Thank goodness. Wagoner as day-to-day manager of North America seems bent on maintaining the status quo (i.e. continuing the crash course) more than actually solving the company’s problems. I just hope Clarke wasn’t hand-picked by Wagoner and told to keep away from ‘radical’ ideas like shifting away from SUVs.

Basically GM is de-centralizing its power structure… albeit not on too large a scale though.

Still a good idea to have different people focused on different areas of corporate development and progress.

“keep away from ‘radical’ ideas like shifting away from SUVs.”

are you retarded? Yes, GM wants to turn AWAY from its bread and butter. Please God, can Chrysler axe their segment leading Caravan’s too? Maybe Porsche can axe the 911 and focus on the Panarama and the Cayenne. These would ALL be good business decisions. While we are at it, ford should not focus on the F-series either.

You do not need to turn your back on a segment just to improve in another… Kappa, Zeta, GMT-900 all going through development at the same time.

GM really has to turn around its car business. They should come out with RWD, engine behind the front wheels, cab-backward cars, and 50 / 50 weight distribution cars, ASAP. And they should over-engineer them as long as they are at it.

Jon.

Goodbye sunshine

Jon, BMW does all of what you mentioned… seems like that strategy works (recently in some Infiniti and Lexus models, too).

GM has too many brands none of which except cadillac is focused and cadillac’s build quality isnt good enough.
Corvette should be a brand so you can do cheap middle and high end corvettes.
CHevy was about value and style, what happened to the style? everyone wanted a chevy in the 50s and 60s. There was also much more range choice. If I want an impala today i have to have a 4 door sedan with limited engine and options choices and thats it, what a yawn. CHEVROLET! THE BMW 3 SERIES IS THE IMPALA OF THE 21st CENTURY.
Pontiac should be americas Audi/bmw, but somehow the G6 just isnt quite right and the solstice is rubbish compared to an MX5
Buick SHould be Americas Infiniti or acura but needs the sharpness of the 1963 Riviera’s styling (glamor should be the keyword there)
Saturn should have been dumped ages ago, but it seems to have found a niche with the badge engineered opels.
Saabs should get more saab like or be dumped.
Just little old britneys opinion, but hey, it aint fashion that stops most people on the west coast buying the majority of your cars

You can copy everyone else as long as you want but will that guarantee you sucess????

BMW has its loyal followers because they try not to follow other and try to do their own thing. Same goes for Mercedes. Even Chrysler could have copied others when making the 300C but it didn’t. Instead it made a rear wheel drive car because it thought it would be best and then gave it distinct american styling and are reping the awards now.

It’s not about copying others, but chrysler has a history of being gimmicky and not being able to follow up its successes

Call me Cynical but i think the 300c was rear wheel drive because an old mercedes platform was available

Thank god, maybe GM will once aqain rise to unchallenged supremacy

GM needs to globalize the entire lineup. Cadillac-next gen BLS coming to america along with a coupe version(?) CTS grows and gets coupe, STS needs to compete with 7 series S class. Saturn-rebadged opels, enough said, Pontiac-RWD, kappa based sedan/coupe WRX fighter, rebagded holden VE models, Buick-bring over the Chinese Buicks (have you seen these babies?), Chevy-out toyota toyota. Hopefully Clarke will allow Lutz to get these models done well and NOW.

Ding Dong, the Schmuck is gone! Which old Schmuck? The Wagoner Schmuck!

Derek I don’t see GMC or Hummer in your product plans? But as the Toyota FJ is outselling the whole Hummer lineup it could probably just fade away. Hummer may turn out to be a liability in a greener future anyway. GMC should stop competing with cadillac and become the trade brand. CHevy and cadillac taking over the retail sector at the bottom and top ends of the market.
But the build quality has to be right think Audi/VW interiors and styling that makes Europeans want to buy them.

corvette as a brand could truly compete with porsche with models matching Boxster to Cayenne and even Panamera when it arrives

Here is what GM should do:

Chevy: All-American value car, nothing more nothing less (the Corvette is the only acception), compete with Ford. They aren’t really doing that bad, the Impala is nice. Maybe concentrate less on trucks and leave that segment to GMC.

Buick: Should offer an affordable luxary vehicles with some sport to compete with Acura, Lexus, Infinity, Mercury. The La Crosse is a good start, build the Enclave to follow up.

Pontiac: Should offer just NICE looking, SPORTY cars to compete with Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Chrysler. The G6 COUPE is a good start appearance wise, redisgn the Grand Prix PLEASE, and don’t mess up this time (the 97-03 looked so much nicer)!

Saab: Should offer a pure euro-sport design to compete with VW, BMW, and Audi. Up the EURO look more!

Cadilac: Seems to be focused but a coupe would be nice. Competes well with Lincoln.

Saturn: I don’t really know to tell you the truth, maybe it could compete with Scion? This brand competes way too much with Chevy and Pontiac.

ACROSS THE BOARD: offer more hybrids and fuel efficient vehicles!

The chinese Buick Royaum is an old Holden, the smaller chinese Buicks are Daewoos sold as Suzukis in the US, Holdens in Australia and Chevrolets in Europe, The Lacrosse looks interesting as it was styled by IDEA in Italy but i dont know what platform it is on, it still lacks the glamor to make it a major player in world markets. There is nothing in the buick chinese line-up to speed up my heart rate. No Importing those would be a red-herring. Bill Mitchell would know what to do

M you set your sights too low, and the vehicles you hold up as good examples are not good enough. Saab doesnt compete with BMW or audi or vw it competes with Volvo.
Why reduce CHevy to a white good? there is huge equity in that brand name. remember 60s impalas? they were hot and aspirational. People really wanted them.
The G6 is bland and pontiac should aim for audi and vw.
Lincoln is not good enough competition for cadillac, it should set its sights much higher.
Interior quality needs to improve across the board and increase the choice of models. I can get a BMW 3 series as a sedan, coupe, convertible wagon suv and soon mpv crossover, why not an impala?
Hybrids are red herrings, diesels are more economical long term and much more fun to drive. The best 3 series is the 330 diesel and you dont even get that.

Anonymous: I don’t think I’m setting my sights too low. Chevy was meant to be a simple American brand like ford. The Pontiac G6 “SEDAN” isn’t the most exciting car out there but the “COUPE” has a great design that would compete very well with the Japanese (Honda, Nissan, Toyota) market (Pontaic should have given the sedan the same stretched rear end as the coupe, bet it would have sold better) Sorry Chevy simply cannot compete with Japanese cars but Pontiac can. GM’s biggest problem is they aren’t building any appealing MIDRANGE everyday cars. They are either building cars that are too impractical or too cheap, the G6 and Impala are the only appealing cars in that market in terms of sheere looks and performance.

I guess I have lived too long in Europe and California as I prefer the looks of the G5 to those of the G6. Having said that I would buy neither. Gimme an A3 Sportback a Gti or a Jetta please. Failing that a Civic Si or maybe a Honda Fit or toyota Yaris, yes I really would prefer any of those to a Pontiac

GM needs to die and go to hell!

who was Wank Rigoner anyway?

Common sense: no, only you need to die.

They don’t need to die. GM just needs to share the sales basement with Kia where they belong. Still so many people making excuses for the brand.

Wagoner would be smart to run far, far away from GM.

How can you even put GM in the same class as Kia?