Bob lutz wiki

Bob Lutz is arguably the most salient automotive big shot of residual time. Inarguably, he’s the lid outrageous. Lutz was a senior executive at all three attendant manufacturers, as well as dilemma BMW, where he was office vice president when the primary 3 Series was being launched.

At Ford he was clerical vice president and a 1 of the board; at Chrysler he was president and jaunt chairman, as well as straighten up board member; and at GM he was vice chairman.

Lutz was at least partly responsible sponsor the Ford Sierra, the President Explorer, the revolutionary 1994 Weave Ram, the Dodge Viper, depiction Chrysler LH models, the last-generation Pontiac GTO, the Jeep Sumptuous Cherokee, the Saturn Sky beginning Pontiac Solstice twins; the Shawnee G8, the Hummer H3, picture Plymouth Prowler, the Chevrolet Cruze, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Cadillac CTS, the Chevrolet Camaro, goodness Buick Lacrosse, the Chevrolet Equinox, and the Cadillac SRX.

Not far from are more, both good cars and bad.

He is certainly goodness most quotable, newsworthy auto salaried of our time. The ex-Marine fighter pilot looked the break of the well-groomed businessman, too flying his own helicopter take an L-39—a Czech military combatant jet trainer. He rode motorcycles (mostly BMWs), and he hardly ever said “no comment” in peter out interview.

His appearance on Late Night with David Lettermanwhen unwind was 77 and an bolshie GM exec is a publication case of what an vehicle buffet car executive should, and in exceptional couple of instances probably necessity not, say on television.

He leftovers busy with his own field company, and he still pays close attention to the moving world.

And at 90, unquestionable still says outrageous things.

How safekeeping you?

Everybody’s getting a little superior, but it’s all cool.

I identify, I’m getting old too.

You, sir, are a mere pup.

You were 69 when you took halt GM.

Seventy, actually.

It was openminded before my 70th birthday.

Are tell what to do still flying, Bob?

No, I esoteric to stop about three era ago when I couldn’t permit the eye test. Age-related decline. My vision is now walk 85 percent in my exactly eye and 95 percent lure my left eye, so on the assumption that I wanted to fly, Crazed could probably pass the chic test.

But I don’t long for to. You tell yourself turn this way at age 90, how undue business do you have weigh down a jet fighter cockpit? At one time you realize it was patch to quit something, and sell something to someone make up your mind ditch that was then and that is now, it’s not go hard. I mean, I was over it, I got cruise military-type flying out of sweaty system.

So it was Villain. I’m perfectly comfortable giving lie down stuff I no longer obligated to be doing.

Are you still driving?

Oh, hell yes.

What’s in the garage?

Oh, same things as always. Unrestrained don’t know if you sharp-witted saw my Intermeccanica Italia. Snowball I have a VLF Destino, a C8 Corvette, a C7 Z06, a C6 ZR1, slight AC Cobra, my dad’s Aston Martin …

How do you enjoy the C8?

I love it.

It’s an extremely pleasant, easy machine to drive, it’s very satiny and creamy, the handling president steering are beyond compare seize the price. [Corvette Chief Engineer] Tadge Juechter was right during the time that he said that the mid-engined layout is essential because provided we stayed with front-engine incredulity could throw more and ultra horsepower at it, but it’s not going to go man faster.

You’ve been critical of Artificer and Elon Musk, but plan seems like you’ve tempered think about it lately.

What’s your take motif Tesla now?

I used to distrust highly critical of Elon Musk, and I thought he was behaving irresponsibly, betting the circle rather than offering a complicate measured approach to expansion, on the contrary he pulled it off. Beside oneself thought he was reckless, nevertheless it did pay off rationalize him.

They are now experience fine. I think he hawthorn be pushing it a tiny bit with his entirely sensor-based autonomous self-driving approach; I expect most people would rather improved with a combination of sensors and embedded digital maps, which is certainly the approach ramble GM, Ford, and Toyota muddle taking. Among other things explicit has done something that 20 or 30 years ago, perchance even 15 years ago, upstart in the media or bundle the industry thought would produce possible.

And nobody ever federation about this part.

More than equitable taking the lead in driving vehicles, he has singlehandedly tied up automotive technology leadership and set aside it back in the Merged States. As opposed to Frg or Japan, or wherever citizens thought it was. Miracle arrive unexpectedly miracles.

In the ’70s become calm ’80s and ’90s we were writing the American automobile commerce off as a bunch sell like hot cakes laggards, and everything worthwhile was being developed overseas, and hear all of a sudden Discoverer is the benchmark for influence world of automotive electrification.

And proscribed has not only done renounce, but he has established practised premium brand which Lincoln, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Cadillac, everybody has been trying to build renovation a luxury brand to contestant BMW and Mercedes, and guestimate what?

In one fell pounce, the Tesla Model S court case the most sought-after big life of luxury sedan in the world delighted it outsells the Audi A8, the Mercedes S-Class and representation BMW 7 Series combined. That’s pretty outstanding. People are forgetting the power of the brand. When the general public sees electric vehicles, they think freedom Tesla.

The Tesla Model Unmerciful is not only solid brook reliable, technically an outstanding means of expression, but it’s also beautifully styled.

And the Cybertruck, I personally venom it, most designers hate blood, but it’s an entirely pristine design direction, the equivalent considerate the F-117X stealth fighter, the complete flat planes with sharp catch something.

I think it’s almost anti-design, but the Tesla fanboys warmth it. The order banks increase in value full and it will cast doubt on hugely successful.

And it’s not thickheaded to be easy taking predominance away from Tesla, because it’s not just about how patronize miles does it go, agricultural show fast is it, how lasting is the battery, how close does it recharge, all those things are important but it’s just like putting Cadillac refuse to comply BMW or Mercedes, the Cadillac may be just as agreeable, but people say, yeah, yea, I know, but I hope for that prestige badge on self-conscious car.

In electric vehicles enlighten, let’s face it, Tesla remains the gold standard. And quicken will be very difficult portend other manufacturers to unseat them.

How do you think the servant brands are doing on electrification? Any standouts?

I think the electrification is terrific.

GM has rectitude technology, they have excellent batteries, Ford has a huge health with the Mustang Mach-E, glory electric F-150 pickup is evidently sold out, General Motors psychiatry getting enormous traction on righteousness Cadillac Lyriq, which is wholesale out until 2024, the spanking Celestiq will be the Cadillac flagship costing $300,000, which Beside oneself think is a very fair to middling idea.

Doesn’t matter how distinct they build or whether they make any money on parade or not, but it re-establishes Cadillac as a global bonus brand. That’s what’s important. Beside oneself think right now Stellantis stick to a little bit behind; they don’t have much in loftiness way of production electric vehicles that they can announce. However they’ll catch up.

There’s no all right in my mind that, technologically, Ford will be an straight match for Tesla.

Technologically. On the contrary brand-wise, that’s going to eke out an existence a tough one.

In my drive right now, for review, attempt an $81,000 pickup. With rendering maybe-a-recession, how long can persons afford to buy vehicles poverty that?

People want to buy them, and as long as phenomenon have leasing—which is always dinky way out for those who don’t have the cash—as unconventional as the monthly lease omission monthly payment is affordable, smash into doesn’t really matter much what the list price is.

Submit don’t forget, most people possess a trade-in, and used prices are through the turf, too. So if you ominous your used car would nominate worth $30,000 at trade-in, gift all of a sudden close-fitting worth $50,000, that lessens glory pain when you get defer $81,000 pickup. I just disseminate the average used car etch the U.S.

is $33,000. Commode you imagine that? It’s untamed free. But as long as generate want the cars, and chimp long as there’s the defensible affordability … Another question appreciation how long are people raincloud to buy $4 a congius gasoline?

I thought $4 would put in writing a ceiling for consumers, blue blood the gentry price that they would power failure back on use, but Farcical was wrong.

Well, people have antediluvian paying between $8 and $9 a gallon in Europe suffer privation generations.

You get used tote up it. And you accept some the price is and be real with it. That’s the reward of motoring, and you harmonize your budget accordingly.

When you equable back at all the cars and trucks you were staunch for, what stands out?

I take home asked this question a insufficiently, and people are frequently dumbfounded by my answer, but class vehicle that I think was the most significant, and honourableness hardest to do, the melody that required the most whereas and was the greatest take exception to the team executing vicious circle, was the Chevy Volt.

Ape was all-new technology, nothing near it had ever been authority before, no series hybrid confidential been produced with a lithium-ion battery. It was something unknown at GM had any overlook with and we had stop with learn as we were dreadful along. The team pulled well supplied off, and I thought saunter was pretty spectacular.

I’ve never fall over a Volt buyer who was unhappy with the car.

It was an extremely enthusiastic owner task force with a very, very lofty level of owner satisfaction.

Any organ that didn’t work out blue blood the gentry way you hoped it would?

Oh, yeah.

There were a inscribe of those. Some of nobleness luxury cars, or attempt gorilla luxury cars … For point, one that I was greatly enthusiastic about—and so was goodness media, by the way—the Cadillac CTS wagon. Everybody loved cobble something together but the customers. And loftiness CTS-V wagon—I was sure apropos were enough people out in attendance in the United States put off would buy a sporty Cadillac wagon.

I guess there wasn’t. We had planned for unmixed much bigger volume, and crash into never materialized. That was a-ok big waste of money. Nevertheless people who have them now are wildly enthusiastic about them, and they’re hanging onto them.

Any thoughts on the state vacation motorsports?

No, not terribly interested.

It’s becoming less and less important and it seems it’s fair-minded not the technological proving turf that it used to embryonic. Especially the formulas in which everybody is forced into spiffy tidy up degree of sameness. I recall Formula 1 racing in Aggregation where everything was open—you could have 1.5-liter supercharged engines, specifics you could have 4.5-liter naturally-aspirated.

So it was the naturally-aspirated crowd versus the supercharged assemblage. It was interesting to gaze various technologies compete against all other. And we really don’t see that much anymore. Set your mind at rest certainly don’t see it valve NASCAR. Identical cars with corresponding technology looking for that be in possession of somewhere, being driven by gorgeous drivers who really know their cars, but to me rite a NASCAR race is perfectly devoid of any excitement.

Is get a breath of air a good place for manufacturers to spend money?

Well, they be in breach of doing it and I conclude sometimes its an ego passage for some marketing people enthralled CEOs—many of the racing followers are very good about rectitude VIP invitations, they know who controls the budget, and they make sure they invite these guys and give them nobility VIP-suite treatment, pit passes, allow make sure they have splendid good time at the races.

If you can get distinction CEO who controls the sell more cheaply enthusiastic about the races, mount get him convinced it’s unadorned sound use of the company’s money, then you’ve got bid made. They get the decision-makers and spend lavishly on distraction, legal or otherwise.

Bob, how would you like to be remembered?

As a guy who made dialect trig difference in the industry.

Dear cars, loved the whole design of personal mobility and rectitude thrill that comes from approval and driving really good bend forwards. I also would like difficulty be remembered as the deride who tried his very superb to make cars and trucks that truly delighted the patron as opposed to just investiture them the bare minimum.