Bob Lutz----"Shock and Awe"

From the New York Times:

GM EXECUTIVE PREACHES: SWEAT THE SMALLEST DETAILS

Robert A. Lutz is trying to persuade the world's largest automaker, General Motors, to obsess about the smallest details, from the way a stereo knob feels when you turn it to eliminating the cheap-looking shine from plastics used in interiors. "People say, 'I don't know what it is, but when I rent an American car at the airport and look at all these minor imperfections, the message it sends is that you guys don't care,' and that message is very powerful," said Mr. Lutz, General Motors' vice chairman for product development. "It's a turnoff."

This year, rekindling America's desire for American passenger cars is the principal goal of the Detroit-based automakers, who have grown overly reliant on sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks for their modest profits. During the news media preview of the North American International Auto Show, which started Sunday, the Big Three—G.M., the Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler—are showcasing new cars aimed at winning back customers who have grown to like Toyotas or Volkswagens or Hondas since giving up on American cars.

Mr. Lutz agrees that shock and awe are needed, not baby steps, to have a realistic shot at luring back import buyers. The immediate goal is to revive the brand's flagging sales, down 9 percent through November 2003, and make it profitable. "If we could get the average incentive from $4,000, which it is now, to something like $2,000, we would be making a lot of money on domestic cars," he said. "That's the plan. You just have to get vehicles more to the point where people want them."

I think they are on the right track. Exciting things should just keep coming.

I'd much rather get a $2,000 rebate on a good car than a $4,000 rebate on a crappy car.

They are on the right track.

Its funny how I describe the GM situation among the average US car buyer here and people say I hate GM and should STFU. When I say Cobalt is not enough to get the crappy image of GM cars to go away Im called a hater and should just go somewhere else. Now even Lutz is formally comming out about the crap GM has been spuing out into the market.

Like I said before the only thing missing on the Cobalt from the pics was the Avis rentacar sticker. GM needs to wake up and change and stop making crap like the Malibu.

heh, i guess Bob came to his senses and realized that "the media" isn't GM's problem. :lol:

Originally posted by Ponykillr
Its funny how I describe the GM situation among the average US car buyer here and people say I hate GM and should STFU. When I say Cobalt is not enough to get the crappy image of GM cars to go away Im called a hater and should just go somewhere else. Now even Lutz is formally comming out about the crap GM has been spuing out into the market.

Like I said before the only thing missing on the Cobalt from the pics was the Avis rentacar sticker. GM needs to wake up and change and stop making crap like the Malibu.

Once again, until Cobalt is ACTUALLY ON THE MARKET, how can you say it's not good enough? Sure, it can't do it by itself, but the quality perception he is talking about isn't something you can get from photographs, it's something you have to actually see the car in person, and/or sit in it for.

We've established that you don't like the style, but get over yourself, there are many many people who do. I'm sure there are many who agree with you, but once again, style is subjective and a matter of personal choice, quality is (usually) not subjective, and is something that must be experienced to be judged.

I know you have a giant hard-on for Nissans for some reason, but explain to me how exactly this (http://www.nissanusa.com/m/cma/i/3al/3altima_gal_big02.jpg) is so muc better than this. (http://www.chevrolet.com/cobalt/images/gallery/wall2_800x600.jpg)


Hm... they look pretty dang close, besides the Altima having darker windows...


:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

We've established that you don't like the style, but get over yourself, there are many many people who do.

amen to that.

Originally posted by Ponykillr
Now even Lutz is formally comming out about the crap GM has been spuing out into the market.



He is talking in the past tense, which does NOT include recent offerings such as Malibu and COBALT.

Like it has been said, if you don't like the way it looks, that is fine, but to know nothing of the car, having not driven the car or even seen it in person, I don't think you are qualified to say that it won't compete just by seeing a few pictures.

This is good news. Knowing the problem is half the battle. While I admit this isn't GM's biggest problem solving these little things will go a long way in restoring confidence in American vehicles once again. While I think overall styling may have a bigger impact this is still important because the Japs seem to be hitting this area hard. One thing is certain there is no one area that the domestic brands are missing its a lot of little things in a lot of areas. Uphill battle but so far I think they are making the grade.

That good, but..............
I think that it will turn out to be too expensive in the long run.
Directing time at small things is nice but is way too costly for GM.

Car prices will go up.
Adds will say "We have quality now" while the MSRP shows it.....

GM has too long been stuck with the lesser quality stigma to be able to turn it around suddenly.
People won't buy it.

Small changes that don't affect the price drastically would be better.

Why tell everyone about it too? Make some changes and let the public make new impressions.

Don't toot your horn before you have learned how to play.

What puzzles me is why it takes so many years to arrive at such conclusion? Why does it take Bob Lutz to make this statement? Was everyone else blind? Could they really not tell that their quality of interior components (perceived quality) was POS?

And here is Bob, an eye-opener to GM...

Originally posted by muckz
What puzzles me is why it takes so many years to arrive at such conclusion? Why does it take Bob Lutz to make this statement? Was everyone else blind? Could they really not tell that their quality of interior components (perceived quality) was POS?

And here is Bob, an eye-opener to GM...

It's taken years to arrive at this conclusion because GM's previous management (pre-Wagoner, Lutz, & Cowger) had a policy of focusing only on Cadillac, Corvette, and trucks. The rest of GM's carlines were viewed as little more than fleet cars, worth very little investment & attention to detail. Quality to them was making sure nothing broke, not how it felt to the customer or if it's styling created any enthusiasm.

The "new" management understands that wasn't enough, and Bob Lutz as vice chairman of products is THE go to guy on questions of vehicles. That's why he's the one who makes all the statements regarding GM's products. The only person higher than Bob Lutz at GM (GM CEO Rick Wagoner) doesn't need to make statements on vehicle quality. It's his job to run the entire company & make sure the divisions & product people get what they need without pissing off the board or the stockholders by draining profits or running the company into the ground.

It also takes years to work through changes from the idea phase into the vehicles themselves. Anyone who follows Bob Lutz knows he doesn't make statements that don't have a bearing on what's actually happening behind the scenes. GM has been improving quality for the past few years, and it's easy to see the steps. The improved quality of the "W" cars, the CTS, the new Grand Prix, the new Malibu, now the new G6 & Cobalt.

Each setting a new level over the car before it. Actually seeing the Cobalt interior in person makes the 4th gen Camaro interior feel as if it was made in Bangledash from a fit & finish, quality of materials, and design standpoint. Anyone who says otherwise simply doesn't know what he's talking about & has not seen the Colbalt interior in person. And according to the executives who were hare at it's unveiling, it's going to be improved even more before it goes into production this summer.

I still think the new Malibu's exterior is a boxy yawn & I think the Colbalt exterior only looks like a better styled European version of the Cavalier. But save your gunpowder regarding GM's new direction on interiors till you get a chance to see for yourself.

They are really on to something! :thumb:

Same BS, different man, different year.

Originally posted by Z284ever
I'd much rather get a $2,000 rebate on a good car than a $4,000 rebate on a crappy car.

My $22,425 sticker on my '02 Grand Am GT was reduced to $15,495 after a $3,000 rebate, $1,100 dealer employee discount, $700 in GM card points, and being able to buy it for all that minus invoice minus holdback.

And I still couldn't overlook the ugly interior, ugly-all plastic door panels, flat, uncomfortable seats, a leather wheel that was delaminating at 23k miles (they all do :rolleyes: ), and enough body cladding gooped on so it didn't quite look like the Alero it was under all that.

On top of that, in 23k miles the window regulator on the driver's side broke twice, all 4 rotors had to be replaced under warranty, 2 clunks had to be extricated from the front end, both windows were replaced due to scratches from inferior-designed window channels, the center of the dash between the "humps" was starting to delam, the "stainless steel" exhaust tips were so rusty an hour outside with NevrDull couldn't save them, the rub strip on the rear bumper came loose...

Get the idea yet? I didn't own it long enough for the intake gasket to blow, or the wheel bearings to go bad by 50k. And no, this car was not an anomoly among N cars...all of the above are COMMON.

I bought the GP because I was scared to grow old with the GA...there's buyer confidence for ya! And I love GM...

:rolleyes: