Daily Podcast: Bob Lutz Challenges Drivers to Outrun the Police

by Robert Farago

Published: January 30th, 2008

daily podcast bob lutz challenges drivers to outrun the police

I know; TTAC has no business taking GM Car Czar Bob Lutz to task for stomping on political correctness. And anyway, Maximum Bob's challenge to readers of his fastlane blog to out-run the police in a "Blue Devil" ZR1 Corvette is a joke. But this website is keenly aware of our power– real or imagined– to influence young and impressionable pistonheads. So we don't advocate or celebrate hoonage. And if you've detected a slightly angry not to say profane tone to our work (ya think?), try and remember that it comes from a place of love. Love of honesty. Truth. And we love the fact that Bob has a playful side. But it's a little worrying that the guy who has to get the entire GM global empire to build green machines that meet or beat new mpg requirements– that meet or beat the competition in terms of sales– happily reveals himself as a lover of high horsepower toys. And it's a bit scary that Maximum Bob doesn't understand his influence on his "people." But the real question is this: where is Bob's love of truth? The man has a longstanding habit of spinning, ducking, diving and conniving. The caption to Bob's blog post says "Your Worst Nightmare." For hundreds of thousands of people dependent on Bob Lutz' product plans, their real nightmare is that the man in charge of GM's fate is a belligerent, clueless relic of a bygone era who longs for a simpler time, when outrunning the cops was a bit of a hoot. [thanks to Kurt B for the link]

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4 of 11 comments

Robert Farago on Jan 31, 2008
Virtual Insanity : And on that note, I had the privledge of meeting with Mr. Lutz yesterday, and I think you would be very surprised on where he feels the future of automobiles is going. Of course, I’d tell you, but then you’d point out something he said back in the nineties when he worked on the Viper or something, and say “see, he’s lying”. First of all, where is the moral compass pointing these days? It's one thing for a bunch of bloggers to celebrate outrunning the police-- which isn't right and we don't do it-- and quite another for the top car guy of the world's second largest automaker to celebrate Smokey and The Bandit style hijinks. See today's post on police chases to understand the consequences of telling kids they can maybe even should try to outrun the cops. Second, all I do is hold Bob accountable for what he says. If MB steps up and says "I was wrong about hybrids. Here's where we're going now," well, fair enough. But no, the man is inconsistent and intellectually lazy. Don't take my word for it. Read what he says and compare it to what GM does or doesn't do. Or, God forbid, what GM should do. I would be delighted to hear what Bob's vision of the future is these days. But is it so wrong to compare it to what he said before, or hold him to SOME level of accountability? GM is a public company, lest we forget.

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Detroit1701 on Jan 31, 2008

Bob Lutz is to Rick Wagoner what Bill Clinton is to Hillary. Give Bob a certain number of talking points, set him loose on the population, and keep attention away from the CEOs.

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Franz on Jan 31, 2008

Maybe Lutz is just warming us up to the concept of allowing the police to remotely disable our cars - and inaugurating that "new reality" with the ZR1?

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Bumblebee on Jan 31, 2008

Robert: Man, you lost me on this one, and on the same day Lieberman leaves the Jalop to come here. 1. You're really getting on Lutz for daring people to outrun his fantasy Vette? Have you thought about this? Do you really want to take the stance that the guy is not allowed to ever say a less than perfectly politically correct remark on the public record? The cop Vette is a child's fantasy, just like the car chase Lutz alluded to, and you know that. Why would you pretend otherwise? 2. We're not in a recession. The GNP has not declined for two quarters, and those who call the shots don't do so based on how people feel or the scary headlines on USA Today. Wake up, stop promoting the scare mongering, and smell the coffee yourself.

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