Bob Lutz: “I’ll Take The Blame For GM’s Weight Problem†| The Truth About Cars Some of the comments are pretty funny like: The Cavalier came up (which I'm pretty sure was designed before Lutz joined GM) and someone replied: There are also comparisons of some GM vehicles to wet newspaper. I do agree that most car shoppers don't care about what the curb weight is. I seriously doubt most non-enthusiast car shoppers shopping for a vehicle in a given class would even look at the number let alone buy the lighter one because the heavier/heaviest one is too heavy.
More function follows form GM engineering ... "Hey, if we make it shine brightly enough, people won't notice they just bought a GM!" Fail. -Brad
power required = ((1/2 * Mass of car * velocity^3) / distance between stops) + 1/2 * density of air * coefficient of drag * frontal area * velocity^3
The world around, F=MA, Force equals mass times acceleration. Except at GM where apparently, F=(GM)A, Force equals gigantic mass times acceleration. I think that's what's known as a "corporate culture"... or more probably hubris. Hubris: exaggerated pride or self-confidence "When conceived it was a project of almost unimaginable boldness and foolhardiness, requiring great bravura, risking great hubris." —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998 Anticipating the Volt perhaps?
Too Bad Bob KLutz didn't ask anyone other than GM folk before GM went into build mode. Apparently no one there at GM knows you CAN still get 18" rims and have them be less than 1/2 the weight HE thought they had to be. They just cost a bunch more. But wheels (unsprung weight) that are extra light ALSO have the added benefit of giving a smoother ride. I'm thinking if they'd have LEFT this nut job on the fired/unemployment line, they could have hired someone with a bit of know-how instead ... and probably for 1/2 the cost.
