[McCall]

GM pulls plug on '08 line of cars - Product czar Bob Lutz wants to
speed new trucks, SUVs to market faster.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../A01-123402.htm

If the Zeta program is dead, that means the new Camaro/GTO is pretty much dead. Boy those guys at GM are idiots....

McCall

[cdb95z28]

Lutz: U.S. engineers need more hands-on training
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../B01-148929.htm

Lutz is partly correct. ( (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant2.gif) my rant will now be off the 5th Gen topic but on GM`s bigger picture=survival (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant2.gif) ) But that is not the fault of the engineers. I do believe American engineers are equal to or better than the best oversees. But the the real reason GM is on the sloooowww downward spiral is POOR MANAGEMENT and how their narrow minded thinking affects how the engineers are utilized. No accountability on their poor decisions. When a big company is doing great, of course it`s because of the "board members and management." (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) When it turns sour, well, it`s, it`s the the......economy, yeah the economy! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) He and other top management are part of the problem. Quit worrying about short-term financial expectations (that is: satisfying the, make me a ton of money, and do it quickly, shareholders) and realize there won`t be any money to be had years down the road w/o common sense decisions.
Makes me wonder, How is Toyota`s and Honda`s Upper Management setup? I think this is the true reason they are smashing the Big 3. You can`t get GM`s brASS to, after all these years, think about looking at themselves a different way. In their mind they aren`t the problem.

Remember: Many people thought the giant "Bethlehem Steel" would be around forever. Ha, wrong. I work at one of Bethlehem`s former wire mills. Will GM end up like Bethlehem? Don`t say never.

The UAW isn`t helping things either. But they cannot entirely be thrown to the fire. When the Big 3 where making money hand over fist, the hourly guys should deserve some of the fruit of their labor. The difficult decision is : when is enough, enough.

Medical costs are a big problem, but it is everybody`s problem in this country.

I`m done (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)