GM emerges from bankruptcy -- with Lutz!; photos of the new Jaguar XJ
First, in case you haven't heard, General Motors emerged from bankruptcy on Friday, leaner, meaner, and 60% owned by us taxpayers. And if that wasn't enough, Bob Lutz has once again come out of retirement. According to New GM, Mr. Lutz will serve as "vice chairman responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships". This pleases me to no end. Not only was "Maximum Bob" the driving force behind some of GM's better products, but he's also a journalist's dream, as he has a delightful tendency to speak his mind. From what I know of the man, I gather that deep down he's not too happy with any sort of government intervention, so whatever happens in the next few months, it's bound to be entertaining. He's already brought some good news: Despite corporate denials, Mr. Lutz told Automobile Magazine that the Pontiac G8 will return as the next Chevy Caprice. Go, Bob, go!
In other news: Jaguar has released photos of the 2010 XJ. Now, I have to warn you, if you're a die-hard Jaguar fan, you might want to sit down. The new XJ has done away with the classic Jaguar sedan saloon shape for a much more XF-like silhouette. It's great from the front, though the rear view, IMHO, leaves a bit to be desired... I couldn't help that the media site had several pix of the new Jag from the front, but few from the rear. Hmm. Anyway, more photos of and details about the car in my 2010 Jaguar XJ photo gallery.
Comments on the new GM or the new Jag? You know what to do! -- Aaron Gold
Photos © General Motors, Jaguar
Comments
GM needs to get input from the public as to what their automotive needs are. GM should initiate focus groups at their dealerships. Too many cars are developed for certain age groups with certain assumptions. Not every young person wants a econobox, and not every baby boomer or beyond whats a large four-door sedan. More inclusive market research is needed. Also GM has to get on board with new technology; i.e., CVT, diesel, hybrid, and single point injection.
That’s cool that the G8’s coming back! I wonder if Lutz will bring out a Caprice SS to compensate for the loss of the G8 GXP. As for the Jaguar, It looks pretty cool! It reminds me of the C-XF concept that spawned the new XF. I also happen to know that The caprice is on sale right now in China so I wonder if our Caprice will look just like that. Too bad Lutz isn’t bringing back the Vibe because it sold extremely well. I would always see about 50 on the street per day.
Not sure why, but I looked at the Jag and the first thing that popped into my head was Buick. Then I pulled up the Buick website and confirmed my suspicions. They need to make the front end a little bit more Jagyouaahr’ish. Move the logo off the grille and up onto the hood where it belongs on a Jag that is going to sell for upwards of $115K. I’d like to see a pic of it in a darker color…say a PROPER British racing green or black.
As for Lutz…it is a promising sign. Maybe he can inject some life into the entire obamination…but I’m not hopeful it won’t turn into GaMtrak. Committee designed cars is partially what got GM into the mess, Committee designed cars aren’t going to get them out. They need a visionary and an enthusiast, but with the Car Tzars owning a 10 year old Honda and a Lexus (no Ferraris, Porsches or even a Vette)and being driven around in Towncars (they are supposed to be the keeper of the Auto and they don’t even drive themselves?) It ain’t promising on the enthusiasm front in my book.
Hey, you want a great stimulus idea that will help bring the U.S. auto industry back with cars that *actually* drive well? Take some of that “stimulus” money and build a road racing course in every state and make available to anybody. Stock it with a fleet of current U.S. cars available to drive on it, make it a requirement you have to drive one if you want to take your own car out (and provide feedback) and make it MANDATORY for all designers, engineers and gov officials to drive a different one AT LEAST once a month if not more. A Nurburgring in every state is what I say…just think of how many shovels that would put to work and just how drastically it would help improve the U.S. vehicles. Now that is government spending I can support!
YEAH BOB LUTZ is Back !!!! I was sooooo worried that GM will turn into an accountant run company. They needed Bob back to get more great ideas back in place. Good idea w/ the G-8..There is a need to fulfil the void for Police cars. Ford doesn’t have an replacement for the Crown Vic. YEAH there is hope for GM !!!
Great news for G8 fans, but please don’t put the Caprice name on it.
I like the look of the new Jag…very classy indeed. As for Lutz, yeah he’s a product guy, but he’s been well steeped in traditional Big 3 think. GM needs new, young and aggressive leaders. Send the grey hairs home.
“…I gather that deep down he’s not too happy with any sort of government intervention, so whatever happens in the next few months, it’s bound to be entertaining.”
Instead of whining about the iron boot of government on GM’s neck, Bob ought to smarten up and be grateful that we’ve given them another chance to screw things up.
I’m guessing that Carol has never watched the Simpsons…look at the car Homer created for his brother. THAT is what you get with focus groups. Joe and Jane average have NO idea what they want in a car and if they got it they wouldn’t buy it. FACT.(Focus groups brought you the Edsel, Vega and Aztec…among MANY other bombs.)
Lutz is a car guy and we should get some good stuff coming out but he DID NOT say the g8 would become the Caprice, he suggested it MAY be relabeled; BIG difference.
The new Jag is bland and boring and you could put ANY margues badge on it and it would fit in with their product line.
You can say what you want,but,G.M.still has that antiquated mindset.Let’s wring out every dime for mediocre cars.The Camero is being touted as the saviour of G.M.It has been reported ,on the financial page,Of having a price range of $23-$32,000 for a loaded Camero.Guess what.We went to a dealership to look.You can’t get two sheets of paper between the front and back seat.Also,there is a $5000 market adjustment on the cars.The one we looked at was $42,000.On top of that,there was a half empty beer bottle in the front cup-holder.Yeah,we rushed to buy.G.M has been and will remain a joke,in my humble opinion.
“Disgusted” it sounds like dealer issues to me. How they market and display the car is their business. The fact that they, in some sense, represent GM to your community is GM’s. You should contact GM with your experience. I suspect that they are tired of hearing that kind of stuff from shoppers and owners.
The useability of the rear seat is based on how far back the driver and front passenger need their seats to be. Even my Altima can squeeze a rear passenger if I put the seat all the way back. Dealers like to do that too in an effort to make the car seem more roomy and to allow easy ingress and egress for potential customers. Furthermore, as a coupe, it would have scant company if it offered a truly commodious rear compartment. Maybe a sports sedan or hot hatch would be a better choice if you want to have more and better passenger space. Maybe a G8? Best of luck in your search (assuming that that’s what you’re doing).
Mike,I appreciate your feed back,but when the P.T(pretty terrible) cruiser came out,the dealers had a market adjusted price on them.In this case,if you saw a car on a dealers lot with empty beer bottles in it,wouldn’t you worry about who used the car before you got there.I would like to find a dealer that doesn’t have a market adjusted price on the car.In the meantime,I’m very happy with my Dodge Magnum.The Camero would have been for my wife.When she saw the ones we looked at,her words were “no way”.If you have the front seat way up,and you were 5′5″,you probably would have room for a rear passenger.I’m not.
While I’m no XJ purists, I’ll have to say they should have left some of the classic cues. With that being said, I’ll agree with the previous poster. Buick up front, Audi along the sides, and Bentley in the back. Works well, just not for an XJ.
Look forward to the Caprice. Hopefully by that time I’ll need a family car replacement.
I for one am glad they have decided to keep Lutz around. He is a car guy and is one of the reasons that GM’s quality has risen to equal levels of quality as any manufacturer out there.
I dont know where the previous Jeff got his info regarding the G8 only being a suggestion but Lutz’s comment regarding it were “the last time we looked at the G8, we decided that we would continue to import it as a Chevrolet”. That’s not a suggestion that it “MAY” be relabeled.
Fritz Henderson, who I am also glad they kept, said that he doesn’t like to rebadge cars but I think he will be overturned on this one.
One thing though. I hope they dont give it the grill treatment in the picture. That alone would “wussify” a nicely aggressive looking front end that Pontiac came up with.
I totally agree with Kevin that the logo should go back to the hood as it should on all Jags. Make it a dissappearing one like Rolls when engine is off so it cant be broke off or stolen by some jerkwad. It shouldn’t cost one cent more to the buyer since the profit margin on this car is already through the roof.
Lutz has been and will be good for GM. He was the driving force in Chrysler’s turn around in the early 90’s.
Although the Caprice name isn’t a sure thing, I don’t think they should change the name either. In fact, Chevy already builds the Caprice now….it’s called the Impala LTZ. I don’t know why GM seems to think it can’t build both models successfully at the same time. There was a time in history when they built the Impala and Caprice together. The Caprice was just the classier and more nicely equipped version of the car. Just like the LTZ is the more nicely equipped Impala today.
GM could build the Impala, Impala SS, and Caprice all at the same time, all on the same car, and offer an additional model with no additional development cost.
New word late Friday is Henderson is killing any re-badge of the Pontiac G8 in spite of what Lutz says.