Cadillac retracts promise to produce Converj

Cadillac retracts promise to produce Converj
By Mark Kleis - Posted January 12th 2010

General Motors’ Bob Lutz appears to have jumped the gun when he announced that Cadillac had confirmed the production future for the Converj on Sunday. Now, Cadillac’s global product director, John Howell, has clarified that the business case for the Converj is still being reviewed.

Although Bob Lutz apparently misspoke in announcing confirmed production plans for the Converj over the weekend, Leftlane also reported back in early November about an announcement that occurred during a board meeting in which the Converj was confirmed for production. Whatever the case, it appears as if the Converj may not get the go-ahead after all.
In speaking with a group of analysts on Sunday, Lutz communicated that GM intended to build the Converj, using the Volt’s Voltec system sometime after 2012, according to MLive.
Directly contradicting Lutz’ comments was the clarification by Howell that there is definitely still more work to be done on the business case for the Converj concept before a decision can be made. One concern for Cadillac is that the Voltec system may be lacking in refinement and power that is typically associated with the brand.
“We want it to be a true luxury driving experience,” Howell said.
Howell went on to explain that the abnormally rough year, compounded by the bankruptcy, firing of two CEOs and severely limited resources have also put a strain on being able to commit to future products such as a Converj-based coupe.
Should the Converj concept make it to production, it would be expected to feature a 40-mile pure EV mode, followed by a generator-driven additional 260 miles.
60 COMMENTS
1. Smegley Wanxalot198 days ago
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  As if anyone with a brain ever really expects the government to keep its promises….
  
  Reply
2. 0-60198 days ago
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  Iv’e seen the Converj in person and I don’t care what they put in it just build that thing…it is sexy!
  
  Reply
3. mobile1ph198 days ago
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  Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!
  
  Reply
4. saabaru1198 days ago
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  Not every company needs an electric just yet… let’s see the technology proven before dropping it into something as important as a Cadillac.
  
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5. excrement_between_my_toes198 days ago
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  Cadillac lol the Chevrolet of automobiles lol also known as the Mexican Rolls Royce lol Is it me or are cadillacs just getting uglier and uglier??
  
  Reply
6. andy198 days ago
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  @excrement_between_my_toes: its just you.. lol lol lol lol (yes i am making fun of you) lol lol
  
  Reply
7. excrement_between_my_toes198 days ago
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  and your mom Andy! and your mom! lol
  
  Reply
8. Borat198 days ago
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  Somebody had recollection of Cimarron at Caddy or GM.
  @excrement_between_my_toes, what about name Cadillac_between_my_toes? I think it a has ring to it.
  
  Reply
9. Ring-Taxi198 days ago
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  Straight out of the GM playbook: Unveil concept, boast about said concept’s probability of being produced to prolong spotlight on the brand, then backtrack one year later. Way too predictable.
  
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10. johnnycanuck198 days ago
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  What… too soon for a Volt in pimp’s clothing?
  
  Reply
11. Go Saab198 days ago
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  Can someboda at GM please tell this Putz to shut the **** up and just go away into retirement?
  
  Reply
12. excrement_between_my_toes198 days ago
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  You are correct Borat, Cadillac and excrement both share the same definition.
  
  Reply
13. Smegley Wanxalot198 days ago
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  you really have excrement in your cameltoe?
  
  Reply
14. johnnycanuck198 days ago
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  …ewww
  
  Reply
15. excrement_between_my_toes198 days ago
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  no smegley, your moms cameltoe contains excrement, I’m a guy, guys don’t have cameltoe, but your mom does, and I just love her nasty funk! I want more!!
  
  Reply
16. Blakkarr198 days ago
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  Very disappointing.
  
  I so would have purchased one. If GM had not killed off PONTIAC they could have ran it rough and worked on it there. Call it “The PONTIAC G-EV coupe”, the nerd’s muscle car. Such a shame.
  
  Reply
17. leftwingagenda198 days ago
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  i’m having “we will save the g8″ flashbacks…that said, if you don’t already know to take what lutz says with a grain of salt, you’re of questionable intuition…he says what folks want to hear, in many cases, but seems to get reigned in by lower level management afterward…
  
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18. strongbad198 days ago
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  excrement – Thanks for your explanation of which gender has cameltoe, cause no one knew that.
  
  Reply
19. ajm11198 days ago
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  Man, it is amazing just how far down people will go on the forum. Sticking to the actual article, I hope they actually do bring the car into production. I feel they would be able to make a lot more profit off a Cadillac Extended Range Electric Vehicle than a Chevy Volt.
  
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20. cocojoe53198 days ago
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  GM is Dead….They are very good at producing “Concepts”…..Thats it….
  
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21. RaineMan198 days ago
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  I saw this coming.
  
  They STILL haven’t gotten all the kinks worked out of the Vapor, pardon me, Volt… and it was originally slated to hit the market this year.
  
  It’s all pipe dreams folks.
  
  Reply
22. carstuff198 days ago
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  Volt is still slated for this year. It looks like they are bringing it ahead a couple months.
  
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23. carstuff198 days ago
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  Should also add that the scheduled timing has been November. I have heard September as the proposed pull ahead for sale date.
  
  I guess I should ask, has anyone seen any evidence that the Volt has been delayed or any issues? All I have seen is positive comments (except from those with no data) on timing and the Volt has hit every milestone.
  
  Here is a link on June ’09 timing milestone being hit ahead of schedule.
  
  http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/chevrolet-volt-hits-road-ahead-of-schedule/
  
  I would ask please bring in some links on missed timing, if you have them.
  
  Reply
24. cocojoe53198 days ago
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  Hell, they can’t even get the Cruz to market. The Volt will be the end of them. Can’t be produced and sold at a profit and upstaged by Nissan’s Leaf.
  
  Reply
25. 0-60198 days ago
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  @cocojoe
  If we went through every auto maker in the world I’m sure they all have 1 or 2 cars that they don’t make the big bucks on. It’s a good thing GM sell over 30 different vehicles in their line-up. So you don’t have to worry about them making money on the Volt.
  
  Reply
26. RaineMan198 days ago
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  @carstuff: Even if they “officially” have the Volt in production in September it will be January 2011 before they hit showroom floors.
  
  Till I see one in a showroom, it doesn’t exist.
  
  Reply
27. Borat198 days ago
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  @NMOFGM in new clothes: Volt was originally peddled as 2009, then 2010 model, i.e October of the past year. So if it will come in October of 2010 it will be only 1 year late. The key here is “if”.
  
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28. TTummy198 days ago
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  They should have come out with the “halo” Cadillac voltec first, charged a high price to get the money from the early adopters, then trickle the tech down to normal cars.
  
  I was really planning on getting one of these over the volt. Even went so far as to get a quote to see how much it would cost to add a 240V outlet in our garage to support charging a high draw plug in.
  
  Normally we would not even look at a GM product and have only bought cars from the three germans (MB, BMW, Audi). The Converj looked very cool and has the most futuristic drivetrain.
  
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29. carstuff198 days ago
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  Borat, please provide a link. I will say you are full of it unless you can provide a link.
  
  Car was introduced 3 years ago, exactly. No way they could have ever made 2009.
  
  http://gm-volt.com/2010/01/10/volt-may-launch-before-november-in-california-detroit-and-washington-dc/
  
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30. Go Saab198 days ago
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  @cocojoe53
  Now that they have killed/sold/whatever Saab, someone else has to take the role of the GM brand that are only allowed to produce concepts year after year after year… I wonder how many new CEOs it will take til someone get it that it is the FINISHED PRODUCT in the showrooms at the dealerships that is what it is all about.
  
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31. anyclearer198 days ago
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  Its still under review, but i hope they decide to build it, it was a fantastic looking car!!!!
  
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32. cocojoe53198 days ago
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  Killing Saab and Pontiac where both mistakes. I really hope someone picks Saab. And they need to make money on the Volt. This is a economy car. You don’t produce a economy car ar a “Halo” car. The Volt was a great idea, 3 years ago. Heck, the Cruze was a great idea 4 years ago, Now it will be easily out done by the new Ford Focus, if not the Fiesta. And as I said, the engineering concept behind the Volt is not sound.
  
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33. superman198 days ago
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  haha good ole Putz getting backslapped by govt. motors management…classic.
  
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34. 0-60198 days ago
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  @carstuff
  Off topic. Do you know who got the crown for auto sales in 2009.
  Link or numbers if you got it.
  Thanks.
  
  Reply
35. oldraven198 days ago
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  Ditching this would be a colossally stupid move! This is about GM’s only hope of breaking even on the Voltec programme within this decade. They need a high profit product to offset the losses of the high volume Volt.
  
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36. carstuff198 days ago
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  If you are talking US off the top of my head:
  
  GM
  Toyota
  Ford
  Honda
  Chrysler
  Nissan
  
  Reply
37. carstuff198 days ago
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  Love the comments.
  
  The converj is being worked on by design staff and engineers. It has just not had final approval to go forward. Business case is still being reviewed but basically approved. Lutz is correct that GM is intending to build it.
  
  Reply
38. Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust198 days ago
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  Ring-Taxi head the nail on the head. And would you buy a vehicle from a corporation that has stolen from the American taxpayers?
  
  Funny, how Lutz holds such a high-paid position yet his words are useless (and you as an American taxpayer are paying his useless salary).
  
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39. 0-60198 days ago
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  @carstuff
  Sorry about that I ment to put “global” auto sales for 2009.
  
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40. DrFill198 days ago
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  Can anyone here tell the CTS Coupe and the Converj apart?
  I can’t
  
  From what I’ve seen, the Converj is slightly better turned-out
  But now, more than slightly redundant
  DrFill
  
  Reply
41. 0-60198 days ago
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  @DrFill
  I have seen both of them in person and I can honestly say they are very much different. I like the coupe but the Converj is one of the sexiest cars I have ever seen.
  
  Reply
42. carstuff198 days ago
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  Dr. Fill said a funny. haha
  
  Whoops, I think he was serious?
  
  Reply
43. Ashes to Ashes_Dust to Dust198 days ago
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  “Can anyone here tell the CTS Coupe and the Converj apart?”
  
  Yes, one is coated in more taxpayer paint than the other.
  
  Reply
44. Paul Mezhir198 days ago
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  YAWN! What was the name of the Cadillac version of the Corvette? How much did those things cost? What are they worth now versus an SL? This is just another example of GM badge engineering.
  
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45. 85ZingoGTR198 days ago
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  Cadillac should come out with a halo vehicle like an Audi R8. But a successful halo vehicle not another failed GM model like the XLR. Soon to be joined by the Chevy Volt.
  
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46. andy198 days ago
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  @85Zingo: they need the Cadillac Sixteen
  
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47. 85ZingoGTR198 days ago
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  That wouldve been a sick car. Or the Cadillac Cien.
  
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48. A4198 days ago
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  Dr Fill… how the hell is a 40 mile EV redundant to a “regularly” powered CTS coupe?
  Just cause nobody will point and go PRIUS! 8========D!!!! doesn’t mean it’s redundant, just because it doesn’t stick out like a complete sore thumb in the automotive world and actually looks halfway decent.
  Sorry GM decided to give us a nicer package for the Caddy version rather than dropping a two-mode hybrid into a CTS coupe, like the old GM would have.
  What the **** are you complaining about.
  
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49. DrFill197 days ago
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  Why should Cadillac have two coupes that look alike?
  DrFill
  
  Reply
50. carstuff197 days ago
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  He is serious!
  
  Reply
51. carstuff197 days ago
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  Borattttt, helloooo, did you find anything to back your announcement that the Volt has been delayeddddd.
  
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52. RaineMan197 days ago
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  @Borat: If it comes out in October 2010 it will be sold as a 2011… so, 2 years after the original date. Just like Camaro, hype it hype it hype it… then fail to deliver for a few years. The public looses interest and sales of the car aren’t nearly as hot as they would have been if it had been released when originally promised.
  
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53. oldraven197 days ago
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  Paul Mezhir, I don’t think you quite understand what badge engineering is. The Buick Regal is badge engineered, being the exact same car as the Opel Insignia. This is based on the same platform, and uses the same Voltec propulsion as the Volt, but it is far from a badge engineered Volt. Very far. Badge engineering is when they change the badge and little else. Do you see a single interior piece or body panel shared between the Volt and Converj? It’s not badge engineered.
  
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54. oldraven197 days ago
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  Ashes, you’re a goon. How do you define stolen? The last time I got a mortgage loan, the bank didn’t accuse me of theft. Get a new hobby.
  
  Reply
55. twintornados197 days ago
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  Bob Lutz making a statement that is then retracted later by others within the “New GM”?? Say it isn’t so….
  
  Reply
56. carstuff197 days ago
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  Raineman, you want to get on this also?
  
  If I understand your comment you seem to think the Volt is late per GM’s timing. Can you provide a link where this is confirmed? Please. I see Borat will not respond.
  
  Car was introduced 3 years ago, exactly. No way they could have ever made 2009.
  
  http://gm-volt.com/2010/01/10/volt-may-launch-before-november-in-california-detroit-and-washington-dc/
  
  Here is a note from over a year ago:
  
  “The Volt was first announced by General Motors (GM) in January 2007 as a concept car
  . This site, GM-volt.com was created on the same date to help make sure the car would arrive.
  
  On June 3rd, 2008, GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the board of GM approved moving the Volt to production.
  
  On September 16th 2008, GM unveiled the production version Chevy Volt to the world.
  
  The anticipated launch date is November 2010.”
  
  Reply
57. carstuff197 days ago
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  OK, I finally found the actual announcement date for the Volt approval. Released June, ’08, 1.5 years after the concept was shown.
  
  Chevy Volt is a go
  
  The Chevy Volt took a major step toward the showroom with formal approval by the GM board of funding for production of the extended-range electric vehicle. This approval, which includes funding for production development and tooling, indicates that GM leadership believes that the technology for the Volt, including its lithium-ion batteries, will be ready for volume production on schedule.
  
  “The Chevy Volt is a go,” said Wagoner. “We believe this is the biggest step yet in our industry’s move away from our historic, virtually complete reliance on petroleum to power vehicles.”
  
  “We intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future, and we remain focused on our target of getting the Volt into Chevrolet showrooms by the end of 2010,” Wagoner said.
  
  Preliminary plans are to produce the Volt at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, subject to successful discussions with state and local governments.
  
  http://archives.media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=3&docid=46161
  
  Reply
58. ajm11197 days ago
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  It just amazes me how many people on this site are hoping and praying that GM fails just because they got bailout LOAN from the government. Please tell me, where could they get a loan from when the Banks were not lending.
  
  Reply
59. carstuff197 days ago
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  The real mad thing is the misinformation spewed out just to make GM look worse. And when you call em to the table they are gone.
  
  Reply
60. Raudawg186 days ago
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  Are the haters cheering the failure of their own money? WE are all taxpayers. The feds are making big bucks off the bank bailouts, because the banks are paying everything back with interest. The taxpayers are better off with GM successful. (I am sure my post will draw fire from detractors, but I’m confident that it’s an accurate bottom-line financial assessment.)
  
  Now, could we get back to the damned car? I want more two-door cars! I think GM should produce the Converj as the companion to the new XTS sedan, calling it the XTC. Well–I AM kidding about the name, but who knows? They actually produced the Eldorado Touring Coupe as the ETC. And XTC would be cool, especially in house music rave-attending circles.
  
  Reply
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