPEED AUTO with manumatic, decent interior quality, lots of room to stretch out, choice of Rwd or Awd, great exterior styling, FULLY loaded well under $40K, with minimal rebates.
Doesn’t seem like something that needs a whole lot of studying to me. GM is going to “study” themselves right out of business. Is the car business really that hard to figure out?
Pamela Hawkins
Interesting how you can get kudos from Wagoner as if he weren’t in GM’s top management.
We gave you a chance for honest feedback and marketing ideas FOR FREE, and you wouldn’t listen.
GM has been weighed in the balance and found weightless, not just wanting.
SSFan
PLEASE, please keep in mind the following when working on your nostalgic and/or other future vehicles:
1. UNDER $30K
2. Big V8
3. Dual Exhaust, attention to percieved quality (nice fix in the ‘05 GTO)
4. Comfortable seats (all of them)
5. 6-speed manual option on ALL variants
6. Utilize heavy-duty AWD systems from Hodlen for high-HP applications.
7. ALL variants should have high percieved interior quality. Note: new BMW 3 - offering Aluminium or Wood interior as free options.
8. Design it with the intention of the interior/exterior being a ‘classic’. Lets see some curves on the outside- if Hyundai can do it GM can. On the interior, Mazda and Ford have also found ways to get great looking interiors affordable.
9. Don’t forget everyday needs - cupholders, fold-flat seats, split rear seating, storage pockets, MP3 Aux inputs (Equinox is a great example of what’s possible)
10. BETTER Color selection than a box of Crayola crayons - come on, anyone slapping down ~$30k is more sophisticated than that. DO NOT repeat GTO colors. Do what Harley does and offer premium metallic colors for an added price. Perhaps offer Cadillac color selection for an extra $1000 - it would be WELL worth it!
11. Offer the preceding 10 points in a wide range of vehicle types. 2-4 door, 4-7 seater, hardtop/convertible. Note the ‘07 Toyota Highlanders - you could beat them to the punch in the crossover wars and offer an LS2 powered option.
12. Don’t forget Economies of Scale - the more of this you can standardize across the board, the less the per unit price will be.
Well, that’s all the dreaming I have time for now. Please try to implement as much of this as possible.
Keep up the great work (but do try to lead the pack - and not just follow 2+ years behind).
Thanks!
crazy legs
“why does GM always seem one step behind?”
BECAUSE THEY ARE…
Trucks and SUV’s are still the major sellers even if the followers are dwindling…you can’t deny the facts, ‘big is still in!’
I’m starting to believe your letting the Mustang and 300 stay at the top until they can’t, then you’ll introduce a competitor to throw in some variety…just don’t keep us waiting too long! I don’t plan on buying a new car anytime soon, I’ll stick with my classic V8 muscle… I just don’t want to see or hear about GM and its troubles anymore.
ROCNDAV
Bob, I’ve own three Camaros and want to buy another when its released. I dont know how much longer I can wait.
GM said the Camaro was cancelled due to lack of sales, but when ever I went to a lot, all I would see is V6 Camaros. Who does your MRP and forecasting? They are/were terrible at it.
I’d love a Vette, but quite frankly, cant afford it, not to mention really do need two rear seats (even if I can only fit a bag or small child back there).
Come on, listen to the people, bring back the Fbody.
Harold Hauser
Please, please, don’t lose the good-performing front-wheel drive cars??! I live in the Chicago area, and for the sake of good performance have put up with Mustang GTs and Corvettes in the past, sliding around in the snow and ice all winter long. Then I bought a 2002 GTP Grand Prix, and especially now that I have a set of triple-tread Goodyear Assurance tires on it, am enjoying it more than ever. I look forward in the future to buying a Grand Prix GXP if available in an all-wheel drive configuration, or if it’s only front-wheel drive. No way I’m buying another RWD car in Chicago…
Sean McGrath
Big is still in, eh? Read the news sometime….
“The data suggesting a big slowdown in big traditional SUV sales continues to mount with the release of a new report from J.D. Power’s Power Information Network (PIN).
The PIN says that in April, truck-based SUVs captured 12.1 percent of theU.S. market, the lowest market share since May of 1996. In contrast, the market share of car-based crossover utes hit a peak of 49 percent in April, the PIN adds. When it comes to “days to turn,” or the time it takes a vehicle to be sold from the dealer lot, truck-based utes took an average of 79 days to sell, while crossovers averaged 48 days.
Finally, up to 20 percent of full-size ute owners crossed over into crossovers in April, a figure that was even higher in the Northeast. “
The Painful Truth
People of the forest in the world of autos. Hydrogen vehicles sound great, even fuel cells. GM and other auto manufacturers are exploring, researching and developping these technologically advanced machines, however, will not put them into mass production any time soon. The reason, believe it or not, GM, as well as the others, gain highly, so much that they depend on oil based fuels. GM assisted in the development of ethanol and gasoline fuels for the sole purpose of making profit. Do they care about the environment? Of course they do. Are they making advances to protect it and make a fuel efficient vehicle? Absolutely. Are they going to push it so that it becomes as standard as gas and diesel powered vehicles? No, no way, GM and the others depend on oil, there’s frankly no immediate profit, it would be a pain to get the oil guys (shell, BP, etc.) to develop fueling stations for the hydros b/c it’s costly, so they would need to auto manufacturers to pitch in. It’s all money, it’s all about the bottom line, and the bottom line is at this point in time, it’s not going to happen anytime soon, maybe within the next 20-30 years, but not in the next 5. So for now ladies and gentlemen, diesel is king as far as fuel economy.
Remember the EV1, great concept, great vehicle, RIP.
The Painful Truth
Chris C
Bob, you crack me up! If there is a RWD chevy, 2 or 4 doors I really don’t care anymore, that looks impressive I’ll probably buy it. But besides the obvious desire from most of your strongest supporters for a RWD car, GM needs to do something that can go beyond the competition and set yourselves apart. I’ve read that GM has alternator technology that can shut down engines at stoplights and act as a mini-hybrid. Put one of these as standard equipment on all GM vehicles along with DoD, market it to consumers who need better fuel economy, especially on their trucks, and start a fuel economy (american) revolution. Use more light weight materials to make existing powertrains more efficient. If you put the same effort on saving fuel as you do on cutting costs, you’d make Hondas look like gas pigs. At this point, it is wholely worth it to take a cut in margins because you won’t have to offer $3000 on the hood! Make the next generation of products slightly lower margin, but have them exceed customer expectations in every way. This is what Nissan is doing, their trucks for example are priced VERY competitively and offer at lot of HP for the money. They do this to build up a base of hopefully repeat owners. Might want to go back to basics and act like a smaller company, because your time at the top isn’t secured anymore. Fight for customers, make your products so clearly superior that customers won’t need to be read JD Power quality reports to believe it. I’m rooting for you guys, keep up the good work.
Craig W
Bob,
Only 2 comments this time around.
1. Performance RWD car with AWD switch. We have the technology. AWD is a bummer year ’round. The selector switch is a great idea. Similar to the 4×4 truck powertrains… I think the AMC Eagle in 1982 had this feature.
2. The new 272 is a fine, fine car, however, it needs dual stalks on the steering column!! That single LH “smart stick” stalk is out of date for a drivers car (DTS option only?). I want a 272 but I am disappointed that there is only 1 turn signal/wiper stalk on the LH side of the column. Please fix this oversight (now)!! Otherwise the DTS is a great looking car.
blox1
Bob: Bought a GXP 2 weeks ago. My comments about the car can be found at autoweek under Pontiac GXP in Sport and Sporty car in the Combustion Chamber forum. All I can say is, for those of us in the northern climes keep building cars like this. I also own a 2002 vette and guess what, I will never see the handling limits of either one of these cars on the open road. So it dosen,t matter to me about front or rear drive.
John
Seriously, what would it take from those of us who love GM and want it to succeed to get you all to start making some better product in the sub $25k range?
Here’s the deal GM, I WANT to buy a GM car. (You might have guessed that from my obsessive postings here.) But right now, there’s nothing that interests me in your product lineup, except for the Solstice, but who knows when that’s actually going on sale?
Let me give you all an idea of how bad things are for GM right now.
I drive a bone-stock 1997 Honda Civic CX with 106,000 miles on it, a stick shift and no power steering (handles great, parking is a pain), and if you offered me a straight up trade, even steven, between my Honda and any currently available brand new car in the GM lineup for less than $20k, and I had to keep either car as a daily driver, I’d keep my Honda.
And I consider myself a fan of GM! I don’t even know if Honda has a blog! I could care less about the Honda Corporation!
All I know is that while I’m not in love with my Civic the way I could be with any number of other cars, it’s never really let me down, the way American cars have disappointed me in the past, and continue to disappoint many of my friends and family.
Bottom line GM, you either have to make cars that are absolutely bulletproof when it comes to reliability, and start offering 6+ year bumper to bumper warranties to prove it, and start competing with the Japanese on their own ground;
OR
You have to go back to basics, to the fundamental reason I consider myself a Chevy / GM guy rather than a Honda guy, and start building cars that people can LOVE WITH A PASSION!
No one can love a re-bodied Cavalier. No one can love a car that takes all the pleasure out of driving. No one can love an overweight front wheel drive rental car. No one can love a car they can’t afford.
What we can love, however, is a stormin’ rear-wheel drive car that we can actually afford without breaking the bank, with a stick shift, a V8, responsive handling, and a back seat large enough for our friends and/or canoodling with our dates.
Build it and we’ll buy it!
Don’t build it, and we’ll drive Honda and Toyota econoboxes and dream of restoring cars GM made back when they made cars people COULD both love and afford.
Raymond Rahi
Bob,
You can obviously ‘feel’ the enthusiasm here for GM products. The same kind of GM products that we all dreamed of and wanted to own many years ago. Attractive, powerful and well-built cars that LED THE WAY in automotive design - not followed whatever the latest trend was. Since the ’70’s, GM has been a poor follower and not a leader in any of these areas. Yes, we need a new Camaro and some affordable RWD full and intermediate size cars, but we also need GM Design to get it together and produce the kind of designs that Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell created - not the cookie-cutter copycats that we get for the most part today. Some of the Cadillacs and the Solstice are a good start, but you need to get the mainstream volume vehicles right as well - before its too late.
mike
Bob,
You have a deliverable to your “retro design phenomenon” study, it’s called Nomad. No doubt, one of the slickest GM concept cars in over a decade. While I think the 90’s concept Nomad was better (because it was a V8) and despite it being a 4 cylinder, I would commit dollars down payment today for this latest iteration. Question: why would you build and market the Saturn Sky (a batmobile/Power Ranger version of the Solstice) and not consider building the Nomad (a unique sports wagon).
Sorry, it wouldn’t matter if you offered up a 12 cylinder Impala SS; if it’s a FWD I will not buy it. After owning several so called “performance” front wheel drive GMs (Z34, LTZ, Cutlass Sup SL, Beretta GT, LeSabre T Type, Regal GS), I can say with confidence that front wheel drive and words like “performance” or “excitement” should never be used in the same sentence. These cars were such disappointments that I quit buying fwd four new cars ago. And not that I’m overly sensitive when it comes to name plates, but slapping “SS” on anything that is a FWD or has a bed is truly pathetic.
Of the RWD vehicles you mentioned, please tell me which are under $25K and have any utility to them. Pointing out your thin fleet of RWDs only illustrated how far GM has drifted from affordability. The one closest to fitting this description is the $33K, GTO and while I can afford one, I wouldn’t buy one.–The car simply is not worth it. Value is the issue and a set of hood scoops or a 50 hp bump to an outdated design (a 1999 Holden) isn’t going to make up ground for being that far out of the reasonable price range.
Apologize for nit-picking your response, but comments such as; “We have not at all abandoned our hopes and dreams for rear-wheel-drive passenger cars…” does not evoke confidence that GM is committed to producing an affordable RWD vehicle. “Hopes and dreams” suggest that like the customer, you too are a passenger in regards to product design/direction. There is enough talent in your performance shop and existing hot rod pieces on GM shelves to quickly and economically bring a performance RWD to reality. Turn them loose!
The Sigma chassis would make a great platform for a 2 door Chevelle. Until then, I’ll take that Nomad in dark blue please!
Thomas
Can someone remind me why a 303hp FWD with front tires wider that the rear tires is a good idea.
“Pontiac Grand Prix GXP”
BTW, what is up with the door guards, does anyone notice the positions of the door guards are rediculously high. I don’t remember seeing any other car on the face of this earth has door guards so high on the doors. There must be a reason for that.
Arghh…..come on, if an amateur like me could spot that, you guys should have caught it and fixed it even before it’s introduction.
Bring It
Mr. Lutz,
I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, time from your duties and from the office to comment, to blog and to entertain our inquiring thoughts. I for one, know and appreciate that a person with such a position as yours takes interest and shows to his customers that he cares and shows it by commenting on this blog.
Regarding your comments for studying the phenomenon. This is your phnomenon, Sir. You have a window to the thoughts, brain and the mind of your consumers, customers, current, future and past customers, telling you why they would purchase, but more important, why they don’t, won’t or feel they shouldn’t purchase or lease your vehicles. Which means, that knowing this important information, gives you an uncanny opportunity to improve on your products, to make then likeable to these people that refuse to purchase them.
Regarding your dealer network. Yes, we know they’re independently owned and operated, but that does not excuse the way the customer experience, service experience and treatment is delivered. These dealers are outrageously damaging General Motors Corporation by their actions, tactics and sales practices. Of course we’re talking the General GM dealers, Chevy, Pontiac-GMC, Cadi (may be an exception when it’s a Cadi dealer alone) and Buick. That needs to be addressed by your dealer relations department head.
So, what are you doing with this window? Is it just a company gimmick to promote more vehicles, of course it it, but this blog is also a valuable tool in learning what you can and should do to better your company, but more important, to keep, earn and gain completely satisfied customers.
Mr. Lutz, don’t sing it, Bring IT!!!
Thanks for the opportunity to post.
Bring It!
Martin
Only one V8 RWD comment above rings true to me, and that is that it is the stuff of future classics. There really is no such thing as a classic Asian car. That said, RWD is not a great package for mileage (remember CAF√â?), winter handling or interior room. And FWD is not completely hopeless in overall handling. I drove a BMW 325 and a Malibu Maxx LT back-to-back at the Boston AutoShowInMotion event and aside from the handling advantages of the RWD 325, the Maxx was a clear winner. The handling of the Maxx was 85-90% of the 3 series, it matched it in acceleration, and won the interior and value comparisons hands down. I’ve owned 325s and know what they’re capable of. But just being RWD doesn’t buy you much in daily driving, other than a warm fuzzy on a few exit ramps. And it costs mileage and interior room (not to mention an extra $15K out the door). Hopefully the Maxx SS will give me all the warm fuzzies I and the rest of my passengers need.
CCryder
Bob,
I just got back from a vacation where I drove a Buick LaCrosse rental for a week. EXCELLENT CAR!! My only complaints were the high accelerator pedal effort, a bit too much fake wood, and the tires (they were a bit noisy). Other than those minor issues, I was plesantly surprised. The cabin was so quiet that I didn’t notice an ambulance behind me with the siren blaring until the lights caught my eye in the rear view mirror. The car felt very solid with almost a “heavy” feel. It reminded me of when I had my ‘01 Aurora, but actually felt better.
You really need to get people into these cars. The seats were very comfortable, the gauges were beautiful and the ability to open the trunk with either lock switch is very cool too. The “old” 3800 idled as smooth as silk and had good power. Perfect combination of smooth ride and decent handling.
I know there is alot of bashing going on in this blog, just thought I’d tell ya some good news.
A. Seissler
The G6 is very well done - except for one issue - why a 4 speed auto transmission when even VW can put a 6 speed in a Jetta?
Jim
Lots of these comments are on the same theme, but like it or not, we are enthusiasts, and most cars are bought by soccer moms and old men. Thus almost every car I see at GM dealerships (and other brands as well) is a V6 automatic 4dr sedan in a camouflage color with between 60 and 100 airbags, and zero driving interest. Mr. Lutz, I don’t envy you! You seem to love cars, and you have to build commodities.
Just the same, ther is one theme I think can be executed: take a simple RWD midsize platform, clean up the handling dynamics, put a corporate engine with enough grunt in it with a manual trans, and SOME of us would buy it at a good price point. Remember the Road Runner? A Belvedere, for God’s sake, with a 300 HP 383 or more for a workingman’s price point. Didn;t make all of Mopar’s profits in the late sixties, but kept a key market segment interested and faithful to the Plymouth brand when it was looking pretty stodgy. Could GM do that today?
Thanks for listening
Samuel
Bob,
I love the 05 GMC SUV Denali and previous 04 and 03,01 Suburban and 95 Tahoe. The only problem is red color has not been available since 03. The pickup trucks have red, why can we not order a red Denali SUV
Joe R
I really appreciate the comments of traditional American muscle car fans — wanting a new Camaro, fast RWD sedans, etc. I encourage GM to “go for it.” But I am a BMW 330Csi owner and would like to buy an equivalent Caddy or Saab…but I want the same level of refinement, handling, and design. I want an interior is a delight to the eye and hand, not the cold hard plastics commonly found in GM rent-a-mobiles. Your product portfolio should broad enough to satisfy me, the GTO buyer, my cowboy uncle, and the neighbors who don’t buy a car until they read Consumer’s Reports. One type and size of product does not fit all. GM has more than enough brands (one could argue too many) to satisfy a broad group of consumers. I don’t care if you source the car from Australia, Sweden, Detroit, Japan, or Germany — I just want a quality, high-engineered product that is truly best in its class. When spending $50K on a car, I expect no excuses, especially for the car maker’s structure, problems, or internal politics.
David Thompson
Let’s see what we have here…
Cadillac CTS: 15′10″, 3509 lbs, $30,885
Cadillac STS: 16′4″, 3960 lbs, $41,220
Cadillac SRX: 16′3″, 4164 lbs, $39,035
Chevrolet Corvette: 14′7″, 3179 lbs, $44,510
Cadillac XLR: 14′10″, 3647 lbs, $76,650
Pontiac GTO: 15′10″, 3725 lbs, $34,295
I’m 28 years old and spent my childhood in nothing larger than a K-car. I look at what you uphold as the vanguard of GM’s RWD efforts and I see a list of LARGE, HEAVY, EXPENSIVE vehicles. I have no interest in anything you cited, and would immediately sell all of them if they were given to me for free.
(In fairness to the Corvette, it is respectably lightweight thanks to its fiberglass body and aluminum everything else. I’d still sell it without a second thought.)
Pontiac Solstice: 13′1″, 2860 lbs(est.), $19,995
The Solstice is a huge step in the right direction, with a competitive engine and a superior suspension design. However, it has only two seats, no roof, and a token trunk, rendering it unsuitable as an all-weather, all-use primary vehicle. Therefore, I can’t justify spending the money to buy one.
What would I spend my money on? A 4-door car with a back seat, built on a 12-inch-longer Solstice platform, weighing under 2900 lbs, styled from the Holden Torana concept, with three engine choices: the stock Ecotec 2.4 from the Solstice, a 7500-rpm VTEC-cammed 250hp 2.4 Ecotec, and a 350hp twincharger on the VTEC Ecotec with optional AWD. Price range from $20,000 to $30,000.
Whoever builds that car and brings it to market in the United States will get my money, in the next 8.5 years. If no one does, I’ll pick up the phone in January 2014, call an importer, and make arrangements to buy an R32 Nissan Skyline sedan. I doubt I’ll be the only one to do so.
Andy
Mr. Lutz:
GM needs a gotta have RWD four door car, with a small V8 that will sell for less than $20K fully equipped, no haggle price. The goal should be to make it a competitor to BMW.
Besides cutting edge design and contemporary but muscular styling (NO retro please), it must have world class fit and finish. I suggest that GM bite the bullet and make your affiliate Subaru/Fuji responsible for the fit and finish of this vehicle.
Even though the profit on this vehicle will be minimal, you’ll sell a ton of them and bring new buyers over to GM. Go for it!
Edward Hayes
Thanks to Solstice and China for saving Pontiac and Buick.
Pontiac- the Holden of America. Holden’s prowess on RWD Zeta makes GM’s $8 billion investent with nothing to show for it look imbarrasing.
Saturn- the Opel of America. Your on track to do this.
Buick- Put its headquarters in China. If you love the bird let it go!!!
Let them take these markees under their wings and let your Saturn, Pontiac and Buick engineers develop joint projects under your international strong houses. If its just a markee it can blow over and fall down in the wind.
Holden is a brick house so is Opel, and China loves an independent, strong and proud Buick. A billion Chineese and me are the only ones left that believe in Buick.
Your Pontiac/Buick/GMC thing is a dissaster on paper and why should it be any different in the real world?
ChrisC
I’m sorry Lutz, you’re a great guy and all and I can see that you’re all working real hard in Detriot, but let’s face the facts. We keep saying “GM, stop talking and start building.” But we keep getting the same “We’re looking into it…”
How’s that going to help things? What’s the point of dragging it on? Just let it loose and say, “We have no idea what we’re doing with RWD.” Then we can get on with our lives and buy products from companies that are building RWD vehicles right here, right now. (Or at least enjoyable vehicles that look great.)
People are getting tired of waiting. Actually, let me rephrase that. GM fans are getting tired of waiting, the rest of the public did so years ago. I have to say that Zeta, to me, was that last string of hope. I’m still committed to buying the few standout vehicles from GM, like the CTS and the Kappa twins, but the rest of the lineup is just not attractive to me or to many customers.
James S.
Mr. Lutz,
V-6, V-8 optional, RWD, under $30K. Get it? If this concept needs to be studied, all those who don’t get it, should be fired.
Dsuupr
Now that Pontiac is concentrating on what they are good at, how about a rear wheel drive, 4-cyl, 4 door sedan like a BMW 3-series (but less $$ of course). No one does it and if GM did they would stand out liek Chrysler did with the 300.
Reagan
Lutz, Thank you for taking my advice to focus the brands. The Hummer H3 is way too slow, the new Xterra powertrain blows the H3 away. The GTO doesn’t handle worth a darn. Its soft and lazy on the track. The new trucks and suv’s better have 5-6speed auto’s, or everyone will laugh you out of business. Do more with VARIABLE CAM LIFT AND VALVE TIMING, DIRECT INJECTION, VARIABLE INTAKE MANIFOLDS, BETTER SOUNDING EXHAUSTS. Gm could be amazing with just a few tweaks.
Derek May
Bob, I work at a Pontiac Buick GMC franchise in Canada thats been around for 40 years, weve had some great products from those divisions, but what I here alot of people mentioning is they miss the famous “Go Fast with class” tag line from Buick, are we gonna get some products that fill that description, cause as nice as the Solctise is, alot of people miss the old kick in the butt feeling theyd get in thier GNs, GSs, and Rivs while still riding in comfort. By the way pairing up the three divisions is the smartest thing to do, they appeal to a wide range and complement each other.
Eddie B
Mr. Lutz,
Very simple, Bring back the Chevrolet Camaro. I am a very loyal Chevy owner and would very much like to be able to purchase a BRAND NEW CAMARO. (V8 & RWD)
The excuse that the F-Body stopped being produced due to a “changing market” is ridiculous. The Ford Mustang is proof positive that there is a market for these cars.
If there is a Camaro in the works it really needs to be brought to market post haste!!
The masses have spoken and they have repeatedly asked for CAMARO!!
When Ford threatened to kill of the Mustang, public outcry was great…And Ford listened!! Why is GM so different?!! Why won’t GM listen?!
GM needs a halo car, and it needs Camaro now more than ever.
Thanks Eddie B.
Rick Cowan
Hello Bob
I bought my first car in 1967. It was a brand new Olds 442. I currently drive a 2000 GTP.
I am a GMAC employee and for the past few months I have been trying to buy a 2005 GTO. I have been lied to by managers and sales people over the phone and right on the lots so many times that I could write a book about it. I have been told that there are GTO’s in stock at a dealership and have driven over 15 minutes later and the manager tells me they don’t have any. This morning I was on a lot and the manager asked if I needed help, and I said do you have any GTO’s and he said yes we have 2. The sales person he paged for me came out and tried to sell me a 2004, and when I said I wanted a new one he said we only have the one 2004. I could document 4 months of stories like this. I guess I am one of those West Coast people you mentioned in your post above that just missed the boat.
Do you think that lying and wasting people’s time is a way to treat a very loyal GM buyer, let alone a fellow employee?
I guess the final straw came a few days ago when it was announced that GM was giving everyone the GM discount. I was happy because the bi-weekly stocks I have been getting for years have been taking a hit, and I was glad to see some movement on fixing the problem. That very same day the GM interest rates for financing the GTO jumped to 6.25%. That huge jump across the board for financing the GTO has made it impossible for me to buy the car, even IF I could find one.
I love my job and I love GM, but I may be forced to buy a car from Japan or Germany for the first time in my 40 years of driving.
Alex
Most of the visitors to this site seem to be car enthusiasts with taste for big old V8 and large cars. Although important, but I am not sure they represent a large market. So, you should not loose site of the bigger and more competitive market that demands premium sensible cars like these:
1) Car-based SUVs: Equinox is so and so (engine and transmission are not competitive). You need a much better product. In a buy decision, I would go with Ford Freestyle based on the reviews.
2) World-class near luxury car: Set your site to compete with the upcoming BMW 3 series. CTS and Saab 9 3 are good (the latter very good) but not in the same league as the new 3 Series yet.
3) Family sedan to compete with Honda and Toyota: Malibu is very good. But Impala is not competitive. This is the interesting part about this car. Impala drives very well as evidence by two of them that I recently rented and drove. However, when you sit inside the car, the cabin is just not very attractive. You really need to pay attention to interior design details and use of material. Also, you should never release any car in the competitive family-car market segment that is not superior to the engine (Honda as benchmark), transmission (at least 5 speed), handling and safety features of the similar Asian cars.
Steve G
Motor Trend this month’s issue, has the 2006 Chevy Impala SS on the cover and also discusses the Zeta platform inside. (and also chastises GM just like we do for being slow in bringing it over here).
Keith O
Mr. Lutz:
I was very pleased when I heard the news that you were going to be the “product czar” at GM. Finally, I thought, “my company” is going to produce cars that are going to set the world on its ear! GM will once again be the standard bearer for the industry!
It’s been a couple of years now, and I’m still waiting for the GM renaissance to happen. And I’m starting to get very, very worrried.
It seems that now, every time I pick up the paper, or turn on the news, or go online, I hear more bad news about the company I’ve been a fan of since childhood. First, there was the demise of Oldsmobile. Then, GM’s bond rating gets downgraded. After that, all the recalls. It seems like GM is in free-fall, with no end in sight.
What’s going on, Mr. Lutz? How did things at GM get so bad so fast? What are you and the rest of management doing to stop this nonsense?
If I may offer a suggestion or two, I think that some of GM’s problems could be solved if the Corporation invested its money in producing truly high-quality cars and trucks that were attractive, reliable,efficient, exciting, and truly competitive against the best that Toyota, Nissan, DaimlerChrysler, et.al. have to offer. It would also help if GM were AHEAD of the curve in developing new and exciting products, instead of responding to current trends.
GM has always been a leader in the industry. I believe the time has come for the Corporation to lead, REALLY LEAD, once again. And not just in the amount of incentives offered to move the iron. The desire, the talent, and the resources are there within GM to make the Corporation great again. Please loosen the reigns and let the good times happen again. Before it’s too late.
Oh, by the way, if you must delve into “retro” designs, a new Impala inspired by the 1965-66 models would not be a bad thing.
Kurt
When did Chevrolet become a bling bling brand?
DannyK
I agree with Chris’ remarks (paraphrasing) about GM forming some committee to study the nostalgia vehicle phenomenon.
There is nothing to study. Back in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, when GM was hitting its stride, it made some very attractive and desireable vehicles. The old cars were sharp. GM mastered the concept of clean lines and understated styling … ironically the same strategy Honda and Toyota have ridden to success.
GM cars aren’t bad, but they don’t really turn heads, either. Recycling the old Chevy Impalas-Camaros /Pontiac Tempests-Bonnevilles/Olds F85-Cutlasses with clean updated looks would sell because they have timeless designs and they wouldn’t look like anything else on the road today!
DannyK
One question for everybody with this quote from the Detroit News: “GM is repositioning Saturn as a more upscale brand below Buick, leaving behind its past as a purveyor of plastic-clad compact cars.”
Three questions:
1. Isn’t this where Oldsmobile was positioned?
2. If this is the case, then why did you get rid of Oldsmobile?
3. Since Saturn is the new incarnation of Oldsmobile brand, would you consider working in some of the Olds brands (or even the Oldsmobile brand name) into the Saturn line-up? Aurora, Toronado, Alero, Cutlass, F85???? What about a Saturn (or Buick) Cutlass 442? Buick Aurora? Buick F85?
I was always a big Olds fan (before I switched to Honda in the 1980’s) and was sorry to see it go.
Craig W
Bob,
Where are the manual transmissions? The new line of Chevy SS versions NEED manuals if you are going to sell them off as “sporty”. The Grand Prix, Malibu, Maxx and STS should have the 5 or 6 speed manual option. Please insist the “sporty” cars GM sells include the manual option. Some of us still enjoy driving for ourselves!!!!
Larry G
Mr. Lutz,
The last time I owned a GM vehicle was 1979. Poor quality, poor performance, poor service add up to a company that has been fading for the last 30 years! Starting with Roger Smith forward - GM has been run like a parts bin out of control. Build a car and slap on every extra plastic part you can find in the warehouse. Terrible design and management - the perfect recipe for where you sit today. Management is paid millions and this blog is full of “everyday Joes” explaining how to save a company. It’s simple - do your research and marketing in a timely manner, build a quality product at a competitive price and have a great dealer base for service.
Build a good product and they will come. Incentives, employee discounts, selling to rental fleets to move product is nothing but desparation. None of this would be necessary if you built a product that people want. GM management needs to take some very painful steps and address the real problems of the whole operation. The problems are much deeper than you need a new Camaro to compete with the Mustang…much deeper.
Bruce Sherman
2 suggestions:
1.For the Camaro fans, produce a stripped down, low cost, hard core Corvette “Stingray” (think Porsche RS America)–no options, cloth upholstery, delete whatever you can take out of the Corvette to reduce cost or substitute cheaper alternative (e.g., simple manual a/c control in place of more complex Corvette a/c, substitute less expensive instrument display, less expensive stereo,etc). Give it Z51 suspension, but DO NOT de-tune the engine! Give it manual transmission only. THE KEY IS TO PRODUCE A VERSION OF THE CORVETTE WHICH SELLS FOR $35k OUT THE DOOR. By calling it the Stingray you won’t offend those buyers who want and can afford a standard Corvette and you will give all those Camaro fans a product to buy without funding an entirely new vehicle.
2.Produce the Hummer H4. Price it against the Jeep Wrangler. Make it tough looking on the outside (think military look) and make the inside spartan and utilitarian. Make it open air (pop off roof) and give it removable rear seats so that it can be used like a small pickup bed. Base it on the 4wd Canyon/Colorado mechanicals–again to save the cost and time of an all new vehicle.
Bruce Sherman
E Chiu
“Why does GM always seem one step behind?”
Look at the average age of the Board of Directors and you’ll know WHY!!!
Larry Simic
No comment Mr. Lutz but a
question.
What’s planned for the Linden NJ plant ????
E Chiu
The Mercedes is coming out with the 7 speeds automatic NOW. I believe they will quickly filter it down to all their lines. In a few years time.
What is GM best automatic? A 5 speeds? Just what happened to GM? Automatic transmission was always the strongest/best product in GM. And now, the competitors have catched up. While others are moving to 5 speeds, GM still offers 4 speeds. Economy car with 4 speeds is O.K. But every things above the Cobalt should have a 5 speeds.
Ed
How about doing a concept based on the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biraritz. It was a beautiful car ahead of its time. If you previewed it at one of the auto shows I am sure you would get a lot of positvie responses. I, for one would put my order in immediately.
Bruce
Hello,
I am a Chevy/Hummer Sales consultant. I would just like to comment on the interiors of the Chevy cars. The leather interiors are very nice. But some of the cloth interiors are just terrible. For example, I wanted to buy a Monte Carlo for my wife. The only nice interior was the ebony black leather. The others were just so dated, especially one, it was inside a white Monty, it looked like a casino floor rug, all kinds of weird colors on grey background. The dealership next to ours is Honda and their interiors are just so much nicer. Please help and get some fresh designers in who have some taste, the cloth interiors need the help STAT!
motorman
Craig W the fact that GM does not have manual transmissions in a lot of cars may be do to the fact they are harder to meet emission standards on coastdown. the auto trans freewheel on coastdown so it does not drive the engine. JMHO because there were years that you could not buy a standard shift corvette for this reason
Thomas
In response to some of the comments here, saying most of the car buyer are not car enthusiast….etc. True, but I have yet to see a soccer mom said “Bmw handles too well, the engine and transmission are too advance, I think I will buy a Buick instead.”
Come on, even your current customer base is not what you called driving enthusiasts, it would be a smart thing to do to build a better handling cars and trucks. By doing that, you’d only expand your customer base and sell more cars and trucks. Isn’t it a good thing?
Nissan is doing it…..see it bounced back and still going strong.
Infiniti is doing it….G35, G45…..kicking butt left and right.
BMW has been doing it for many many years, still the benchmark of performance sedans and no worry of selling cars even with the hideous Chris Bangle designs.
Mazda, zoom zoom and Miata, whatelse I need to say.
Mini….it puts fun back into driving.
Don’t just build a transportation device capable in carrying people from point A to point B. Build a car people would take it for a drive for no particular reason (eg. Solstice and Sky).
The competition is fierce. Building a “good enough” car is not gonna turn the company around. You need to build a revolutionary car to kick start your comeback.
Solstice and Sky are just the right fix from the product line perspective. It is a good beginning, but it is also up to you to keep a close eye on the dealerships and make sure they did not screw up the car buying and ownership experiences for Solstice and Sky. It goes with all GM cars and trucks.
Come on, GM, we need a RWD performance sedan starting under $30k. V6 and V8 engines. Good old detroit muscle car heritage with modern technology(eg. traction controls, EBD….etc.)This formula will always be a winning formula. No one would say no to a great product and great customer services.
Rene Curry
When Ford redesigned the Mustang they pulled out the older models to review why they were successful & not.
GM needs to do the same thing except without doing the retro thing. First review areas where there is a big market gap… mid-sized, very cool, low priced rear drive cars. You want to take market share & have volume production? (especially against the Japanese & Koreans) Pull out all the Chevelles, Tempests, etc…
Design them to have some low cost yearly changes to keep the excitement. A grille here, a tail light there. Also design them to cover the entire spectrum, low cost economy grocery getter all the way to performance. Have some engine bay room too! Raid the GM parts bin.
Meanderings
Big Company Blogging
What some of us bloggers do for ‘therapy’, big companies do to get info directly to customers or dealers, avoiding the media. The trend started, understandably, with tech companies. But now, corporations like General Motors and Boeing are using blogs.
big picture guy
The link that is supposed to go the the “Pontiac G6 coupe” takes you to a site where there is not a single picture of a G6 coupe, but many pictures of sedans.
BTW, I saw a silver Solstice zipping in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed this morning on I-75 N heading into Detroit. Looked like someone was having fun. Maybe too much fun. Was that you Bob?
Mutiny32
Here’s a novel idea. Make the Camaro. That’s all we want. Solstice = underpowered. Corvette = overpriced.
I’m a 21 year old college student, prime target audience for a middle of the road performance coupe. No product, no buy. GTO = niche car as far as I’m concerned. Sure it’s a nice car. But there are only 18,000 even made this year. That insinuates a dealer markup, which excludes me from buying it.
Barry
Bob,
I suppose the management team saw the feedback provided in a recent survey that 18-24 year olds view American made autos with high regards as it pertains to quality. The survey also goes on to state that they are least likely to buy an American auto. Another data point which could be taken many ways. An obvious answer to this “conundrum” is that they aren’t buying your cars. The reasons are less relevant than the issue.
What is your marketing organization doing to attract young buyers who buy imports then develop brand loyalty never to return? Nontraditional advertising? Sponsorship of events? A brand targeted with vehicles they want and can afford? And on and on and on. The answer is none of the above. And if it is, your team isn’t using a closed loop process to measure results because it isn’t working. Your reorganization of brands gives you an opportunity to target young buyers. Rebrand cars in the pipeline with what fits the brand as opposed to what brand they were slated for. Finally, on this point, I reiterate my suggestion of putting a company face “man” in front of the consumers. The time is ripe to garner American mindshare and market share given the uncertainty of globalization. Americans want to buy your product. Put a compelling message together using a corporate pitchman and execute on it over and over and over and over.
I’ve run a $90 million business and one thing that we never, ever quit maniacally focusing on is the customer. I don’t mean the ridiculous focus group surveys done by Detroit which turn out to be Pontiac Aztecs.
Additionally, I’d make another suggestion that I surely cannot understand why GM has not figured out to date. GM is constantly complaining the auto press is unfair. We dealt with the same situation in a different industry. The market consultants were never giving us a break. Well, whats’ the obvious answer? Invite the most influential CRITICS into your inner circle. Bring them in and solicit feedback on your designs, your ideas, your product plans. If you are concerned about confidentiality have them sign a nondisclosure. If you are already doing it, it isn’t working. Solicit feedback and improve the process. Everyone wants to be accepted. Everyone wants to be part of the team. You will find, even if you don’t listen to all of their criticism, when your products are announced, you’ll surely have more of them, if not all of them, crowing about the products they provided input to. Guaranteed. I know because we did it. Consumer Reports, Car & Driver, Mary Ann Keller, etc.
Are you guys listening to our ideas? Risk will save GM. Nontraditional will save GM. Thinking outside of the box will save GM.
Greg
For all the people who keep asking for a Firebird or Camaro…
GM can’t build either until the St. Therese plant in Canada has been completely torn down.
Per the terms of the labor agreement GM had with the Canadian Autoworkers Union, all Camaros and Firebirds had to be built at that plant while it is still in existance.
Chris
Greg- and this is the CAW contract year
MT
Mr. Lutz:
While I can appreciate you trying to boost up GM’s image and outlook by announcing the current sales numbers and advising your customers on this blog that you are studying the phenomenons that make the auto business profitable. I can understand why GM does not jump into this rear wheel drive car (notice I said car, as the GTO, Corvette and Cadillacs are not cars, those are toys for those who can afford them) segment right off the back. I mean, what company cares about the enthusiast typical car guy whose spends more time in the garage than in the living room? Who cares about that segment? Their a small portion of the auto worls, and those cars aren’t bread and butter cars, they’re just a fad. Good job in studying the phenomenon instead of jumping on it.
Besides, the worst that can happen is that they jump to Ford and DCX for their needs, even though GM is not listening or providing what GM customers are begging for, Ford and DCX seem to be reeling them in with this small potatoes segment. Who cares, let them go to Ford and DCX. GM has the SUVs and Minivan Crossovers to compensate for these lost customers looking for rear wheel drive, in the mean time. I see your plan, you’ll sit back and relax, while Ford and DCX reel them in, they buy those products and then when least exptected, GM comes out w/ a super Bada** RWD, V8 monster under $35,000 specifically for these Power Freaks segment, so they regret buying that Stang or 300.
The only risk is that with all your former loyal GM owners not owning a Stang or 300, they may not buy that RWD Monter from GM, being that they’re on a contract on their current competitor RWD Monster. Sit back, relax, study the phenomenon, then show them. What’s a billion in losses from RWD V8s.
I hope you were able to catch the sarcasm on that one. A RWD answer to the Stang it’s not going to save GM, the problem is further and deeper, this cancer has been eating away at GM since the days of down in Flint by Roger Smith, but although an affordable under $35k RWD V8 alone could not save GM, it’s definately a step in the right direction.
Study though, there’s nothing with being behind, most students who hesitated get to repeat the grade and pass, mediocre results and too late, but they pass none the less.
Good plan. NOT!!!
Cedric
I would just like to say that it is important to GM’s return to greatness to deliver great products. While the current lienup is getting there “gotta have’ cars like the GTO, Corvette, Solstice, CTS-V/STS among others are the key. The common factor among these is RWD. It would be great to see a vehicle with “nostalgia” baked in cough*CAMARO*cough because that represents a big part of Chevrolet and to some extent GM.
The revival of this important nameplate is bound to hit the covers of magazine and focus the media attention to GM’s attempts at revival rather than the doom and gloom coverage that is spreading like wildfire.
Hopefully you read this and understand that GM needs a Camaro badly.. this coupe would represent so much at GM and if it turns the press into believers that GM can deliver their products with style, function and reliability, then the Camaro will have accomplished it’s goal.
Bob, as a fellow enthusiast I applaud your efforts to bring in the GTO from down under, now it’s time for the rightful return of the Legend that made everyone stand up and take note. It’s time for the Camaro….
kris_toffer
My parents work for GM, my grandparents retired from the General so needless to say, it has been all GM all the time all of my 27 years. Just started my own business with high hopes and some success. My girlfriend and I have no kids but long for something in the Chevrolet showroom that gives me the BMW 3 series effect without the stigma of owning something non-GM. Name it whatever you must to please the marketing department but for gawd sakes WE want coupe or sedan, RWD/opt AWD 4cyl and V6 power. The Nomad concept was really interesting and something we would purchase if it were affordable. I like the CTS dynamics, all you need do is distill some of the goodness in your other products to lesser models to make them world standard. I could type for hours, just someone please heed the call, I don’t want to suffer another family reunion about why I don’t buy GM anymore!
Derek Goldthrop, editor, Torque and RPM.com
Mr. Lutz;
Here I sit, applauding your openness to blog with those who wish to buy you products and my fingers are crossed that I will SOON see you overcome the daunting “Corporate Inertia” that you face at GM with those who want to build cars based on “Branding Strategies” and not what the marketplace is screaming for…
I am still waiting and hopeful that I will see your reputation for no-nonsense decisions be translated into action.
When pondering the “RETRO” thing, do not get caught up in the pardigm of “retro styling” alone, but look deeper at “Retro design and responsiveness to the marketplace”.
Let me make this a little clearer…GM INVENTED the Musclecar!
GM was a LEADER then and not as the follower we now see.
Go “Retro” and become a leader!
You do not have to build “another Camaro”, just build a MUSCLECAR!
Musclecar Defined:
- V8
- Rear Wheel Drive (ideally Not IFS for weight and cost savings)
- Did I mention V8? 5.7 or 6.0L minimum.
- BASIC body (stripper) to make it light and above all the base model AFFORDABLE! (as far unde $25K as u dare!)
- 5 speed manual (6 speed or automatic option)
- REAL Dual exhausts with a Killer sound
- Basic Sound System with upgrade options
In other words, a killer driveline in a basic inexpensive body to keep it afforable with a TON of options for the well heeled, if they so desire.
Put this in a 2 or 4 door REAR DRIVE body.
Also, offer this type of program as a basic pick up truck (6.0L, 6 speed, short or extended cab w/short box).
This will sell and shift your image, like the original GTO did with some of the most original marketing ever seen in the auto industry!!
FINALLY, I think that the New GTO must be an “Urban Legend”. I have never seen one live!
I live in Canada, year one I was told due to demand they would be US only and follow in 2005, I wait, in ‘05 I go to the GM dealer and am looked at by the sales staff if I was asking to buy a Yugo or I came from Mars.
There is NOTHING on the GM Canada website, like it is a dirty secret.
I go to Maine, the dealer “Had” one he sold but was having trouble getting more, I never saw ANY on the road in new england even when i went to the IHRA National Drag Races at Epping NH, no fans driving them, none at the track BUT Dodge was there with a mid way booth, a Hemi Magnum and a SRT 10 pick up!!!
Hmmmmmm this is what people mean when GM does not get it! By contrast, there were TONS of Mustangs all over and 300’s and Magnums on the interstate…hmmmmmm again, all Rear drivers with V8’s!
GM Marketing…shame on you!!!
So if you choose to continue to ignore those who want to buy a GM musclecar, I guess we will buy one from Ford or Dodge.
This makes sense out of those pondering HOW MANY BILLION GM lost last quarter, doesn’t it?
Mr. Lutz, we are waiting to see your BOLD & Brillant Moves theat you are reknown for, do NOT let us down! Paint the canvas with BOLD Strokes!!!
Regards;
Derek Goldthorp
Editor, Torque and RPM.com
stephen clifford
With the Baby Boomers in their highest earning years, retro is the way to go. But not the Chevy SSR. If Pontiac Aztek is a kitchen appliance, Chevy SSR is a yard and garden appliance.
Why not just do some quick knock-offs of the Chrysler 300 and the new Mustang using existing platforms? And front drive is just fine. Who cares which wheels drive the car?
Terry Buyers
Has anybody in GM design noticed that the track and wheelbase of the Impala and the 4WD regular cab Colorado are ‘real close’ to measuring the same? Could that make a 4-door sedan with a proven shift on the fly drive train?
A V6 and auto for mom, but for dads like me, who generally drive alone, but occasionally haul the wife and kids, how about the latest techomouse motor and a 5 or 6-speed manual. Supercharge it and get a real Impala-SS.
Give it a stone-simple interior with buckets in the front and enough back seat to haul two kids to grandma’s place. Make it run on regular gas so mom doesn’t complain too much about the trucklike gas milage, and make it as cheap as possible.
Black, inside and out. No chrome or tinsel. Manual A/C. Minimal radio - the guys that can afford the insurance on a muscle car can afford to install a custom sound system.
Open up the fender wells and tub the back to clear steamroller-sized performance tires. Plenty of ground clearance for getting in and out of the supermarket and hardware store when running errands. Chop the top if you want to look like a Chrysler, but the Impala doesn’t look that bad.
Looks like by fishing in the parts bin a little, GM could build a real RWD/AWD Impala that would be worthy to wear an SS badge.
You want an off-the-rack Nomad? Take the SSR and dump the ragtop. Give it a full-length rear body like the old panel-delivery. Back seats and rear side windows as an option. Keep it a two-door and grab the rear dutch door setup from the Astro. Offer the 5.3L as well as the 6L V8. Retro looks galore here. Make AWD an option, along with the current 6-speed. Offer it in trim levels from stripped delivery truck, for those who want to customize their own, to personal luxury level. Take a note from the old Blazer and make the rear upper body removable. Nobody else would have anything close.
Oh, yeah, price the thing to be competitive with the Dodge Magnum. Think sport wagon for the middle-aged Walter Mitty, not something for the guy who wants a Corvetter _and_ a truck. Sell a bunch and you can build them cheaper, can’t you?
Ben
It seems that most of us on this blog have the same things in common; We want RWD, V8 Power, and a Camaro or some other throwback (retro) design. What more is there to study Mr. Lutz?
But on a more broad note, GM’s problem is that your “bread and butter” cars suck. You would drive the Grand Prix if you had a choice?
It’s a joke Mr. Lutz. Its (nearly) at the bottom of its class. It’s (at best) a mediocre sedan. The ride is uncomfortable, the rear seats are uncomfortable, and the 20 mpg fuel economy certainly isn’t anything to brag about. The visibility isn’t that great either.
The Cobalt, while a noble effort, is still behind the compact leaders - the Mazda3, Ford Focus, and the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
The Impala is nothing to get excited about either.
I am glad to hear that GM is getting rid of the overlapper/copycat models(http://www.forbes.com/columnists/columnists/2005/05/31/cz_jf_0531flint.html) in the brands (like the Cavalier/Sunfire), and I think this needs to continue. That’s all I have to say for now.
Signing off-
Ben
Robert G
New Chevelle
javascript:ol(’http://www.alohadreamcars.com/images/slideshow.wmv’);
Thats what GM needs to do.
cody
Mr. Lutz,
i dont claim to know what, if any, problems GM has right now. but i would say that as loyal as i tend to be towards GM, i cant find anything that truly fits me in the lineup right now. as repetive as this sounds, a 2/4dr, 3000lb v6 RWD(opt AWD)is what i, and a lot of other younger guys like myself are looking for.
i like the High Value series of motors, as ive had experience with many 2.8/3.1/3.4s and i support the continued investment in OHV technology(vvt and active air intake is awesome!). with that in mind, considering that Altima SE-R has 265hp, the Eclipse has 264hp, and many other Asian competitors with upwards of 240(3.9), i think it would be wise to introduce the 3 valve heads asap, maybe in time for a mid ‘06 gxp, but across the line;and an aluminum block, so as to truly take advantage of the efficiency of the OHV design. i am very excited about this 6-speed 3.9 G6, but the HP wars are rising to the point that 240hp is becoming mainstream. whats missing from the G6 is:
G6 GXP
3900 v-6 OHV 3v vv-t
all-aluminum
270hp, 270tq
6sp AT, 6sp M
*AWD(bonus)
otherwise i have to say that your interiors are improving, while still slightly lacking in originality and feel, theyre not a drawback anymore.
and the G6, Solstice and the recent Cadillacs have focused on tight packaging on the outside, but i am dissapointed with the Grand Prixs front overhang, and am un-inpressed with the large front facias of the new Impala and Monte, and even the Vans. but one thing at a time i suppose. atleast im not asking for v-8s!! thanks for the time(if anyone even made it this far down the page).
-Cody
GoatFink
C’mon get real guys. The F body is gone, it was awful and the quality plain out was just as bad as Ford’s, if not worse. Face it, I don’t think the Camaro will ever make it back and there is no way GM would ever be able to compete against the Mustang GT in sales. Ford is playing it smart by amping up their baby. There is no other option for GM to sink so much money into a car in all honesty will not outsell the Mustang GT. The GTO was a smart move, and here’s why:
Eliminated the need for two RWD large V8 coupes and on top of that there are no V6 engines to deal with. Take a car that is already produced and eliminate some features and you have cost effective performance. How many cars have 400 HP at $33,000.00 None! Zero! Zip! Nada! 0!
The GTO is selling out and it hasn’t even reached its end of the model year. The Camaro never did that, and it didn’t get as much bad press as the GTO, if any.
I’m seeing tons of Mustang GTs, to be quite honest I like the difference and the power. We all know who has the goods to do business if the looks are screaming hey look at me you gotta buy me because I look fast, the GTO beats the snot out of the 05 Ford Mustangs; Proven fact!!
Mark
Hi Bob,
Please take notice that the import companies are starting to pick up on the “Made in America” marketing and are coming out with increasingly more ads showing this. They are totally playing upon the American family to buy their products. Also, after watching “The Fast And The Furious” I came to the realization that that movie really made imports cool with the younger crowds. If you guys want to connect with some younger buyers, get a hollywood production featuring some new cobalt’s, maybe a GTO, or the new HHR…watch that movie, and think about the influences it had over kids…
stephen clifford
Mr Lutz, On page 69 of your book “Guts”, you said that customers aren’t always right, “they can’t see the future. They can’t supply you with ideas for tomorrow’s breakthrough.”
Who among us consumers in 2001 envisioned a four-door Chrysler 300C sedan and articulated a request for that kind of car?
Who among us in 2001 could sit down and draw a picture of a 2005 Mustang?
It is the responsibility of highly-paid teams of talented artists and engineers to create exciting product. “It is the manufacturer who’s supposed to do the heavy lifting.”
AH
I’m glad a lot more people saying the Camaro word here lately. I just sold my ‘02 SS this week (77,000 trouble free miles) and finally took delivery of a ‘05 Mustang GT after 33 years of GM cars including 7 f bodies. This is my second non-GM car purchase in the past year(’04 Acura TL last July)because GM doesn’t have any “cars” I want to own outside of a Corvette or Cadillac budget. I only hope that this Ford will be as reliable as my GM cars have been.
I wonder how many of those that are crying for more rear drive cars live in northern climates with harsh winters? I still prefer to have at least one front wheel drive car in the family, because they are still far superior to any rear drive car, even with traction control when there is a lot of snow. So keep making front drive cars or awd for us northerners who are tired of look alike SUV’s and trucks and eventually you might design a cool car that I’ll want to own again.
Joe R
Innovate, not just live in the past. Create the styling and nameplates of the future.
Mike Gamache
Mr Lutz,
I find it a little reassuring that GM seems to take an interest in what their potential market thinks and feels about the cars they’d like to see available from their showrooms and lots. The last few years had left me with the impression that GM’s attitude was “you’ll buy what we make and that’s all there is to it!”. Ford and Chrysler seemed to have a better feel for the pulse of the buying public.
This forum may well lead to better things from your company. I really wish you well in this area, as I have been a GM fan for years and had despaired at the prospects for the future.
However let me make a point that many of the people who have posted may have missed. The whole idea of resurrecting a RWD musclecar at this present time is not simply to cater to the boomer fueled retro styling resurgence, but to give the kids, who grew up watching Mom and Dad drive FWD econoboxes and seeing true performance only in Euro import exotics that were out of reach to the average young driver, an affordable alternative from home grown roots.
To paraphrase the line from “Field of Dreams” if you build it, we will come and buy it!
It doesn’t need to be complicated, simple will do just fine if you do it right!
Mike Gamache
Contibuting editor
Torque and RPM.com
Barry
Bob,
I suppose the management team saw the feedback provided in a recent survey that 18-24 year olds view American made autos with high regards as it pertains to quality. The survey also goes on to state that they are least likely to buy an American auto. Another data point which could be taken many ways. An obvious answer to this “conundrum” is that they aren’t buying your cars. The reasons are less relevant than the issue.
What is your marketing organization doing to attract young buyers who buy imports then develop brand loyalty never to return? Nontraditional advertising? Sponsorship of events? A brand targeted with vehicles they want and can afford? And on and on and on. The answer is none of the above. And if it is, your team isn’t using a closed loop process to measure results because it isn’t working. Your reorganization of brands gives you an opportunity to target young buyers. Rebrand cars in the pipeline with what fits the brand as opposed to what brand they were slated for. Finally, on this point, I reiterate my suggestion of putting a company face “man” in front of the consumers. The time is ripe to garner American mindshare and market share given the uncertainty of globalization. Americans want to buy your product. Put a compelling message together using a corporate pitchman and execute on it over and over and over and over.
I’ve run a $90 million business and one thing that we never, ever quit maniacally focusing on is the customer. I don’t mean the ridiculous focus group surveys done by Detroit which turn out to be Pontiac Aztecs.
Additionally, I’d make another suggestion that I surely cannot understand why GM has not figured out to date. GM is constantly complaining the auto press is unfair. We dealt with the same situation in a different industry. The market consultants were never giving us a break. Well, whats’ the obvious answer? Invite the most influential CRITICS into your inner circle. Bring them in and solicit feedback on your designs, your ideas, your product plans. If you are concerned about confidentiality have them sign a nondisclosure. If you are already doing it, it isn’t working. Solicit feedback and improve the process. Everyone wants to be accepted. Everyone wants to be part of the team. You will find, even if you don’t listen to all of their criticism, when your products are announced, you’ll surely have more of them, if not all of them, crowing about the products they provided input to. Guaranteed. I know because we did it. Consumer Reports, Car & Driver, Mary Ann Keller, etc.
Are you guys listening to our ideas? Risk will save GM. Nontraditional will save GM. Thinking outside of the box will save GM.
Ed
Mr. Lutz,
Please expedite GM’s return to the full size RWD arena. I know you look at the police and taxi fleets as a low margin opportunity, but they do get the nameplate out on the street. The possibility of a switchable AWD/RWD would be very appealing to the drivers of police cars and taxis, since they are out there in all types of weather. From there, it is a small step to many people in the general public buying and driving GM RWD sedans and coupes, again.
Go GM!
Tama Duvall
I would like to know from someone from GM if it’s true that they are considering raising the price of the Soltice 30% within the next 6 mos.-year? I was told that by the dealer I ordered mine from. I was also told that I couldn’t use the GM discount that I planned to use (my Dad was a GM employee for years) and that they were only going into limited production of the Solstice. Are these things true or are they just trying to persuade me to buy the car now?
Thank you
CodyS
Once again we hear how well the GTO is selling in CA. Here’s a novel idea: How about building one the rest of us like?
Senica Taylor
Mr. Lutz,
First let me say that I love my GTO. Thank you for making it happen. I must say that I’m a Pontiac man. All but one of my cars have been Pontiacs and it was a Chevy. My favorite car(s) was my Grand Prix. I liked it so much I owned two at the same time(98,04).
When I buy another 4 door, it will probably be another Grand Prix. However, I have come to appreciate RWD. I have heard that the GP is/was to become RWD in 2007. As long as it still has a big V8 and a quality interior like the GTO,I’ll buy it. You can count on it. But, if Pontiac is still selling the same car with a face lift, I won’t buy it.
I’m tired of seeing all the other manfu. bring new technology to market before GM.
Why is it that GM can build a 5sp auto and sell it to BMW before it even offers it on any of its vehicles? Or work with Ford and build a 6sp auto and watch FORD use it first? Lastly, Dodge and Chrysler were offering auto-stick back in 1993. GM just started offering a manumatic in the G6 this year. Why do we (GM) always have to be last. Let’s be first, be a little crazy.
Watching GM go through these times, is like watching a family member having problems and not being able to help. Mr. Lutz I’m counting on you to bring GM through. I don’t want to see the GTO go into retirement again. And I don’t want Pontiac to have the same fate as Olds.
Edward Hayes
-I get to make two posts so…-
Bob I trust that you have the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands humming. Hummer is already showing signs of strength with the H3. And we all anticipate Saturn coming back with the Aura and Sky. (I am watching that tail pipe. You better have a good excuse for changing it from the concept.) Even GMC is seeing record sales.
That leaves Buick and Pontiac. That is why I keep talking about both. Now I know you probably have something awesome up your sleeve, but just in case you don’t.
Buick is the weakest link right now and while Pontiac has the Solstice coming it will shake the market and change Pontiac forever as did the Viper for Dodge.
But Buick. The LaCrosse just scored 4th out of 5 sedans tested in a car magazine. It beat only Hyundai. Is this the car that supposed to compete with Lexus?
Buick 8 I am telling you. Position Buick as the car end of Hummer don’t squeeze it into GMC/Pontiac dealers.
Now as far as design consider the huge cars Buick used to make. There cars were as large as the largest crossovers are today. Buick should make its crossovers look like cars, heritage vehicles. Buick’s cars should be the highest, tallest, (not necessarily the longest) on the road.
All of Buick’s cars should mimick its best years. Or Buick could just sell another ho-hum crossover that will have to compete against a flood of them from every automaker around the globe.
Please get Buicks out of the mud heap, they should be competing with Bentleys not Accords. And if heritage is big Buick has more heritage than anyone, heck it invented heritage.
I am waiting for the familiar Lutz announcement that “We will be showing the new face of…” Well I thought it would be Buick’s turn by now but I am still waiting, and Buick missed a generation.
Now is the perfect time to reinvent Buick.
Droid
Mr Lutz, your comment “… 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″ SAYS IT ALL!
A hand built test fleet Solstice, a pre-production G6 are NOTHING like cars that we have to buy at dealers. Further, the new “hot” H3 is GMs baby.
Try going into a Chevy dealer and buy a Malibu off the floor (of the dealer experience and to drive a car that the “rest of us” drive. Another idea, head out the the airport and rent a GM car for a week that has some wear and tear. Staying in your corporate bubble accomplishes nothing!
Lee Iacocca and Ross Perot have both said that execs driving hand built executive cars cause execs to miss the boat.
Another question… have you driven a 2005 Honda, Toyota, Dodge, Ford, etc….
John
http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/06/08/toyota_us.reut/index.html
Anybody else feel like the Chairman of Toyota is more concerned about seeing GM make decent cars that sell than anyone in GM management?
Seriously guys, the answer is simple.
RWD V-8s for less than $25k, or 10yr/100,000 mile warranties on every vehicle.
Without saying “we’re studying the phenomenon”, what would it take to get you all to make a decent, affordable, RWD V8 car that doesn’t look like it just left the rental car lot?
MJ
“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.”
Come on. Are you serious? I can’t imagine anyone being handed $30K for any car they want having these at the top of their list (except maybe the most diehard GM person), especially a self-proclaimed car nut.
I would of found it much more credible if you would have said “I would get an “ABC” from “XYZ” motors. We’ve made iterative progress with the current GXP and it deserves consideration. BUT, this (”ABC”) is the car that we are going to blow out of the water within two years with the next all new GXP” Though I’d still be cynical on the latter half, I’d respect your statement a lot more.
Have some back bone on this blog. Go beyond these filtered, press writer sounding postings that seem like you haven’t even read these responses. They mimic a G.W. Bush appearence, only we are not a pre-screened group who are going to eat up everything you say.
I want to see GM and Ford being the battle of the best again. But in the meantime, make your posts a little more reality based. We’ll appreciate it and respect you for it.
Although I believe the Soltice will be a sweet ride, it will not turn around anything. Lets see what was learned applied to a mainsteam vehicle.
Upwards and onwards…
MJ
Drew
Mr. Lutz,
That’s a nice photo of the G6 Coupe in black at the top of this string. I saw a white one, apparently a test model, out on the road last week. The only thing I could do when I saw it was to quote a recently famous actress(?) and say “That’s hot.”
If the G6 sedan is selling well, then the G6 coupe will sell even better. It looks fantastic driving down the highway at 80 mph. I can’t wait to try one out!
stephen clifford
I agree with Edward Hayes about making tall, retro, Buick cars. Show me a taller ‘57 Buick with modern seats and running gear, and I would be so hopelessly in love I’d have to own it.
Baby boomers are in their high earnings years and they are bidding up the prices of fifties and sixties cars at classic car auctions such as Kruse holds twice a year in Auburn Indiana.
Another idea that might work well would be to build a Colorado pickup that would ride more like a car. Younger guys love to use the Colorado/Canyon trucks for everyday transportation. Next makeover, give them more of a unit body with a stiff sub-frame so that they ride with less shake, less bounce.
Integrate the cab and the pickup box into one solid piece.
James
DEAR MR LUTZ
GM used to sell boatloads of rear wheel drive midsized coupes in the 70s and 80s. Check the sales figures for the monte carlos, Grand Prixs Cutlases and Regals in those years. GM lost its way in the late 80s and it is taking too long for GM to get back to what it used to make.
Mid sized,rear wheel drive coupes were a market GM dominated and then gave away. 2drs are always more sexy than a stodgy sedan. When people say GM builds uninspiring cars they mean front wheel drive sedans. Also I do not understand why GM persists in forcing daytime running lights on consumers. This feature is far from popular. Why not give the consumer the choice and not dictate to him.
Master Blaster
Mr. Lutz,
The blog is a good idea, I hope it’s more than a company promotion or way to push slogans and advertising through the internet. Yes, I kow it’s that, but I hope it’s also a true way for you to gather info from consumers to better your products.
I just have one comment. Today, you go to any car show, and you see classics from all brands. Mostly GM. Chevys: 50’s and 60’s Vettes, Chevelles, Camaros, Pontiacs, GTOs, Chiefs, Tempets, you see Olds 442s, Cutlass, Buick Cars and of course Caddys and even GMC Trucks. From the 40’s through the 70’s. I don’t see my 4 year old son going to a car show in the year 2030 with a 2004 or 05 Impala, Monte Carlo, nor with a 2005 GTO, lucky if they will consider a 2005 Corvette a classic in the future.
My point, we admire, love and go crazy when we see a ‘57 Chevy, kids are rebuilding 60’s era Impalas, Vettes. Most of the cars GM builds now a days have no appeal, no personality and no residual value after they leave the dealer. You will see a Viper as a classing in 2030 and even a new Mustang. But, where’s the GM cars that will be shown as classics in carshows in the future?
Build them. You can, you have the means and the designs. Give my 4 year old a car he will be proud to show off at a car show 30, 40 or 50 years from now.
Thanks for your time, if you even read this.
Master Blaster
dave
For the love of God, Edward — we get it. You want Buick paired with Hummer.
It’s not going to happen. Hummer is soon going to be a stand-alone only franchise. And until then, most franchises are appropriately paired with Cadillac.
So, please, please, please, please, please — enough with the pair-Buick-with-Hummer posts. Your point has been made. Now move on!!!!
Lisa
Bob,
So many people want you to give a longer warranty, why not just do it?
When my washing machine had it’s 3rd or 4th repair and the warranty was almost over, the only offering from the company was for me to PURCHASE an extended warranty. That made me mad, but I was stuck and had to do it. I have a bad taste in my mouth about that company.
When I just leased my new Buick, I sat with the finance person listening to her tell me how much I needed to purchase an extended warranty, for my 2 year lease. I declined politely. Of course this happens everytime we lease a car and I don’t think much of it. But I did this time because of a previous blog along time ago where the customer was so upset at the dealer for forcing an extended warranty on her that she left and did not purchase a GM car.
These are the little things that could be fixed really fast and easily. You might say there’s more to it, but don’t overcomplicate it and just do it. Offer a longer warranty and I really think a few people might reconsider GM. It can’t hurt.
Bill Doucette
Dear Bob Lutz,
I’m a Pontiac fan from the muscle car era.(Im 54) I must say the 05 GTO seems to have a lot of the 68 body style in it. I have yet to see a photo that does this car any justice. If you take a low headon shot you will see what I mean. Anyway I traded my 03 50th. anniv Vette on a red/red GTO. I am not disappointed. This is simply a amazing product from GM. The interior is the best I’ve ever seen in a GM vehicle, the way its trimmed out, and the seats are the thickest and best of any GM vehicle I have ever had.(about 50 new GM vehicles in my lifetime)The lS2 is a gem, my old 389 punched .060 w/12.7 to 1 pistons was the only car that pulled this hard, and I don’t have to gap the points and do the plugs every weekend! THIS is a throw back car to the 60’s for sure, and if anyone is whinning about it they just don’t get it. Thanks for your vision, Bob, and much success for the future.Our current fleet here is, 05 Colorado, Equinox and GTO. We will get another Corvette when the popups return but thats for another time, best of health and luck, bill. willyd5@yahoo.com
ken hall
Hi Bob, Buick could be placed as the lexus / Infinity fighters…with an AMG type side..
Been a fan of yourz throughout the Chrysler era. Boy you’ve got your hands full again. I’ve got a couple ideas for ya but they might be crazy:
Buick used to be more luxurious than Caddy WAY back in the day.. Could you position Buick to share Caddy drivetrain yet with a more lexus- infinity bend?
OR how bout this.. Bring back an excitement vehicle for them called the Buick “O-mobile(salute to Oldsmobile)” having it look like a cross between the eldorado-zimmer car of the late 80s(with the cool front and back bumpers) AND the original 66 toronado but a mazda rx-8 coupe with 4 doors idea.. on a caddy or solstice wheel base..then revamp the entire line to what the jaguars should’ve been like.. Buicks already look like watered down jags’ so it wouldn’t be hard to do- make engines and handling the #1 importance .. lose the new ugly buick suv’s..instead put a skin on them with some arty style.
Saab: bring back the Sonnett like the Mazda Rx-8 with 2 doors and 2 child doors and place it on the Subaru WRX platform with the turbo engine. You could actually line up Subaru- Saab and then put Buick as a luxo import brand above those 3. Pretty radical but you need radical to save buick.. make it what Jaguar should’ve been.
later
kh
Jeff L
Mr. Lutz,
Since I started driving in 1986 the only cars I have owned have been Chevrolets (Camaro,El Camino,S10,Beretta,Suburban,Corvette). This past Feb. I changed jobs and needed to buy a car for work. I looked at every car GM made, I also looked at Ford and Chrysler. The cars I liked at GM the GTO and CTS both were well over $30,000. I came close to buying the new Mustang what a great car, lots of power, great size, rwd. and a low msrp. I did not buy it because the only V8’s on dealer lots were being sold over sticker! So I ended up buying a car built in Kentucky. Has great build quality, good power, unfortuatly it is not RWD like I really wanted. But to get a car fully loaded for $25000.00 I will over look it. The car is a Toyota Solara. People like me are the reason GM is suffering! You are not building what we want at the right price point. Ford has a real winner in the Mustang if they would just build more V8’s so the dealers couldn’t charge a premium, they would sell more. You do not know how hard it was to buy a non-GM product. Please return the Camaro to the road, give it a V8, sell it for $25,000. And I will be the first to sell my Solara and buy it.
-JL
Doug
Living in snow country, I am much more likely to drive on slick roads than blast around a track. FWD does the job for me. Therefore, I have really not been caught up in the Solstice “bling”.
I did think I should try to get in the loop. Pontiac.com provided the Solstice primer. More importantly, it gave me a glimpse at something I really liked. The G6 convertible. Sporty looks, good practicality given the vehicle type and FWD.
Jumping off that horse and on to another… I have not read the blog recently and my return found a number of people concerned about the Buick/Pontiac marriage. In this part of the country Buick and Pontiac have always been paired. In the days when Methuselah was a lad and GM ruled autodom, the General’s family tree forked for the most part. People started with Chevy then took one of two paths: Pontiac ending in Buick or Oldsmobile ending in Cadillac. There was a joke in my hometown that you could tell the people who could actually afford a Cadillac, they drove Buicks.
I wish GM good luck with the latest plan announced Tuesday. It still seems as though everytime GM launches the boat someone drains the lake.
Jaco Lero
hey gm, you mean you want to buy and drive a geo metro?
Chris
Its been a week now with no new topics. So much for your blog. Snooze…….
SH
Just a “heads up” - blogger Autoprophet has some good points to make on the “Redemption of the Pushrod” and its current technological advantages not permitted with OHV design.
http://theautoprophet.blogspot.com/2005/06/redemption-of-pushrod.html
Maybe this will silence some of the critics.
SH
Post correction:
“Just a “heads up” - blogger Autoprophet has some good points to make on the “Redemption of the Pushrod” and its current technological advantages not permitted with OHV design.
http://theautoprophet.blogspot.com/2005/06/redemption-of-pushrod.html
Maybe this will silence some of the critics.”
—-
Oops - should have said “OHC” instead of “OHV” - Sorry.
James
DEAR MR LUTZ
Id like to make a few suggestions. If the GTO is doing so well, why not offer a 2dr cts-v as a Cadillac version of the GTO. GM should use Cadillac and Buick as a double team combo against the premium European makes. Cadillac should move a little more upscale and Buick should share the sigma platform. I do not think a powerful Buick would cannabalise Cadillac because Cadillac could offer more v8s, more luxurius interiors and future Cadillac buyers will want these cars for status while less status concious buyers buy Buicks.
The thing GM has done that really appealed to me most in recent years is the first Nomad show car. This car was a modern interpretation of the 55 Nomad built on a truck platform. I am sure this car would have beat the Dodge Magnum hands down in the market. A matter of fact I would suggest GM take the first Nomad show car and offer it in coupe, sedan, wagaon and el-camino variations. What GM should do is bring back full size cars and build them on truck platforms. In other words car styling and car body styles, coupe convertable or sedan on a truck platform. The advatage of this scheme is that large cars could escape car CAFE restritcions in favor of truck CAFE standards. For example the first Nomad show car could have been the new full sized Chevy offered as a 2dr and 4dr Bel Air, Nomad wagon and El-Camino. GM could do something simalir with Buick by building some larger Buicks on truck platforms with car styling and car body styles. A Buick car built on a Suburban platform would obviously have to be called Roadmaster. Since GM has already engineered and developed these truck platforms for current SUVs it could be a way to get the popular rear wheel drive configuration back on larger cars more quickly and cheaply than devoping whole new platforms. If these cars can look like cars but be officially categorized as trucks GM can charge SUV prices, escape the more stringent CAFE standards for cars possibly use existing SUV manufacturing capacity and have a line of full sized rear wheel drive cars. Just like it used to.
Since retro styling is popular I suggest that GM do a retreo version of one of its most significant cars in its history, the 55 Chevy.
That is how I regarded the first Nomad show car, a modern interpretation of the 55 Chevy. Imagine a 55 Chevy in all body styles including El-Camino on a truck platform to escape CAFE.
DannyK
There is lots of talk on thie board about Buick. The problem with Buick is simple: Basically, Buick makes very ugly cars. Buicks look like they were designed by a committee of bankers … or government employees! Basically they look like they were designed by corporate bureaucrats. If you want to sell more Buicks, lose the exaggerated, ugly, jellybean look!
On the other hand, Pontiac has always had the basics for what could be good looking cars. One problem, though. The styling and the lines are so exaggerated that Pontiacs look tacky, both inside and out.
People like understated design — class. But if you’re going to give them something that’s not understated, at least give them something that’s hip instead of gauche!
Now on a more positive note … the more Malibus I see on the road, the more they’re growing on me. Something’s still missing in the design, but depending on the color they have a little of the look of the Cadillac CTS. It won’t get me out of my Acura, but I’ll still test drive one for kicks.
The Chevy Cobalt looks good from the back. Love those round lights. I never was a fan of lights running across the entire back side of the car — tacky. Why doesn’t Chevy go back to the round lights in back … instead of 2 and 3 lights (as used to distinguish the Bel Air/Biscayne from the Impala/Caprice) maybe you could use the two light setup and just give the nicer models nicer looking lights (and plain lights for the base models).
Lots of ameteurs pundits say kill GMC–Don’t. That would be the dumbest thing you ever did. Most Chevy’s do nothing for me, but the different things you do to make the truck a GMC makes for a very desireable truck, in my opinion.
Finally, if you are REALLY trying to position Buick as a Lexus/Acura alternative, you need to leave Buick showrooms alone. The local Lexus dealer here, Germain Lexus, gives you an excellent shopping experience, as do most of the Acura dealers. If you are looking for this kind of person, generally they don’t want to shop in a “Wal Mart” type of environment. That shopper wants something a little more low-key.
Taylor
“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.”
Why not an Audi A4?
Mike
Can someone please tell me when the G6 GTP Sedan is supposed to come out? I want to test drive/buy one, and there is nothing that tells me anywhere a good date for its release.
Charles
Mr. Lutz,
I first would like to say that I really think GM has finally made the great advances toward making the GM cars and trucks the industries best. Quality is better than Toyota, appeal is improving, and new concepts are coming out. I have always thought of GM as the “arsenal of cars”, and it is good to see GM has strong interest in creating more individual identity with brands. I surely hope that things turn around for GM. I have a few ideas that may be able to help GM market cars in areas “vital” to market share. I have no idea where to go or who to speak with, but it may give a way to make GM products much more appealing in California, Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina, and a few other states. It is a market approach never before used, and is something that would generate it’s own publicity, generate more positive feeling toward GM, may increase Corporate appeal in European countires, reduce incentives possibly by 50%-60% or more on large vehicles, and I am not sure exactly where to begin at GM to get the information and ideas to the correct place. I would like to ask for your assistance.
Joe Gakenheimer
The GTO is quite tempting, I can’t afford it but with the Employee’s Discount for everyone, I probably could come up with $31k + tax. But the way the economy is and the way this country’s trade deficit affects my lifestyle and future I feel it very difficult to purchase something that is not made here. I guess I am a traditional American, but the GTO is sweet.
What I can’t understand is that in an age when there is talk about shutting plants down and building more overseas, why not convert a plant here to a rear wheel drive platform. I would think there would be enough demand, or close to it to have a run of 200,000 RWD cars and trucks per year similar to what we see down under. We could have the GTO, a GTO lite like a Camaro, an El Camino like the Holden UTE, a cop car, and a GTO sedan; one platform 5 cars probably max out a 200,000 unit plant for a couple of years, probably longer if done correctly.
Those are my thoughts, it would be nice if they come true, but there is nothing wrong about keeping secrets!
stonehopper1067
Dear Mr. Lutz
GM needs RWD cars. And we need are RWD Camaro, Impala, and Monte Carlo. Ford proved that selling a cheap RWD V8 car will sell, there having a shortage of the GT models and have to double there production, same thing happened to Chrysler when they introduced the 300C. Now what excuse do you have to not continue with the Zeta platform? A good quality, resonably price, V8 RWD car will always sell. The GTO has a hard time selling because its around 30$-35$ thousand and, even though its a great sports car, the average consumer who isn’t a GM fan and/or have that much to spend well be atracted to the Mustang for its price. Even though the GTO can offer more performance its still not enough. So gamble with it, if trucks is all that GM can offer now and making it the reason why the Zeta was “postponed”, what ever that means, then GM will still be in even more trouble.
Steve G
Just rebadge the Holden cars as Chevy’s and ship them over.
Price them starting at 20 grand and there you have an instant success.
We want RWD, not necessarily 400 hp. I would love to buy an inexpensive RWD car-a V6 would be just dandy.
acefield
Danny K summed it up best on June 9, when commenting on Pontiacs “tacky” design. He aptly pointed out that people like “understated designs - class”. In fact, this design quality characterized all of the classic GM’s of yesteryear. 40 year-old designs that still look better and are worth more money then anything current. If GM needs to cut employees and overhead they should start in the design and marketing department. It really isn’t that hard!
Stan
Dear Bob,
I want my $25K RWD GM car. I’m tired of the FWD Impala, Monte Carlo and the others. Putting a SS badge on a FWD Monte Carlo and Impala have made me lose faith in this brand. Trucks are not the answer. Trucks are not suppose to take the place of the car. Stop trying to be like the Japanese, it will not work. Just try to be American and that way you can be the best in your own way. Copying just make everything look bad, just like the FWD products of the past 2 decades. Just be American
delmartian
bob…you are most likely gm’s best chance to survive…and i really hope you do…except for you and design staff at corvette and cadillac i don’t see other visionaries at gm…i would hope gm would learn from honda and now nissan…one or two excellent platforms (corvette for one)and engine transmission combinations (6 cylinder from trailblazer, northstar or corvette v-8’s) multiplied over different creative designs …are gm’s last gasp to succeed in this competitive market…sorry but 5 cylinder engines in colorado’s and hummer 3’s is not a good idea…as the market is proving…also honda with its ridgeline (that trunk idea is awesome) with all wheel drive in a hybrid electric is good for 500,000 units a year…please think about it….one more thing …move design staff to california like nissan and others have… wish you good luck!
Chris
I am a GM fan through and through. I grew up with them, and I love the heritage and I have driven a number of vintage and newer GM vehicles through the years (I’m 37), including presently a 1976 Monte Carlo and a 1997 Riviera. I love both — distinctive and thoroughly American, and for the most part, well made and performing cars. But if I had to buy a new car today for less than $30,000 (or more for that matter) it almost definitely wouldn’t be a GM car. That is painful to say, but true. I was considering CTS, but after checking out both new and used models a few times, I realized I just can’t stomach the interior design of the CTS. Even the outdated Riviera has a better interior! I am not wealthy, and when prices hover around $30,000, a cheap-looking interior like that on the CTS just doesn’t cut it, even for a GM loyalist like me! I would take a Honda Accord coupe or even a Scion coupe over it, reluctantly. Since most consumers these days are NOT GM loyalists like me, where does that leave GM? I know my comments echo those of others. Please take them to heart, act on them, and improve the cars fast! It’s your only chance! My Riviera is almost at the end of its life — what will my next car be? I hope I’m pleasantly surprised sooner rather than later — for GM’s sake as well as mine.
James S.
Mr. Lutz,
Why can’t GM import a RWD Holden sedan and put a 3.6HF V-6 or 5.3L V-8 in it? I think that using the exist GTO modifications, a RWD sedan could be brought to market relatively quickly.
Aussie built or not, I’d rather buy a GM built RWD vehicle.
Gino
Bob,
Combining Buick, Pontiac and GMC won’t fly. Pontiac is an entry level car whose time has passed it by. No reputation for quality whatsoever. Buick, on the other hand has a reputation for dependability and quality. People won’t go to a dealership to buy an upscale car such as Buick at a dealership that sells trucks and “hot cars,” if you would call them that. GM admittedly has deprived its Buick dealers of competitive products, and now, instead of giving them what was promised, they are downsizing the division. Buick dealers can sell cars, in volume, other than Chevrolet, what other division in GM can sell cars?
Cadillac with over 1000 dealers, can hardly get over 250,000 sales. When Buick dealers had six good products, they sold close to 500,000. Look what they did with the Rendezvous!!! Surprised everyone, didn’t they. If gasoline keeps going up, and the large truck segment falters, somebody has to pick up the slack. Buick can do that, everyone knows it, but for some reason, no one wants to admit it. Take the best 500 Buick dealers, give them product, and they will outsell the entire Cadillac division. Thats a fact!!!!
Gino
Pete Wagner
Bob,
What recent history rear drive Caprice-based Chevy sedan has the highest resale of any Chevy sedan in the last 25+ years?
Holden has your Caprice, Bob, now lets go make some Impalas!
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/gallery?navid=5&catid=1016&modelid=8000
Global Giants
FAMA Presents “Car of the Year” Award to the Pontiac G6
FAMA, a leading Spanish-language lifestyle and entertainment magazine will present it’s 2005 Car of the Year Award to Pontiac at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday, January 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the Pontiac exhibit. “We are…
Stonehopper1067
Import the holdens here. You know they work and are very popular in Australia, so do it. You can keep the FWD Cobalt, HHR, Aveo and Malibu but its very sad to see a FWD full-size car. Who cares what the Japanese are doing, just do what GM does best, or used to do. I always wonder what would have happened if you didn’t switch to FWD. Then I look at Australia and find my answer. Why is it so hard for you guys to understand? Why do you keep these full-size FWD cars? With the great advances with technolgy, like the DIS ignition systems and advance fuel-injection, gas mileage will be no problem. RWD chevy’s are cool, thats why many have a high resale value. When a kid buys a used one, he cold love it or hate it. If he loves it, then he would fix it up, lets say a 1984 Monte Carlo, and put in a high performance V8 and drive that for a while. Then when hes got a good job and able to afford a new car, he would what to buy a Chevy. The problem is he wants a RWD thats affordable. He looks at a FWD Monte Carlo, he likes the way it looks but it can’t offer the same excitment as his old one ( and don’t kid yourself, it won’t). He would probably want a Camaro because its in his price range, but GM killed it several years earlier. He looks at the Corvette and see’s the performance out of it, but can’t afford the near $50 thousand price. Then he looks a the SSR, but agains its out of his price range. So what can he do? Buy a used Caprice? No he goes to the Ford dealership and buys a Mustang. And thats not just him, there are many people who do that. So do this guy, the other guy and me a favor and gamble and bring that affordable RWD Caprice and Camaro. You will get your money back and then some.
Don
I am curious why GM will not announce when the start of production is for those of us who have ordered solstices. It is extremely frustrating to not get any information to get some idea of when we might get our cars. I do understand that quality takes time and we want that but I also would like to be in the loop to know what is happening. I think alot of people are getting very frustrated and some are giving up. GM..please inform us!
JiM
I’ve read all these comments because I’ve long waited for GM to build a good midsize RWD sport sedan. It doesn’t have to have a ton of power, just decent looks, performance and price point. GM has totally abandoned this market. Heck, even FWD with a 5 or 6 manual would be an improvement. Why isn’t a manual offered in the G6 sedan? I grew up with RWD in MN winters and went everywhere. Balance the weight and add a limited slip diff and I’ll take one anyday, anywhere over a FWD. The Buick Regal used to have some sport effect. You’ve turned it into an old man’s zuchini. SSR’s and other two seaters are cute, but not where the bulk of the market is. Make something happen in midpoint RWD and get the word out. We’re tired of waiting!
Lorenzo Patlan
Mr. Bob Lutz,
You’ve done great things for GM the last few years… Thank You so very much! It’s time to take the gloves off though, Pontiac needs TRUE PERFORMANCE vehicles. I own a Pontiac myself, a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am GT1 w/ the SC/T appearance package. My car is also Fusion Orange. My car screams performance, and I love it, does it deliver? uhh… uhhgghhh… well… enough said! Thank you for the G6 lineup! That’s a step in the right direction! 240HP G6 Coupe, now that’s performance. The competitor has caught up and passed us up already though, and that’s where we need to deliver. I saw we cause i happen to sell your products for a living! I know you may have seen the SEMA G6 Performance coupe, and if not just type in Pontiac G6 SEMA on google and you’ll find it. That is what we need, minus the WHALE TAIL SPOILER and slight modification on the over exaggerated Twin Port Grill. That vehicle pushed out 270HP, but even that’s not enough, it’s need 290 to 300HP. I have mentioned this on many different posting. Let me know your reading this stuff, email me, respond on this site… I’m watching, waiting and hoping we remember our Performance roots. Thank you!
paul
bob..thanks for the blog…i am rooting for gm and you…question…why won’t gm put their design group in southern california like most of the european and japanese automakers?…seems like the trends start their and they pick up on it…also…that honda ridgeline…i like it…and the trunk in the bed…question …will gm take a close look at it … i would like to see a ridgeline type vehicle…hybrid for additional power and fuel…and engine shut off at idle…260 horsepower…fully independent…awd…and with a roll bar….thanks
WaltDe
Very good reading. Peace until next time.
WaltDe
Wolf
Hey GM VC, We bought a new CTS last week and it is still running. It was not well delivered…low oil and low tires what else was not checked? The car seems to be OK otherwise. Why no pax assist handle on the A pillar? Only 2 12 volt outlets, 1 in front, 1 in back; while the car needs at least 2 up front, 3 would be better, cell ph, computer, & radar. GM is packaging options that cause buyer to purchase items not wanted to get items wanted. This is working against goodwill toward GM. Is that what you want? Or do you just want the money?
As a result, I found a CTS with an automatic tranny as the only option. I wanted stability control and limited slip but not the other costly stuff. & that wood + leather steering wheel is just creepy and looks like something a Crown Vic would have. Please….all leather is better. So, that is why I stayed away from the option packages. We think (hope) our CTS will be a good car. Since ours has no options (x AT) we think it will be OK with the 2.8 It’s about as light as we could get a CTS. GM knows it should make a 4.0 V-6 std with a small block V-8 a low cost option. Everyone knows the hi-po V is too high to be available to most buyers. My wife wanted to get out of a manual shift car so we wouldn’t consider the V. I also wanted AWD. I would trade to another CTS for that. Good luck, GM VC otherwise there may be a Ford oval above the GM tag on the front fenders.
…by that, I mean, at this point I think it is going to come down to luck.
greg corley
I’d buy a 2007 Monte Carlo today if it had rear wheel drive and a 6 speed manual. There is no other car that looks like it. The options available are phenomenal. I got all excited when I found out that a V8 was available.
Roger Post
Yea, I had a 69 Chevelle SS with a 396 bored out .060 with auto roller rocker and a 800cc double pumper with a 3-06 rear end and got always 22 miles to the gal. on the highway. It was a show car, now I own a 05 Colorado with a 5 cyinder and only gets 21 to 25 on the highway, why, gas co.’s want to make more money, what happened back in the 70’s with the gas crunch, they said we have to improve our miles per gal. or go with something else, now 30 some years later they start, bull. They are still screwing us around. Only in the good old USA can this happen, then thet wonder why sales are down. Roger Post