Bob Lutz is smoking some good stuff

"LJ909" (lj909) 07/03/2019 at 15:32 • Filed to: None

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! reports the man gave an interview to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (maybe a paywall) and said that if he were still at GM, he’d wanna do a Corvette Crossover. His exact words from the article : “[ If I were still at GM], what I would do is develop a dedicated architecture, super lightweight, super powerful, Porsche Cayenne–like, only much better and a little bigger, medium-volume Corvette SUV. Target worldwide 20,000 to 30,000 units, and price it starting at $100,000. Gorgeous interior. No V-6 powertrain. No low-end version. It has to be the stellar premium sport-utility made in the United States, and the Corvette brand could pull that off. ”

Interesting, but it would upset a lot of people, and make the Corvette name start down a road of potentially becoming it’s own premium brand. Would you guys go for this?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 15:44

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no

SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 15:44

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So they would nd up with a cadillac XT4 with a V package.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 15:44

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i thought chevy was already trying this with turning the camaro into the blazer lol

FSI > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 15:48

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Sounds like something Cadillac needs instead of bland people movers

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 15:50

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In theory, it is a decent idea. Although, I think they need to do that with Escalade. Have the big boy, and escalade sport, etc. And have those on dedicated chassis. Then maybe steal the Escalade sport chassis for the Corvette SUV.

But this is GM. They would half bake and half ass it into failure. I honestly don’t believe they have it in them to make a gorgeous interior or a vehicle that is “ Cayenne–like, only much better ”. I want to like GM and Cadillac, but they consistently show they cannot beat the luxury auto makers. I really wish they would, though.

and 100 more > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:03

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I mean, they’re taking a risk by committing the Corvette name to two different upcoming platforms as it is. I think the mid-engine “Corvette” could easily run the risk of marring the Corvette marque if they don’t get it just right. Adding a Crossovette could run the same risk.

That said, it’s all just names. M arketing based on nostalgia. Nothing means anything. It would just be a GM-branded answer to a question nobody asked, but one that has already been answered by the X6, the Cayenne, and the GLC coupe. They couldn’t even call it innovative, because they’re late to the game.

RallyWrench > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:05

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Hard to get “much better” than the  Cayenne at that game, it’s a damn fine vehicle. But he may have a point. I f they did something like that, though, they’d have to get the Corvorado name from whomever may still have it...

.

LJ909 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 07/03/2019 at 16:05

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This is what the Blazer should’ve been. Literally a Camaro crossover. Same platform, engines (at least the 4 and 6 cylinder engines). It cold have been almost a new age American Infiniti FX.

LJ909 > FSI 07/03/2019 at 16:07

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Exactly this. Instead we get GM parts bin specials that are nothing more than Equinox’s and Acadia’s underneath. 

LJ909 > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor 07/03/2019 at 16:12

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Yea this could work with making the Escalade into a range of vehicles that competes with the Range Rover line.

But you’re right. They don’ t have it in them. They are too corporate and 2 things would happen: they’d do it, but only get it right right before they ax it like they usually do, or they’d do it but it would maybe look good, but be a letdown everywhere else because GM is too corporate , and it’d share engines and switch gear with Chevy and GMC.

FSI > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:15

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Meanwhile Lincoln is really stepping their game up. 

wbizarre - OEM fetishist > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:21

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“... g orgeous interior...” I don’t think those words have ever been use d in reference to a GM, Chevy, or Corvette product after 1975.

LJ909 > and 100 more 07/03/2019 at 16:21

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They are taking a huge risk with the mid engine Vette considering the dedicated Boomer buyer base it has. They don’ t like change.

It is names yes, but it also has the potential to damage the brand as a whole if they did something like this. Its what Ford might run into with this “Mustang inspired” EV crossover. 

wafflesnfalafel > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:24

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Vette burban

and 100 more > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:26

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Exactly .

I think whatever Bob Lutz is smoking now, he should have been smoking ten years ago, to get ahead of the trend. Now it’s just im i tation, because they see it working for the other guys (however inexplicably) .

Snuze: Needs another Swede > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:35

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I wouldn’t buy it, but Lutz isn’t too far off the mark - it should be Cadillac building the Cayenne killer. They need some dedicated platforms, good engines. In general GM needs to reduce building parts-bin cars.

nermal > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:39

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He’s late to the party, although he is right.

Its just like how SUVs were s’posed to ruin Porsche, or MB, or BMW, or Lambo.

But they didn’t.

All of them now make the best interpretations that they’ve ever made of their brand’s traditional “trademark” cars , because of the $$$$ rolling in thru SUV sales.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 16:59

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So basically a GM powered Jeep Trackhawk? It would sell, but I think it should have a different name. Giving it a Corvette name would be kinda silly, especially if it’s a 4 door.

They could bring back the Saab name and use it for a line of premium SUVs lol

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > LJ909 07/03/2019 at 17:22

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They have so much potential to make Range Rover style product line. Your predictions are absolutely spot on, though. They would choke and fail. GM has such great ideas/concepts, but ultimately fail at producing them. You can’t make you base ass Chevy shit slightly nicer, and expect people to leave their Lexus for it.

My friend had an 08 IS250 I rode in a lot, and drove a few times. It was nice, but not earth shattering. I drove a new (at the time) 2015 Escalade and was appalled by the interior. The old IS250 was much nicer inside. The Caddy used the same style plastic A/B/C/Etc pillar plastic coverings as my VW, or a base Malibu . Then the headliner was the same shit found in a regular car. The IS? It had a nice looking and feeling fabric covering all of that. Yes, the Caddy had “A fully sewn dash” that they always said was a feature and took a large part of the interior budget. But that doesn’t matter if it still looks worse than the injection molded piece Lexus was using in their cheapest car.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > wbizarre - OEM fetishist 07/03/2019 at 19:08

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The C7 interior is the only good one  they’ve made in 40 years.

Brian McKay > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 07/03/2019 at 19:40

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30,000 annual customers for Saab wagons priced at $100,000 and more? Okay....

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > and 100 more 07/04/2019 at 00:16

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Starr ed for inventing the term “C rossovette”

DanZman > LJ909 07/04/2019 at 00:44

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They kind of tried that with the original SRX. It was based on the CTS.

Now that I think of it, if they had just had the balls to make an SRX-V, they would have been way ahead of the game.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Brian McKay 07/04/2019 at 03:48

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Just let me dream! 

and 100 more > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 07/04/2019 at 09:55

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KeyserZoze > LJ909 07/04/2019 at 22:47

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“ Cayenne–like, only much better ”

this is from a guy that built $%^&%$-quality cars, so yeah. easy for him to say.

arl > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor 07/08/2019 at 20:49

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GM and gorgeous interior. Do es not compute.

PS9 > LJ909 07/09/2019 at 08:48

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One of the smart things Porsche did with the SUVs and crossovers was not call them 911 or some variant of that. They realized people (who were not Porsche buyers mostly, but still word of mouth is critical for any business) would be very upset with that. So the SUVs, the crossovers, sedans and wagons whenever they made them got their own names and the 911 stayed the 911.

With that said, a premium performance oriented crossover from GM is not necessarily a bad idea. The wealthy have made it clear they want these things, but perhaps the badge should be a cadillac design instead of vette.