2:06 [Comment From Jim Bauer ]
I see great value in having you do comercials as our top 'car guy' simular to what Lee Iococca did. You could be a great motivator to the GM employees also. Any plans?
2:07 Bob Lutz: I might well be effective in that role, but it's a role that really should be performed by the CEO, which Lee Iaccoca was and I'm not.

2:11 [Comment From John in Jacksonville, Fla ]
Can you elaborate on potential plans to keep the Pontiac G-8 relabeled as a Chevrolet Caprice?
2:12 Bob Lutz: The G8 has finally been discovered by a broader percentage of the buying public. The owners are ecstatic about them, many calling it the best sedan they've ever driven. We consider it too good to waste. So we're studying the feasibility of bringing it in as a Caprice for both law enforcement and the public.

2:17 [Comment From Mike Ruby ]
Bob, will we see in improvment in GM commercials now that you are in charge of them? The new Buick commercial is very embarassing. I've had many family members and friends comment on how dumb it is, plus some of the other poorly done commercials on the Traverse and the "Surprised" commercials that played for about a week over Christmas.
2:18 Bob Lutz: Let me put it this way: That Buick commercial tested very well, which is not the same as saying that it's an effective ad. I think you will very quickly see a drastic change in the tone and content of our advertising. And if you don't, it will mean that i have failed.

2:23 [Comment From Daniel Summey ]
How are you going to separate the brands in the product offerings? GMC from Chevrolet and Cadillac from Buick?
2:25 Bob Lutz: The vehicles will be increasingly differentiated. If you look at the new Chevy Equinox and compare it to the soon to be intro'd GMC Terrain, they don't even look like they were made by the same manufacturer. Also, i think you will agree that the new Buick design direction, coupled with a soft and luxurious driving experience, is radically different from the more angular and sporty Cadillac design direction. Marketing also needs to respect brand differences in how we advertise the various brands and to whom.

2:26 [Comment From caddy ]
bob, do you feel cadillac should be placed as a performance oriented vehicle that can compete with BMW in Europe, or more of a luxury vehicle to compete with Lexus in the States?
2:27 Bob Lutz: We firmly believe that Cadillac needs to display the characteristics to permit to rival the German luxury brands. It will be Buick's task to take on Lexus.

2:28 [Comment From Guest ]
What role do you see for advanced propulsion technology in the new GM? We are now much smaller. How will we fund the various advanced propulsion technologies - EREV, fully battery, fuel cell etc...? How do we explain our strategy to the public?
2:29 Bob Lutz: If we believe in the ultimate electrification of the automobile we have to maintain our commitment to batteries and elec drive systems. This means hybrids and Volt-like vehicles. Fuel cells are a bit farther out. In terms of explaining this to the public I think the launch of Volt next year will give us a big time opportunity to expose our strategy.

2:32 [Comment From Dean ]
What do you say about critics who say with people like you and Fritz, people who have been with the company for years, that no real change can take place, that the new GM will simply be the GM of old.
2:34 Bob Lutz: Fritz has a long career and has been astonishingly successful at every job he's had. He's young, dynamic and very much change-oriented. He will be a highly successful CEO. As for me, i think there is one thing that no one has ever said about me: "He doesn't really get in and change stuff--he just administers the situation he inherited."

2:34 [Comment From V-Fan ]
I read that a CTS-V Sports Wagon is a possibility......If so, what kind of timeline can I expect to wait for one and who should I give my check?
2:35 Bob Lutz: As of now, the V package is planned only for the sedan and coupe. However, should sufficient demand materialize, there is no reason why we couldn't do a V-Series wagon, and i would be standing in line for one, just ahead of you.

2:37 [Comment From Todd Lassa - Motor Trend ]
(Follow-up on G8/Caprice question): Will most state and local law enforcement agencies allow purchase of a foreign-built police car?
2:38 Bob Lutz: While the large RWD cars may be made in Australia, they are an integral part of GM, contain US-built engines and transmissions and numerous other components, and are so "American" in character that i don't believe the law enforcement agencies would have any problems with the assembly origin of the vehicle. Plus, they'll love it.

2:39 [Comment From Nate ]
When will the new LaCrosse and Equinox be in dealers?
2:39 Bob Lutz: LaCrosse will be in dealerships within weeks; Equinox is there now and creating a furor among salespeople and customers. It's going to be wildly successful.

2:40 [Comment From stan ]
In my group it is just uncool to drive a GM car -even if they are as good as the imports. Is your marketing studies researching why this is. I could give you an ear full and fit the urban professional demographic. I want to see GM get that desirable one day!
2:42 Bob Lutz: Stan, I guess it depends whether you have your own personality or whether you are a lemming-like follower of current trends. I think an audacious and bold person with a mind of his or her own would go to a dealership and see that our new vehicles easily trounce the foreign competition in performance and value. A lot of people are reaching this conclusion on their own, witness the new Camaro, selling at a rate of 10,000 a month. I think it's uncool to drive an import.

2:42 Bob Lutz: We'll take a repeat question because some tweeters are asking about diesels.

2:42 Bob Lutz: Repeat questioner, that is. Tweeters

2:43 [Comment From Nate ]
Does GM have any plans for diesel cars in the US? Or are they banking entirely the Volt and Converj platforms? There appears to be customer demand for diesels as well as the Volt technology. Is there room for low production diesels?
2:44 Bob Lutz: For diesels to meet US emissions (US regulations are six times more severe than European) we'd have to increase the diesel surcharge by another $2500 to $3000. The total would amount to about $6000. For that surcharge of $6K, the customer gets a 20% in mpg, but has the privilege of paying for fuel that is 20 cents per gallon more expensive. Show me where this makes sense. Several Europeans and both Toyota and Honda have canceled their US passenger car diesel plans, as have we.
2:45 Bob Lutz: 20% improvement in mpg, that is.

2:45 [Comment From Steven S ]
Why not sit down with groups of former GM owners and find out why they stopped buying GM? It would give you incredible insight of the disappointment that many have in GM products?
2:47 Bob Lutz: Trust me, we've done a lot of this. Sometimes we meet with groups and ask them, other times we get unsolicited input in emails and letters. We know exactly what sins of the past were committed and that are affecting our current performance. Our current product lineup is arguably the best of any mass producer in the world, and our task is to use enhanced advertising and communications methods to convince more Americans to give us a try again.

2:50 [Comment From Tommy H ]
To what degree will you remain involved in styling and product content decisions.
2:51 Bob Lutz: As you know, my new role clearly defines Design as one of my ongoing responsibilities. And as concerns content, my influence will be enhanced because i now speak on behalf of the customer.

2:58 [Comment From wbt ]
How are you going to assure that GM builds exciting, performance cars that wont fall into the boring bland designs that often come from the "green" people. Some of us like to drive for the sake of driving, not just getting from point a to b.
3:00 Bob Lutz: I totally share your opinion... great cars and trucks are never appliances, they always provide a visceral thrill, and i think we're making a lot of vehicles like that... witness, Cadillac CTS-V, Buick LaCrosse, Chevy Camaro... However, when it comes to perpetuating great muscle cars of the past with 4- and 500-hp engines, we will need to temper that because we need to meet government regulations. Environmentally responsible examples would be the Cobalt SS and HHR SS... both of those are great fun to drive, with minimal environmental impact. By the way, you should know that all of us who have driven the Volt view it as a thrilling performance car, and you can easily burn rubber with it... without burning any gas!

3:01 [Comment From ETB ]
Favorite TV shows? No doubt seen Top Gear. Would you consider going and taking on Jeremy Clarkson for us?
3:02 Bob Lutz: Why would i want to take on Jeremy Clarkson? He loves the CTS-V and has declared Corvette ZR1 to be the finest vehicle of all time. I love the guy.