Bob Lutz Backpedals: Pontiac G8 Will Not Become Chevy Caprice

credibility is vital to rebuild a company, and the "guru" just helped destroying it. good luck, "new" old GM.

You rat-bastard Lutz! No birthday card for you! Rather a flaming back of dog-poo on your front step.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBc168KPwlg

I guess i'm going to have to cry myself to sleep now knowing there won't be a full size RWD Chevrolet

Doesn't Hyundai, Chrysler and Dodge all have them? I also heard Kia, Kia of all companies is going to get a car based off the Genesis, for Christ sake.

let's look at the positives of NOT bringing the car here, oh wait, there are none

Positives of bringing car here, I'll limit myself to just saying two

Keep Holden from losing $1Billion in exports

Have another great product in Chevy's lineup

the very same car is being sold as a chevrolet caprice elsewhere in the globe, except here in the USA... houston, we got a problem.

Read the man's comments again. GM is not an idependant company that can thumb its nose at the government. Just be happy that they managed to keep the Camaro and Corvette because if the Greenies and their pet Democrats had their way it would Prii and Insights for all.

"GM is not an idependant company that can thumb its nose at the government."

Except when putting together a package for Wagoner.

@bankerdanny,

GM sold out. They have no business griping about anything as they ran their business into the ground and then came crawling, almost literally, on their knees, begging for help. You lie down with dogs...

"Except when putting together a package for Wagoner."

Wagoner's termination was brought on by Obama's auto task force. The government fired the CEO of a private company, and, as per his contract, Wagoner should be awarded his compensation. However, the problem with all this is the fact that taxpayer money is going to his compensation now!

GM is HARDLY thumbing their nose at the government with this issue. The government brought it about, and now the government is intent on "honoring" Wagoner's contract by using our money to pay for it.

One of the few GM products worth buying and not being sold. Here's a showcase of what's wrong with the company. Keep those Buicks coming!

"That's all still true. But I have to say that, with my new 'marketing' hat on, upon further review and careful study we simply cannot make a business case for such a program. Not in today's market, in this economy, and with fuel regulations what they are and will be."

This just means, that the Democrats/Liberals/Obama administration said "NO"! Nice going America, here is your change. We will all be riding mass transit or driving electric eggs.

The G8 is the ONLY American car I would consider buying (besides maybe a Corvette, if they would only sort out the cheap interior).

The only decent product they could offer me is being thrown into the incenerator. Good job morons.

I'm okay with this.

Make it a 2 door and call it the Buick Grand National.

I like the Chevy grill in this p-shop

Yeah !!!, Maybe Lutz wants to change this to be a Truck or huh ha .. there is a truck like verison of the G8 in Australia. Why are we havign this fool being the Vice Chair of Creative and Development. #$%#&!@$@(#^)$^@#&*@$%*#%^#*%^#&)#(^#

death to lutz for getting our hopes up.

The G8 is a gas guzzler and the "new GM" is trying to build cars that are fuel efficient for a change. GM has done real well building gas guzzling V8's and it's high time they changed their priorities.

The G8 is a niche car and very few will know or miss its demise. The country does not need a big V8 RWD car, we need small, well made cars with extremely fuel efficient engines (preferably hybrid/electric) and great reliability, and this is the direction GM is going. It's about time. Anyone who thinks differently is living in a bygone era. Cars like the Honda Fit, 2010 Ford Fiesta, and Toyota Prius are the way of the future, not the Pontiac G8 and Chevy Camaro.

Lutz is truly amazing. Whats also amazing is that he is a man in charge...

I've written this post yesterday on MotorTrend:
"Let's be serious Todd, if there is any company that will cut a sucessful car it's GM." - unfortunatelly it's sort of true statement..

1)Camaro Z28?

2)Volt - I belive that GM "future bestseller" - Volt, wont hit sells records - it's too ugly for start...

3)Caprice - if this Caprice is designed to be Police/not so much people's car it will be ugly ..

4) Sixteen concept - why not Eldorado ? (don't fallow germans every step)

design , remember design is the king..

Design(and engine) convinced buyers to Chrysler 300, Pontiac Solstic (this car is only designes gadget:) and Camaro,
Vette should looks better too (how about "Tranformers concept"?...)
..............
do GM has any convertible car right now?:)
Camaro Cabrio will arrive probably at 2015 (if GM will hurry up..:)
I belive they should try CTS-convertible - this car looks so good, and drives so good with v6 ***
...............
Where's Riviera (always handsome car)?
I thing this "chinesse inspired" concept is..I'll repeat : UGLY !
there was Buick Velite concept - where's production car?
...........
I really cant imagine GM producing small gas-sippers, and I cant imagine people buying it..

anyway Good Luck GM ... "
......................

everything is actual except that Caprice information , and maybe "Good luck GM"...
make Buick GN, as somebody mentioned , based on G8 ,
It would be really shame if respected people like Bob Lutz would become a (lobbysts, government) pupets..
end of free choice in USA?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85wfxJ-n88w&feature=fvw
that Eco-idiots want to control everything :)

Simple answer to the problem.

If GM isn't making the sort of cars you'd like to buy, don't buy from GM.

Despite what the General Secretary and his administration says to the contrary, they *are* influencing GM's product decisions, and this was probably one of them. No matter if it makes sense as a business case, the jokers in Washington see this as an opportunity to (finally) make a car company build what they want it to build, and not necessarily what consumers want.

If I had room for yet another car, I'd consider getting a G8 before they're gone. GM may never be allowed to build cars like it again, unless they can one day escape from the grip of the central planners.

cwc, GM only has itself to blame. Ford didn't bend over for the gov't's cash...

Aren't they still selling these for while (until next year)? Why don't guys go out and buy one?
As to GM producing small cars for its salvation, it's a non-starter. Take it from somebody who invests in these companies; nobody makes money in that segment. Even Toyota and Honda barely make a couple of hundred dollars per car in that segment, mainly because they use non-union labor. The only reason they produce them is to capture customers early on and eventually move them up to their luxury brands, where they actually make some money. That's mainly because they use the economies of scale from their Accords and the Camrys to badge-engineer Acuras and Lexuses and make some money out of selling essentially the same cars with higher margins. This was whole thing was pioneered by GM 75 years ago.
However, because of their (unionized) higher cost structure in the U.S, the big-3 lost money on every small car they sold. That's why they chose to invest their capital in trucks and SUVs and let the small cars wither on the vine. They made decent money in trucks and SUVs and people have no problem buying them.

Lutz should really backpedal into retirement.

@blueguydotcom: Au contraire. The as-yet unprofitable Ford has received $5,900,000,000.00 from the Dep't of Energy, along with Nissan and the manufacturer run by a carnival barker that makes toy baubles for the idle rich.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/23/officially-official-ford-gets-5-9b-from-doe-in-atvmp-funds-for/

I think GM is basing their decision on lack of enthusiasm in regards to sales volume.

I find it interesting the Camaro has sold so well yet a car that offers similar drivetrains, similar chassis with an additional 2 doors (added utility) doesn't seem interesting to the same crowd.

I would have liked to see a Chevy version of the G8 unfortunately it doesn't make a strong business case at the moment. I have no idea as to what GM could do to drive up the sales of the G8 to make it a better business case given large V8 powered RWD sedans are a historic part of Chevy you would think they would have one available. How times have changed.

@jkp1187, those aren't gov't loans. Those a programs ANY manufacturer can tap into for building energy efficient cars. Not even close to the same as crawling on your knees with hands outstretched begging for money so you don't go bankrupt.

That's a shame, the G8 is a great car.

"cwc, GM only has itself to blame. Ford didn't bend over for the gov't's cash..."

Problem is, Ford builds nothing at this point I wound even consider buying. That Eco-crapboost motor is a disappointment. Let's see.. The SHO is slower/gets worse fuel economy and to top that more expensive than a G37. The G37 is not even boosted like the SHO is. That's pretty sad.

GM's current status: OWNED By 60% US Gov. 12.5 %canadian gov. abd 17.5 % UAW. What will this mean? Will bob Lutz Get bumped? Jim wagoner become even lazyer?!?! Join us next week. Same Car site. Same car channel

GM has a great car in the G8, but the bean counters are still in control. This car would be a great addition to either Chevy or Buick product lineup. More volume with Chevy and they need a replacement for the Impala. Why not use the Camaro production line in Canada? The Camaro is a G8 under the sheet metal.
Hope Lutz wins this one!
GUESS WE ALL LOSE!!