Lutz sounds the alarm: GM puts RWD drive vehicles on hold

[mikeyb]

Bob Lutz is determined to rattle all the cages he can in order to be heard above roar of the CAFE and CO2 standards debate. First, he said that forcing automakers to raise CAFE standards 4-percent per year would raise the price of a new car by $5,000. That was in response to Bush administration proposals. Now he's putting car enthusiasts on notice, going on the record saying that GM's RWD models would be put on hold.

[Source: Chicago Tribune via Winding Road]


Telling the Chicago Tribune, "We've pushed the pause button. It's no longer full speed ahead," Lutz sounded the alarm. The new Camaro (due in 2008) and Impala sedan (2009) are meant to help GM out of its profit rut, but both are built on GM's large RWD platform and Lutz doesn't see a way to get 30% better gas mileage without a serious amount of investment (which would be passed on to consumers). Lutz declared it's too late to stop the Camaro, but said "anything after that is questionable," apparently including Camaro derivatives and the Impala sedan. Other cars that would be affected by the "pause" include a performance-oriented midsized Pontiac, the Buick Lucerne, a compact Cadillac, and high HP versions of the Solstice and Sky roadsters -- essentially, a full assortment of cars specifically meant to put GM back in the green.

All of the carmakers are waiting to see what the EPA does in response to the Supreme Court's ruling that the EPA can regulate CO2 standards (which they haven't done up to now), Lutz says GM will decide on its rear drive cars when the government settles the CO2 and CAFE debates.
Showing just how tense he is on the new emissions storm, Lutz said that "if we legislate CO2 from cars, why not legislate we take one less breath per minute since human release capricious amounts of CO2?" Even the new trio of compacts introduced at the show won't help -- Lutz saying "small-car mileage only counts toward CAFE if you build them here," and you can't build small cars here at a profit. . . . [The] domestic fleet is where GM needs help."

-Autoblog



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[mikeyb]

small-car mileage only counts toward CAFE if you build them here

What???? Since when??? CAFE is broken down into 2 categories: cars & trucks. The OEM's numbers come from the average fuel economy of the cars sold in the US in that category. Porsche builds every one of their cars in Germany, and they pay millions every year to ignore CAFE standards. Isn't the Prius built in Japan?

Wow, I understand why GM is nervous about this, since people are ok paying for HP but not Green, but Lutz is off the rocker with that quote.

 

[dmitrik4]

maybe if GM built a half-decent small car, people would buy them. it's not as if no other company makes a large RWD car, and its not as if a RWD platform somehow burns a lot more gas than a FWD platform of the same size.

corporate decision-making, engineering, and assembly are where GM needs help.

 

[genericuser]

and just when GM started to show promise, they kill the vehicles that were going to help them turn themselves around..

oi.

 

[Maxx Mazda]

I get he impressio nthat Lutz is kinda playing a bluff here. He's poutign that the EPA and s*** are killing GM, and in response is to let GM go bankrupt (bluff) to get them to release their hold on the nuts of the auto industry.

As a GM employee for 5 years now, I can tell you that these upcoming cars (new Impala, Camaro, G8, etc) are exactly what they need...

 

[genericuser]

Nobody ever accused lutz of being a brilliant executive.

 

[ottawaP5]

Mazda better not put their Mazdaspeed models on hold!

 

[Donas64]

Great,

Now I'm going to have to listen to people talk about how President Bush Killed the Camaro.

BUSH LIED, CAMAROES DIED!

 

[Rainman]

Perhaps I am a cynic, but this sounds like an attempt to get people to back off the current green kick. Sentimental feelings to save an American icon will get people to soften their demands for fuel-efficient vehicles which would cost GM in R&D dollars and make them enemies of the oil companies.

Of course, all of this could just be conspiracy rhetoric...LOL.

R

 

[Donas64]

Perhaps I am a cynic, but this sounds like an attempt to get people to back off the current green kick. Sentimental feelings to save an American icon will get people to soften their demands for fuel-efficient vehicles which would cost GM in R&D dollars and make them enemies of the oil companies.

Of course, all of this could just be conspiracy rhetoric...LOL.

R

(peep)

 

[.paul]

Dear Mr. Lutz,

Build a bridge, get over it.

Regards,

Paul

 

[Rally Ninja]

Dear Mr. Lutz,

Build a bridge, get over it.

Regards,

Paul

I second that.

 

[dmitrik4]

Nobody ever accused lutz of being a brilliant executive.

actually, that's pretty much why he's got the job.

 

[Foolish]

It's a self-destructive temper tantrum.

"Your rules are making it hard for me, so I'm going to just let the entire company go down the drain. You'll be sorry when GM is gone."

 

[Hughes412]

maybe if GM built a half-decent small car, people would buy them. it's not as if no other company makes a large RWD car, and its not as if a RWD platform somehow burns a lot more gas than a FWD platform of the same size.

corporate decision-making, engineering, and assembly are where GM needs help.

I agree! That goes for all 3 of the U.S. companies. If they would do here what they do over seas and sell the cars here they would be in the mess they are in.

 

[RacerXGirl]

Dear Mr. Lutz,

Build a bridge, get over it.

Regards,

Paul

Too funny!

 

[Rainman]

It's a self-destructive temper tantrum.

"Your rules are making it hard for me, so I'm going to just let the entire company go down the drain. You'll be sorry when GM is gone."

I agree completely.

R

 

[Newf]

yawn, I just really don't care what GM does. I won't buy anything from them in my life EVER anyways. I just read this stuff to see how bad their doing and to laugh really.

 

[Donas64]

Just as long as they release the G8 GTP before they go under, thats ALL I care about!