Let Me Tell You a Few Things…
Buick Riviera Concept Coupe
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
First of all . . . let me lay one rumor running rampant through the blogosphere to rest: I have no plans to retire . . . not June 1, nor any other time soon. This was clearly an Internet prank gone hopelessly awry – and not a very clever one either.
Second, let me say one thing about all the posts some of you have left asking about the Park Avenue or one or more of the Chevy Triplets coming to America. You know better than to think we can respond to that, don’t you? We don’t like to use standard-issue corporate-speak here, but if we have to, here goes: We don’t discuss our future product plans.
There. Sorry I had to do that. But rest assured, we appreciate the enthusiasm and exuberance these vehicles inspired among so many of you, and if and when the time comes when we have an announcement to make about any of them, you’ll be among the first to know.
Thirdly, if that’s a word, and finally, I’d like you to take a look at one of the vehicles we showed at the Shanghai Motor Show this week, the Buick Riviera concept car.
Gull-wing doorsThis Riviera is another great example, like the Triplets before it, of GM leveraging our global product development talent and resources around the world. It was developed with global design input by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in China, a design and engineering joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).
The staff at PATAC simply does terrific work, and I think it shows in this lovely, sleek, gull-wing coupe. And it does offer a hint at Buick’s future international design language – maybe not the gull-wing doors, but one never knows, does one?
You can see and learn more about it by clicking here. We’d love to hear what you think of it. Just don’t ask us if we’re going to build it or sell it here. For the answers to that, see above…
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Bob:
We fully understand you can’t discuss future product. I don’t think most of us even care that you can’t (the forums and blogs provide plenty).
Really, that shouldn’t even be the topic of discussion. GM should be thrilled with the Park Ave. that they are going to sell in China. And they should be bringing it to the US! That car has recieved an enormous amount of passion from folks, and it could very well be the car that puts Buick back on the map (it sure isn’t going to be those Super models). I’m sure it’s probably difficult to arrange for such a car to be sold in the US, but so what, there is NO excuss as to why this car isn’t being sold in the US. Cut through the corporate BS and make it happen. Right now Buick depends on two ancient W and G Body cars and the Enclave. The Enclave is excellent, so build on it and bring over the Park Ave.
Why ask Bob? You know most people will fall in love with the Park Avenue.
Who would have guessed that the mini-cars would be introduced in the states, and the big luxury car in China?
Should you do all four for the states? YES!
These are the type of vehicles that people have been asking of GM for years.
Ok-I’ll stop asking if you’ll build it.
Instead, I’ll tell you, that IF GM is sincere about reviving Buick it would be pretty foolish not to sell the Shanghai-Buick Park Avenue in North America.
Hi Mr. Lutz,
No one is asking GM to reveal future product plans, per se. But I, for one, would like to see you take a stand and speak of Buick’s future in North America, as you already have done repeatedly for Chevrolet, Saturn, Hummer, etc. Surely you can see that your customers feel that the product Buick is offering now in NA is not competitive. Yet it wouldn’t take much, given the global leveraging possible with Buick in China, to fix that. Since GM won’t talk about Buick’s future products, let me then offer what I hope will be Buick’s future in NA:
1 LaCrosse (Epsilon II) – please move this up in the cadence
2 Skylark (Theta crossover) – a “little brother” for the Enclave
3 Enclave (Lambda)
4 Park Avenue (Global RWD) -
give it even more style in the exterior design
5 Riviera (Alpha RWD?) – Buick’s new halo car
In the photos of the Riviera concept, I didn’t notice any “Riviera” badging. So if you’re at all hesitant about using the Riviera name, how about “Wildcat” instead? (Not “Bengal” please.)
Thank you.
And just what does the China Buick have that is so sorely lacking here? If the pictures are accurate, it’s content! Not cheap content mind you, but a very fine fit and finish with the look of a true luxury car. Look at the trend Bob – Shanghai GM and Holden use quality materials, and the sales continue to soar year over year. US cars continue to be built with cheap materials with more and more decontenting, and your sales continue to decline.
Of course there are other factors, but you cannot discount the fact that people are clammoring for rich materials, superb fit and finish, and the latest and greatest in electronics and safety. Why then is GM so keenly focused on building what people obviously do not want to buy? What good is it to achieve your cheap cost targets, if the car can’t get the job done at the dealership? At the end of the day, it’s all about sales and customer satisfaction – right? And if you get those right, you will be rewarded with profit. GM’s current sales woes are not all because of negative “perception” as the executives like to hide behind. IT IS THE REALITY BOB – building on the cheap, with focus on cheap and cost reductions as the #1 priority, are continuing to erode your sales in the US. PERIOD!!!
Certainly you can’t discuss your future product plans directly, but the hope is that you are listening to your GM fans. If GM employees had half the passion for building great cars as they now have for reducing cost, you might just stand a chance to survive. I hope it’s not too late to get it right before you retire.
Bob,
It’s not so much why those products aren’t coming here, it’s more of why China is getting those products (including the Chinese STS, what was that about?!) while America CONTINUES to get shafted with W-bodied Buick Supers and mildly refreshed STS’s with super-cheapo looking interiors. Honestly, compare an STS interior to that of a cheaper Infiniti or Acura (although the 08 CTS is GREAT and I hope we will see more of that design-thought throughout GM).
I love GM, but the frustration is immense when you see your favorite car company releasing stellar cars in other regions of the world, and not here.
Mr. Lutz,
The article on your retirement was posted on April “One” IE: April Fools Day. Not a prank, but a joke! My blood pressure dropped significantly and my heart rate shot up when I read that on GMI and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Lol. Evidently, either you didn’t read the thread or heard ‘rumors’ through the grapevine. The creation of it was by some of you biggest proponents, No One was trying to spread seditious libel in any way about you.
Thank you for acknowledging the response put forth for the triplets and the “Chinese” Park Avenue. We Do appreciate that. Unfortunately, I’ve know through many internet websites that usually are pretty accurate about future product plans. Consequently, seeing in pictures the Chinese Park Avenue and Chinese Cadillac SLS (which Should be the Cadillac DTS replacement in size and STS replacement in spirit of being the companies flagship…under the naming of ULS? idk, that’s your decision Mr. Lutz) pains me as I know GM can produce world class premium luxury vehicles, but as to why they refuse to sell them in America is incomprehensible. Heck, Mr. Lutz I’d be Content with seeing General Motors just “”"Show”"” the products stateside, and the enormous internet response you have seen will be X-times greater seeing those vehicles in person. How in the world the US market gets a 20k unit per year solstice but no Cadillac or Buick flagship Baffles me, and yes the operative word is baffles.
If it is UAW labor cost, the cost of importing, passing government standards, not having enough projected models sold and economies of scale to make a prudent business case, or Whatever the reason, please just be honest about it instead of giving us the run around “We don’t talk about future product plans” hoopla. I personally don’t believe this, but I have read from an Old Dood about GM’s track record of “GM knows what is good for us…and…the American public does not?” to reiterate, in a free market the Market should decide not the company. Logically, unless there is a financial constraint as a reason, which should be made known, there is No reason not to have the Premium Luxury Chinese GM auto’s sold in the United States. Plain and Simple.
Lastly, I’d like to reiterate that I believe in GM and its global presence to produce the World Class vehicles of the present day and the future. The question is whether or not you can make it happen in the United States. I believe the vehicles out today and the upcoming year are the best ever put out by GM. Make it happen Mr. Lutz, you did it with Pontiac and Solstice and Saturn and the Entire brands transformation. Now take it to another level and really take on something challenging, the Premium Luxury Market that Buick claims to play in but doesn’t and the one Cadillac is in but at the Mid/Full Size luxury sedan market gets embarrassed relative to the competition (STS/DTS), though as I stated SLS could address that;) Any word on a alpha based BTS/BLS? In NO way trying to start a rumor, but if you made one I’d drop 33 thousand large on it. Cash. Tomorrow. Have a great week and thank you for reading.
-CobaltSScrazy
Mr. Lutz:
The rear wheel drive Pontiac, Chevrolet, and Buick automobiles I have seen in the automotive press are very impressive. Many people, including myself, aspire to own these types of automobiles. With a six speed automatic, displacement on demand, direct fuel injection, and an efficient rear axle ratio, a V8 powered, rear wheel drive sedan should be able to offer good performance and fuel economy. In the 1930’s American automobile manufacturer offered a Columbia 2-speed, electrically controlled rear differential which dramatically improved fuel economy. With modern electronic, drive train management technology, a 2-speed rear differential could be greatly improved. Also, with anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, limited slip or locking rear differential, and modern all season tires, a rear wheel drive car can perform well in winter driving. Furthermore, rear wheel drivetrain layouts offer designers more flexibility to design attractive automobiles. Please bring out these rear wheel drive automobiles.
Respectfully,
Eric Matthew Vest
First of all, the Riviera Concept again is breathtaking, like already before (e.g.) the Camaro or Volt. I don’t know how to say, but most concepts from the competition are as exciting as a melting ice-cube in comparison to GM’s latest creations.
Of course I could comprehend that numerous enthusiasts would like to see the Park Avenue for China at US Buick-dealerships, either. But on the other hand: This model inevitably would compete internally with the Lucerne, what finally wouldn’t make sense at all. I can’t think of any car-manufacturer, which is offering two absolutely comparable models within the same portfolio. For example, Volkswagen also doesn’t re-badge the Skoda Superb as a VW and put it next to the Passat. I think it’s already a disadvantage, that the Opel Signum isn’t clearly enough more upscale than the Vectra, in my opinion.
Dear Mr. Lutz, referring to those rumours concerning your possible retirement, I even could read corresponding stories at respected newspapers over here (e.g. “Wirtschaftswoche”). Of course I quickly found out, that this had been nothing but gossip, like the latest news from the “Handelsblatt”, that the next generation Opel Vectra Wagon would go on sale as Saturn Aura Wagon. I am not sure, whether GME did release a contradiction to this sort of speculations.
Since I made my opinion known about “The Triplets” and how they didn’t look very innovative…I’ll step up here. This is good. This looks innovative. The styling, the doors, I like it. I wonder though if the doors aren’t what keep it from being sold in the US. Maybe a safety issue, maybe we just designed our shopping center parking spaces too close together.. Good job on this one though.
Bob,
First I wanted to say that I can’t think of any other automotive company that has the same level of interaction with the public as GM does. This blog is proof of how modern communications can be used to more accurately pinpoint current trends and consumer opinion.
Regarding the new Buick Riviera concept, the overall shape is on the money. It follows the current design philosophy being employed in many of the current luxury makes- a harking back to the swept back saloon as so clearly evidenced by some of the designs being produced by Lexus and BMW. I think the design is terrific.
Here is my only criticism. The Buick branding as evidenced on this car is typical of many new Buick designs. The badge is simply too large. It looks like a giant medallion stuck on the grille and rear. I also think the buick badge needs some reworking to give it a more sophisticated look. Think of the BMW badge and how it has an almost jewel-like quality. The same could be done with the Buick nameplate. Otherwise, yet another stunning example of what could be.
Saw this awhile ago in Autoweek:
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/FREE/70220007&SearchID=73278643471745
So if you guys want a RWD Buick, please convince the Buick dealers…
Quote from Bob Lutz on April 19, 2007: “We don’t discuss our future product plans.”
That would mean that all the hype surrounding the proposed Camaro is hogwash. Who are you trying to kid with the above statement?
Thank you for responding Mr. Lutz.
Us bloggers sometimes feel like our comments and suggestions fall on deaf ears.
I agree with Nsap, there is no excuse for GMNA not to have a product like the Park Ave, however, I think the LaCrosse Super might be a car that I wouldn’t mind driving. Is it an old platform? Yes. does it look like a Taurus? Yes. But I want a comfortable, nice riding car with V8 power and smoothness. I have driven the Impala SS and there is nothing like the rumble of a V8.
When you say “We don’t discuss our future product plans” I can only hope that translates to “future product will be awesome, don’t worry” but I just hope it isn’t too far in the future.
I have faith. In Bob we trust!!
The Riviera looks like it would make a beautiful roadster. Let’s see the coupe and roadster at the Detroit show next year, and at Buick dealerships soon after. That pair and a Park Avenue to replace the Lucerne (all variations of Zeta?) would be a great upper half of the Buick line-up.
Dear Bob
I am not going to ask you if we are going to get the PARK AVENUE in the U S. My question is why not? Are we not as worthy as the people in china? When it comes to BUICKS they seem to get all of the good stuff and we get the dull stuff. With the exception of maby the enclave(by the way a very unattractive name.) all the rest of the BUICK line are very boring and fall far short of thier intended compertition. I think you should dump the entire present BUICK lineup and replace them with the chinese versons. As for the chinese RIVIERA while it’s a nice car, I prefer the VELITE concept in a coup and convertable with the RIVIERA name.
I really like the Buick Riviera Concept Coupe. If you really want to make a powerful statement. Produce a car that has the body of the Buick Riviera Concept Coupe on top of a E-Flex/Volt type powertrain. That would be a great looking PHEV. Like it more than the Volt body.
I don’t have any excitement for the Triplets because I don’t have any details to get excited over, and I’m almost certain they’ll never be sold in the US.
If you would change your mind and start discussing future product plans, I might have something to get excited over, like I was excited over the Astra. (Man, was that a let-down.)
What I feel isn’t excitement, Bob, it’s incredulity. I. Don’t. Believe. You.
Mr. Lutz,
Let me first say that I have been impressed with several of the products GM has debuted recently. I’m in the market for a new car, and I’ve been keeping a close eye on what’s coming in the GM pipeline. But I’m worried that there’s nothing coming for me.
What I want is a high performance mid- to full-size sedan with a refined appearance. The upcoming G8 excites me, but if I have to get a huge spoiler and hood scoops to get a V8, I won’t buy. That boy-racer style is not for me—I crave performance, not ostentation.
The question is whether GM will bring my kind of car to market. I’m not looking for the specs on a future product. I’d just like a “yes” or a “no.”
Bob,
As a Buick fan, I hope you can see our frustration with the dwindling sales figures here in the US, and are envious of the products that are going to China. Would I like to see a Park Ave come here? You bet!!! I own a ‘99. Am I proud of the Enclave as a replacement for the Ranier? You bet!!! I own an ‘04. Would I like to see a new Riviera? YES!!! I long for the day I get one. Would I like to see a production Wildcat? YES YES YES!!! I OWN A ‘65 CONVERTIBLE. Please, light a HUGE fire under Buick North America.
Bob,
Refusing to comment on hot topics is not the way to cool people down. Instead of pleading the fifth, why not give the people WHAT THEY WANT!!!? It’s blatently obvious the Park Avenue and the Chinese SLS interior belong here in the States – YESTERDAY! People want them. Bob, GM is in the corner because of the lackluster product they’ve sold over the years. Do you really think, in all objectivity, that a Lucerne or LaCrosse is worthy of a Buick tri-shield? Come on! Either bring the Chinese Park Avenue over (without changing a single thing – well, except for the owners manual language) or kill Buick now. I think people are voicing alot of frustration about this because it is, quite honestly, frustrating and downright infuriating that GM will build a better car for China than our own home country. And you continue to wonder why your North American market share shrinks.
A great car from GM not available in the US. You’re a d#mn fool, Bob, if you think we aren’t going to pester you until it shows up here.
Wow,
Looks like the Velite on steroids.
Yeah I know your frustration about “Build this! And Build that! And how about a…..!”
But understand our frustration, take a look at the Efigy, Velite, Park Avenue and Riviera and then go to your local Buick dealer and compare.
Yeah, there is a disconnect, a gap between what we see and what you show.
All we want to hear is that things are looking up, at least in the design department.
Not to say success is not coming.
The Buick Enclave is
PERFECT!
If there are any Lexus LX 450 crossover buyers that need something bigger the Enclave is it.
There is nothing else out there like it. It makes the Acura MDX look like a Matt Truck.
Super Job GM, just deliver the goods.
We promise we will show up.
hi bob! gm should make more cars in ontario and china. ontario’s healthare cost per employee is only 100 bucks compared to Michigan’s 1000. And China is a low-cost country. you should definitely make more cars there and import them. china could be a center for left-hand drive whereas india could be the center for right-hand drive.
Dear Mr. Lutz,
I know I am simply reiterating what most of the other commenters on this thread had said, but I am worried you would take insult to past comments about the Chevy triplets, and the Buick Park Ave.
I have been hoping and praying that General Motors would finally bring back designs and the engineering that made the company the number one seller of vehicles during the 1960s.
I remember my first car; a 1994 Pontiac Grand AM. I loved that car as any red blooded American would. Then the car had to be junked due to a leak that developed with the lower intake manifold gasket. The problem is a known problem with the 3.1-3.4 liter engines, and legal action has been taken by others about this problem.
It is things like that that force people to buy foreign makes of automobiles. I bought a Mazda because I thought I would try someone else’s engineering. My friends all have Honda’s or BMW’s. Only one of my friends has a Chevy, and he is starting to have problems with it.
What I do not understand is if there is such an overwhelming response to the Buick Park Ave, and the Cadillac SLS, why General Motors refuses to develop similar products here in America.
It is disturbing that you would take such a hostel stand against the very people who are wishing that General Motors become the standard of the world once again. There should be no reason for such a response from you.
I know and understand that Buick and Cadillac are selling very well in China, and I hear there are big profits to be made in that market. That’s fine. There is a gaping hole here in the US, and in other markets, that General Motors must fill.
Why for example, was there such a negative response to the new regulations in terms of fuel economy, and pollution standards; mainly the effective pulling of all rear wheel drive vehicles?
I would like to buy a Pontiac G8 when it comes to my local dealership or maybe the new for 2008 CTS. But I cannot buy the car if it is not at my dealership!
I am not asking for insider knowledge, I am asking that you and your managers listen to what the people are saying and bring the protects we want to market!
Bob,
Despite all of your talk, I don’t believe that GM will ever bring these cars to North America.
Continue to sell the boring vehicles that Buick sells here now and Buick can join Oldsmobile in a few years.
It’s too bad…
Bob~
I like what you are doing with the concept cars! Very nice products with a lot of potential. So when does the potential become reality? We have been told there will be a GTO, a Impalla with RWD, and the G8 (hate the name) is promising; however you must lose the hood scoops. But enough with the concepts and future cars, give us something now!
Like John C, I’m a Buick fan. I wish I’d own a 1965 Wildcat convertible like he does (The 1965 Buick Wildcat Custom convertible and hardtop coupe are the nicest Buicks ever and they should be an inspiration for the current models). At least I have a 1965 Wildcat 4 door hardtop which I also like. Please Bob, let GM produce a new Buick that I’ll be proud to drive!
I like the Riviera also (I also own a 1967 Riviera Gran Sport)
But I don’t care for the gull wing doors of this prototype.
Make it a hardtop like the Camaro instead. Buick was the first brand to introduce 2dr hardtops back in 1949 and the first brand to introduce 4 doors hardtops (along with Olds) in 1955. From 1949 to 1963, the Riviera name was often used to designate 2 and 4 door hardtop models so a hardtop coupe with that name would make more sense than a gullwing car! And I have to admit that I am a bit too conservative to consider driving a car with gullwing doors!
Bob Lutz said:
Mr Lutz,
That’s interesting. Does that mean then the Detroit News was only making up these quotes from you?
As reported in the Detroit News, 5-Apr-07:
As reported in the Detroit News, 12-Apr-07:
V/R
Gary Dikkers
AT LAST! A GM CAR WITH PERSONALITY! Bob, just don’t let the red tape and internal politics alter these new concepts from thier current design. You did a good job staying true to the Solstice…stay true to these.
Also………BUILD THE VOLT!
GM, you really scare me. All I want is a definitive answer on why we do not get the vehicles the rest of the world gets. I’d love to know who decided the Park Avenue will be sold in China, and why that decision was made.
Bob–
I know I speak for nearly everyone when I say, “Why is the new Park Avenue not being sold in the US–at least not yet?!” This would be an awesome car for this market. Why must we drudge away with such lackluster models as the Lucerne and Lacrosse? (By the way, the engine in the Lucerne Super is a joke! My 1993 Eldorado’s Northstar had more hp than this one…what’s going on? Thirteen years later and less horsepower for the same engine?).
Also, why in the world are you thinking of cancelling the best programs–namely the RWD–in light of new fuel economy standards? RWD doesn’t have to mean heavier. The fact that the weight of cars has ballooned recently simply means that you should be looking to cut some weight out. Why not offer smaller, less powerful engines (ooo..gasp)?
Maybe I just speak for myself, but not everyone needs 400hp to get around.
The 250hp in my 1995 Aurora moved the car exceptionally well. People will buy beautiful cars even if they’re not the fastest as long as they’re reliable…remember Mercedes before they tried to outdo BMW?
In short, why is GM not concentrating on building lighter-weight RWD cars? In 1977, a full-size Cadillac Deville weighed about 4200 lbs. Why, some 30 years later, should a physically smaller car require more mass?
“…rear wheel drivetrain layouts offer designers more flexibility to design attractive automobiles. Please bring out these rear wheel drive automobiles.”
I’m not sure how rear wheel drive offers designers “more flexibility,” since in fact the driveshaft tunnel puts constraints on interior room; I do understand that a very vocal minority, mostly composed of “performance enthusiasts,” have demanded it.
If that’s what it takes for GM to sell cars and keep manufacturing jobs in the US, I’m all for it.
But I’m still convinced that GM’s eventual success is only going to be found in returning to the core business of making large numbers of inexpensive, reliable, economical vehicles in the US, for US customers. For the majority of automobile manufacturers, this has meant mostly making front wheel drive cars.
The strongest strategic reasons to offer a same-body Park Avenue in the US is because in the complex psychology of automotive desirability, the Park Avenue became almost-instantly iconic of success in China *because* of its Americanness…which of course must be maintained by US market presence.
So I don’t think there’s any need to beg and plead for it to be brought here. 8^)
Please give us upwardly mobile 30-somethings a Buick!
The Velite or that Riviera.
We are sick of GM of denying us options and forcing us to buy BMWs or Mercedes.
Even Lexus has a coupe.
If Chrysler is sold to private equity, I hope GM will try to buy Jeep. It is an American icon.
Bruce Sherman
Oakland, Oregon
Hi, Bob –
Please keep relighting the torch for Buick. Re-inventing this marque halfway between Chevy and Cadillac can turn it into a GM cash cow again. It’s great the Chinese are helping not only keep the marque alive but also innovating. But don’t forget that great concept convertible Velite. If you could ever afford the Velite, the Riv and a small Buick, GM would thrive again — and its founding brand would once again be GM’s superstar. First time I tried one of these messages….
Mr. Lutz, I think most of us understand that you may not be at liberty to say when/if a vehicle maybe ever made or sold in a particular country or not.
Hopefully you understand that when such desirable vehicles such as the triplets and Park Avenue are shown there will be a demand to know if they will be offered.
The Riviera looks great as all of GM concepts have lately. But now we are going to want to know more about it.
Is it based on the Solstice or the new Alpha? Will it be offered in the U.S. and if so when and what powertrains will be offered?
I know we may sometimes seem demanding, but many of us are truly interested in buying on of these 5 vehicles, so please excuse our enthusiasm for as much information as possible as soon as possible. I think GM’s problem is (and a good one to have) is it has created so many desirable models it is hard to get them all made and on the market.
Another reason we ask you the constant questions of when, is that when you have said a model was going to be offered it was, so you have alot of creditability with us. Please do not ruin this even if you have to delay or cancel a program, like other posters have said – just be honest with us with the reason. We can take the truth and understand that outside pressures can change plans.
Bob,
You have to bring the Chinese Park Av to the States. Moreover, you need to let the Chinese design all the Buick cars! Their designs are sharp!
It’s evident that North America can’t design a Buick to save the brand! Let the Chinese do it. The best we can do here is a band-aid Super grill. What a joke!
And by the way, if the Park Av and the Riviera are a sign of what the Chinese can do in automotive design, we’re in trouble and so are the Japanese, Europeans and Koreans.
Dear Bob
Give the people what they want,if you don’t someone else will. Judging from most of the comments I have read people want the cihnese BUICKS and the long wheelbase CADILLAC STS along with the rear wheel drive CHEVROLET IMPALAS. Please stop with the name changing. With the exception of the CTS (which by the way replaced the catera which was a unimpressive and damaged name from the start.) the names replacement are unimpressive with unimpressive results. In other words you spent a lot of money for these name changes with very little to show for it. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record here and keep repeating myself, but myself along with hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions are starting to get frustrated. We are tired of watching the rest of the world get the great GM product while we get the leftovers.
Dear Bob,
Image is the name of the game, and everything else comes second. That said, it doesn’t mean that the secondary stuff is unimportant. The look of a vehicle is the bait, but a person still needs be be realed in with a good price, plenty of standards and options. GM has been getting better at the visual bit, but has been sloppy on rest for quite some time. I like the way the new Buick Supers look and the extra power is a welcome addition, but they still have problems. Namely, they are both FWD. I (and most americans) don’t mind small FWD cars, but it is inappropriate for things the size of the Lucerne or Impala. I know people who live up north like FWD for wintery conditions, so why not AWD? Which make me wonder, why doesn’t Buick have AWD on either of its sedans? Almost every near-luxury company has cars with AWD, but not Buick. Even the Mercury Milan can be had with AWD, and considering the state Mercury is in that’s saying something. Why is it that GM also seems to have an abject aversion to manuals? I know that only about 15% of americans can drive manuals, but just offering the option on more vehicles would help their images. I’m sure the LaCrosse Super is a fast and powerful car, but a manual option would make it even better. I think what I’m trying to say is this: keep making neat-looking cars, but be sure to back up that “promise” with plenty of solid options. And put some luxury back in Buick, even Volkswagen is starting to do better.
Gary:
Right again. Can you believe it? As the late, great Jim Healy always used to say, “Comment! No Comment!”
Bruce:
I think the bigger issue is, if Chrysler is bought out for 20 cents on the dollar of what D.B. paid for it, how long until GM suffers the same fate? Not long at this rate, in my opinion.
What can be said except that this is a very disappointing non-response?
Look at the concept over here, folks! Just ignore that fanboy blather about the Park Avenue…’cause it isn’t on our radar.
Bob, let me back up the rest of the comments here and all over the forums and blogosphere by saying:
Get Ed Welburn in here to tell us how great the Chinese Park Avenue is, and how he is excited about the prospect of POSSIBLY bringing it to us!
Fool us if you need to, but stop playing this game of aknowledging the Chinese Park Avenue with lip service while all but ignoring it.
If there are no plans to bring the Park Avenue here, and it isn’t even a blip on the radar — if Holden’s production capacity isn’t enough to build it, then just let us know that.
You have no problem telling us you’ll build the Volt, 2 GM execs were just quoted today in the media as saying the Volt is not Vaporware.
If you can’t give anything away, then at least list the difficulties in bringing a China-manufactured (knock-down Statesman kit from Holden + luxury goodies) Park Avenue here so we can finally be at rest.
Lastly, the fuel economy thing is moot since the life cycle of the Chinese PA would end around the time the new EPA regulations would kick in, so we won’t believe that.
I hope someone with more PR tact will address our concerns and put this to bed.
I hope that an angry, annoyed response telling us to go away is not the ultimate answer…
Mr Lutz:
One minute the zeta platform is a go, then it is cancelled, then it is full steam ahead and now it is on pause (what ever that means). How can the product development process for the largest automaker be on and off like that? Obviously years of manhours have to go into the design of a new platform. Maybe GM should decide where it is going with it’s product and set its priorities to get there rather than second guessing itself like that. Why dont we hear that kind of news coming out of BMW or Toyota? They have obviously got their act in gear and GM does not. It would serve your purposes better to not put out news like that. It makes me wonder of you guys really have a clue about what you are doing.
The Riviera is another product that, along with the Enclave, can revive Buick in the eyes of consumers. I cannot say the same for the Lucerne or the “updated” LaCrosse. The Riviera has a smooth shape, and a presence to it. Buicks have been too plain for too long. Still, I worry the Riviera will be like the Velite and the Aero-X: a great concept for a failing brand. I would love to see Buick become a global standard for excellence in luxury once again.
Mr Lutz,
You don’t have to bring the Park Avenue to America, just do a better job of refining the Lucerne, and by the way give China the Lucerne nameplate and give us back Park Avenue, after all Park Ave is in New York not China. I can’t for the life of me understand why GM is throwing out all the old names, Coupe de ville, Roadmaster, Ninty-Eight, Eighty-Eight, Bonneville, Bel air, Century, LaSabre, Electra, Eldorado, I could go on and on. Mr Lutz it wasn’t the nameplates that the public didn’t want, it was the car the nameplate was attached to. When you throw out a nameplate you throw out years of advertising and name recognition good and bad. Customers that have bought a Park Ave suddenly feel like they own a lesser product because the name has been discontinued, usually meaning out of date.
Mr Lutz “Where have all the LeSabre owners gone”, well I’ll tell you, they were waiting for a new product, they didn’t get one, and still they waited, and then……….they got not a LeSabre, they got a Lucerne? Tell me Mr Lutz does Lucerne really hit the mark better than LeSabre,….be honest……
Are you getting the picture, the folks you are trying to sell the “Super”(1950’s) label to, are no longer on this earth for the most part, but there are a few LeSabre owners still around that would like their cars identify back….
…..and OH JEEZUS! wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a coupe de ville rolling down the street again…..only the Rolls and Mercedes have as much name recognition as coupe de ville, when you say the name everyone knows it’s a caddy. When you say STS folks say, Say what? The picture should be very clear by now, “Stop, I repeat Stop playing with the nameplates, if the name “Willie” didn’t hurt Mr Nelson, and “Elvis” didn’t stall Mr Presleys success, coupe de ville won’t harm the Caddy…..give it back.
Mr. Lutz sounds testy. He should be thankful that people are even visiting this blog and discussing GM vehicles.
Here’s some real news – with GM’s attention focused on cost cutting instead of product improvements, this was bound to happen. The General’s lunch continues to be eaten, not only in in this country but now globally.
TOKYO (Reuters) — Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. outsold General Motors by around 90,000 vehicles in the first quarter, moving a step closer to unseating its U.S. rival as the world’s biggest automaker.
Toyota has been widely expected to challenge 99-year-old GM this year for the top spot in global sales — a position the Detroit behemoth has held for 76 years — but the milestone came surprisingly early, industry watchers said.
Both companies reported record sales for January-March, but Japan’s top carmaker inched past GM as it ate into the U.S. group’s market share on its home turf.
Toyota, maker of the Camry sedan — the United States’ most popular car — said on Tuesday its global vehicle sales rose 9 percent to 2.35 million units in the quarter.
The tally includes cars sold under the Lexus luxury brand and the youth-oriented Scion badge, as well as vehicles from units Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd..
GM, which sells cars and trucks under a dozen brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel and Saab, sold 2.26 million units during the same period, for a 3 percent rise.
Mr Lutz,
The one thing I most admire about you, and this goes back to your Chrysler days, is your focus on product. Marketing shouldn’t be the main focus of GM or any other car company. It’s the product that ultimately sells the vehicles, retains the buyers for future sales, and builds customer loyalty. A good marketing person can make anything sound appealing, but if the product is not good, then your customers, even the diehard ones, will eventually look elsewhere. That said: I am quite worried about GM in regards to the fact that it seems that Marketing people are still too much involved in actually running GM. Marketing is to support and sell the products, not to design and build them. Why are there marketing people in positions that are better suited to dedicated car people? People with engineering backgrounds, or people experienced in running a car company with a focus on product. “Brand Management” must end, once and for all at GM before will really see the kind of turnaround that you envision.
So, speaking of upcoming vehicles, does anyone know when the packaging and pricing on the new CTS is coming out? If I don’t put my order in soon, I think I’m going to lose patience and, if I dare say…go with a G35 or TL Type-S haha, thanks for any help fellas.
Bob,
The Riviera concept looks great but I am tired of looking at concepts. Delaying the rear drive Impala and Buick will cost you again. I guess 20% market share is not far away. I bet BMW and Mercedes will not delay their future product. Even Hyundai will be in the game soon. I have driven GM cars since 1973 but it really is getting tough to root for you guys.
Bob:
The Riviera concept is a great-looking car, exterior and interior. I’ve always been a fan of 2+2 coupes (my ‘07 G6 GTP coupe is sitting in the garage right now). This Riviera would be a nice car to which I could graduate after my G6 gets a few years under its belt. I’d also be interested in a hybrid powertrain, albeit it would have to have more horsepower than today’s hybrids (250hp minimum). And I don’t even have to ask – I know GM will bring this car to the US if demand is high enough.
Sporty, youthful (timeless), and classy cars like the Riviera are exactly what Buick needs to revive itself in the United States. The overall design, with the execption of the weird interior and gull wing doors, is excellent. I wouldn’t mind seeing a sedan version.
“When better cars are built, Buick will build them.” — for China. How sad it is that the famous Buick tagline from the 50’s applies more to China nowadays. I think there is an overwhelming message in all of this discussion about the Chinese Park Avenue — your US customers are not satisfied with Buick. Your sales numbers bear that out.
So obviously, something has to be done. Your customers are doing something that Oldsmobile once told it’s customers to do.
Demand Better.
Bob,
Bring us the Park Ave, I love that car. The G8 is very very nice but the Park Ave goes above and beyond what the G8 has to offer.
GM is finally getting smart; your last great leap is to make great products that last. If the products have problems provide a fix that actually fixes the problem. A perfect example of this was the Buick Rendezvous and Chevy Malibu both had problems that plagued the owners, wheel bearings on the Buick for one. GM needs to fix this stuff before it causes more sales loss. WE have lost more sales to the imports because of the Malibu’s many little stupid problems, we will probably never regain their loyolty.
Mr. Lutz,
I worked for the company that built the first true VPN (ANX)for the big three auto companies to conduct extensive e-commerce in their industry and with their partners/vendors.
I know the auto industry pretty well myself. I say shame on GM. Through senior management arrogance and consumer indifference GM has driven another US company jewel from it’s former pinnacle of success.
Now you continue to say “We don’t discuss our future product plans.” I guess I concur with you. As a potential customer why should we care what your product plans are or your future direction.
It is evident that GM still can’t get accounting and product to work together and it’s still only about the money.
Each new GM product is yes an improvement, but in most cases still a day late and a quality short of the competition.
I wanted to trade in my 2001 Tahoe for a new one, but what for? Instead of the new six speed GM still uses the how many decades old four speed.
GM claims it is a production issue. I say it is a bean counter issue. It doesn’t really matter at this point does it. At this point I care about GM’s future as much as they care about me knowing their future product plans.
Fortunately for me an other consumers there are many more quality choices in the market place today unlike the past.
Good luck (and prayers)in the future. Your going to need it…
Bob, great to hear you’re not going anywhere soon.
Thought you’d be interested in this: http://www.sandboxwisdom.com/sandbox_wisdom/2007/04/abraham_maslow_.html
Probably no one is reading this anymore, but anyway, this car is a stunner.
Build it and with a single car (and the Enclave) you will have completely changed the brand – for the better.
Chris (Toronto)
Bob,
While you may focus on new product and more noticeable performance and marketing issues related to them, there is a small, but very annoying, defect in the current full-sized GM cars that has been there for decades. The door checks are entirely too weak!
Try sitting in an Impala, Gran Prix, Lucerne or any other GM cars from that platform and simply swing the door open quickly as you would when getting out in a moderate hurry. The door will fly open and bounce back to shut on you as you exit. There is no friction damper to slow the action of the door and the checks are too weak to hold the door in position. The hinge design has been place in that platform for decades. The smaller GM cars use the friction slider similar to the ones used in Asian cars and they work fine. But the full-sized car still hangs on to the totally ineffective design.
Years ago, my wife was jumping out of an Oldsmobile Intrigue in the rain and the door came back and hit her in the head and put her in the ER for the night. Last week I rented a Pontiac Gran Prix and, yep, just like the Intrigue and every other full-sized GM car I have encountered over the years, the 2007 Gran Prix doors bounced back to shut on me when I opened them quickly.
Come on! This is not a hard thing to fix. Isn’t it time?
Bob -
You get HIGH MARKS for bringing SATURN back to life. I love this brand and own two of their models (vue and sw2).
Please continue to let this brand emphasize fuel efficiency and safety – both reasons why my current models are so hard to part with.
Regards,
Scott
Lilburn, Georgia
PS – Service at SATURN of Decatur (GA) is another reason why we love the brand. These guys put the service at other dealers to shame. Congratulations on this organization.
Mr. Lutz,
If Buick were selling products here in the US like they are (or plan to) in China – the US would be a huge growth market too.
GM needs the Park Avenue here, now. It’s foolish to introduce it in China first, and stall in NA – Toyota already sees your hand.
Bob
I am a potential Riveria customer. I like big American cars and I hate 4 doors. To me a a 4 door sedan is a stodgy body style.
To me a car can only be a personal car if it has 2 doors. I lked the prevous Riveria very much although I would have preffered RWD a v-8 and more precise Ford like steering.
Regarding the Riveria shown above I prefer the Velite convertible as a future Rivieria. I liked everything about the Velite except for the rear end which I found ugly. I am happy though that a reintroduction of a Buick Riviera is being considered.
To me the demise of cars like the Riviera, Thunderbird and Mark has been depressing. I blame SUVs for the demise of the type of cars I like. I very much want to see midsize and larger coupes be profitable because they are the only cars I like. I think one solution to making coupes less expensive for automakers to build is to simply make 2 door version of existing sedans. Make a Riviera a 2door Lucerne. It may not be as glamorous as a one off unique model but it would be less expensive to build and develop and hence have a better chance of surviving and hanging around as opposed to being a low volume peripheral model. I would give future Buicks, Lucerne Riviera and Lacross front end styling simalir to the Velite.
I would also insist these cars be RWD. For Buick to revive its image it must be comparable to premuim German cars. Buick should be a less expensive Cadillac with Lexus quality. Cadillac and Buick must become comparable to German cars for GM to gain credibility in this field. I think luxury and near luxury cars can be high profit margin cars that can make up for the profit loss of lower
SUV sales. The Riviera is one of my favorite GM nameplates. I love Rivieras from 63 to 73 then the brand declined. I liked the 95 and 96 Riviera but in 97 was turned off by daytime running lights and the decrease in interior color choices. I also feel that automakers need to update their styling more frequently. For example Ford left the Thunderbird unchanged from 1989 until the end in 1998. I know the lower volume of these cars does not justify the investment of frequent updates, that is why I suggest making specialty coupes 2 door version of existing sedans. Just giving a sedan 2 doors makes it look 10 times better. I cant understand why Cadillac didnt build a 2 door CTS from the begining.
Bob
One more point. If I could have what I really want right now I would want a 2-door Chrysler 300 or a 2-door Dodge Charger.
Bob,
If I were you and couldn’t convince the corporation to sell this Park Avenue in the U.S,I’d retire!
Bob, I would suggest not building this car at all. How many units would you expect to sell per year…30K, maybe 60K?
I just started reading your blog (which I am glad you have), but I have not seen anyone address some real issues, such as building GM’s market share back up. The Big Three are all affected by market slide, and I feel all are due to the same issues…PRODUCT!
Besides reviews for Ford’s Fusion line, I not found one other vehicle that has been a home run in respect to design, layout, and build quality. I feel build quality is being seriously overlooked by the Big Three. I can only assume that design budgets are being increased at the expense of engineering budgets. There are some great looking cars and trucks being built in the US right now, but very few I would label as top build quality.
The Big Three have talked for years about closing the gap in quality with imports, but reports show every year the gap is still there. When will it be closed? Probably contrary to focus groups, the most eye appealing cars are not formost on people’s minds (take the Camry, Accord, Tercel, etc). Don’t people buy these with reliabilty top of mind?
Sorry to rant a little, but I’m passionate about what the Big Three are building, and I would like to see market share return.
Mr Virvona – you are absolutely correct – the design you mention would not be hard to change, but since it would cost more, it will always continue to be built this way. Why you ask? It is plainly simple- GM is run by the beancounters, and lowest cost wins every time. Just try your experiment in a Toyota Camry and report back what happens. This is but one simple example of why GM sales are in a tailspin, and companies like Toyota that care about their customers continue to set new records. GM cannot force themselves to spend more on better designs when cheap alternatives are available. It makes no matter to them that the final product will suffer. They only care about cheap cost, and they are experts in this area. Is it time to change? – of course it is, and is actually much much too late. But don’t hold your breath, they will NEVER change as long as the beancounters are in charge.
Save your development and marketing money and start building straight Chevy rebadges for Buick and Pontiac. That money is better served by investing in Chevy and Cadillac. Do this before it is too late and Toyota starts outselling Chevy!!! Sales will probably go down and brand image will suffer, but Buick and Pontiac are dead anyway – especially with Peak Oil behind us. Also, the rebadges will solve your franchise law problem without the need for one single expensive “dealer buyout.”
Bob,
Let the Enclave’s designer rework the body on the Park Avenue and release it here as the Electra. (NO ONE YOUNG WILL BUY A CAR NAMED PARK AVENUE).
Price it from $1,000 under Enclave so that it clears Lucerne easily. Build DTS replacement on platform, and build a Riviera on the G8 wheelbase to create extra economy of scale. Offer mild hybrid base versions, and series hybrid top versions to get CAFE up. Don’t listen to those fogey Buick dealers, but don’t tell them.
If you don’t do this, you will have squandered the opportunity of a lifetime.
Your credibility will fall
because people will see you have an old-school mindset that rear-drive cars shouldn’t get high mileage, and be powered accordingly.
YOU are NOT AN ENGINEER. So pick a 5-man ENGINEERING GVP COMMANDO SQUAD and make THEM your right-hand men, traveling all throughout the GM empire solving such fundamental problems ON THE SPOT, TO QUICKEN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WHILE KEEPING COST WITHIN REASON THROUGH GLOBAL SOLUTION APPPLICATION.
LET’S GO BOB.
Fiat recently said it had a simpler, more efficient valvetrain design that it would introduce soon. Does GM have something similar? They used to be ours!
Greatness doesn’t have to be expensive. That’s exactly what you need the engineers for. To figure how to achieve all the possible advancements in a simpler manner that can easily be implemented worldwide.
And yes, it is way past time to go radio silence on future development. Your competitors are living off foreknowledge. Hyundai’s Veracruz exists because of Lambda foreknowledge, etc.
Spend THE MAJORITY OF your efforts PROMOTING the PRODUCT ON THE GROUND!
Bob,
~
I am the future(24yrs,looking to start a family)
served in iraq;back with a fat bank account.i would love to buy american.but what do u have to choose from?cobolt/aveo
love the new corsa or rivera.
How many years to these come out?
forget the cammaro/firdbird!
*bring corsa,rivera,park ave*
ps-love my diesel tank
Bob,
While I really like the looks of the Buick Riviera showcar, I hope that GM will “click play” on the Zeta program and display at a carshow soon a upcoming RWD Impala and a production ready GTO to be made in North America. Pontiac needs a high-performance coupe as soon as possible (Chevy will soon have a new Camaro, why is Pontiac looking like it’s gonna be left out?)I know that you think that there is no way to meet possible future CAFE standards with RWD cars, but GM should be able to have a few more RWD cars (and still meet CAFE standards) if GM either produces or imports versions of the so-called “Micro-cars” shown at the New York Auto Show.
Is it feasible to make Buick into a niche brand where style and luxury rules over all else?
My guess is yes. That is what this car shows; style and luxury. Will its owners care that the rubber band tires get eaten alive by bad roads? No; they will be rich enough to replace them. Will its gun-slit windows make for poor visibility? Yes, but style and these windows being hard to see IN will work (tint them black, GM for the final Mini-Limo touch!).
I’m not being sarcastic here. If GM is to survive, it should consider profitable niche markets such as what this car represents.
Also, it’s important that whatever this car ends up being have the usual enthusiast’s touches (think Luxo Camaro and you’re fine).
Just read this in the Wall Street Journal:
Does anyone else see the supreme irony of GM announcing this the same week Toyota passes GM in car sales moving GM to No. Two?
Perhaps this is to motivate them to try the old Avis strategy — “We try harder — we have to. We’re number two.”
From the 22-Apr-07 Chicago Tribune:
Mr Lutz,
It’s really not that difficult. In 1984 while living in Germany, I bought a RWD Mercedes four-door sedan with a manual transmission. I routinely got 45+ mpg while driving at speeds of 85-90 mph on the Autobahn.
If Daimler could do that in 1984, why is it so difficult for GM to replicate now?
Seriously, I’m baffled at why you keep saying you don’t know how to do that when others have demonstrated they can.
V/R
Gary Dikkers
Three words fully explain why GM will never be great: U Are Whipped. Entitlement, anyone?
Actually any vehicle could be built utilizing a new generation of steam engines. I designed one pure multi-turbine steam motor with recycling system, and one set up is a steam/electric system. No gas, no pollution.
Gary Dikkers, 4/28, 3:05 PM:
Right. And they can’t build cars in the U.S. because of the “legacy costs” of their UAW contracts. This ought to give the UAW a big incentive to negotiate some large “givebacks”, don’t you think? Leadership by example, I think it’s called.
Or build up the personal bank account as much as possible before you turn the corporate lights off.
Maybe I had better think twice about whether anybody is going to be around to do the warranty work on my Volt before I take the plunge!
China marketing…I would suggest making very very high quality light jackets and shirts for the China market with both Buick & Cadillac logos. Sell them at a low cost through various outlets, but the quality & looks must be top grade.
Stress value & quality. Don’t overcharge like BMW, no one can afford it and you rarely see any.
No better advertising, and if done right at zero cost.
Mark C. Potts:
What does your steam engine use to generate the steam ? The source of your energy for steam generation must create pollution of some kind.
Also we must be concerned with scale. To move a vehicle of any size, you would likely have to generate a lot of steam, thereby requiring a lot of fuel of some kind. It would likely have to be very large as well.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Thanks,
Chris (Toronto)
Bob: Since I last sent you a reply to one of your previous posts, I have purchased a new Envoy Denali and it is a much better vehicle than my previous I-6 powered Envoy!Is the Envoy going to be replaced eventually by the Acadia? Concerning the new Buicks, if you put a performance turbo V6 in them, ala the 1987 turbo Regal Limited and 1987 Grand National, you won’t have to worry about selling every one that you can make. And yes, I do wish I still had my ‘87 turbo Buick and ‘65 GTO. Another tip on how to sell more Chevys: produce a vehicle like the HHR on the scale of the Envoy. The present HHR model is too small! We rented one recently in Maui. Thanks, too, for developing the Volt. When will Bluetooth be standard in all new GM vehicles? We have a new law here in CA that says you have to have a hands free system in your vehicle for cell phone use and really need Bluetooth!
To all GM executives,
I grew up in a “GM” house. my dad worked at a local dealership here in edmonton for more than a decade as a partsman. he also worked at the local Detroit Diesel-Allison dealer as a service manager and earlier as a branch manager of a DDA remanufacturing facility (all in edmonton,ab).
i grew up hearing about the wonderful advances GM would come up with. i remember dad being particularly impressed with weatherproof connectors. he said “GM’s got ‘em all beat with that one”. my family would almost always have a GM vehicle. most times two. ‘80 lemans, ‘88 lesabre limited, ‘93 bonneville SSE supercharged, ‘95 regal limited, etc…
i personally have owned two corsicas (88 and 92) ‘94 acheiva, ‘90 caprice, ‘84 chevette cs DIESEL (loved this car), and my favorite of all time the aurora. the first one i owned was written off (a beautiful ‘97) and i had nothing more than some rash from the airbag. i own a ‘98 aurora right now.
i have no choice but to buy gm vehicles. i love them. i think they are the best engineered, built, and most servicable vehicles i can buy. i am excited by the vehicles i see being sold overseas. why can’t i purchase something like that here? now that ULSD fuel is available in NA where is my turbocharged V-6 diesel impala? you executives know what i mean. i’m talking BMW 530d, M-B E320 bluetec diesel. you gutted me when oldsmobile was closed. i’m not much of a buick fan but you must put a buick mark on EVERY buick built. bigger the better. SAAB doesn’t resonate with me. niether does HUMMER. Saturn is in the right direction with the Aura (it’s just missing an ‘or’ in the middle of it’s name).
all i’ve got left is Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Cadillac. please PLEASE make every car design count. build vehicles we want to drive. build vehicles we need to own the first time we see them. give us some credit and put that extra thousand dollars of equipment into the car. you will never lose if you build a beautiful car with quality and craftsmanship. i’m looking forward to the next 5-10 years from you guys. please give us something to simile about.
thank you.
That’s a real fine vehicle you got there. Now we’re talking……again!
heres an idea:
since you like re-badging and it saves with developmental cost.
build all saturn & saab-(opel) together & Pontiac & Buick-(holden)just add more techonolgy and refinement in the higher end models. ex. Standard equipment :leather,NAV,better interiors.
I own my second Buick Regal now and love it even more than the first one. My 1998 Buick Regal GS (supercharged) is my favorite car of any I’ve ever owned. I was very disappointed when Buick dropped the Regal for LaCrosse. The LaCrosse is uninspiring. Lucerne is a little better, but still not up to the level of previous Buicks. It’s a mystery to me why you would drop the Regal and the Park Avenue. I concur with others here–bring the Park Avenue to the US!
The last auto show I went to was the 2005 Detroit show. For both my wife & I, our favorite car of the show was the Buick Velite. WHERE IS IT? That was an awesome car. Why isn’t it for sale yet? Why only the boring LaCrosse and lackluster Lucerne?
The Buick Riviera concept car is also awesome! That’s what Buick should be putting out, not LaCrosse!!
My brother was devastated when Oldsmobile was sent to the grave; for me, Oldsmobile died long before they quit making cars: They took all the personality of the cars. No more 4-4-2 or Toronado. No more Delta 88 or Ninety-Eight. Just junk like Alero.
Please don’t do that to Buick. Buick is by far my favorite GM brand. Don’t kill it off with cars that have no character. Please GIVE US THE VELITE AND RIVIERA!!! And bring the Park Avenue here too!
P.S. I’ve liked my Buick Regals not only for their design, but also because they’ve been very reliable.
Actually the steam would be created in electrically powered boilers from the batteries and then would be regenerated. There were some interesting ideas from the past, just rethink and update them. There were steam powered aircraft, boats, cars, etc. The problem in the past was weight, use a Wankel style turbine and it’ll cut the weight. Just need a good boiler system to build up the pressure fast. Stanley actually devised some good systems for this.
Bob,
I live in China and have the opportunity to see the Buick models close-up, every day. When I walk into the showroom here, I’m wowed and worried that the LaCrosse and Park Ave. have nicer interiors than the Cadillacs I see when I return home for the summer. Marine to Marine, this is pathetic.
Jody
I have a question concering the attitude GM has to Chevy VS the rest of the company. Why do we have to suck hind tit all the time. I quite franly am tired of chevy. I prefer the other divisions. I sell GMC and we always have to be second. Just today we, GM issued a rebate. $1250 for GMC and $1500 for chevy. Why? It really stinks! WE have the better looking truck. Most GMC sales people are more knowledgeable than chevy, but we always get the left overs. I used to sell chevys and I used to own a 69 Z/28. I have lost the love for that brand. Wake up and give the other brands their due!
Steve
Though I like the looks of the China Park Avenue, it looks way too much like a Ford Five Hundred/Taurus to me. The hilarious thing here is that Maserati showed Buick how to design their next car… even putting the right sexy portholes on the side… and Buick still didn’t have the capability to copy someone that copied them… ROFL
That Riviera concept is a knockout. put it on Sigma and you have a new Caddy coupe.
Dear Mr. Lutz,
I saw you on Autoline Detroit yesterday and really enjoyed hearing what you had to say. Especially about Toyota. Good for you. Keep up the good work. Dale
The slickest car I’ve seen so far this year is the Holden EFIJY, First seen at the auto show in Detroit. I’d love to get my hands on one of those puppies. Please let us at least order one for delivery here in the states.
Bob: The Holden Efijy reminds me of the super-cool ‘48 Chevy Fleetline that we had so many years ago. Just think how many GM could sell if you badged it as a Buick and set it up with either a turbo V6 or smooth V8! Why not put it out there and watch what customers say? Here’s what I have heard so far about this car: “Forget Lexus, as soon as I can buy one of these, GM has a new customer!” “I will trade in my new Chrysler 300 immediately when this car comes available.” And on and on …
Actually, Charles Rohde, that would be an historic irony since the original 1963 Riviera was designed to become the Cadillac LaSalle but was passed up by Caddy Brass… Not a bad idea, though.
Bob,
Thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for Solstice (and Sky, the perfect name for a convertible I can’t believe it took someone this long to figure that out), for Volt, and for the new Riviera (and unnamed others in between.)
I still have a copy of Autoweek from around 1992 with the headline “THE CURE”. On the cover is a fabulous American car. At a time when the press was ringing the bells for the American Car Company Funeral Pyre… You oversaw the change in Chrysler’s product from “gotta make” to “gotta have”.
I had hopes that when you arrived at GM, that you’d beat the system and produce cars (and trucks) that people want.
Thank you.
Dear Mr Lutz,
I would add my voice to the chorus asking you to please bring the RWD Park Ave to the U.S. I’m sure you perceive that there’s much “fertile ground” in the large 4 dr segment between the $30-40K Lucerne/DTS/Toyota Avalon/Crysler 300C and the $75-90K Mercedes S550/BMW 750iL/Audi A8L/Lexus LS460. If you provide a quality interior and conservative styling I’ve no doubt that you can position the Park Ave above the Lucerne in the $40K+ range. I’m sure you’re well aware that other manufactuers perceive this opportunity and have products in their pipeline to address it notably Hyundai’s new large RWD V-8 sedan and Crysler’s Imperial.
I look forward to replacing my Avalon with a Park Avenue at a Buick dealer soon …
Bob Grasier
I have to agree with a few other Bloggers, I don’t really care what GM can and can’t talk about, All I care about is that they actually listen to what we want. If you’ve got all these cars worldwide bring them here, why keep rebranding them and changing them. As a US consumer I like most of the overseas cars better then the ones here. But GM keeps deciding what I like, and not listening to what I really like. Its frustrating to say the least.
I have to agree, I don’t see why GM can’t get the quality of their cars up, I’m not talking about perceived quality here, I’m talking abour real quality. The reason the Japanesse makers are doing so well is they give us most of what we want all the time. For instance GM seems to keep going after less price. Sometimes less isn’t more. I personally would RATHER pay more for a slightly nicer car.
I will be in the market for a car in the next 1-3 years, it totally depends on whether I find something I like. If not I’ll stick with my Fiero and my Buick Regal. At the bottom of this blogg I will discuss my thoughts on the concept for the new Riveria Please READ!!
BMW currently has my attention, followed by Lexus, Infiniti, then Caddy CTS, then Pontiac G8. I keep giving GM products a second look hoping I’ll find what I’m looking for (options). But I haven’t yet. I’ll give GM credit there HAS been improvement, but not in the areas I think need and could be improved. GM wide in the US the biggest improvements I can see are more options on interiors. If a car is a common platform, why can’t I pick my dash and interior? What if I like a Saturn Aura but like the new Malibu dash better? What if I want a Nav system and a HUD in a non pontiac car? Right now I have no options. What if I want a manual transmission in the Aura or another car that has a cousing (pontiac G6?) with a manual. Why is it you can put them in one car and not the other?
I’ve really been eyeing up two totally different segments of cars, undecided which I want, both are luxuary (on par with Buick or Caddy), one is a high performance and the other is a medium performance diesel. GM has nothing I really consider comparable.
After I took a GTO for a test drive a few years ago I thought man I wish Buick could work their interior magic on this thing, and I wish the pedals were “right” meaning the brake an accelerator were to far apart for performance driving (as a reference I’ve driven a 2003 Subaru WRX and my 87 Fiero that has the pedals about where I like them). I think well I guess I could change them but why can’t GM get it right and make a real drivers car that isn’t a corvette?
The G8 came out and I said wow thats worth looking into, to bad the V6 isn’t 300 HP and the V8 isn’t at least 400. CAFE I’ll bet?? I think you can do both with some care. If you’re going to build a car with 300 HP make it 30-32 MPG or better and for a 400 HP car make it 28-29 if possible that is a really good trade off and should be within the realm of current engineering and manufacturing.
After reading about the new Cadillac V6 I thought wow to bad they don’t put that in a few other cars. Mainly the G8. It’d be the perfect engine for that car, fix the brake and accelerator pedal spacing, add a nice nav system that interfaces with my iPod and you’ve got yourself a customer.
One thing I never get is why push the brands as you do, in my eyes the Cadillac isn’t any better or worse then a Buick, so why not let each division offer their cool stuff, why push Corvette and Cadillac as the flag ship brands when ALL the brands are really something special (though I’ve become less and less a fan of Pontiac and Chevy lately as both miss the point on interiors). I think of Caddy as the Slightly more refined version of Pontiac and Buick as the top end cars (well they are up and coming that way).
This said Please listen closely to the following and send it to your design team. The new Buick Riviera Shanghai Concept is increadible its the first car that GM has put out in a long time that makes me say I want one NOW!
The exterior is amazing, Make an interior on par with the 08 CTS interior, add a nice nav system with iPod interface (and iPhone interface), give it a few engine options (230 HP, 300 HP and 420 HP) put a small V8 in it (perhaps a small 4.0L northstar with direct injection and optional turbos) and the real trick in my book is the transmission, its the ONE thing GM really doesn’t seem to get (as well as every other company out there).
Give the car a full manual full auto transmission? So what does this really mean? Well I haven’t met many people who don’t like the raw feel of a 5 or 6 speed to row through, with a nice clutch pedal to keep all their extremeties moving. BUT on the same hand everyone I’ve talked to loves an Auto in traffic. Combine the two. I forsee one of two options, either a true manual with electronic shift actuators and a clutch pedal with a full auto button.
OR a heavy duty gear bangable auto with at least 5 speeds, an electronic interface that mimics the feel of a 6 speed gearbox with a true mechanical gated shifter (not the ones usedon the autos that make yo think its a manual). I’m talking about a true H pattern shifter with 3 gates. Then Add some type of clutch pedal so that when the driver shifts they can control the smoothness of the shfit. Heck put velocity sensors in the shfiter and you can control the shift speeds by the speed the user throws the shifter lever.
In any case Since the CTS is AWD make the car with optional AWD (standard RWD). Put a nice GTO style rear seating in it with a center armrest and cup holder in the rear, and call it finished.
Give it a nice ride not to harsh not to soft but still buick, maybe use magnetoviscous dampening shocks on it with a supplimental air ride spring system (a common buick item last I heard). Should give the car a wide range of suspension charactersitics. Aim the suspension tuning to beat out the GTO and be only slightly less then the CTS.
Maybe even make a 4 door version (sorry I think the CTS is a bit boxy, round the corners and it’d be better, the G8 isn’t luxuray like enough).
I’ll bet you could price it around the same price as a CTS and have great sales, the car would be worth it, heck to me it’d be worth more. If you do everything I mentioned there isn’t a single car company out there that has put all that in one car. a few of them are close but they miss a few of the muscle car nuances that GM knows. Cross a muscle car with a luxuary sedan and you’ll get the Riviera as I detailed above. Heck even offer the thing with the new CTS Diesel, that’d be awesome for CAFE. Turbo it a bitmore and wow 300 HP diesel and high millage.!!! We want options in a car, imagine making cars that can fit different needs. A hybrid diesel version of the Riviera is an efficienct economy car for the city driver, the turbo diesel is for the economy minded highway cruiser, the other gas engines are for everyone else and the turbo version would be for the performance minded. This means that one buick can be several cars depending on the components used.
To me that is the ultimate single use car. I can buy one car spend a bit of money on it and I’ll never be at a traffic light next to some Moostang and say d#mn I wish I had my other car that was manual. THAT to me is the ultimate GM.
One last comment, whats with all the warranties? 100K mile Powertrain warranties?? What about the rest of the car? What is even included in the powertrain warranty. GM usually makes really good powertrain, but the chassis not so much long term.
Do yourself a HUGE marketing favor, offer a FULL car warranty for at least 60K. This means everything except tires. A few “premium” car makers have this, and to me its one of the LAST things that makes me lean to their cars every time.
As someoen who has fixed every GM they have ever owned, when I buy a new car it’ll be because of two things, the car and the warranty. I’ve grown tired of fixing random chassis parts that go wrong that arent’ covered under long term warranties. I might as well spend the money up front and enjoy hassle free driving. Even if it means taking the car in to be fixed and getting a courtesy car until its done. Easiest way to do this of course is to build cars where things dont’ go wrong.
As I read the posts one reader doesn’t seem to like the badging on the new Riviera, I appen to think it looks fine, but what the put a few options out there take a vote. We know you’ve got some really good styling people I’m sure they can make the badge look good.
Sorry to be so long winded but its rare that I see a GM product that I just have to have. This Buick Riveria Concept IS IT!!!
I hope it sees the US in a year or two, maybe GM will have won me back.
Options Bob, all I can say is give us more and better options. If GM has all these vehicles already competing around the world why not bring them head to head, or at least allow custom order of overseas modles to be imported into the US. Tha’d make me happy.
Well I just got to see the pictures of the new Park Avenue… WOW thats awsome. t looks like a G8 with a luxuary interior. If thats what it is sign me up don’t change a thing except the language things are written in.
As for a few responses to the posts made by others, specifically the Detroit News quote “you can’t build small cars here at a profit”
Why not, how are other companies doing it? Aren’t Toyota, Honda and a few others building cars in the states?
Can’t isn’t a word I like to hear from a car company. You simply can’t continue the types of responses and vehicles and expect people to keep buying them. The free market is a great thing, customers are placing their votes with your comepetitors and GM is being deff and stubborn like the americans they seem to be sometimes.
I also agree with some other people on here about engine sizes. I’ve lost count of the number of engines you offer, and thats ok but they are all different styles. Why not chop the fat and get rid of the older engine designs that aren’t as good as the new ones. For instance the Ecotec is pretty good, so is the new CTS engine, The LS V8s aren’t bad and the Northstar should be one of the flagship engines. All you need is a small 2.8 liter in there and you’ve got the full spectrum of engines covered. Now if you can get the 250 HP and higher cars to get 30 MPG you’ve got it made. With the kind of power in the new CTSV and the direct injection I can’t imagine any reason the engineers can’t get 30 MPG out of a car like that on thehigh way.
Personally I think turbos are worth the cost on smaller engines. The Ecotec in the Solstice is a good example of this. I would be very surprised if it wasn’t able to produce high BSFC at cruise speeds. Heck make a small turbo version of the CTS engine being offered in 2008. And of course the diesels that seem to not exist. Why do you think no one wants them? The 2008 EPA standards are such that the new diesels will be forced to be as clean as the gas engines maybe cleaner. If the current duramax is any sign of the technology you have, you can put a responsive diesel in a Car like the Riviera and the new Park Avenue, offer it in AWD and RWD and you’ll have millage thats acceptable.
I cant beleive the millage on some of the new cars, the Saturn Aura is beautiful but I’d never buy it, my 1990 Regal gets 30 MPG consistantly on the highway. How is a more modern car not doing better? Someone needs to have a reality check on that one. Turboing the cars should give you the power and the economy. And for those that don’t care abot economy put huge engines in them (like you do for the V series).
To respond to one poster, cars haven’t changed in weight because the requirements for saftey and power handling and reliability as well as the lack of any major breakthroughs in materials technology dictate them. You want a lighter car check out some of the high performance offerings made from Carbon.
personally I dont’ need a super light weight car, what I do need is efficienct powermanagement and very high quality powertrain parts with high efficiency and out put ratings…. both tough things to do simultaneously.
I personally don’t think buick belongs between Cadillac and Chevy, I think Buick belongs at the same level as Cadillac. Cadillac is a performance car with a a bit of luxuary, but I think buick really is the one delivering te luxuary and alway has. IF you have to do anything wit them, combine Buick into Cadillac. Cadillac seems to be an elitist brand, which is cool, except when you compare the more humble Buicks of the past you notice the buicks are very comfortable cars with reasonable millage. Why not add the styling to go with it and a bit of performance for those of us who are young or young at heart.
As for your competitors sucess I can only think of two words Lean Engineering. Its the only competitive way to do business today in this country.
As for the name plates I disagree GM needs to throw out all the curernt GM markings on cars. And identify them as something new not a revision of something old. For the people who want Nostalga buy an old Buick, the rest of us want something thats not the normal GM, and we associate GM with the past. Pontiac has done a great job at it, unfortunatly their cars don’t really hit the mark for me. All thats left is removing that annoying square GM emblem on the car. Then people won’t know it s a GM and wont’ judge them until they’ve seen them.
I’m not sure why GM concerns itself with sales volume. Several other car makers aren’t volume producers but make quality productst that people like. I think this is more important then having the bragging rights to say we’re the biggest. Who cares, its ego that as a consumer I dont’ care about. I care about the products offered.
Get rid of the marketing bean counter types. Heck look at Apple computer they were in the same situation in many ways. It takes a good leader to bring things around and market anticiaption. And here you have customer feedback and don’t listen to it, I guess customers dont’ know what GM customers want. Thats ok keep it up and people will be buying Toyotas, Hondas and German cars. For all the reasons spoken in this forum.
Build quality and build what your customers want. Do this and the stockholders will be happy else they will lose their money anyway.
Young people wil like Buick if you build something they want.
Having the opportunity to work with LMG’s around the country and consumers group at no less than thirty twenty six (26) shows to date this year, Buick needs a “Halo” vehicle and I believe the Riviera can be that vehicle. Build it off the Zeta Platform for economy of scale and keep the production levels low. Maybe even build to order much like the “Blue Devil” project. Just a thought!
Bob…
Rivera…Build it, and they will buy.
What happened? Regardless of the lackluster sales of the “Holden” GTO, the concept was there and if Zeta was not just for the rest of the world, a unique coupe rather than just a Commodore Coupe may have been a better way to go. Now Cadillac is leaving Sigma with the SRX replacement on a FWD platform.