NEWS: Rick Wagoner CES Keynote Available

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In fact you raised the bar on every aspect with this one. If anyone thought the Volt was a fluke and the CTS was a lucky shot and the Enclave was beginners luck better reevaluate.

A current Scion owner I know has gone to the dealership looking for the next Saturn Astra and is raving about it to me everyday. (I told him to come to the fastlane but for some reason he is more comfortable at gminsidenews.) Well he actually saw the Cadillac Provoq before me and he was explaining to me what it looked like. I said, "Wait, wait! What is it?" He responds, "It's a crossover." Now the more I hear about the Provoq the more awesome it is.

The bottom line is each one of us represents hundreds of folks who think and feel the same way but don't bother to blog. Do understand that this is a Scion owner looking to enter the GM fold now telling me things about GM. He is a car buff like I am but do understand what we represent. We represent what the average consumer will be thinking and talking about 3-5 years down the road. We, unlike other consumers do not have that lag in perception that the average consumer has.

We are your forward indicators, stock price, media are your lagging indicators. Some, more savvy publications like auto and business publications can get it right and be good current indicators but often too few and far between. Lately though, they seem to be getting it right- GM is on a roll.

Next step is how do we get technology's cost down so that they can impact the fastest growing markets in China, India, Russia, and Brazil? What kind of advances in smaller packages can we make with minimal cost increases?

Thanks for a wonderful tour de force with technology and product. The vehicles were not the surprise what was surprising was the technology in them.

Bottom Line...

I am brimming with excitement at the prospect of vehicles beyond these and I am anticipating them anxiously and hope for more tech surprises. So I am looking beyond these, after all, I want to remain your most leading indicator.

Definitely manufacture this one and sell it. It is a winner. It kind of reminds me of the cars of old (30's).

Rick Wagoner is doing what no other CEO of GM in the recent past has done. He's making cars that will sell!

I'll take this over the Tata Nano any day. Even for 2500, who would buy that thing?

I wouldn't be knocking the Nano. It is squarely aimed at developing third world countries and if marketed correctly could very well be the Model T of the developing world. That it is sort of ugly and... insect-like is meaningless to people who might have otherwise never had the financial means to buy a car.

I hope GM is watching and will also entertain the idea of a super low cost vehicle for that market segment.

Mr.Hayes very interesting I also tell poeple but people still have this toyota mentality here in so cal. that GM is junk, there all kool-aid drinkers and the more info we give them the better such as the dirty secrets of toyota recalls that are on the hush hush. help put them back in their place, spread the work.

thanks

Mr Wagoner,

Read your speech and it all sounds wonderful. But why should we have faith in the things you spoke of, when GM can't even get what would seem to be the simple things right?

A few weeks ago I had the chance to drive a company fleet cars -- a brand new 2008 Malibu -- on a business trip to Chicago.

My trip of 270 miles was all on an Interstate highway except for seven miles at the Chicago end.

During my trip -- at the speed limit -- that new Malibu got 22.7 mpg according to the car's onboard computer. When I got back home, I looked up the EPA mileage rating for that model and found it was supposed to get 29 mpg on the highway.

So my question: If your company can't even build a car that will perform up to the fuel-flow specifications you advertise, why should we have any confidence GM will be able to build cars that will do the many wonderful things you told the Consumer Electronics Show in your speech?

Respectfully,

Gary Dikkers

Mr Wagoner,

One glaring omission from your keynote address to the Consumer Electronics Show was an announcement that GM will enter the competition for the automobile X-prize. X-Prize

Your are going to direct that your company prepare an entry for the X-Prize competition aren't you?

The CES would have been a great place to announce your intent.

V/R

Gary Dikkers