Bob Lutz : General Motors, Volkswagen and Hyundai are the World's New Big Three

It's fall again, time for Bob Lutz to make headlines. Less than a month after "Maximum Bob" made his official comeback to General Motors as a consultant, the semi-retired car executive and onetime Marine pilot gave an in-depth interview to German monthly Manager Magazin.

Lutz was questioned about a variety of subjects that mainly concentrated on Opel and its relationship with General Motors, but he was also asked about the future of the industry in general, and whom he sees as being the major players.

According to Captain Lutz, the new big three in the automotive industry are General Motors, the Volkswagen Group and –wait for it- the Hyundai Group. And what about Toyota and the rest of the Japanese carmakers like Honda? According to the GM exec, Japanese automakers have lost it… Follow the jump for his (translated) response as well as the original Q&A.

Bob Lutz: “A while ago, many experts thought, the race for the top position in the auto business would be a dead heat between GM, Toyota, and Honda. This has changed. The Big Three are now GM, Volkswagen, and Hyundai. Toyota is in decline. The Japanese lost their bullet-proof quality image. Their cars aren’t especially pretty. Their driving dynamics is below the level of the best European and American cars.

GM on the other hand has improved its engineering, payroll and healthcare are way down after the bankruptcy. When it comes to platform sharing amongst brands, GM always has been absolutely competitive. Trust me: GM will give Volkswagen and Hyundai a tough fight.”

Original Q&A from Manager Magazin in German:
Manager Magazin: "Sie haben gesagt, Chevrolet sei die neben Hyundai Chart zeigen am schnellsten wachsende Marke der Welt. Wie wird General Motors Chart zeigen angesichts des gewaltigen Wachstums der wichtigsten Konzernmarke 2015 und 2020 dastehen?"
Bob Lutz:"Hervorragend. Früher glaubten viele Branchenexperten, GM, Toyota Chart zeigen und Honda Chart zeigen würden die Position der automobilen Nummer Eins unter sich ausmachen. Das hat sich geändert. GM, Volkswagen Chart zeigen und Hyundai sind jetzt die großen Drei. Toyota fällt dagegen ab. Die Japaner haben ihr kugelsicheres Qualitätsimage verloren, ihre Autos sind nicht besonders schön, nicht besonders reizvoll, und ihre Fahrdynamik reicht nicht an das Niveau der besten europäischen und amerikanischen Modelle heran.
GM dagegen hat sich technisch verbessert und die Ausgaben für Gehälter und Gesundheitskosten nach der Insolvenz deutlich gesenkt. Was den Einsatz gleicher Architekturen für mehrere Marken angeht, war GM schon immer absolut wettbewerbsfähig. Verlassen Sie sich auf eins: GM wird Volkswagen und Hyundai einen sehr harten Wettbewerb liefern."

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Ford vs. Chevy Redux in the Woodward Dream Cruise Battle of the Billboards

Ford vs. Chevy Redux in the Woodward Dream Cruise Battle of the Billboards

It’s beginning to look a lot like Dream Cruise. It’s still not the commercial automotive powerhouse it was three or four years ago. It’s certainly not the Pebble Beach Concours/Monterey Historics, and that’s a good thing. A friend at a rival publication who is heading out west right about now considers the Concours a flog, with luxury brands turning it into yet another international auto show.

But the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise is bouncing back from the dark, un-sponsored days of the post-bankruptcy period of the past two years. Its new car show is likely to consist of something like a Camaro ZL1 cruising in plain sight among the original Camaros, Mustangs, ‘Cudas and Challengers. After two years of laying low through post-bankruptcy GM, Chevrolet is the official sponsor of this year’s Cruise. Chevy holds a 100-car parade commemorating its 100th anniversary on Thursday.

Earlier in the last decade, Ford sponsored a tent full of its new and old sheetmetal in tony Birmingham, Michigan, on the northern end of the heart of the Dream Cruise, the Buick-Cadillac/Mercury-Lincoln/Chrysler-Imperial part of town. Ford shut its tent down about the time the company took out a $23 billion line of credit.

Ford vs. Chevy Redux in the Woodward Dream Cruise Battle of the Billboards imageTake Woodward Avenue from Birmingham to Ferndale for your commute home in the evening this week (or from Ferndale to Birmingham if you happen to earn more than the average motoring journalist) and you’ll share the road with the type and vintage of cars that take to the lawn or racetrack at Pebble/Laguna Seca. Driving a white Chrysler 300 SRT8 last night, I could have raced for pinks with a cherry MGTF, though its driver obviously was far too smart for that. Instead, I made a u-turn in Birmingham to take a second look at an unpainted, but otherwise solid 1955 Chrysler Windsor convertible parked at the Hunter House hamburger restaurant. Its patina made it that much more desirable.

While the pre-Cruise cruising – which means not just the vintage cars that run up and down Woodward all summer, but also crowds watching them in lawn chairs — has become thick only in the last week or two, the Woodward Dream Cruise Billboard Face-off began in late July. Ford vs. Chevy Redux in the Woodward Dream Cruise Battle of the Billboards imageIt’s the kind of battle that will appeal to anyone with a Ford oval or Chevy bowtie tattooed to his or her backside. Recently, Ford has taken its display to the auto journalists’ ghetto, Ferndale, closing off part of Nine Mile Road perpendicular to Woodward Avenue.

It’s called “Mustang Alley.” You can see a banner for Mustang Alley in my snapshot of the Chevrolet billboard. That’s right – Chevy bought the billboard just north of Nine Mile on Woodward, with a photo of a Polo White ’53 Corvette on the northbound side and a ZR1 opposite that, smack in the middle of Blue Oval territory.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Chevrolet Equinox

BASE PRICE: $23,450 for FWD LS; $24,970 for base, FWD LT; $25,200 for AWD LS; $26,720 for AWD LT; $29,140 for FWD LTZ.

PRICE AS TESTED: $33,540.

TYPE: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger, mid-size sport utility vehicle.

ENGINE: 3-liter, double overhead cam V-6.

MILEAGE: 17 mpg (city), 24 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: NA.

LENGTH: 187.8 inches.

WHEELBASE: 112.5 inches.

CURB WEIGHT: 3,777 pounds.

BUILT AT: Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.

OPTIONS: V-6 engine $1,500; 18-inch, chrome-clad, aluminum wheels $1,000; touch navigation screen with audio inputs $795; forward collision alert and lane departure warning system $295.

1,308bhp Monster Truck with Scooter Firing Air Canon

One of the stars of this year's edition of the Top Gear Live show that takes place at the NEC Birmingham from November 11 to 13, and at the ExCel London from November 24 to 27, will be the Red Dragon monster truck.
Hand-built by former European Monster Truck Champion, Rob Williams, this beast made its stage debut at the Top Gear Live event in South Africa last year.
The Red Dragon is based on the Ford F-350 Super Duty but power come courtesy of a bespoke 9.5-liter supercharged V8 engine from Chevrolet that delivers 1,308bhp and 1,040 lb-ft while burning through a gallon of methanol fuel every 50-60 yards (!).
The monster truck is equipped with two axles sourced from a 50-tonne crane crank that transfer power to the 6ft by 4ft giant wheels. Each tire and wheel set weighs in at a quarter of a tonne, with the Red Dragon tipping the scales at 4.5 tonnes in total.
Perhaps even more outrageous is the custom-built 600psi air cannon fitted on the truck bed. According to its maker, the cannon is capable of shooting any object weighing up to 650kilos (1,433 pounds) – including fridge freezers and…scooters.

Technical Specifications
Body: Fibre-glass mould of Ford 350 Super Duty
Height: 11ft
Length: 20ft
Width: 12ft
Weight: 4.5 tonnes
Engine: Supercharged 9.5 litre custom Chevrolet
Power: 1308bhp
Torque: 1040lbs
Yards per Gallon: 50-60 ypg

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Lingenfelter Collection Tour Popular with Cruisers!

Lingenfelter Collection

Lingenfelter Collection

In honor of the week of Woodward Dream Cruisin', and in an effort to raise funds for the Open Hands Food Pantry of Royal Oak, Michigan, the Lingenfelter Collection held an open house last Friday, August 19. Although not so well known as other Michigan based automotive collections, this assembly of automobiles is refreshing and simply wonderful.

We were told that there are 196 cars in the complete collection, although only about 130 were on hand. But what an amazing 130 they were! Spread out through three adjoining showrooms, we saw excellent examples of Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Vector, Camaro, Mustang, Bugatti, and numerous muscle and classic cars. I took special interest in the modifications provided by both Lingenfelter and Callaway.

For me, the most special treat were the two examples of Reeves Callaway's Speedsters. However, the Bugatti Veyron and the Lambo Reventon (both valued in the millions) were certainly head turners, as well.

The collection is not open to the general public, so there is no posted admittance fee, as at a museum. To get in, you have to be part of a group, using the collection as a background to raise funds for charity. That said, if you get an opportunity to see this special collection, don't miss out.

Bob Lutz Returns to GM as Advisor

No matter the age, a petrol head like Bob Lutz can't stay away too long from the car industry. In fact, even though GM's former vice president and product czar had retired in the May 2010, the 79-year-old has been providing advice to the firm's executives without pay ever since.Now, GM decided to formally hire Lutz as an advisor to provide counsel to the senior leadership team of the company.
"Lutz will be available to executives on a part-time consultancy basis effective immediately," GM said in a short statement. "He brings a wealth of experience built over the course of more than 40 years in the industry, including two stints at GM. He has also been a senior executive at Ford, Chrysler, BMW and was CEO of Exide Batteries," the company added.
Lutz's advisory work at GM is expected to include product development as well as marketing and communications.
"In most cases, it'll just be reinforcing the direction they're already on. I couldn't be more pleased with the way the company is being run, with the way the products are being marketed, with the pricing, and, of course, I'm very familiar with the future product," Lutz told the Detroit Free Press. "I think a lot of it will be saying, 'Wow, that's good, keep it up,' and occasionally I'll offer some critical comments."

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Chevy to Stage European Premiere of New Malibu at Frankfurt Auto Show

[North American 2013 Chevrolet Malibu featured in the pictures]

The all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will continue its world tour after its parallel premiere at shows in the U.S.A. and China earlier this year, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
This will be the first time European buyers will get to see the new Malibu sedan in the flesh as the model series was not previously available for sale in the continent. In Europe, Chevrolet's newcomer will be the firm's flagship saloon model when sales start next year.
To better suit the needs and tastes of customers, General Motors will offer the Malibu with specific powertrain options in each continent.
In Europe, the mid-size sedan will be available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit that generates 164-horsepower and 2.4-liter turbocharged diesel engine with 169-horses. Power will be channelled to the front wheels through a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission.
In North America, the Malibu will be available at launch with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit matched to a six-speed auto and an electric motor-generator, with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to be added to the range in the summer of 2012. A more powerful V6 is also said to be in the cards.
During the world premiere of the Malibu in April, GM noted that international versions will eventually get a new 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit, with details on output and availability to be released at a later date.

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GM Refuses to Repair 400,000 Chevrolet Impalas

On June 29, a woman named Donna Trusky filled a class-action lawsuit against General Motors in Detroit. The subject was a defect in the suspension rods of the 2007-2008MY Chevrolet Impala, which caused the tires to wear prematurely – in Trusky’s case, after only 6,000 miles. As it turns out, GM had warned police departments about the issue and fixed the defective rods, but it did not do the same on the civilian cars.
General Motors seeks to dismiss the lawsuit, which could cost it millions of dollars as it potentially affects more than 400,000 cars. The company's argument is that the warranty claim was honored by its predecessor, General Motors Corp, which is now called Motors Liquidation Co – or “Old GM”, after its 2009 bankruptcy and the subsequent bailout by the US government.
The “New GM”, the company claims, didn’t assume responsibility to recall the Impala, only to make repair “subject to conditions and limitations stated in express written warranties”.
In other words, the “New GM” says that Trusky is after the wrong company: the one she should be after is the now bankrupt “Old GM”. This argument held in court earlier this year in a case about the OnStar navigation system.
John Penn, former president of the American Bankruptcy Institute and currently a partner at Haynes and Boon in Texas, comments: “The question of successor liability is common for companies that go through bankruptcy.” He is also not surprised by Trusky’s predicament: “This type of issue was widely discussed during GM’s bankruptcy. The court will need to evaluate the claims to see if they fit within any cubbyhole of liability that New GM assumed”.

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu

2013 Chevrolet Malibu

2013 Chevrolet Malibu

The all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu made its global debut at the 2011 Auto Shanghai, with simultaneous introductions in the United States and China - two of the nearly 100 countries on six continents where it will be sold. Chevrolet's first global midsize sedan will provide customers from Shanghai to New York and Sydney to Sao Paulo with expressive design, advanced technologies, ride performance and fuel-efficient powertrains.

"The current Malibu has left an award-winning impression and changed the way people think about Chevrolet. It redefined what an American midsize car could be," said Rick Scheidt, vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. "This all-new Chevrolet Malibu delivers on the intangibles of today's Malibu but gives customers even more: more style, fuel efficiency, content and features, craftsmanship, and dynamic capabilities rivaling high-end sedans."

A wider stance, broad shoulders and an integrated rear spoiler bring a new athleticism to Malibu and give it a more aggressive appearance. The new Chevrolet Malibu has a 4.5-inch (114 mm) shorter wheelbase and 62-inch (1,574 mm) front and rear tracks that are more than 2 inches (51 mm) wider than the model it replaces.

Opel Says Second Generation Ampera Will be Cheaper

Even though deliveries of Opel’s extended-range hybrid aren’t expected to begin until early 2012, the company is already planning the successor to the Chevy Volt’s European alter-ego.
According to British magazine Autocar, the second generation of the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera is scheduled for release in 2015 and, if sources from within the company are reliable, it feature a more radical design and a lower starting price than the current model.
In the UK for example, the Vauxhall Ampera, which is already available to order, costs a rather steep £28,995 –and that is after the government’s £5,000 rebate. Opel engineers say that the battery pack alone costs around £7,000 but improvements in technology in the next four years will enable the company to reduce the cost by 50%.
However, that’s not enough. Opel CEO Nick Reilly said the price of the Ampera will be further reduced by economies of scale due to increased demand and more localized production: “We have an education job to do on the technology of the Ampera, but that will come in time. We hope that it will establish itself as a market leader and we’ll be able to capitalize on that with a cheaper, more expressively designed second generation model”.
Economies of scale could also come from fitting the Ampera’s extended-range powertrain in other Opel and Vauxhall models. If this happens, then the cost of tooling and manufacturing would drop significantly further lowering the costs.
Nevertheless, GM has to first assess sales of the model before it goes ahead with any decision, such as manufacturing its next generation in Europe, as it currently builds it alongside the Volt at its Warren, Michigan plant in the US. So far, things are looking good since 7,000 of the 10,000 units allocated for 2012 are already presold, with 75% of the sales going to fleet customers.
Opel would also like to give the next-gen Ampera a more aggressive style that will be more in line with the other models in its range.
The German firm's designers didn’t have a lot of freedom in the first generation because of the restraints forced on them by the car being a rebadged Volt. If they get the green light, the 2015 model will follow the company's new design “language” , recently previewed in the brand-new Opel Zafira Tourer.

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Ebay news: Camaro Meets Batmobile

Fancying a GM classic with a little more, ahem, pizazz than your run-of-the-mill F-Body Chevrolet Camaro? Welcome to the wonderful world of eBay and the DreamRyder (that's how the owner spells the name of the car).
The DreamRyder is the creation of one Bill Logan who used a V8-powered 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible as a base. Logan says he spent 13 years to complete all the customizations, which include a fiberglass body said to be inspired by a number of animals such as the bat ray and the eagle.
The DreamRyder is up for sale on eBay at an undisclosed reserve price, with the highest bid currently standing at $5,900. Head down for more photos, a video and the seller's description of the car.

eBay Seller's Description:
"Built on an "F" body 82-92 Camaro over a 13 year period, I consider it functional art.
So my work is an animalistic representation in the form of a sphinx like creature, crouching between its flanks, about to pounce. In the front is a face with a beak, fangs and eyes.
The roof is kind of a bat ray with an eagle like head and its body spread out behind it, embracing the rear window and ending in a sweeping transition into a creatures buttocks in the rear.
All the lights are functional and are fiberglass as is the rest of the body as are the side pipes.
I have built a set of molds so I can reproduce any part I might need. I am considering building an enhanced version eventually.
It is a driver and a traffic stopper and is very well received at shows."

VIDEO

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Chevy Uses Solar Power to Charge Volts

Chevrolet announced today that it is installing solar-powered electric charging stations at two dozen dealerships in North America as part of its Green Zone initiative.

The new units will generate enough electricity to fully-charge 12 Chevrolet Volts a day, while excess electricity created will be used to power the dealership, supplementing their power needs. According to the Detroit automaker, each canopy generates enough electricity for up to 4,500 charges per vehicle annually.
“The beauty of this program is that there is no capital cost required from the dealership” said Dave Halvorson, president of American Chevrolet in Modesto, California which, along with Al Serra Auto Plaza in Michigan will be the first two dealerships to become a part of the Green Zone initiative.
“The question isn’t whether to install a solar canopy, it’s where and how many” added Joe Serra, president of Serra Automotive. “It’s a win for us because the electricity generated will help reduce operating costs, and it’s a win for the environment since solar power helps reduce our carbon footprint.”
The Chevy Green Zone is a part of GM’s plan to invest $7.5 million in Sunlogics, a solar panel manufacturing and development company that will manufacture and install both the solar panels and the charging stations.

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