Interlocutor Lutz

A first! Bob Lutz speaks...to a commenter, that is.

In a Fastlane post, Lutz takes up questions posed by a particularly perceptive reader. Here we have the questions, put forth by Steve G. Some of them are a little sharp-edged:

When will you discover that most people do not like fake wood in their interiors?
Why was the front end of the Aura dumbed down?
Why doesnt the shifter on the Impala have P-R-N-D-L on it, and why wasnt the person responsible for such idiocy still working for you?

Taking umbrage, Lutz fires back a "quick response":

First of all, thanks for your candid feedback. That's what this blog is all about. And it also gives me a chance to respond when I see something off base, which I'm going to do right now!

Good start. Then, just a tiny whiff of weasel:

I'm not going to reply to each of your questions, as that would require me to give away the details on our future product plan...

Followed by some clear point-by-point refutations.

Look, forget the particulars of Lutz's response. They're credible. But the big point is that there's a conversation taking place. Once again I want to point out that this is the Vice Chairman of the General Motors Corporation. The Vice Chairman. Not some PR pro spinning words (not that there's anything wrong with that!). Not Scoble. The Vice Chairman. It'd be like Steve Ballmer coming out and actually engaging with customers about their experiences with IE 7...something that's not going to happen.

I continue to be impressed with Bob's effort to re-frame ways to lead change.

Tags: GM Fastlane Blog Bob Lutz

Comments

[Steve Portigal]

On the internet, no one knows you're a dog.

How do you know this is "really" Lutz?

[Tom Guarriello]

Well, Steve, that's a good question. I suppose he could be ceding his identity over to a PR person, allowing that person to put words on a blog under his name. From what I know of the man, having followed his career for years, that seems highly unlikely.

But, as you point out, it is possible.

[Andrew Brody]

When will GM produce cars that reach the standard of excellence acheived at Toyota and Honda. I look at the product development of the Camry, the Lexus division in its entirety and the Civic and GM does not have anything close to these cars. That is why they continually lose market share. These cars exhibit a fit and finish, interior design, and engineering advances GM consistently fails to make. Also, I frankly do not think Pontiac is a viable brand anymore. It's cars are just remakes of Chevy and Buick (except the solstice!). When I hear GM has "the car that sells itself" (the Accord), or re-does its Impala so the consumer thinks of it as highly as the Camry, or Cadillac is perceived as striving for "the ultimate pursuit of perfection" (which, by the way, Lexus achieves on a consistent basis) then GM will have not come back. Until then, I'm not convinced of anything except the slow loss of our US car industry. Yeah, I'm being tough - but look at what how the competition has done to GM.