Comments on: Bob Lutz: “The marketing guys didn’t want it”

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:31:05 +0000

How about an actual double clutch manual tranny with paddle shfters ala VW/Audi/BMW/Porsche etc??? i.e. no torque converter. Neat what a torque converter can do but to me they represent a loss of power and efficiency. I’ll take a clutch coupled to multiple egars (six please) and solid mainshafts – thanks.

Don’t get me wrong, I like what I have seen of the car. I don’t understand why b/c most Americans want automatic trannies – all Americans must buy one. Not everyone wants a big engine coupled to a wasteful slushbox.

Just cancel one of the many duplicate vehicle programs and spend the money saved to provide some real CHOICE to the GM consumer.

By: tony-e30

tony-e30 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:27:22 +0000

I think “The marketing guys didn’t want it” is synonymous with “What the hell are paddle shifters?”

By: Nicodemus

Nicodemus — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:50:36 +0000

Paddle shift on a five speed auto? What a load of crap. You’d use it once, and conclude rightly that it offers no advantage and is an utterly tedious activity.

By: Rix

Rix — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:14:12 +0000

A. “Pontiac is a damaged brand”.
B. Marketing is responsible for Pontiac brand image.
C. Therefore, listen to Pontiac marketing to discern the wants and needs of the consumer.

Um….ok

By: speedlaw

speedlaw — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:32:51 +0000

these must be the same marketing genuises that spec very bassy car stereos, since the great unwashed equate boom with sound quality. That does not mean the stereo sounds even close to decent.

Same for the guys who cross phased the rear speakers at OE. Thanks.

If you guys get transferred to suspensions, it will be the Malibu from 1984 all over again.

By: DearS

DearS — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:31:05 +0000

A million (good) things are let go from being done because folks are not ready. Many folks shopping for expensive products have lousy perspectives. There ego does not believe they can accept a luxury vehicle in an economy and be ok about it. The warped and insane perspective dictates that goods reflect on their worth as individuals. Its very challenging for them to let such lousy programing go. The world market may not be ready for paddle-shifting G8s (sustainability).

By: Lichtronamo

Lichtronamo — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:16:45 +0000

Maybe Maximum Bob himself thought of “Pontiac is Car”

Wagoner: Hey Bob, what’s that parked over there?

Lutz: Um, Pontiac… uh, is… ah, Car…

By: Samir Syed

Samir Syed — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:33:08 +0000

Is MaxBob suddenly listening to the same geniuses that came up with “Not your father’s Oldsmobile” and “Pontiac is Car” ?

By: TriShield

TriShield — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:23:31 +0000

All this fuss over PADDLE SHIFTERS? The feature that most reviewers don’t even like on cars that have them?

I’m seeing it all on TTAC lately.

This “Pontiac” is a Holden, and if Holden doesn’t adopt something it’s not going to show up on the Pontiac either.

The manual will be limited to the GXP unless GM decided to import the car with the L98 V8 that Holden uses. The L76 we get has manual-unfriendly cylinder deactivation which GM deemed more important than a row-your-own for some reason.

By: CarShark

CarShark — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:50:46 +0000

Couldn’t they use whatever paddle shifters are in the Corvette? I’ve heard good things about them.

By: kazoomaloo

kazoomaloo — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:30:09 +0000

1. I agree with Lutz’s implication that corporate marketing departments are made up of dumb chumps more interested in climbing the corporate ladder than satisfying the customer. Maybe I read too deep into that, but whatever.

2. If the G8 had paddle shifters they would just be hooked up to some awkward manumatic transmission that everybody would call rubbish as soon as they tried a quick downshift or a run to the redline. Unless it’s hooked to a DSG, a paddle shift system is just silliness.

By: jthorner

jthorner — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:08:54 +0000

Lutz is a world class fool with an undeserved huge salary. Boy, there sure are a lot of guys that fit that description. Blaming unnamed marketing guys for product decisions? Not good.

By: Lichtronamo

Lichtronamo — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:47:08 +0000

Eggsalad:

The G8 and G8 GT aren’t available with a manual transmission and the suggestion has been made that the stick will be limited to the GXP.

Anyway, I think the bigger story here is that the bean counters were able to overrule Maximum Bob on a product decision. Some Czar.

By: i6

i6 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:44:29 +0000

If Lutzie didn’t agree, shouldn’t he have just referred the question to the marketing guys? You know, the ones who make him get their coffee.

By: Donal Fagan

Donal Fagan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:40:21 +0000

GM becomes a Dilbert cartoon.

By: eggsalad

eggsalad — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:35:01 +0000

Who, precisely, would want paddle shifters when the G8 is available with a *real* shifter?

By: Virtual Insanity

Virtual Insanity — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:34:26 +0000

Its a convinent, blame someone else excuse for “It ain’t on the Commodore”.