Our New Blog
Hey, all you FastLane participants, we just wanted to give you a head’s up that we’ve launched a new blog over at FYI.gmblogs.com. Check it out!
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Sounds interesting and potentially effective. I will continue to watch it for interesting topics. You might consider using it as a source of education. GM employees could provide snapshot overviews of technologies (like 2 mode hybrids, displacement on demand, stabilitrak, etc). Ideally they could explain the advantages and the GM philosophy for employment.
I would love to see something on OHV engines, and 6 speed manual transmissions. Insight into why certain features are offered or not would also be fascinating.
-Keith
GM: The Bloggers Are Coming, The Bloggers Are Coming!
A couple of months ago, Bob Lutz asked for suggestions about how GM could start combatting the perception that their vehicles weren’t competitive on quality, design, and performance. Many readers responded, as did I. My suggestions: Where are the other
Great idea!
The better the information and the more perspectives you offer, the richer GM will be as a whole.
Kudos.
FYI, el nuevo blog de General Motors
“For Your Information”, as√≠ ha llamado General Motors a su nuevo blog, FYI Blog. No se si tendr√©is sindicado en vuestros feeds el anterior blog del gigante americano, FastLane Blog, pero no es un blog donde se lean muchas novedades del gr…
Buick Rules!
How about posting those great quarterly results as reviewed by The Detroit Free Press (freep).
GM’s international sales up 15.9%. Hummer sales up 200%. Saab sales up 27%.
If you think it cannot be done with Buick and Pontiac you are wrong. In fact, it needs to happen. Buick sales must increase by 25% a year here in America for the rest of the decade. It also must realize continued growth in China and Russia, yes Russia, they have big roads they need big Buicks.
You have the answer now and it is in the Holden Efigy design. When Buick introduces a sub $30,000 Efigy inspired sedan then GM will hit the family sedan sweet spot.
When we look at the U. S. Capitol, The White House and a number of foreign capitols, these designs date back to B.C. Roman and Greek architecture. When you find something that beautiful you just don’t change it, not that much anyway. Buick found something of a Roman style dominance in automotive design which it used to own. Find it again because it does not matter what era we are in, those designs will prove timeless.
The Camaro strikes a nice balance between paying homage to the past yet looking modern in execution. Buicks however have nothing whatsoever in common with the great Buicks of the past. Buick can be modern but it has to find those elements that are unchanging that made it the #1 automaker in the 20’s from China to Japan from New York to L.A.
GM you need to run now on all eight cylinders, get Buick up. It’s too valuable to not grow. Every big automaker on the planet knows you need the profits, financing and big vehicles sold in America to finance the rest of their worldwide operations. Buick is in the thick of it.
I have waited for the 2006 Impala with disappointment. This company has old engineers that do not have a sense of what the young and the old want in a car. I waited for the Buick Lucerne with, likewise, disapointment. Nothing has changed on that car. It looks like the Lacrosse. It has no personality or should I say stlye. It has a flat, cheap looking hood. It looks like it has already been in a crash, the back up lights are attached to the trunk…all engineers should know that is a No, No! I was trying to decide between the Impala, Lucerne and the Cad DTS.
Additionally, the GMC cars are made out of paper….not exterior protection for a gererous amount of money!!!
Good luck with the new blog,
I’m looking for GM to pull out of their perceived tailspin. I’d like to hear some thoughts on your plans for the future (electric vs. hydrogen).
Feel like it’s the mid-eighties and GM is having trouble connecting with consumers. Is it a perception problem you’re facing or is the competitive environment (in which the Japanese have less union issues to combat?)
I’m a neophyte when it comes to the auto industry but always followed the industry through national print.
Like Starbucks, but not so much, we all need a STS AWD V8, Regal GS, a Vue redline, a porsche, and a pension. Thanks to my company for having heart and top of the ranks good sense. Continue the Lexus, Acura, Infiniti head-to-head comparison with the Buick Lucerne CXS on Edmunds.com and see what can be done about Davis (not David E. but Larry or whatever his name is) on PBS.
In order for General Motors to make inways back into it’s share of the car market, GM must build cars with radically different styles that are completely appealing. It is obvious that a car that will last and not have the least of repairs, matters too. But for now, it must be a revolution in design (NOT EVOLUTION) that will drive buyers back into the showrooms.
Many of the current cars have rounded edges, if not round all together, and have the “aero” look. It’s time for a design change! Get some sharp angles in there, and work the body so there are more flush sides. I am not a designer, but it can be easily seen if one just imagines on this design standard for quite a few moments.
While GM is working on these new and fantastic designs, they can concurrently engineer better, work at the durability issue in all phases of manufacturing, AND use the best parts. AND COMMUNICATION AMONG THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IS A NECESSITY!
Management must decree this, and if they do their job well, I see a larger percent of the market for GM.
Umm metheny50 you might be interested to know that Saturn already HAS a VUE Redline. 250 hp V6 AWD Redline. Check it out on Saturn.com Or better yet visit your local Saturn dealer and drive one…
Mel,
Back-up lights can’t be attached to the trunk (lid)? Why in the world would anyone care? No, really, I’m an engineer, and I don’t know.
Oh, by the way, the trunk is the big empty space underneath the trunk lid.
Gm has a long history of fighting change. While I’m not an advocate of social engineering I do think that GM should embrace issues that are important to major demographies. California has long tried to dictate environmental, safety and economy targets to the rest of the country. My hope is that GM will turn its back on its legacy of complaining about unfair and uncompetitive social mandates. It is time for GM to become a leader again. The Japanese and now the Koreans have the same market pressures that GM has yet they have choosen to listen to the people and quietly engineer thier vehicles to all around higher standards. Hybrid technology may not make money during the sale but it sure saved money in publicity and generated higher stock prices through goodwill on the balance sheet.
The time is right for a leader to stand up and meet the challenges wrought by world fuel pressures. Quitely greet and endorse the proposed new CAFE standards. Meet then exceed the targets. Dig up those old plans for synthetic wheel rims. Close the tolerances on your bearing assemblies.
I have a good idea instead of paying cash to the customer to buy your product why not give them a nice new bicycle so they can park that new car and save fuel on short trips while they get fit?
Bob,
GM ads are a success. The Lucerne ad is especially effective. The violin music grabs the attention. Impala ads are looking good too. Show some young drivers in GM products. The Speed Channal seems to show younger drivers testing the foreign competition, but not GM. Don’t let them get away with it.
GM should advertise Saturn and E85 vehicles in California to boost image. Imagine a couple surfer dudes in a Saturn Red Line.
I am wanting to buy a car with the engine that is E85. To show that a vehicle is running on E85, I think GM or Chev should have stickers available to put on the back of the vehicle. This allows other drivers see that the vehicle isn’t a gas hog. (since im gonna buy a Tahoe)This might get more people to enquire and buy E85 vehicles. The more people buy E85 the more gas stations will add that to thier pumps. For the sticker, Id have a stalk of corn with it saying E85 powered. PS. I plan on making my own fuel.
GM should not ignore the public arena. The upcoming elections will be very important. Remember, the Midwest Heartland holds the balance of power in the US, neither side can’t win without it. Stand up for the middle class and American jobs, don’t be pushed around by Washington and Wall Steet. Hit back and the people will come to your side. Take them to court. Tell them these nickle and dime regulations are unconstitutionally vague conveyances of power. Thats the only way. Being quiet is what they want GM to do, so they can keep doing it to you. How much more will you take?
GM needs to be proactive and answer the pundits and the Administration on their call for CAFE changes. If GM’s message isn’t heard, the perceptions will build again. Remember, a perception not denied is a perception believed. Don’t let them do it to you, and amke rules to favor the foreign competition again.
Stand up to them, don’t take it. Tell the media the kind of leaders you want in Washington and the policy changes you want to see. Ask for public support for your ideas.
Does GM want a mandate for E85? Say so.
Does GM want incentives for hybrids? Say so.
Does GM want Uncle Sam to relieve some of the of health care and pension costs for American companies? Say so.
Does GM want changes to trade and currency policies, a two tier exchange rate to promote US exports? Say so.
Take the credit rating agencies to court, they are anti-competitive, unconstitutionally vague, violative of GM’s due process, and have a conflict of interest for McGRaw Hill owning S & P and JD POWER.
Set the stage for a change. Go on the talk shows like Lou Dobbs. Be visible, vocal, and be concerned for America, and people will rally to your side.
Be engaged in the US, don’t be out propagandized. Offer streaming educational videos online.
Others are involved, nearly every library in America has to spend money on subscriptions to a consumer magazine, so they use public funds to subsidize the only one out there, you guessed it, Consumer Reports.
GM may need to take some time to re-learn the landscape of America to beat the foreign competition.
For the Buick Marketing folks reading this, check out the Autoweek link below on the quality issues surrounding the Avalon. If I were making Lucernes, I think I would be all over this from a comparison standpoint!
Cheers,
Eric
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/FREE/60501002/1041/TOC01ARCHIVE
Bob,
GM ads are a success. The Lucerne ad is especially effective. The violin music grabs the attention. Impala ads are looking good too. Show some young drivers in GM products. The Speed Channal seems to show younger drivers testing the foreign competition, but not GM. Don’t let them get away with it.
GM should advertise Saturn and E85 vehicles in California to boost image. Imagine a couple surfer dudes in a Saturn Red Line.
GM has finally found a vehicle in the current Impala that can compete head to head with Camry and Acura. Somebody please initiate a real continuous improvement program built around this winner. Level the playing field.
Pontiac breeds excitement? Please use the Zeta rear wheel drive sedan to restore the Grand Prix to its proud 1969-73 heritage.
Reject the pattern of fixing what’s not broken and live up to our slogans.