Early Holiday Treats

Bob,
I am in LA this week and I saw an endangered species out here: a GM car. It was a brand new silver Malibu driving right past the Honda of America headquarters. I was walking and something shiny caught my glance and I did a double take. Now, the pictures of the car are very nice but I have to say that is one hell of a hot car. And, it's a Chevy. Those two words haven't gone together in the midsized segment as far back as I can remember. Beats the Accord and Camry "in person" hands down. I was wondering if I would ever make that statement in my life time.

Nice. Now all you have to do is get prepared for the economic collapse and instability very likely to come in China. GM has apparently not taken any risk management into account while investing head long in this market. Don't be surprised to see an unfriendly communist party develop if economic instability becomes severe. And, I do alot of quantitative work that says it is nearly a guarantee. The same work that would have told you oil was going to hurdle higher after 1999.

The US market might be more important to you than management has imagined on a go forward basis.

This really has been a great year for GM fans. It would have been almost perfect if it wasn't for CAFE raining on our parade >8|

Anyways, I'm really excited to see future vehicles like the H4, Lacross, and maybe even a RWD Impala. I'm also waiting hear more about the alpha Pontiacs. Oh and by the way, I just saw a picture of the Camaro with hardly any camouflage. Absolutely stunning. Only thing I'm seeing that I don't like is how the wheels aren't pushed out to the edge.

Add that to the "Green Car of the Year Award at the LA Auto Show" and Motor Trend's 2008 Car of the year awards in the past month, maybe a sweep at the NAIAS next month?
I am glad to read too that Bob Lutz plans on sticking around for the launch of Volt.
That is great news.
If I can be 10% as active and excited, as Bob is now, about doing something fun and important when I hopefully reach my mid 70's, I would be one happy camper!
To Bob and all others reading this post, I wish Happy Holidays.

Hey Bob,

Did you see Dan Neil's piece on the new Cadillac CTS?
http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-neil12dec12,0,2495261.story?coll=la-home-middleright

Pretty complimentary, which is high praise indeed considering it wasn't too long ago that GM yanked their advertising from the L.A. Times for another one of his columns.

On the downside, it looks like the new Knight Rider movie is going to feature a MUSTANG in the starring role.
D'oh!
Which Pontiac marketing exec fell asleep at the wheel for that one?

Now if GM can just make a small car that Dan Neil likes, GM will truly be on the comeback.

I have had my Enclave for one month now. Its a finalist in the Truck of the Year award. It simply....should win this category. This is a supremely well-packaged people hauler (and it actually looks damn good while its doing its job). I am 39 and my wife is 37. When we told friends and family we were trading in our Volvo XC90 for a Buick....well, its not like many people thought we were making a good decision. That is, until they saw our Enclave and drove in our Enclave. All those critcs are now envious..but we don't rub it in:) We knew we made a great choice, and its nice to see virtually the entire automotive press validate our purchase decision. Congrats on the nominations...I think you are going to win both categories. P.S. Bob, don't retire until you have the Volt in mass production in 2010 or so. Then you can enjoy some liesure time after delivering the most important automotive product of the last 50 years.

Bob,

Just saw a picture of that flat white Camaro mule with nothing but a front bra on. It's like catching a glimpse of that beautiful girl accross the street through your bedroom window, at night, with nothing but her..... oh, wait a minute. Sorry, this is a family oriented web blog. I'm sorry, Bob, but whenever I see a Camaro those kind of feelings come over me :)

I saw the new Malibu in our lobby here at work and couldn't help but keep my eyes peeled for some peps on our corp website. I have a new Malibu pepped for me and a new Silverado pepped for my husband and I CAN'T WAIT until they come in. Two hot vehicles, I am proud to work at the company that produced them! Great designs!

Bob,

What you and your team have accomplished is incredible. With products like the G8, the new Lucerne, the Camaro, and the Volt, in the pipeline, GM is going to be a contender for years to come. Thank you for proving all the haters wrong time after time! Happy Holidays to everyone at GM!

Frank

Bob, I have to say that the prestige surrounding the new Malibu, Enclave, and Cadillac are well deserved.

I believe this to an extent because of the two older GM products I drove last week. To be frank, the previous generation Malibu and the new version might as well have been built on different planets. I've seen both and hands down- the new Malibu is about 300% improved over the old Malibu.The 07' Malibu I drove last week was about as flimsy and cheap as any car I've driven. The 08' Malibu I looked at the dealership last month is so entirely superior to the 07 in every way imaginable. To see such large strides being made within a single model redesign is nothing short of amazing.

I think GM is on the right track and hopefully, this same level of care will be given to the rest of your vehicle lineup.

hi bob! how is it going?

it's not that i want to pour cold water on you, but i have some grips about gm. first of all, why are you retiring so soon? gm hasn't fully recovered yet. the aam just lost a court battle to California and 12 other states. the hcci engine has not been commercialized. gm's quality is not top-notch, and toyota and honda are going to post higher sales in 2008 in a down year!!!!

their secret is simply fuel-efficient cars. are gm making them? if yes, is anyone buying them? there's an article at autospectator.com about ford doing stringest quality testing. is gm doing the same thing by investing the necessary dollars?

i wish one day i can takeover gm and become the car king. maybe thru PE? jk.

Mr. Lutz,

For years I've been sticking behind GM. Even though, we all know it: untill recently, the vehicles coming the General haven't been the 'best'.

But, I didn't jump ship. And I'm glad I didn't - these past few years (in fact, ever since you've come aboard) have been amazing in terms of GM products. Thank you , and thanks to all the teams responsible for that. The recent Malibu, and CTS...have just been breathtaking. I'm not in the market for either of those types of cars, but I'm intensely proud to have "picked sides" with the company that produced those cars (in addition to many others too numerous to mention).

I, too have seen the recent Camaro spy-shots. Both the cow-spotted one, and the white one. I've got to say. This is among the best transitions GM has ever made from concept to Production (or prototype). Please pass on mine, and the Camaro enthusiast community's gratitude to all involved with the Camaro. Good Job folks. Although, I will say, that I'm not overly please that white spy-shot was leaked out. Someone's getting a visit from a Black Suburban, I'll wager...

Thank you Mr. Lutz, and all of the folks at GM right now. You are doing me, your customer-base, and the USA proud.

and Happy Holidays Mr. Lutz.

Bob,

I to believe that the redesigned malibu proves GM is and will continue to offer the market great products, with exceptional value. As an employee of GM where the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu were launched, I have seen first hand the results of from efforts given by a dedicated group of men and women, working hard to deliver quality upfront. The excitement and pride this workforce has for what they are producing is bigger now than anytime in my 31 years here at Fairfax. It is obvious that the team of designers GM now has, gets it! We are once again building cars and trucks that turn heads, and sells. Everyone I talk with about the new Malibu is crazy about it. Tell the design gang around the world thanks and keep going.
Tim

The camaro looks good.

The GM revival is on and some recognize it and others are skeptical. Those who refuse to consider GM products or who doubt that considerable improvements have been made are like the Buy American types who derided small Japanese cars back in the day. The people who are getting on board now are at the beginning of the wave and years down the road they will hopefully be able to say "I told you so" to others who finally come around and stop being biased against American cars.

I have seen several CTS' on the road and with the 18s the car looks like a concept vehicle. I just want Caddy to give us some better base rims ASAP. If I had enough money, I would be driving a CTS right now and I'm not even 30 yet. It may take a while for everyone to get this buy GM brands are going to become more and more popular amongst the 30-40 crowd as Toyota increasingly becomes a brand for older, conservative folks. I read that 70% of Lexus owners are retired. I would guess Buick isn't even that high. Kids generally associate what their parents drive with being dull and conservative. Toyota is now where Buick and Olds were in the 70s and 80s. The Malibu and Aura are for buyers who are young at heart and style conscious. The Camry is for those who have no passion for cars and want an appliance recommended by Consumer Reports. When people buy a car and the only thing they can say is "it has great resale value" that tells you they really don't like their car that much. The way I see it, GM is designing vehicles for people who care about design and style- as well as build quality, quietness, etc.

BTW, I hope you plan to add navigation to the G8 for 2009.

Message to Bob, (didn't know where else to post)

Please, please please tell me that the images of the 2009 CTS-V floating around the web are not accurate... The front end is terrible! The base car has more image and power in the facia then the new V. It may be the grey paint, but it really lets the rest of the car down. Please do some more clinics and design work....and I would happily volunteer for clinics. I have owned 3 CTS's and an STS (Back in a CTS with the Sport Package) and love the the car and can't wait until my lease is up this spring to get another.

Hi Bob,

I am not sure what "ghent" is stating above as everyone that is a GM fan knows you guys are working on and including every effort to make the highest quality and most fuel efficient vehicles as possible. Has he or she even heard of the VOLT or the new Hybrid trucks? It is crazy how someone like that can post on here while not doing a little research on what they are talking about.

Sorry, got fired up a little. Congratulations on the Malibu, CTS, Enclave, and Tahoe Hybrid making the finals for the NA COTY finals... hopefully another sweep!

Mr Lutz:
GM design deserves all the accolades for the new models. This is the best stuff to come out of GM for a long time. I have one concern:
Chevy: Camaro
Dodge: Challenger
Ford: Mustang
Nissan: GT-R
Pontiac: ? Hmmm........
I thought you were configuring Pontiac to be more performance oriented. More to the point: What is going on with the next generation GTO? How can Pontiac be seen as a legitimate contender in this field without a real muscle car? It can not compete in that segment with the lineup as it now stands.

Ahhhh Bobbb!!!

You are going to do both an H2T and an H3T! And, and an H4 concept too.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

God Bless your heart, you and Rick Wagoner both. Thank you for that. And have a great holiday you and all the folks at GM from the top all the way to the bottom.

And here is your present.

Get ready to take some notes because I am going to reveal the sacred secret to making GM the powerhouse. This is the concept we have been working on all these years. Now this information is available to everyone but only the GM organization can use it and run with it.

This concept however, does work with other companies outside the auto industry and it is the sacred secret to unleashing the greatest power any organization can have. The power of motivation, dreams, ambition, goals, and pride. Pride is not a dirty word when it helps oneself and helps others in the process.

It's time to unleash the powers that made GM great in the 50's and 60's and this is jsut going to shake GM and the automobile world thinking.

Ownership. Individual Empowerment. Achievement.

That is what you get when you put people in charge. The secret to any organization, and it has nothing to do with making new layers of management, hiring more people, or even paying more money. It has everything to do with the buck stops here, with me. I am in control of Cadillac, or Pontiac is my baby. I am in charge of it and it is mine to run.

What GM is missing is this individual ownership one has in the company and here is why this is it...

You ready...

Because this translates into designs.

Oh yes the bad part... well let me call it

TRUMP effect. Well people might get cocky, arrogant, boastful. So what, this is a business and what are you going to say. Trump is wrong.

BMW and Porsche these companies thrive because they are independent and have a free spirit about them and it is reflected in their exceptional designs. You see I told you BMW X6 crossover I believe it was called is what they are calling the first crossover sedan style hatchback and I said it was coming.

These self confident, boastful, and proud designs stem from the culture of ownership and independence, that independence that GM's brands lost which they had in the 50's and 60's. Sure we love to hate and the media (when are they right?) they love to talk about how these brand heads had to be "reigned in" and controlled. The bottom line is, your bottom line is not hurt by empowering people.

Look at a baseball team. Whether its the NY Yankees being payed $100 million for 5 seasons or a 5 year old scout they can both have the same amount of drive, motivation, and determination simply because a coach says, "look we need you, we need your best today." Those words will motivate a 5 year old or a rich superstar, and likewise, "you know, your just a bean in this organization and you can easily be replace." That will kill the spirit and drive of even the highest payed athlete.

This concept of ownership and the fact that the organization knows that plum jobs await them will motivate everyone. The idea is GM has the independent organizations without incurring the costs. Believe me this concept is in practice with the most successful companies in the history of mankind. One having control over their own little corner of the world. And just like their home they will be motivated to make it perfect.

Having just the idea that you can work your way up to Buick chief or GMC chief the soul needs this idea of growth, this vision for ones own future. If you take GMC head job away, you neither save money, reduce staff, or reduce the beurocracy all you did was take away the one plum carrot motivation to do as well as you can. To strive for that one coveted position. Perhaps it may never happen for that person but they know that it may be there one day for them.

Think of how many people working on the Enclave would deserve Buick general manager. The money is not the motivation the title is. Woe to the individual that wakes up in a cold sweat every morning feeling they hit a dead end career or job that has no prospect of achievement.

The bottom line is all this translates into the designs we look at at the dealership. That is why GM's designs were so boastful, arrogant , cocky, and proud in the 50's and 60's. What are you going to say customers don't want that.

They are telling you everyday that they want it when they drive a Prius over a Ford Escape, choose a BMW over a Lincoln, when they choose a new design over the leftovers and vehicles that have not been remodeled from last year.

In short...

Bring back the pride in the organization. The Bible, I know it says pride comes before the fall, well you already fell in the 80's and 90's. Well build your pride up again dust yourself off get back on your feet take some pride in your ability and run like the wind.

Eye of the Tiger.

Bob,

Congratulations, well deserved finalists for Car of the Year. The tide is turning and the perception of the products is changing as well.

With a lineup such as the Malibu, CTS, Enclave, Aura and the Silverado just to name a few, even the harshest critics would have a tough time crticizing that group of vehicles

The products are there, the quality is there, Just,Keep up the pressure.

I just ordered a 08 Buick Enclave and can't wait to get it.

Kudos and keep it up. As a GM fan, Please Change the Saturn Ads, they are not making an impact.

Barry,

Though I can't agree with you on the new Malibu (nice interior, the exterior isn't that great and the packages avaialble aren't to impressive). I will say that your take on things is interesting (economy wise). What exactly do you do that you do quantitative work?

Bob,

News of you retiring is both good and bad. You have definatly moved GM up a few notches, but its no where near being done. Who are you going to get to fill your place that can really fix GM?

Mr. Lutz,

Best of luck sweeping the North American Car and Truck Awards again. The Four Wheeler of the Year Award, the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award, the Green Car of the Year Award, 3 cars in Car and Driver's Top 10, and 2 cars in Automobile Magazine's Top Ten; very impressive performance.

Bob,

Who is going to take over your role once you retire ? Is there a grooming process in place to find an appropriate "car guy" to replace you ?

This is a serious concern for the longevity of GM's focus on product.

Web Admin,

Is there a way to include a counter on each blog topic ? It would be very interesting to see how many times each item has been viewed.

Thanks,
Chris (Toronto)

Bob, I'm elated to hear you have no plans to retire anytime soon. You're an ideal champion and GM needs you just as much now as it always has. And you're damn cool too.

I had the chance to drive a wide variety of cars over the weekend as a car valet, and I was very impressed with the Corvette. We parked the cars in the snow, and by the end of the night, it was a veritable mudhole. With the traction control on, the C6 convertable made its way out of the slick stuff with astonishing ease. In my ignorance I fully expected it to simply bury itself. That same night, we had to get out and push a Lexus.

Thanks!

Drew

I just got in a couple of the new '08 performance catalogs. All I can say is wow. Celebrating 40 years of GM performance parts devision and 50 years of the big block.
Lots of really good toys. Also one that cought my eye. A 1966 Impala funny car, outlaw class, with a 2000 hp lsx small block!

ghent,

It would be incorrect to say Toyota's success is stricly due to fuel efficient cars. Aside from the Prius much of Toyota's recent sales growth is based on the new Tundra and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has a broad lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs just like GM. Fuel efficient cars are just one part of their product arsenal, its not like their SUVs and pickups aren't selling. The Rav4 and Tundra are two of Toyota's biggest successes thus far this year.

GM needs to improve the efficiency of its smallest vehicles but they do have several fuel efficient vehicles including Cobalt, Astra, Aveo and HHR.

Bob, my Christmas wish is to smoke a cigar with you. You have done so much for GM. Please don't leave anytime soon!

I'm one of those Gen Xers who would previously never be caught dead in a GM car. Least of all a Buick or a Malibu. I have to say that whatever you did in the past few years you really made a believer out of me. The Enclave and the Malibu are both fantastic cars, and I'm even more excited about the Volt program you are working feverishly on.

It's imperative for General Motors to not take their eye of the ball after these recent successes. Cut costs, but not at the expense of car quality. Instead of spending resources lobbying against cafe changes and retrofitting Asian engines to your brands, be obsessive about creative and disruptive technology and innovation, something Americans are good at. Be passionate about design and good taste. Don't take a successful vehicle and then think of ways to make it cheaper as a business model. Keep knocking the ball out of the park on the next products. You will find that the generations who shun your vehicles and the press who have been so antagonistic against you will come back not in evolutionary drips and drabs, but much faster than you think. Congratulations again.

Thanks (again!) Bob, for The new Malibu. It looks great! I also love my new Trailblazer SS. A great fill-in until my new 2010 Camaro SS/Z-28 comes in! Merry Christmas to you and all at GM.

Congrats! Some suggestions:
1. The Riviera coming to NAIAS next month needs to be built. Don't do a Velite thing on us again, tease us then shut us out. I'm waiting to buy a Buick.
2. The Vue should be a Buick. A smaller Enclave would sell great in tandem with the real Enclave.
3. Think about reviving names like Electra, Invicta, and Riviera.

Talking about the Car of the Year award... Saturn Aura is a great car but it doesn' sell in the numbers it should deserve. Maybe Saturn is lacking some showroom traffic. How about the 'Push a button, win a car' campaign? People should be attracted of winning a hot Sky or an Aura XR.

I have observed that GM also has the tendency underprice to its products. Your cars always have the lowest base prices compared to Toyota and Honda. You should never leave the money on the table. There are 2 issues here. First,
you are perceived as "cheap" brands= lower quality. You should make consumers understand that they pay for the quality of the cars, the quality of services, the dealership experience, and reliability. Secondly, if you underprice your cars, you will always have losses, and you can never charge for a premium. Honda has actually raised the price for the all-new Accord, and its sales have risen. Hence, GM still has 200 million loss from the latest quarter in North America. GM's actually doing well in Europe, with over 500,000 of the Opel Corsa sold , the number one in its class.

You should just bring over the Corsa to the States. The Chevy Aveo has unattractive styling, and its lunch has been eaten by Honda Fit. In fact, the Fit is the best selling car in Japan right now.

And I have another question. The Volt only gets 63 mpg, if i'm not mistaken. How is it going to compete with the next Prius, which will get 100+ mpg?

I wonder which guy will become Bob's successor, one which is equally high caliber? I would suggest Steve Mattin, the Chief Designer of Volvo who designed the hugely successful 2000-2005 S Class. Just look at the new XC60, it is fantastic!

Bob,

The CTS is a great step forward, but you need to set the bar higher. While BMW is starting to cheapen their cars with poser materials like leatherette, I remember when Cadillac used to stand for true luxury, with nothing artificial. Aluminum trim should not be plastic, and all reachable plastics should be soft touch and not hard and cheap looking. Several items in my CTS remain true to my expectations as a 3 time Cadillac customer - aromatic leather, Bose surround stereo, and luxury "firsts" like the 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, and the powerful 304-hp direct-injection engine. This is all excellent and expected. What is frustrating is the lack of bluetooth capability, floor e-brake placement, inadequate spacing between the brake and accelerator, and some poor fitting hard plastic parts (and the aforementioned plastic "aluminum"). Cheap has no place in a Cadillac, and I didn't notice these things until after I took delivery. Bob, please don't rest on your laurels and bask in the recent media sunshine too long - please fix these issues in your MY'09 car, and continue to set the bar higher. Do this and I guarantee that you'll have this customer for life. Please Cadillac - don't benchmark a company like BMW that is starting to lose their way but continues to charge big bucks for imitation materials. Keep it real - it's a Cadillac. If the engineers, designers and buyers don't know what Cadillac stands for, then it's time for the old dog to get in their face and set it straight. That's you, Bob!!!

I was a GM kid and I still love the older GM cars (pre-'73). I never had a bad GM vehicle, but somehow I drifted from the fold. I am 51 and seem to be firmly entrenched as a foreign car buyer. I am preparing to buy a new car and no GM product is on my list.

I have seen convincing reports that your products are improving by leaps and bounds yet I shoot right by GM dealerships (as well as Ford and Chrysler) in my new car hunt. I have been conditioned and it will take time for me to change. I still fear shoddy workmanship, quality issues and miserable resale values.

I am telling you this so perhaps you will understand buyers like me better. I wish I could view the new Malibu as a worthy competitor to the Accord and Camry, but I'm afraid it will take a few successful years on the market and a great redesign or two. Toyota and Honda have been honing their products and goodwill for 30 years so you have a lot of ground to makeup. I'm not sure you will get people like me back, but don't lose heart. My grandparents all drove GM products, perhaps my grandchildren will too.

Hi Bob-

Happy to see so many GM cars being recognized lately. I have had many GM cars over the years when the styling was right. Never had any problems with a GM car. Now Chrysler, on the other hand... let's not even go there. I have a whole website devoted to them!

Anyway, I glad to see the TINA, above, who works for GM is WAITING for her new Malibu too! My LTZ order was placed on day one, but due to some snafu with Fairfax/your computers? the order was "lost" and had to be reordered on December 11. I THINK this order is ok- so far.

I have also heard some "rumors" that only 150-160 LTZ's are going to be built? (MINE is going to be ONE of them) Is that for the Northeast only or the whole country or for the whole model year?

I really think that it is ridiculous to spend MILLIONS advertising the car, ESPECIALLY, showing the LTZ model and then TRYING to get your hands on one! I know they are hot sellers and that you want to push out those 4cyl. models to compete with Toyo/Honda, but DON'T forget us GM fans who want the V6 LTZ model! Our orders should be PRIORITY 1 so that we can do the advertising for you on the roads of the USA!!!!!! I have YET to see an 08 Malibu on the road. The big Chevy dealers here in CT have had only a FEW cars delivered so far! Have NOT even seen the cars on the highway on trucks! Are they ALL sitting in FAIRFAX?

Are we at GM creating sufficient mania for our vehicles? We did in the early 60's. Everyone buzzed about the new vehicles. That's what I mean by mania.

I see the potential for one, but we need to fully act on that potential. Allowing interest rates on the GM card to rise to 31.7% is not the way to win hearts and minds of customers. And letting Honda place their adds as though they were already building hydrogen vehicles is another. We need greater thunder and lightning, especially around our plug-ins, our hybrids, our hydrogen vehicles.

GM stock is a great buy from what I see, but only if we talk loud, act bold and build the mania for our vehicles. Encourage the team not to hold back. This is no time for timidity!

The engineers at GM deserve much credit as it shows in GM products and having been accomplished at such a rapid rate.

Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz, and the other managers deserve credit for giving the engineers the freedom to engineer as they wish.

2009 is such a long way off for the nice new Camaro and will GM offer the SS version during that year?

I almost bought a Sky last year. I love the car but two things would have made a purchase for me. Sky needs to be offered in a coupe version. This would provide more cargo space and stiffen the body further. Get rid of the fake crome inlets on the hood. Please actually mill out the side vents. I have no clue why your engineers have placed fake ones.

Good, glad you finally posted that blog on the power to unleash individual spirit and the inherent drive to succeed, progress, and achieve. You give an employee ownership responsibility for their area and expertise and give them the freedom of decision making and they will be unstoppable. And this will translate all the way to the dealership and consumer's perceptions.

In a nutshell...

Pride in ownership for the employee leads to pride in ownership at the retail level for the consumer.

Speaking of building individual brands with a singular focus and a single brand manager with a singular focus, SURPRISE we come back to Buick. Hay look...

We start to run out of ideas and we start to atrophy, we lose our vision, direction, and we can't improve and ultimately we don't grow. I would rather a pile of ideas and wonder how to get there with limited resources than a pile of cash with no vision and no idea what to do with it. There are plenty of companies in that position and investors don't like that. GM will not have that problem, plenty of vision.

The crossover segment is expanding and with the BMW X6 already making waves, it's only a concept, but according to one competition the BMW was considered the #1 crossover ahead of the #2 Buick Enclave for 2007. Not fair considering you can't get the X6, but the point is made. Other articles support the X6 as a breakthrough that will shake the auto industry. The first coupe crossover. Crossover sedans in the spirit of the Nissan Morano and new Nissan Rough are just the beginning.

In short...More crossovers in more body styles are coming. Important to GM because the automakers first to these categories will be considered first in design.

The fastest growing category is the crossover and it shows no signs of stopping and here is how GM can get on top of it and eventually dominate it...

We build a brand around it. The Buick brand. Like I said looooong ago. Stop making pancake Buicks, Buick's best days were when they made cars with height and a seating position that is closer to the sport utility and crossover of today. The Enclave is a great start, but it is only a start. We want the crossover to get smaller and we want sedan, and fast back coupe varieties as well (now spelled out for you by BMW with the X6).

Again this is the VISION so where Buick is now is not the point. The fact that Buick is piled on top of GMC and Pontiac with Acadia and now the Terrain. Not to worry, because Buick's dealerships are going to burst out of that corner, with an eye to crossover utility and luxury and perhaps 4 wheel drive they can be more aligned with Hummer in the future. Anyway dealership location is not important, just so long as we don't kill the brand by yoking it 100% of the time with GMC/Pontiac which have their own perfect marriage going. Buick has to and will break out of that relationship not all but a good many of those oversupplied showrooms.

You know I brought my Hummer at a Pontiac/Buick/GMC/Hummer dealership. Thought it was the most awesome selection of vehicles from any dealership in NJ. But the new Hummer dealership is going to be build next door. My opinion is it should be a Hummer/Buick dealership next to the Pontiac/GMC dealership.

Enough on that but I will sum up the above with a slogan I posted here about a year ago and this is the kind of vision I think customer's like the import buyer above is waiting for. The kind of boldness in design and aggressive product initiative that import oriented customers are waiting for from Detroit. The kind of bold design and package that they await is exactly what is proposed here or otherwise we lost this generation forever. And that bold direction and style is summed up in this phrase...

Buick is literally raising the family sedan segment to offer incomparable comfort, style, and class that was once afforded only to the most exotic European saloons. (That would be Rolls-Royce and soon to be BMW X6 now)

Get a life again said: Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz, and the other managers deserve credit for giving the engineers the freedom to engineer as they wish.

If only that were true. You didn't mention the head beancounter Bo. It is his "yab" to make sure not one extra penny gets spent than is absolutely necessary. And that means that engineers have no freedom, unless it's free. It seems every car, no matter how good, always comes up just a bit short. Materials always seems to be on the cheaper side of what is expected. That credit goes to Bo and his beancounters.

"I am telling you this so perhaps you will understand buyers like me better. I wish I could view the new Malibu as a worthy competitor to the Accord and Camry, but I'm afraid it will take a few successful years on the market and a great redesign or two. Toyota "

doug,

You are being completely unreasonable and are making it clear that you have no intentions of buying a GM product regardless of its merits. I would suggest you check out some of the recent comparos between the Malibu and its Asian rivals. Edmunds found the Malibu superior to the CAmry and Motor Trend found it superior to the Altima and Accord. Car and Driver named it to its 10Best list even though the Altima and Camry are not included. Automobile named it an Allstar and yet the Accord nor Camry got that distinction. You can sit in the cars yourself and check out the materials and build quality to see if they compare favorably with Hondas and Toyotas. YOu may want to believe it will take GM several more product cycles to equal the competition but you would be mistaken. Gm is making vehicles TODAY that are competitive with the best from Japan. It's a shame you wont give their vehicles a chance out of a sense of loyalty to imports. If you got burned by a GM product in the 70s I would say 30+ years is a LONG time and times have changed.

I don't think those who are concerned about GM losing its way after Lutz leaves need to be concerned. I believe he has put systems and procedures in place that allow designers to have some authority and this will continue after his retirement. I don't think there is any danger of GM not being design driven in the future.

Bob, its all good. I'm not sure if you recall someone emailing you about 3 years ago and recommending bringing over the Astra. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Now, the "old" Astra just won the AJAC category for best new compact car, beating out some serious competition. The next step is bringing over the OPC version of the Astra to build up brand image and sales in that niche market. Also, please consider bringing over the Corsa, Meriva and Zafira as well. I believe the Zafira is just the type of niche vehicle NA needs. It looks great, is very practical, fuel efficient and fun to drive. The Corsa and Merivia put the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris to shame. We both know that the B segment will be the fastest growing NA segment in the next few years and is the easy answer to the new Cafe and emission requirements. On that note I hope we start seeing some of the great European diesels in NA very soon. I would have no problem filling up a urea tank every oil change in exchange for the great milage, torque and emission benifits.

Lutz said: "...while on the truck side, finalists include the Buick Enclave and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid."

Mr Lutz,

Need some help here understanding why the Enclave -- what most would consider a cosmopolitan, country-club SUV -- is competing in the truck category.

Trucks are meant to haul things. They should have trailer hitches so they can pull a horse trailer, and are usually hauling things such as chain saws, hole diggers, pipe cutters, wheelbarrows, yard equipment, bags of fertilizer, and almost always have a gun rack -- usually with a gun in it. Quite often they are dented and banged up from the heavy work for which their owners use them.

Just wondering, but how exactly does the gated-community Buick Enclave fit into the traditional image of a truck?

Respectfully,

Gary Dikkers

Silverado is not deserving of any award. It is the worst of the big four truck manufacturers in terms of finish quality. I mean the next time you look at one from less than 10 feet away you will notice significantly orange peeled paint and extremely wavy body panels. (especialy the doors.) Totaly unacceptable .

Hi Bob,

I'm posting from Dubai in the UAE. It's holiday time here for Eid and having been a regular lurker at fastlane since it started I thought I should change my status to "poster" during these holidays.

There's been a lot of comment about your retirement lately here and elsewhere which has disheartened some GM supporters and fans.

I say this - please go ahead and retire when you think the time is right.

The true test of leadership is when the leader retires to make way for fresh blood and new direction. It would also be a confirmation of the confidence that you have in the 'new' GM.

As someone who is interested in GM's longevity and success I would be watching keenly for your 'personally selected' heir as was done at GE by Jack Welch. It would be great to hear your thoughts on succession planning on this blog!

Finally, congratulations to all four vehicle teams for getting their respective vehicles into the final lists. I look forward to one-two finishes this year and in the years ahead!

I say that this should be demanded/ expected from GM each and every year!

Mr Lutz, I totally agree that the Solstice is the better looking car. I'm just hoping my new order will get here before Christmas.

I just wish you'd get off your a**, The G8, Ute, and the Park Avenue could be hear now. The lead time has already been used and that 35MPG is far enough down the road that we could have a few Zeta cars.The Volt will take care of that.

PS, I'd love a ride in that Alpa jet. Retired as I am.

Final assult, a Nomad on the Alpha platform might not meet the sumo surban, but their are alot of us boomers out there and maybe it might catch on.

Bob,

The Pontiac "Ute" G8 has been brought up on many automotive websites lately. There is a lot of speculation that it will start around 31K.
This seems to beg the question, why would I spend 31K, lose 2 seats get a useless bed, when I could spend 32K for a fully loaded car with 5 seats? If someone is going to spend $30K+ on this thing, chances are there not going to want to haul concrete mix in it, so what's the point? Is it just an enthusiasts car? Need I remind you of the SSR! I think now would be a perfect time for a "Ute", no more Ford Ranger, soaring gas prices, ect ect..But just like the SRR this may be priced to high for its purpose. If GM can figure out a way to get a Base Ute (V6-No bells and whistles) into the $23K range, then it will have a chance,
otherwise, it may be doomed from the start.

By the way the G8 colors are awesome, Ill take mine in Ignition Orange Metallic!!

Doug,

Do yourself a favor and don't pass by a Chevrolet or Cadillac dealer, I sat in a Malibu LS then drove one... it was just flat impressive. Even in the LS the interior was simply the best in the class. The drive was better and even with electric steering there was almost no lean. I then got into the LTZ and sheesh its just that nice. Then get into a top two competitor with it and I think you will understand that in exactly 1 generation the Malibu has put itself with the best. If it doesn't beat the competition in every area it at least matches and in areas like interior materials and design, NVH, and fit and finish is a class leader. It just a bit overweight and I'd like to see about 2 MPG better out of that powertrain in the 3.6 but other than that it just flat out does its competition.

With regards to the New Camaro, is it bad luck or complete lack of foresight that has you readying a thirsty, impractical car for the market as oil prices hit $100/bbl?

Dear Charlie H,

I own a 2001 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 SS Convertible, which I have owned since new. I believe with the SLP options I have, this is the highest net horsepower Camaro ever produced and I still get 28 mpg on the highway, which is better than the new 4 cylinder Honda CR-V's highway mpg. General Motors knows how to achieve both outstanding performance and fuel economy.

Dear Mr. Lutz,

I must say it is great to see the all-new Malibu is now on an even footing with the likes of the Accord and Camry. My question now to you is "When will the Pontiac G6 get the same treatment?"

If I'm not mistaken the G6 is now the oldest car on the Epilson platform not to get a re-do (and I'm not talking about that poorly executed GXP package).

Give her a new interior and some more horses and she will be just as good.