Autosavant

Thursday, August 7, 2008
Is Anyone Dumber Than a GM Executive?
By J.S. Smith

08.07.2008

I am hardly a snarky, cheer-as-the-Titanic-sinks sneerful spectator. I root for the home team and I’m a life-long member of the GM family. Indeed, I worked on the assembly line many years ago at Lansing’s GM North Assembly Plant making Grand Ams and Achievas.

But GM’s management is quite simply stupid. Astonishingly so. Case in point from Autoblog:


Testing of the Chevy Beat is officially underway. . . The Beat will make its production debut sometime in 2010 and will go on sale in Europe in early 2011. As previously reported, the Beat won't be making the trek to the U.S. until it meets the fed's crash-test standards, so we won't get a shot at the Beat until the next generation arrives – whenever that is.

The monumental short-sightedness of not bothering to have the Beat US-certified boggles the mind. It qualifies as less a business move than a bowel movement. The people in charge at GM shouldn’t get salaries from anyone. They should be cleaning chewing gum from sidewalks.

This is particularly egregious in light of the fact that Toyota is bringing the 2009 Yaris 5-door hatch to the states. And Ford’s decision to build some of its tasty Euro models in North America.

for more CLICK HERE (http://www.autosavant.net/2008/08/is-anyone-dumber-than-gm-executive.html)

I wonder why they (GM) had us voting for those stupid little cars in the first place.

Stupid little cars? GM's life depends on that kind of initiative. The only thing stupid about those cars is the sweet ol' time GM is taking to bring them to reality in North America.

I cannot understand why GM management seem to have been overwhellemed by their situation. The decisions they are making seem not grounded on reality.
Not cruze, no insignia, no beat, etc..

Not cruze, no insignia, no beat, etc..

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!http://www.franchisegecko.com/soup-nazi.jpg

Stupid little cars? GM's life depends on that kind of initiative. The only thing stupid about those cars is the sweet ol' time GM is taking to bring them to reality in North America.
I do not like the GM mini cars, especially where they place the back wheels.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/0chevybeat_may07_002.jpg (http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/0chevybeat_may07_002.jpg)


^^ This looks nice, but look at this below, look at those tiny misarable wheels

http://www.nextautos.com/files/images/phpVDuIJr.preview.jpg

Did you read about the next Saturn Aura ala Insignia?

"Bob Lutz says the new Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, given its global debut at London, will be the basis for the new Saturn Aura.

While the cars will share sub-systems, suspensions and powertrains, the Aura will have a completely different skin and interior."

“We’ve researched the Insignia around the world, including the U.S., as an internationally spectacular new design, but the Saturn version will be its own car,” he said.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/FREE/363686743/1065

While the cars will share sub-systems, suspensions and powertrains, the Aura will have a completely different skin and interior."
Probably meaning that it will be a dumbed down uglier version.

Did you read about the next Saturn Aura ala Insignia?

"Bob Lutz says the new Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, given its global debut at London, will be the basis for the new Saturn Aura.

While the cars will share sub-systems, suspensions and powertrains, the Aura will have a completely different skin and interior."

“We’ve researched the Insignia around the world, including the U.S., as an internationally spectacular new design, but the Saturn version will be its own car,” he said.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/FREE/363686743/1065


Probably meaning that it will be a dumbed down uglier version.And you expect the Aura to be better than Insignia? They will have is dumbed down for better profit margins.