http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/04/gm...omment-65490200 Dear GM, Will you please just take a gun and blow out your brains already? Let the true innovators innovate.
LOL :lol: hahaha. okokokok... lemme get this straight. He doesn't want to build them cause it costs money. However, he will build unsafe chinese/indian made minicars because they're dirt cheap (which is what he knows how to build) and don't meet US safety requirements. And he's not gonna do anything unless it's absolutely, positively necessary like (and I quote) "a prolonged increase in fuel prices or an “unforeseen†change in fashion for small cars in the country." Why should we bother with a company that refuses to INNOVATE?!?! Ever heard of the phrase "you have to spend money to make money"?? I don't think Lutz has. Btw, you can't possibly tell me it isn't possible cause all we have to do is look at Hyundai. A few years ago, we'd all laugh at the idea of them catching up to the Japanese. Hell, their quality and reliability were worse than GM. But in that time frame, Hyundai has strived to become globally competitive. Take a look at their cars the next time you go to the autoshow. They've come a long long way. What has GM done in that time frame? sit and whine on their a**es waiting for Jolly Saint Nick to give them a present. I'm sorry, but I think Americans demand an innovative American company. You guys don't need to buy American to be "patriotic" and all that other crap. You just need a company that represents who you are and can show the world that they can compete on a world standard. The US is a huge market for any automaker. But if that market collapses, GM will suffer the most. If the Japanese market suffers, Toyota, Honda and Nissan will suffer too but not to the extent of GM because they are global companies.
All new vehicles will be required to have anti-rollover technology by the 2012 model year, the government said Thursday
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 5 2007, 04:23 PM) [snapback]418474[/snapback]</div> Isn't that the same as our VSC on the Prius? or at least it has the same concept at anti-roll and reference GM crying.....they suggested to build out the E85 infrastructure so that they didn't have to increase the fuel economy of their vehicles since they will only be using 15%gasoline. :angry: dumb at work again.
Dear GM, Here's a quarter. Go call someone who gives a crap. If they are going to build the cars in India to save money they can save even more by hiring Indian engineers and executives at 20% of their current costs. What have they got to lose? Those people can't possibly do any worse.
My mother used to be a die hard Cadillac fan but even she said they havnt made anything new in years. She now drives a Camery anniversary addition hybrid. She absolutely loves it. her two favorite things about the car are the gas mileage and the nav. She has never had a car with nav before and she is coming from the world of big v8’s. I haven’t heard her complain about acceleration yet. She did say it turns better and is zippier than her Cadillac ever was. Her idea of the American dream was a Cadillac in the driveway. Now she has a Toyota hybrid sitting in the driveway. I wonder if GM realizes just how much their philosophy is hurting them if my mom is changing then others are too. Hey I cant remember the post now but some guy was complaining about Toyota not creating jobs and gm creating jos in the US. Someone know the post? Let that guy know Gm is making its new line of fuel efficient cars in china and not the us how is that for us job creation.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 6 2007, 12:18 AM) [snapback]418634[/snapback]</div> That's malorn. He's been told. Repeatedly. Doesn't do any good. My parents also *used* to be long time Caddy people. Their current one will be their last. They are both disgusted with the quality of the car and the expense and frequency of the repairs. My Dad swears the next car he buys will be a Lexus. My Mom says she'll let him buy whatever he wants. But she drives as much or more than he does and I know she's concerned with cost. I think I can steer her to Toyota instead. I think she'd be open to a Camry. My Dad says he'll never buy a hybrid but I think I could get them into a Cambrid if it weren't for the trunk space. I think they'll take one look in the trunk and walk away. My Mother likes riding with me in my Prius (I haven't been able to get her to drive it yet) but I know the lack of seat heaters and individual, programmable seat adjusters might be a deal breaker. The thing they liked about the Caddy was the seat heaters and individual adjusters. Neither of which work anymore. So it is a daily reminder and annoyance. Malorn has his work cut out for him. There is no way he'll ever talk my parents back into another Caddy. After 40 years as Caddy owners, they think it's cr@p and they're not buying another one. (My Dad thinks GM is going to go bankrupt sooner or later. He no longer owns stock in it.)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Apr 6 2007, 01:48 AM) [snapback]418646[/snapback]</div> Yep my mom said the same thing. She said you used to buy a Cadillac and know you were getting quality and cutting edge tech so to speak. Her 2002 had knobs fall off, the plastic wood cracked (she was so mad about that. She was like you used to get real wood Wth.), she had more repairs on the engine than ever before. she sold her Gm stock, and bought a cambrid. My sister got to ride in it and she says it is nice and really cool. But we all know our cars are cool. :lol: but from what I hear people aer buying Gm cars in record numbers. :lol:
I posted another story covering the same topic at http://priuschat.com/Bob-Lutz-of-GM-claims...car-t31466.html.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 5 2007, 11:18 PM) [snapback]418634[/snapback]</div> HELLO??? What about the new Toyota plant in San Antonio?! Brought 100's of new jobs to central Texas. GM wants to close plants to be more efficient Lutz needs to just go away and let the business and engineering majors take over the company after they graduate.
my uncle now retired, was a millwright for Ford for 40 years and still has an employee discount he can use to get a very good deal on ANY of the big three not just ford. well, he has driven Caddy's up until 3 years ago, and went with a Camry, and will be "probably" (HE says he is thinking about it, my Aunt says this is the best car they have had in years) going with another Camry or Lexus (they get a new car every 3 years and have been ever since ive known them) he will have to pay nearly $2-3000 more for the Camry despite the nearly 10,000 difference in sticker prices to boot.
It's amazing that an idiot like Bob Putz can be paid all those millions to drive a comany into the ground. The EU and Japan have far more stringent CAFE standards than we do. My parents drove Oldsmobiles for years, until GM stopped making them. My dad bought a Honda CR-V a few years ago- he says it's the best car he's ever owned. GM is not only not attracting new buyers, but they are alienating their long-term customers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 6 2007, 01:06 AM) [snapback]418654[/snapback]</div> [rant] That's because they sucker you in with "Employee Pricing" and all that other crap. You know, you can tell when a company's product is failing when they have to bring in their European models and rebadge them as American! Besides, GM is refusing to push forward their hybrid technology until 2010...and by that time, Toyota will have been mass producing hybrids for...what? 13 years? Bob Lutz and GM are doomed unless they bring their focus around. What can I say? The first vehicle I drove was a Toyota, and both vehicles I own are Toyotas Until the Big 3 pull their head out, I'm never gonna give 'em a second thought. An as far as the rise in vehicle price because of stricter fuel economy standards is concerned, that's a total load of bologna. Who do these people think they're joking? The Europeans and Asians have been building that way for years and not once has that been an excuse to raise the price on their vehicles. [/rant] Ok, I'm done now.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Apr 16 2007, 11:58 AM) [snapback]424040[/snapback]</div> My Father drove Caddys for 40 years. He says never again. When he buys his next car it will be a Lexus (or a Toyota).
Far be it for me to be the GM defender, but I'm slowly coming around to Bob Lutz. This is a long (~30min) interview with him very recently at the New york auot show. His comments focus a lot on the Volt, but there are some insightful comments on his view on these issues. He's quite candid and I think this is worth a listen. http://www.podtech.net/home/environment/ne...bob-lutz-speaks If you won't listen I'll give a few tidbits that go against the popular interpretation of his plans. 1)He supports an increased gas tax...feels that if the US Gov't was sincere in their desire to lower gas use and foreign dependence they'd increase the gas tax by $0.25/year until it reached EU levels. 2)He's frustrated by the gov't insistance on improving FE but not supporting alternative fuel technology stating that it's expensive to improve FE in conventional vehicles with minimal gain. Now, I do see some inconsistencies in his comments...such as why they continue to strongly market the SUVs...clearly market influences are in play, but they're not and haven't been taking a roll as a leader of change as one would expect from the largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Gain, I'm not in bed w/ Bob Lutz, Malorn, GM or any of the gang, but unless they're completely pulling the wool over my eyes I think they are sincere in their desire to reform and to produce the E-Flex series with the Volt as the first among them. Time will tell, but I think that time is relatively short.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Apr 16 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]424384[/snapback]</div> I'm sorry, but we are all driving a sedan that gets 45-55 mpg, and he's frustrated about meeting a 4% increase in fuel economy? I don't understand why... Oh- that's why!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Apr 16 2007, 10:58 PM) [snapback]424439[/snapback]</div> Absolutely...GM got complacent and cocky and they're clearly paying a stiff price now for that. That said, Toyota is still producing some huge SUVs and a massive pick-up truck that don't get great FE either...these are the profit machines. My feeling is that his point is that the government isn't incentivising the production of better new designs (hydrogen, EV, whatever) and yet demanding the 4% FE increase and that to meet that on their own will be extremely costly with no long term benefit. Clearly had they planned ahead years ago...like Toyota and Honda did 10 years ago with their hybrids...this wouldn't be as big of a concern. They're playing catch up and it's going to cost them to do so.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Apr 5 2007, 02:06 PM) [snapback]418465[/snapback]</div> Training wheels on every Suburban. Cool. And outriggers for all the Land Yachts.
