GM Car Czar Bob Lutz: "I Firmly Believe We Are Doing All the Right Things."

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

At the risk of sounding like FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, Christian Nevell Bovee observed "No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities." If so, GM Car Czar Bob Lutz must be the happiest guy on earth. Maximum Bob was in London for the auto show. He reacted to questions about GM's layoffs, production cuts and the usual laundry list of woes with the statement above [ via Just-Auto]. MB's clinging to his claim that his employer's problems are caused by the "unprecedented" rise in gas prices. What more, "we're quickly adjusting to meet the challenges of a changing market… Of course, we will adjust our product portfolio to meet the market where it's headed… We will continue to develop… our brands accordingly." And that's why they'll be keeping the Cobalt around (and unchanged) forever. And why Pontiac is being " nourished" with a lineup of rebadged cars from other GM divisions. And why GM still has no competitive subcompact car to offer the North American market. If all this indicates GM's doing "the right things," well, God help them if they're got it wrong.

Frank Williams
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  • Thoots Thoots on Jul 23, 2008

    Somebody out to make this dufus actually spend a month driving a damn Cobalt, and then maybe that'd get him to shut up about it....

  • Davey49 Davey49 on Jul 23, 2008

    thoots- because despite all the people who own a Cobalt and enjoy them it can't possibly be a good car. Anyone who drives one will instantly hate the car, hate their lives and want to kill themselves.

  • Luv70smusik Luv70smusik on Jul 24, 2008

    monkeyboy, "Losing your healthcare. Starting at 65. But they’re adding $300 to your pension. Right? You are better taken care of than a high % of other Americans." WRONG. GM will renig on that promise of $300 too eventually. It's just another promise that's unenforceable. A high percentage? You're confusing the salaried healthcare with the UAW gold plated healthcare. Everyone gets medicare at 65.

  • Ethermal Ethermal on Jul 24, 2008

    "And why GM still has no competitive subcompact car to offer the North American market" i'm certainly not a GM fan boi. But to completely and utterly discount the pontiac vibe is pure ignorance. It has great gas milage and very useable utility. Everyone keeps talking about the badly rebadged Korean cars and the awful Cobalt but the Vibe/Matrix are actually good affordable subcompacts with good gas mileage. Or is the vibe only offered in Canada? Sorry was a little off topic

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