It appears as though GM's new plan to drum up interest in its products revolves around challenging its competitors to contests that are either heavily weighted in its favor or utterly pointless to begin with.
First we had the CTS-V challenge, a seemingly straightforward "my car is faster than yours" event that quickly became mired in rules clearly meant to stack the deck in Cadillac's favor.
Now the shameless boasting has moved into the truck world as GM's product chief, Tom Stephens, has challenged Ford to a good ol' fashioned truck pull. You know the drill, chain a couple pick ups together and see which one wins/blows up first.
It's a classic "hold my beer and watch this" charade that has absolutely nothing to do with the respective capabilities of the trucks involved. The fact that anybody at GM, not to mention its product chief, thinks there's any validity to this PR stunt is disappointing. And slightly embarrassing -- for them.
raywert says:
02:16 PM, 01/20/10
Some on Ed, seriously? I thought Edmunds.com was the car buyer site and Insideline.com was the car enthusiast site. Because I'd think you'd know how any truck enthusiast would LOVE to see this happen. Frankly, it reads almost like whining that Edmunds (or InsideLine) didn't come up with the idea(s) first.
brn says:
02:33 PM, 01/20/10
It'd be fun, but pointless. The problem is that some people won't understand how pointless it is.
inlinesix says:
02:35 PM, 01/20/10
I agree with Ed on this one. What does this prove? I mean what does this actually mean to the truck owner? Its a stunt, not grounds to say "my truck can tow more" or maybe that "my truck offers more for the price".
Just because one truck can pull another truck driving in the opposite direction, it doesn't mean its the truck you want pulling your 5th wheel up a steep 10-mile incline on a hot day. I think they should come up with a real-world test.
lame.
fst1 says:
02:56 PM, 01/20/10
Yes Ray, I’m serious. This is just another stunt dreamt up by GM’s PR department. You want to see two trucks yanking a chain? No problem, YouTube has over 1,200 videos under “chevy vs ford truck pull". You think it’s going to turn out any different because the trucks are new?
Ed Hellwig
f1ndler says:
03:01 PM, 01/20/10
This sure thing looks like some red neck pissing contest:)))) They must be having a ball while doing it.
cruiserhead1 says:
03:06 PM, 01/20/10
We bailed GM out for this?
Jeez
thejohnp says:
03:18 PM, 01/20/10
Does whoever has the biggest truck nuts win?
jayparry says:
03:21 PM, 01/20/10
Can someone explain why its pointless? If you were looking simply at pulling power wouldnt it compare the two?
"You think it’s going to turn out any different because the trucks are new?" <- Yes i would if the powerplants/transmissions/ even the tires change.
Im not a truck fan at all or advocating this i just want to know the rationale.
canddmeyer says:
04:05 PM, 01/20/10
I'd love to see this. Why didn't GM invite Dodge unless they were afraid they'd get stomped.
questionlp says:
04:23 PM, 01/20/10
@jayparry,
Tug of war is not only about who has more pulling power, but more importantly, who has the most grip. Side A could pull 400 units of force and has a gripping power of 0.5 while Side B will win with 300 units of force and a gripping power of 0.8.
In order for this test to be done properly, both trucks need to have the same tires and weigh about the same. If the Chevy weighs more and has the same tires, it will have a slight advantage to down-force grip.
I think a better test, as noted by someone on Autoblog, is to setup an incline and have both trucks tow a trailer or heavy item. While grip would still be an issue, but it would focus more on actual towing.
inlinesix says:
04:25 PM, 01/20/10
Jay. My point was that the factors in a truck pull are not the same factors that exist in a typical truck owner's day. Factors like rear body weight (downforce if using 2WD), tire contact patch, tire grip, and torque at x rpm, etc.. are big factors. Engine strength and tranny strength are also affected differently by the limited cooling when your not moving the vehicle through the air like when a truck is driving (cooling engine and tranny fluids).
Thats my .02 cents
sabastian says:
04:45 PM, 01/20/10
I'd rather watch GM use their trucks to deliver loan payments to Washington D.C.
By the way...Wasn't Bob Lutz on this site just a week or so ago talking about how GM wasn't being arrogant with its advertising? Imagine if GM WAS being arrogant!
inlinesix says:
06:37 PM, 01/20/10
damn my last post made no sense--here's an edit:
To my knowledge:
IN A PULL, factors like body weight (downforce on tires), tire contact patch, tire grip/tread, and torque at "x" rpm, etc.. are big factors.
Engine strength and tranny strength are also affected adversely by the limited airflow when your not moving the vehicle through the air like when a truck is driving (cooling engine and tranny fluids).
brn says:
07:07 PM, 01/20/10
jayparry, the others are right, but it keeps going. Even if you have more traction than I do, I can just stand on the brakes until your wheels start spinning. At that point, I have more traction and I'll win.
Also, if towing is important to me, I care about how the trucks is going to hold up. Am I going to mess up the frame? Can I tow large loads every day for years, not just a 30 second stunt?
Modern HD diesel pickup trucks have crazy amounts of power and torque. That's far from the weak link in the chain.
Fun, yes. Meaningful, no.
inlinesix says:
07:34 PM, 01/20/10
yup brn is right, it has a lot to do with the driver.
Its also fun with more beer and lawn tractors.
clarkma5 says:
08:52 PM, 01/20/10
Still too many marketing men working at GM...
lightninmcqeen says:
09:28 PM, 01/20/10
Oh no, not something Awesome!!! The left coast eco-tree huggers on this anti-MAN, anti-American website won't stand for this! Quick show a European car! Talk about the terrible effects on the environment!
I SAY, LET FREEDOM RING WITH THE SOUND OF V8 TRUCKS AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE TO THE DEATH!!! If we're going out, go out with a bang and not a wimp!
I vote "YES" to the Truck Pull Death Match ...who's with me?!
uncanny_man says:
08:41 AM, 01/21/10
I vote yes as well. This is the kind of silly but fun thing marketers should be coming up with. Ed just sound like a sour grape.
mrryte says:
08:56 AM, 01/21/10
A pickup truck "tug-of-war"?
Seriously GM?
It's silly fun no doubt; but to stage a GM PR specatcle out of it is just so totally mindless....
brn says:
09:44 AM, 01/21/10
inlinesix,
Beer and lawn tractors sounds like a great combination. I'll have to swing by the hardware store and gets some tractor weights first.
powell_jr says:
10:36 AM, 01/21/10
Ford should counter and challenge GM to a 50 mile run on the baja peninsula with a stock truck. I wonder who would win?
Ford has the Raptor
Dodge has the Power Wagon
GM has the Hybrid Truck...come on guys, build something truck guys want.
This competition is dumb.
ptcdawg says:
12:18 PM, 01/21/10
Why not? We already know the trucks can pull a freight train. :)