GM FastLane Blog

CTS-V Video on the Cadillac Blog

Just a quick note to mention that our colleagues over at the Cadillac Driver's Log have posted a very nicely done video of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V running a sub-eight-minute lap around the Nordschleife at Germany's famous Nurburgring raceway. The amazing run is believed to be the fastest ever by a production car and when you see the video, you'll really get a sense of just how intense it was. - Will Stewart, blog editor

Invicta: A Product Progress Report

The Buick Invicta Concept

By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

Recently we unveiled the Buick Invicta concept car at the Beijing motor show. It was a natural choice to have the sleek concept sedan’s debut in China, where Buick is an established, respected premium luxury brand.

The Invicta is a vehicle that GM Global Product Development can be proud of on many levels, not the least of which is, I think, that it’s a beautifully designed car. It shows where Buick design is headed, both in China and in North America, and gives you a strong hint at what the next generation LaCrosse might look like.

In the big picture, to me, Invicta is symbolic of the progress we continue to make revamping GM Global Product Development and rolling out our global architecture programs. The next generation LaCrosse will share an architecture with other midsize sedans from Chevrolet, Saab, Opel/Vauxhall and others. But the key to the whole thing is … it will be very hard to tell they share the same parentage if you didn’t already know.

This is not “badge engineering.” And it goes beyond “common platforms.” This is taking the parts of the vehicle that the customer doesn’t see or come in contact with and commonizing them — and then investing the savings in the sheet metal and the interiors and the other factors that differentiate the vehicles from brand to brand. Dimensions can change, such as length and width and cowl height. Suspensions can be vastly different, changing the character and behavior of the vehicle, depending on brand. It’s all plug and play, with markedly different cars coming from the same Lego set. (Eds. Note: No real Lego pieces are used.)

]]> The progress we’re making is real. It’s not just chest thumping talk. We have a ways to go yet, but we’re getting there. We still have to roll out more global architectures as we phase out older ones, and we still have more products to work into the mix. But the process is well under way and I’m thrilled with the early results.

General Motors, from top to bottom, is committed to injecting a more emotional element into the vehicles, and identifying more with the consumer. We realize that most of us are inured to this business because we see new cars all the time. But consumers only look at or get a new car every 6 or 7 years, and they are thrilled when they finally see something that they really like.

So it’s crucial that we see new vehicles through the eyes of the public who fall in love with them. And we have to keep creating those vehicles with the mindset that if people see them for the first time and don’t immediately fall in love with them, they’ll never buy them.

That love stems from beautiful, compelling design. And it stems from vehicles that meet and beat expectations, from vehicles that offer more in value than they take away in cost. The winning formula is to create way more value than what you’re charging for the car. And that is analytical, but it’s also artistic, and that’s where we rely on designers.

Designers can’t create cars in a vacuum because we also need engineering solutions that meet the law and meet the necessary body rigidity and safety standards and so on. And we also need a manufacturing organization that can produce these vehicles to absurdly high levels of precision. There are a lot of factors at work.

I think we’re making huge progress, and that our newest concept and production vehicles bear that out. But it doesn’t matter a bit what I think, really — it only matters what all of you think.

VIDEO: Buick Invicta Concept at Beijing Auto Show

GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Vice President Ed Welburn Jr. introduce the Buick Invicta concept vehicle last week during the Beijing Auto Show. - Will Stewart, blog editor

Join Our Saturn Social Network

By Jill Lajdziak
Saturn General Manager

At Saturn, we've always liked to think of ourselves as innovators -- from our products to our unique customers. In that spirit, we are proud to offer Saturn owners and enthusiasts a new to way interact with us and with each other.

It’s a first-of-its-kind blog and social network site, www.ImSaturn.com.

On ImSaturn.com, you’ll find news about Saturn and see photos and videos you haven’t seen anywhere else. You can also start your own blog or your own group, or join other groups, and upload your own photos and videos.

]]> General Motors was one of the first large companies to start a corporate blog. Coincidentally, when Bob Lutz started the FastLane blog during the North American International Auto Show three years ago, his first post promised the renaissance of Saturn:

"What would you do if you had a brand whose customer service reputation was that high for that long despite having a narrow, aging product lineup? I, for one, would first get down on my knees and thank the Maker for the finest retail network in the industry. Then, I would set to work replenishing the product portfolio.

“That's exactly what we're doing with Saturn. And that's precisely why my hopes for the brand are so high. We won't let the brand fall victim to the tyranny of the "or." It's not a case of having a great retail and customer care program or having great products. It's possible to have both, and we are delivering it. Finally.”

We went on to introduce the Saturn Sky and the Aura at that show. And although I have been with Saturn since it was founded 22 years ago, I have never been prouder of our award-winning lineup than I am now:

Astra, our small, zippy, European-styled car
Aura, our midsize car and 2007 North American Car of the Year
Outlook, our smart crossover utility vehicle
Sky, our sexy but affordable roadster
Vue, our freshly redesigned popular SUV
Affordable hybrid technology in the Vue and Aura

So please take a look around ImSaturn.com. You’ll find some great information, and a few surprises. I plan to post there periodically, along with many Saturn team members, and I’ll be reading your thoughts with interest.

VIDEO: Volt Nation Town Hall Meeting

Here's some interesting footage courtesy of Volt Nation from a Q&A Bob Lutz did at last month's VN conference in New York. - Will Stewart, blog editor.

Thank You, Citizens of Volt Nation

By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

This is a little late coming, but I just wanted to take the time and space to officially thank everyone who traveled to New York, some from fairly far away, for the Volt Nation event at the auto show there last month.

And I’d like to thank Dr. Lyle Dennis, the foundation of Volt Nation, for organizing such a great event, and for his boundless enthusiasm. In fact, all the attendees were rather enthusiastic, and we are very appreciative of that, and of their rabid interest in the Volt program.

As I told the group assembled there in New York, the Volt team feeds off their enthusiasm, it’s a great motivator for us.

Not that we need any extra push to get going on the project. The team continues to make progress, and we continue to be committed to seeing the program through. As I said in New York, we are going to get this done — we are not going to be beaten to the punch like we were on hybrids.

I told the Volt Nation audience that GM had the technology to do hybrids back when Toyota was launching the first Prius, but we opted not to ask the Board to approve a product program that’d be destined to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. In the end, it cost us much more than that; it cost us our reputation for technology leadership and innovation.

We made that mistake once. We won’t make it again. I think the whole company has learned when you step out and do bold things, you win and when you're cautious and let other people do the bold things, you lose.

Many great ideas die every day because we value the safety of the tried-and-true over the risk that true innovation requires. This is not going to be the case with Volt; we are going for the brass ring.

Further updates to come, but thanks again to Dr. Dennis and Volt Nation for their support.

VIDEO: The Young Lords at the NY Auto Show

Check out this cool video of the Young Lords rehearsing for their performance at the Pontiac Garage stage at the New York Auto Show. And be sure to click over to FYI for more NYAS footage featuring Bob Lutz and rapper 50 Cent. -- Will Stewart, blog editor

UPDATE: Over on FYI

Make sure to check out FYI for a video post from last week's press days at the New York Auto Show. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Pontiac Roars Forward

2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

Jim Bunnell
Buick-Pontiac-GMC General Manager

If there’s anything better than introducing a new product, it’s introducing three new products. And if there’s anything better than introducing three new products, it’s introducing three new products that show Pontiac’s getting its mojo back.

At the New York Auto Show today, Pontiac took the wraps off some new members of the Solstice and G8 families.

First up was the Solstice Coupe, which takes its classic design of the roadster to another level. The original convertible is still the top selling car in its segment and we think that the added all-season capabilities of the coupe, in either the base or turbo-charged GXP model, will just extend its appeal. Plus, a removable top panel can still provide an open-air driving experience.

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

The G8 GXP is, quite simply, the Pontiac performance flagship. We intend to build on the incredible reception the G8 sedan and G8 GT have already received by upping the excitement quotient with a 400+ hp LS3 V8 engine and an optional six-speed Tremec manual transmission. The G8 is truly a product of GM’s global muscle ---a European-inspired performance sedan with American attitude built in Australia.

2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck

Speaking of muscle, we know that performance can be measured in different ways, so we’re also introducing the G8 sport truck, a segment-bending vehicle with sports car DNA and truck-like cargo capabilities. Need to haul six-foot long items or tow a 3,500-pound trailer? The G8 sport truck can handle it. It also can haul in a different way … from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds.

The one thing we want to change about the sport truck is its name. “Sport truck” works fine as a description, but it just doesn’t convey the emotion that this new G8 will create. So, we’re inviting the public to submit their suggestions at www.pontiac.com/namethiscar and the winning name will be announced April 15.

All three Pontiacs introduced here in New York will be on the streets within 18 months.

UPDATE: GMBlogs and Twitter

Check out FYI to read about a new and exciting way to keep up with what's happening on your favorite GM blogs.

VIDEO: A Redefining Moment at the Geneva Motorshow

By Keith Childs
GM Europe Communications

The Opel Meriva Concept, a GM world premiere at the Geneva motorshow, was one of the highlights of our press conference and got a lot of people talking.

There’s an array of patented innovations developed by GM/Opel engineers. The innovative FlexDoors are rear-hinged rear doors that swing open 90 degrees towards the back of the car. It’s something you have to see to really understand, so we videoed them in action.

At the same time, we asked Hans Demant, Opel’s Managing Director and GM Europe Vice President in charge of engineering, Alain Visser, GM Europe’s Chief Marketing Officer and designers Andrew Dyson and Kenjiro Tajima to tell us more about the innovation behind the concept.

Afterwards, I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes with Chief Designer Andrew Dyson, who led the Meriva design team and get his view on the reaction of people during the press days. What he was hearing over and over again was why hasn’t this been done before? With rear doors and front doors that open independently there’s a clear feeling that this is groundbreaking — and it will redefine the segment just like the Flex7 seating introduced on the Opel Zafira redefined interior flexibility and the monocab segment.

What really gave him a buzz was not just the media reaction, but something else. All the auto designers are here at the show, they all know each other and they always check out the competition. Traditionally highly critical and not easily impressed, they were clearly surprised by the quality of the show car, the finish and how close the concept looks to a production vehicle.

Virgin Atlantic Chooses Chevy for Going Green on the Ground

By Larry Burns
Vice President
Research & Development and Strategic Planning

Virgin’s President Sir Richard Branson announced yesterday that the airline will be using Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as its limousines of choice for passengers landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The partnership with GM is an expansion of Project Driveway.

This podcast gives highlights from yesterday’s news conference in New York City, beginning with Branson’s comments and followed by Larry Burns, GM vice president of Research & Development and Strategic Planning. Also included is a short interview with Mary Beth Stanek, director of Energy and Environment Policy and Commercialization.

Listen to the announcement.

And check out our Flickr galleries for more photos from the press conference.

Our Next-Generation GM Hybrid

By Tom Stephens
Group Vice President GM Powertrain

As Rick Wagoner announced this morning at the Geneva auto show, we have a strong new addition to our portfolio of hybrid technologies. The next-generation GM Hybrid system is an affordable hybrid option that will be nearly three times more powerful than the one currently found on the Saturn Vue Green Line, the Saturn Aura Green Line and the Chevy Malibu Hybrid.

We’ll introduce the system in North America in 2010, where you may eventually see it in more than 100,000 of our vehicles annually. The new system is based on a lighter but more powerful lithium-ion battery than the nickel metal hydride one we use today. The lithium-ion battery will be supplied by Hitachi and is paired with a new motor generator to provide more electric assist for a longer period of time. That will increase fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. Those two goals, as you know, go hand in hand, because burning less fuel puts less CO2 into the air.

As in the current GM Hybrid system, it is belt-alternator-starter hybrid technology. The GM Hybrid system is and will remain the most affordable of our hybrid options. We’re showing the next-gen hybrid system in Geneva with a Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept vehicle, equipped with a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine with FlexFuel capability. While we have no current plans to build that concept, we do anticipate offering the next-gen hybrid system with a wide range of engines and vehicles, and a six-speed automatic transmission in some applications.

Another of our hybrid options is the highly capable rear-wheel drive 2-Mode Hybrid, found in our Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrids, and starting this year, in the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra crewcabs.Later this year we’ll also begin selling the first front-wheel drive variant of the 2-Mode Hybrid in the 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line.

The next few years will see many new options in our gas-friendly portfolio: In January, we announced that the Saturn Vue will be offered as a plug-in hybrid, possibly as early as 2010, becoming the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market. We’re hard at work on our E-Flex extended-range electric vehicle program with the Chevy Volt. And we’ll have more than 100 fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox SUVs in normal consumers’ driveways this year, so that they can be thoroughly tested under everyday driving conditions. These fuel-cell-powered SUVs use pure hydrogen for fuel and emit only water as exhaust.

Let there be no doubt that we at GM remain committed to increasing the fuel efficiency and reducing the CO2 emissions of all our vehicles. Your thoughts, as always, are welcome.

Driving the New Pontiac G8

Adam Denison
Coordinator, GM Social Media

Never have I been more aware of my newbie status in the car industry than I was this week as I spent some time with automotive journalists and bloggers in San Diego. But regardless of my still blooming knowledge of how cars work, I can tell a good car when I drive one. Such was the case during my time driving the brand new Pontiac G8.

You know, I could tell you that the G8 has two powertain options (256 hp 3.6-liter V6 or 361 hp 6.0-liter V8), that it has a four-wheel independent suspension, that it has standard disc brakes featuring ABS and StabliTrak, or that the G8 361 hp G8 GT is the most powerful sedan under $30k in North America, but I’ll leave all that to the automotive journalists and bloggers who joined us for the media drive of the G8 this week. What I want to tell you about is what this fledgling auto enthusiast thought about the car.

I’ve seen the G8 before and even had the chance of filming some of the engineers driving a fleet of them into Detroit after a cross-country drive, but I guess I forgot how impressive the styling of the car was until I saw one outside the doors of the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Man, that car has a presence; a point noted by many of the hotel guests as they stopped to check it out.

After a quick early morning walk-around of the vehicle with a G8 engineer two of our media guests and I hopped in a bright red G8 GT (V8 version) and started our journey. I was immediately impressed with the beautiful interior, the styling of which really added to ambience of this powerful sedan. It took a little while to get used to having the power window controls and side-view mirror controls in the center console, rather than on the doors, but the reason for this I assume is due to the global nature of the vehicle. Having these controls in the center makes it easier to go from left-hand drive to right-hand drive.

]]> The drive route set up by my colleagues here at GM was excellent for really getting a feel for the ride and handling of the vehicle. The route took us through some beautiful, curvy roads in the hills and mountains of San Diego and surrounding areas. The G8 handled beautifully on these sharp curves, and had no problem going up the side of some the bigger climbs. The long wheelbase of the car made for an extremely smooth ride, so much so that I was often surprised to see how fast I was actually going (all within the speed limits, of course!).

I really got to test out the pick-up of the G8 when I found myself three lanes to the right of where I needed to be on the route. Once that light hit green we went from the far right of the road to the far left in the road in what seemed like an instant. In fact, I think the indentation of my head from the quick acceleration is still in the headrest of the driver’s seat! It was thrilling to jump off the line so quickly.

The G8 was really a fun, exciting vehicle to drive, but my “review” here doesn’t really do it justice. You really need to get into a G8 and experience it for yourself. I was told today that they’ll start arriving in showrooms next week. I’d also encourage to read some of the media reviews of the G8. I’m sure they will echo much of what I’ve said here, but also give you some more of the technical details of this great car.

So congratulations to Pontiac for a building an amazing car that is sure to be the brand’s flagship performance sedan. Great work Pontiac!

Chevrolet Helps High School Seniors "Drive for Perfection"

By Monica Coleman
Guest Blogger

Going to school just got sweeter for high school seniors in more than 200 schools in 26 Tennessee counties because of the Chevy Drive For Perfection Program. Through this initiative, five lucky students will be awarded with a 2008 Chevy Cobalt sedan for having perfect attendance during the 2007-2008 school year.

Statistics show that students who have poor attendance for reasons other than illness are more likely to drop out and to fall behind their peers in the classroom. The Chevrolet Drive For Perfection program was created by Chevrolet and the Middle Tennessee Chevrolet Dealers, in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Education, to give seniors an additional incentive to finish their high school careers strong in order to adequately prepare for post-secondary education or the workforce.

When I talked to Tim Hudgens, Chevy marketing manager for GM’s Southeast region, he couldn’t have been more excited about encouraging students to succeed:

“Literacy and education are two initiatives that Chevrolet and its dealers champion through their support of several initiatives in the Southeast region. The Tennessee Department of Education is charged with the significant task of educating the state’s youth, and our local Chevy dealers are honored to provide support to them and high schools in their communities.”

Why the Cobalt? We thought it offered a variety of well-equipped and sporty choices and was a natural fit for a hard-working student finishing up another exciting school year. For more information about the Chevy Drive For Perfection program or to see if your school or your child’s school is participating, please e-mail Katie Dougherty at kdougherty@chevydriveforperfection.com.