[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by 1320B4U

Excellent point bigals87z28. To me though, gm invested way to much in the volt and will never get that back...marginally a few cents on the dollar. Was it bad marketing? Dare i say too advance yet for the public to adopt when hybrids are becoming commonplace only right now? Gm does do a lot of overlapping though..that is given.

If you are looking for a financial ROI for Volt, then you missed the point. Toyota, despite the Japanese government footing 70% of the bill, still doesn't make money from Prius. Why do you think there are 500 different hybrid models? Spreading the cost out to help gain some of it back.

GM's stupid, blind, half-retarded marketing team couldn't figure out how to tell the public what the car is. They over-complicated the marketing, and then it became a political part for dumbasses to point to.

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

Isn't the current Malibu essentially all new?

The new Malibu is all new, inside and out. The new Malibu is a very good car (I suggest the turbo) but it's a B+ student in an AP class.

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

Assuming you are being sarcastic but how is this a stupid question? Yes I am aware normal practice is to release new versions of a model to keep the brand fresh. Maybe I am a customer not looking to purchase the new C7 until I know what may be coming down the pike and roughly when? I wouldn't expect him to spill the beans but maybe he will say something to continue the excitement?

As usual, semi-sarcastic. GM doesn't talk about future product unless it's around the corner. These guys don't slip up on questions like that. You have to be trickier than that, sir.

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

Sales numbers, reputation, PR, etc. Not one quality specifically but an aggregate of a few.

There is a large population of people that will not even consider a domestic car. Ever. Japanese is more reliable, German is better engineered and more prestigious, etc. At my company we did a MR study on car ownership back when the Toyota recalls came out and stuff like that was in the results. I think we tested 1100+ consumers.

Could be due to the BS that went on in the 70s, 80s, and I guess early 90s. It's not really a GM-only type of deal; all of the big 3 are at fault. Could be because "foreign is better", just like with wine, beer, cooking, etc.

Any way you slice it, the proof is both in the sales numbers and also what you see running around on the road.

Now there's "Government Motors", bailout talk, tax payer support, and all kinds of negative PR. A lot of the general population has lost faith in the American auto industry.

I want to know what he is trying to do to reverse the trend. In my humble, non-auto industry opinion I don't think "building better cars" is enough.

To cut to your last point, what would you like to see? The people that are going to hate GM for BK or have totally left any of the Big 3 for ToyHonda are not going to change their minds, ever.
Building better cars is CLEARLY working, as GM was selling a lot of their great new cars right after they came out of BK, and they are still big sellers.
Ford is also seeing a big increase, as is Chrysler. The concern for the Big 3 is to retain market share. GM's retail share is dropping, but as of right now they have one of the oldest line ups in the biz, and the oldest car that will be sold by GM by the middle of this year will be Equinox and Camaro.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler have had major success at the hands of the American people helping them out. They have turned in profitable quarter after profitable quarter since the GFC.

Do you want them to have a "ballon" day for kids? The road to repair the images of the old Detroit is a long and tough road, and they know that. It's having generation after generation of solid, reliable vehicles that will regain that, while offering something else that their competition isn't.

Originally Posted by Squirrel

Why didnt the fifth gen flow more smoothly aesthetically from the 4th gen instead of from whatever mouth breather designed it?

I don't want to piss in everyone's cornflakes, but internally the 4th gen was regarded as a "failure" on a monumental scale. They openly refer to it as "an engine in a box" as well. The 4th gen design was put together by a bunch of surfer guys in southern California.

Now, they also wanted to capitalize on the retro-look, and clearly the design was a hit as it is the best selling car in its class. Clearly, it's the preferred design over the Mustang and Challenger.