Bob Lutz Meets with Bloggers at NAIAS

Bob,
I think you did an excellent job discussing very pointed questions, presenting an image of transparency, and overall instilling some confidence with your future plans and the volt.
It seems like you and many at GM have a very good grasp of how important modern media outlets have become. All of those bloggers there looked like 20-early 30-something people, and likely a generation born of parents who had unchanging loyalty to import brands dating back to the 70's. This is precisely the age group you need to be talking to, and appear to be doing so.
I'd love to see more of these types of interviews. Perhaps even consider making an ad campaign that uses the same "fireside chat" kind of mentality.

Bob,

Glad to see you face off with the bloggers. To hear you say that there are advancements in battery technology that make an electric car more feasable vs. just a few years ago, shows GM's commitment to alternatives to the internal combustion engine. Of course I'm thrilled on the other hand that you'll be bringing the awesome Camaro concept to reality too. Perhaps it might be possible to also have a hybrid Camaro in the future. Proving you can have your cake and eat it too.

I like honesty Mr. Lutz and you have proven yourself as a genuine person when it comes to speaking your mind. I know that once someone leaves a brand or product, it's tough to get them back. The 70/80's negatively impacted vehicle sales in north america, however, what GM is doing today is putting their money and passion where their mouth is. The new designs are impressive, and in some cases edgy, which I think sells. I like the new GMT900 truckline, I do think that if this archetecture will evolve into a more aggressive truck over time, I will soon consider buying one. If I had a wish list, it would be to see the XUV sliding top incorporated into a deluxe model crew cab version that has more chrome with a supercharged 6.2L...5 speed auto, sort of a hybrid avalanche with attitude...

Keep up the good work!

Jim

Yeah but, can you do it in French?

Okay, how about in French while piloting a plain?

Upside-down?

Anyway don't try it but do try this.

I want to be schooled on how to make the great family sedan or more precisely REmake the great family sedan and how to build a great brand around it.

So hybrids were around in 1968 and ethanol was around 100 years ago. You see how everything just returns in cycles, like there is nothing new under the sun. Even fashion goes in cycles.

You know what that means don't you, Buick's stock is going up.

Your greatest legacy may be, you left GM the way you found it.

The way you do that is to make the product reflect that which it once was.

That is why I believe fate brought you here to this very spot.

So the best designers sit and ask, "How many ways can you cut steel and what is the best looking steel?"

The best sculptors ask the same thing, "How many ways can we cut a stone and what is the best looking stone?"

The stone carvers have it down pat, "You want the best it's neoclassical Greek and Roman architecture."

They don't have to reinvent the wheel every five years.

So what is taking the steel designers so long? When are they going to figure it out?

Bob, It seems clear that the market wants solid, reliable, exciting cars and trucks that won't depreciate by 50% in two years. Continued focus on price reductions and decontenting will not give customers what they want. Adding value and features that customers want and are willing to pay for will set GM apart from the plain vanilla appliances that too many manufacturers strive for these days, especially the Japanese and Koreans. Why not re-set goals for the GM team to be sales and profit improvements?

Bob: You made some good points on the problem GM faces making all buyers happy.

GM, Ford and Dodge have all been unfairly judged "greedy" by selling large numbers of pickup trucks. You should use "the same "fireside chat" kind of mentality" Edvard suggests to explain how most GM pickup buyers are contractors and farmers who buy pickups because they NEED what a pickup offers.

Once the public understands that if GM did not make pickups these buyers would still buy pickups, GM's perception may improve. You could use this approach to educate the public on how the "Twin Mode" hybrid system that will be introduced on the GMT900 is superior to others on the market.

You seem to be optimistic that GM will produce the Volt and it was good to hear that even though it is only "about 90 percent there" GM was still willing to show the Volt at Detroit. Hopefully GM will do more things like this before they are "safe".

Keep up the great work and I am very happy to hear that the rumors of your retirement were just that - rumors.

GM needs you now more than ever since it is when things start going well for GM that it makes the most mistakes. And a least this GM stockholder thinks you are doing a great job and will keep the GM management focused.

My HHR Experience

http://forums.thecarlounge.net/zerothread?id=3043485

My partner's X3 was in the shop today (bluetooth quit) and he brought home an Enterprise rental...a HHR. Decent car actually.

I spent about 10 minutes just playing with it in the garage, pushing buttons, opening doors, etc. Roome inside, comfortable, even has armrests for each front seat. Interior is OK quality, looks good, doesn't feel as good as it looks but in this price class not a lot does. Switchgear feels craptastically 'Murrican (either too stiff or too loose, either way feeling like something is broken). But otherwise so far the inside is fine for what it is, and it's MILES better than Gee Emm interiors of the past.

I then take it for a spin (and to put some gas in it since it'll be going back to Enterprise tomorrow). Start it up, idles quietly, idles smooth for the most part with some occasional vibration. Not bad.

Pull out of the garage and head off to the gas station. Pretty torquey around town actually. Smooth-shifting transmission (auto of course (rental)). Engine is actually pretty quiet...almost can't hear it when just cruising along. However under light acceleration, while the engine remains hushed, the tailpipe emits a somewhat annoying "waaaaaahhhh...." that I didn't care for.

Steering is decent, good weight for the most part but a little numb here and there. Was nice and light at parking speeds (wonder if it's variable assist?). Ride is very good, never harsh, generally steady. Handles just fine in everyday driving.

Visibility isn't great (a/b pillars are rather thick and the high beltline and styling of this car gives you that looking-through-a-gunslit feeling) but I get used to it. The windows feel dangerously small at first but after a few minutes it's not as unnerving.

Put some gas in, take the freeway home. Going down a steep hill to the freeway I downshifted it to 'I' to get some engine braking. What is that? The shifter has P-R-N-D-I-L. Um, ok 'L' is "low" (first gear I assume) but what is 'I'? It did downshift a gear but to what? 3? 2? Dunno. It downshifted to something though. Whatever.

Hop on the freeway and accelerate moderately hard. I stuck it back in 'I' and figured maybe it'd hold the gear to redline? Nope...still upshifted at about 4200rpm (redline is higher...like 6000 IIRC). Still don't know what 'I' specifically means. I just know it's not 'D' and not 'L'. Oh well...pop it back to 'D'.

I then notice a big omission in all this. It's nighttime and with all my shifting I now notice that there is *no* gear indicator on the dash or in the instruments. So I have to look down between the seats to see if I'm in 'D' or 'I'. I look down and the gearshift shows you what gears you are *not* in. In other words, all the letters are illuminated *except* the gear you are in is dark. So only by process of elimination and looking far away from the road can you then tell if you left it in 'D' or 'I'. No bueno, Gee Emm.

I'm driving on, it's cruising quietly, not really any engine noise or exhaust noise when cruising...just some acceptable tire noise and a bit of wind noise (not annoyingly so but more than I expected for something that does look sleek. Maybe it was the side mirrors I guess which certainly could have been lifted from the Gee Emm parts bin and not given much aerodyamic thought when applied to the HHR. Overall it's a nice drive. Reasonably comfy and quiet.

I change from one freeway to another and punch it coming off of the cloverleaf. It moves pretty good. Engine is smooth, sounds like a four-banger but isn't too rough at all, pretty good.

I'm driving along and now thinking the dash lights are a little dim for my preferences. Where's the dimmer? Hmmm...usually next to the headlamp switch...but this switch is a "twist the turn signal" lever, so the dimmer isn't there. I glance at the dash (trying to not get too distracted since I am doing 70mph) quickly a few times and don't spot a dimmer wheel or knob with the expected icon anywhere. Hmmm...will look into that later.

I get home and pull into the common-area garage. I have to put down the front passenger window and wave a little fob at a pad on the wall to open the gate to the garage. Hmmm...window switches...there they are on the console. And they're dark. Nearly every switch on this dash is lit *except* for the P/W switches. GM seems to be relying on ambient light from a not-well-disguised-LED in the ceiling to light the console area but it's too dim to really light the switches effectively. After picking two wrong buttons (they're not arranged in a pattern I'm used to either) I get the correct one.

I park and now spend time looking for the elusive dash light dimmer wheel. Bingo! Found it by accident when my hand was just touching anything at random. It's a thumbwheel that is completely unlabelled except for a little dot in the indent where your finger goes. It's located horizontally (not vertically) under the center left air vent and looks far more like it has to do with the ventilation than with the intensity of the dash lights. There's nothing on this thing to indicate what it does.

Other curiosities:

-- The gauges are small, the speedo is barely adequate IMHO.

-- When the car is off, the speedo just displays the numbers and isn't even labelled 'MPH'. When you turn the car on, a 'MPH' lights up. This now begs the question...why have hard-coded numbers but yet an illuminated 'MPH'? You'd have to have a different gauge face for km/h gauges anyway so why then, presumably, have an illuminated km/h on the metric version of the speedo? I can think of six better places (p/w switches, dimmer wheel, gearshift indicator for active gear) to put an illuminated indicator than putting an illuminated MPH or KM/H on a speedo that shows no signs of being switchable on-the-fly.

-- The chrome rings around the gauges reflect the light from streetlights that you drive under and out of the corner of my eye I kept thinking I was seeing a CEL or some other idiot light come on. Probably is something you'd get used to after a while though.

-- If you hit the lock button while the driver's door is open, the car will not lock and it'll bong at you three times. Close the door and 5 seconds later, whump! It locks all the doors. Didn't like that because the refusal to lock and the bong-bong-bong sounding made it seem to me that it abandoned all attempt to lock the doors when it didn't. I can see locking the keys in the car from this.

-- Alarms such as the bong-bong-bong noise mentioned above, the bonging for the "fasten-your-seat-belt", and even "the tick-tock-tick-tock" for the turn signals and hazard lights are actually played by the radio through the left front speaker. Whoa! I thought that was actually kinda cool. No little relays with little speakers under the dash for the chime, no tick-tock-tick-tock coming from a flasher relay behind the dash, etc. I've noticed that even turning on the headlamps there's a very slight delay compared to other (older) cars that makes me wonder if all of the lighting is managed by computer now, even in this low-end Cobalt-based vehicle. Hmmm...

In short...

Engine
Transmission
Steering
Ride
Handling
Interior
Switchgear
Labelling+Night Illumination

Would I buy one? Not really. I'm not in the market for a wagon-y thing like that but if I were in that price class and looking for a wagon-y thing I would not rule it out and I would cross-shop it to the PT Cruiser first before deciding...and I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone looking for such a vehicle to consider the HHR.

It's got some issues, some permanently annoying, some take getting used to, but it's a good drive and not a bad car at all. Only thing is that Gee Emm needs to make products that are better than "not bad"...they need to stomp the competition.

I enjoyed watching Mr. Lutz's candid explanation on GM's Volt project and the company's goals in seeking a fuel source for the future. Mr. Lutz handled himself well, being honest about the company's plans and the problems with current green technology and the hopes for the future. This is a rare sight with executives. GM has been in the spin machine so long, this level of honesty might give me a heart attack.

Well said Bob!
"we do what the market wants"!
I can't wait to get the car I want! I just hope I'm a part of the market!

Dear Mr. Lutz,
As you know Cadillac is at the top of their game. Your car and trucks are fantastic so please make sure you keep on the ball. One suggestion though. Go after BMW. In my opinion you really can’t do this with the CTS. I think you need to create a totally new car. New chassis, new body new interior new everything. This car would not necessarily be better than the CTS but different. I would use Cadillac styling q's but refine it in a new light. It’s hard to explain in words but to try to explain I would sleek it back, create some curves over the top and make the body “look” smaller.
None of what I said probably does not make a whole lot of sense but I do hope you get the idea and at the very least I hope you are working on something like this. The CTS is an awesome car but it is still geared too much towards the 35-55 business class. I would like to see something for the 20-30 professional or manufacturing management class

A couple of weeks late to the party but that never stopped me before. Great job on posting this video, Bob. Look forward to more of this kind of real communication with all segments of the GM ecosphere.

Mr. Lutz, hoping that you read this, as I am just tickled with my piping hot new RED G6 from Pontiac. My first new car, a 1958 Ford Fairlane, was also a red automobile, I figured at my age I deserved yet one more RED car, and by golly, GM delivered! Have a had many many cars over my life time, Mr. Lutz, pleased to report the G6 is a winner in all respects. Thanks for having a hand in it, and please, pass my thanks on to the rest of the crew that were involved.
G J Chris Graves, NewCastle, Cal.

Mr. Lutz,
I very much respect the attention you have given to GM and the brand equity you realize exists within the general's architecture. However, the pontiac brand is still without a true performance oriented mindset as it was when the GTO was given birth through the accpetion of a massive engine into a car that perhaps counldn't sustain it. Hybrids and alternative powertrains be damned. There are those of us who will always respect potential histeria at 100 mph + speeds over potential economy. I will allow 20 mpg on my 05 GTO because I love the car. I understand the blending of both worlds seems to be nessecary to the company; but can you really expect that those like me will switch to a well looking car with alternative energy? We look for power, a racing alternative as it were, and the next street light brawler. As it seems now we have gas concious alternatives as concepts with less than powerful powertrains that can offer a compromise of efficiency and economy. I'd rather ignore both options and see an inexpensive car with typical GM ubiquitous world beating OHV horsepower AND torque. (since when did torque become so inconsequential we decided not to note it?) No offense to the world but with my 50 some odd years left of life I really don't care. Let people drive prius's and be uncomfortable and irritated with their daily commute. I'd rather be comfortable and happy.

Bob, the Volt looks great! But is there a market that can support it?

Bob, I have a question I would like you to address if you can. Would you trade CAFE for a progressive national gas tax that places U.S. fuel costs more in line with the rest of the world, especially Europe?

Thank you Mr. Lutz, thank you for the Chevrolet Volt, a vision for our country to become independent of oil producing countries by embracing battery electric - plug-in hybrid technology.

Thank you for bringing rear wheel drive back to GM. I am reading with excitement the latest articles about the Pontiac G8, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Pontiac Solstice.
My Z28 is 12 years old now, and I am looking forward to adding a plug in electric for my commute in the near future. How about a Solstice Plug-In.

Sincerely, Hart Fischer, Sierra Madre, CA

Mr Lutz:
I've owned 4 Buicks in my lifetime; the last 3 of which have been Regal GS's. I presently own 2 of these vehicles; all truely marvelous cars! I've found them to be virtually trouble free after experiencing a combined 100,000(+) miles of driving. Quality seems to be their hallmark! I was VERY disappointed to hear that a front engined / rear drive Buick was dropped from the future vehicle plans of GM. I envisioned a 4 door sedan with front engine/rear drive standard V6 - Optional variable displacement V8 +Optional all wheel drive - standard 6 speed automatic with paddle style shifters. I would like it to look like the Velite concept of 2004. Yet when I hear of new plans, I see only Pontiac's G8, Chevy's Impala, Cadillac's CTS. All this + no Buick? Will I have to seek another brand when replacing my 2 sedans? I do not want to by and imported car! Thanks, SKIP