The problem is cost control and Ghosn is known as Dr. Death as far as driving costs to the floor is concerned. He proved it at Nissan, regardless of its subsequent quality problems, which are an altogether different matter. Is GM all that better?

But, what Ghosn knows about controlling sub-contractor pricing a great many promising people in the car (or automotive) industry also know. What is missing is the will to implement a tough cost control program, which means getting more quality for less money.

The will isn’t there at GM, and GM has amply proved it. If it’s not Ghosn, it will have to be someone else who must come in and clean the barn out. Kerkorian, for all his faults, recognizes a management problem when he sees one. And, all the mindless sniping at his character on this forum wont change that simple fact.

Hmmm, well…

I guess that means that GM will have a new marketing gimmick – instead of employee pricing, they’ll offer a ‘cheese-eating surrender monkey’ with every GM purchase.

Actually, GM does make some quality interiors and people who pay attention to their current products know this to be true. Even their cheapest models like the Cobalt and the new Aveo arent that bad. Stock price is one thing, but interior design is another. Apparently you have never seen or sat inside of the DTS, STS-V, XLR, Tahoe, Escalade, GTO, Lucerne, Lacrosse, Impala, Sky, Aura, etc. All of those cars have decent interiors that are far better than any cheap econobox.

GM’s future success is totally dependent on firing most of their Detroit based whitecollar work-force, and leaving the Detroit area totally. Detroit is a lost city which will never come back. After 100 years of employees having no incentive to educate and improve themselves (engineers and button pushers both relying on corporate welfare from UAW, et al.), the city is an intellectual wasteland.

They need the injection of new intelligence. Nissan and Renault have it.

You kill me with your great jokes! GM and Success!

Have you actually looked at the 5 year history of their stock prices? Have you actually looked at their product reviews? Have you actually seen the build quality of their vehicles?

See the thing is, if it was only in their entry-level vehicles (terrible interiors), I understand (and the same grievous horrors appear in many entry-level cars), but it’s through they’re WHOLE PRODUCT LINE.

And I’m *not* a GM hater – I really want to see GM step up! And I sincerely will be the first to congratulate them on successes (such as the recent Z06 – an impressive car – but still suffering from an interior that sucks)

Thanks for making my Friday!

Escalade with Infiniti FX interior- Now, that’s HOT

The only reason I’m for this deal is that hopefully Nissan can start doing the GM “Employee-Discount” gimmick, so I can get some good deal on the upcoming 2007 G35 coupe )

Top notch vehicles, Nissan has no right to be piggybacking on the shoulders of General Motors to get ahead. They need to earn the respect and superiority of the General and that just can’t happen

Anyway, Kerkorian (or is that Kevorkian – Dr. Death?) just wants to merge these companies and sell off the extra pieces for cash. He’s like Michael Douglas in Wall Street.

I think it would be a disaster for all the companies involved.

He looks like a dried up old elf to me. Like Jim said, he’s a cancer that just loves to go around and f&$# up companies he didn’t help build.

fortunately, he’s old and won’t be around much longer to damage any more companies. guys like him, pickens, et al are unfortunate byproducts of a form of capitalism run amok that we currently suffer from.

Trucks? Efficient engines? build quality? reliability?

Bringing Nissan into the mix would do nothing but drag the General down