Colbert has the CEO of GM, Bob Lutz, on his show and it is a pretty good one. The discussion is about GM's new hybrid car, the Volt. The two most memorable moments are 1. Lutz cynically revealing he doen't believe the whole CO2 global warming thing and that 32,000 scientists think it is sunspots(!) and 2. Colbert asking if he can recharge his Volt using the cigarette lighter in his Hummer! That was a real LOL moment : )
Watch it here:
(saw this on Treehugger)
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It's got to be one or the other. How else to explain the latest attempt by GM vice Cchairman Bob Lutz to attract attention to himself and his company, which continues to hemorrhage money? "Global warming is a total crock of shit," Lutz reportedly said told journalists at a Texas restaurant. "I'm a…
At last, an auto show that doesn't revolve around thirsty V-12 engines and gigantic SUV's. The L.A. Auto Show, which starts today, is notable for the debut of several environmentally friendly vehicles. And these aren't just futuristic fantasies. For the most part, these are practical technologies…
Bob Lutz, the vice-chairman for development at GM, is best known for creating gas-guzzling and eye-catching icons, like the Dodge Viper, Camaro concept and latest generation Corvette. He loves V-12's and ridiculous amounts of horsepower. So I was shocked to read this quote in today's WSJ:
"I'd say…
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You missed one other memorable moment - when he made the comment about women who don't wear makeup at around 4:40.
No GM cars for this non makeup wearing woman.
A sane man might wonder how such stupidity achieved such high office, but in America with shrub at the helm, all such questions are moot.
GM should take Vauxhall,Opel, and Saturn and consolidate the three different divisions. they should all sell the same product under the same brand name in different markets. Opel should become the surviving moniker/brand and the cost of the different brands is dramatically slashed.
This same principle should be applied to Chevrolet and GMC, they both sell the same product lines to similar core demographics but have different brands and dealership networks. Chevrolet and GMC should merge with Chevrolet being the surviving franchise.
Hummer and SAAB should be grouped together and sold to am emerging automaker looking for a foothold in several markets. With a little investment both Hummer and SAAB can become showpeice brands.
I personally would save Pontiac as its lineup does not overlap and caters to a sportier segment than any of GM'S other brands. I would keep Pontiac at least for the midterm and consider taking the brand international if GM's fortunes improve, if the company still didnt reach profitability the brand most likely would have to be axed.
The above suggestions would cost way less than discontinuing a brand, that would involve dealer lawsuits and hefty costs of anywhere to $2-$3 billion as seen when oldsmobile was discontinued in the late 90's.
Selling SAAB/Hummer
Consolidating Saturn/Vauxhall/ Opel into just the Opel Brand
Merging Chevrolet/GMC into Chevrolet
7 brands will be whittled down to two brands. clearer marketing and definition can be discovered and synergies will arise. the company will be on a solid footing with a more manageable company, poised for future growth. If this plan is not followed and GM decides to close brands and severely mismanage their divestment we might not see the company survive another three years.