Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Thursday March 28, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
NASIOC
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC General > News & Rumors > Non-Subaru News & Rumors

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-01-2010, 01:21 PM   #1
AVANTI R5
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 73805
Join Date: Nov 2004
Vehicle:
24 TypeS ZO6
White

Default GM VP: Z/28 Coming, Cadillac Gunning for BMW, next-gen Camaro to Alpha





Quote:
“Our goal is Cadillac against BMW -- very clearly. We will bring performance to these cars…and be on par or better than BMW. That is our plan.”

Those fighting words came from Karl Stracke, GM’s Vice President of Global Vehicle Engineering, who stopped by this week for a meet-and-greet and to check out the Motor Trend HQ in El Segundo, California.

A mechanical engineer of German extraction, Stracke is the type of auto exec who makes auto journos happy and PR guys cringe. Five minutes into the nickel tour of our facilities and out of earshot of his PR handler, Stracke casually served up unprompted confirmation of the return of the Camaro Z/28. Not exactly breaking news -- while GM has yet to officially confirm it, the Z/28’s resurrection is something of an open secret -- but Stracke’s casual bomb dropping set the tone for the rest of his visit.

We popped into our photo studio for a quick look around, but ended up staying on to watch a Hot Rod photo shoot, as you can see from my grainy cell phone pictures. Moments later in our company garage/tech center, he threw a leg over a racy MV Agusta crotch rocket, which instantly gave me empathy for his PR handler as the $18,500 motorcycle is on loan to our sister pub, Motorcyclist (sorry guys!). But hey, he’s a gear head through and through; Stracke owns a Harley-Davidson V-Rod and has a Corvette Grand Sport as his daily driver. The man likes 'em loud and/or fast and clearly has a passion for wheeled product.

etween bites of lasagna at lunch, Stracke constantly asked us for feedback on his cars, and returned refreshingly blunt answers. He is outspoken; a bit like Lutz, but with a German accent. Since being promoted to VP of Global Vehicle Engineering in December of 2009, Stracke has already started stirring the pot, Maximum Bob-style. Earlier this month, in an incident reported in The Detroit News, Stracke soundly trashed the outgoing Chevy Cobalt with the statement, “Look at this car, it’s horrible. How did this get through so many people?”

Stracke went on to shed bit more light on just how such vehicles can sometimes slip through the cracks when I brought up a topic we’ve moaned about here at Motor Trend – the Chevy Camaro's interior.








When I quizzed him on two of the most galling parts of the Camaro cockpit -- the stale jelly donut-shaped shifter knob and oddly contoured steering wheel, Stracke didn’t strike the usual defensive posture of an auto exec, but nodded his head in agreement. He went on to say that, in addition, he found the steering wheel controls set too far inward, necessitating the removal of hands from the wheel or an awkward reach with the thumb. He claims to have fought to change this with the design team and his then bosses -- taking it all the way up (and out of his department) to guys like Lutz and Ed Welburn. But given the hugely popular response the concept Camaro received, Stracke said he was overruled and the product team was given marching orders to bring to make the production car as close to concept as possible -- with little regard for such practical tweaks.

Stracke said that kind of mistake won’t happen again. And that we’ll see hints of it starting with future models (hinting at the Z/28 again…) and when the all-new, Alpha-based (not Holden/Zeta) Camaro makes its debut.

“We need to win,” he said repeatedly. “Not just shoot for the middle.”

Our lunch topics ranged widely -- from A- and B-segment cars to trucks to Buick, Caddy, and the surging Chinese market. We also got pretty nerdy -- which should provide relief to the tech types who think GM has lost its engineering way.



Regarding his campaign to throttle BMW, Stracke says his performance division already has the technical firepower to easily put the Bavarians on notice. Unfortunately, some of those products and systems have been shuttered or shelved when GM was in the throes of bankruptcy, but Stracke is confident that even without them, Cadillac will prevail with an approach that relies on high technology and basics, like weight reduction.

“We will be better than BMW on unsprung mass,” he claims
But it wasn’t all high-test, race-track talk either. Stracke spoke briefly about Buick’s resurgence and how the company wants to grow the brand into a full lineup vehicles, starting with a compact sedan based on the same global architecture as the Cruze and a small crossover below the Enclave. He says Buick will slot in below Cadillac in terms of performance, but will be on par when it comes to NVH levels, etc. We also talked hybrid…tires?
Yup. One of Stracke’s boldest, most esoteric claims during our whirlwind lunch was that the Chevy Volt’s Goodyear tires will be “the best on the market,” with a combination of the “lowest rolling resistance, best stopping distance and impressive ride quality.” Those who know tires, know that these characteristics are usually in direct conflict. Although we can’t say we’re as excited as Stracke is, we’re certainly curious to experience them for ourselves.

The take-away message from Stracke’s visit to MTHQ is that the “New GM” no longer suffers from the problems of group think and buck passing that plagued the old GM. Stracke is confident that GM’s coming products are on target and ready to blow away the competition.

“We know what we need to do. Good products…strong products…with the right powertrain.”
Long time GM watchers and auto industry cynics might have a different view of Stracke’s outspokenness and New GM spin. After all, it’s not like he’s an industry outsider parachuting in to shake up The General. Stracke joined GM’s Opel division in 1979 and his worked his way up ever since. But my gut instinct tells me that any time you have a Harley-riding, Corvette-driving, plain speaking instigator in charge of making cars go at GM, that’s a good thing.

Good luck Karl.




* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
AVANTI R5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 06-01-2010, 01:36 PM   #2
justincredible
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 83633
Join Date: Mar 2005
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: The Mountains
Vehicle:
2012 bright green
box

Default

It all sounds good, now let's see it.
justincredible is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 02:08 PM   #3
FaastLegacy
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 11671
Join Date: Oct 2001
Chapter/Region: SWIC
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by justincredible View Post
It all sounds good, now let's see it.
Indeed. Talk is cheap, I'll believe it when I see it.

And I still think a luxury econobox(Buick's Cruze platform-mate) is a terrible idea....
FaastLegacy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 02:10 PM   #4
woody06967
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 110330
Join Date: Mar 2006
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: https://www.must-stash-it.com
Vehicle:
2004 996TT
2018 SQ5

Default

Now if they could only include a car that runs on empty promises in that new lineup...
woody06967 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 02:49 PM   #5
E. Nick
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 8489
Join Date: Jul 2001
Chapter/Region: BAIC
Location: Atherton, CA
Vehicle:
2005 Carrera GT
Guards

Default

Sounds great -bring on the new domestic car industry.
E. Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 03:22 PM   #6
bal00
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 54772
Join Date: Feb 2004
Default

Quote:
Our goal is Cadillac against BMW -- very clearly.
Man, he'll be devastated when someone tells him about the SRX, XTS and the upcoming Lambda FWD-based large SUV.
bal00 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 03:28 PM   #7
BigElm
Always under your radar!
Moderator
 
Member#: 1568
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Sunshine State
Default

^ In order to compete, they'll have to consider RWD in their lineup. Having said that, I'm looking forward to what's coming.
BigElm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 07:23 PM   #8
fa5tcogt
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 228215
Join Date: Oct 2009
Default

Gm's been saying this for years. Im not buying it until I see it.
fa5tcogt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2010, 08:50 PM   #9
JuggernautTCW
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 169223
Join Date: Jan 2008
Default

Where Is My Z28 At????!?!?!
JuggernautTCW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 07:57 AM   #10
max_stirling
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 44010
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Springfield, VA
Vehicle:
2004 Cayenne Turbo
Black

Default

You know it takes 5 years to develop a car? A new guy comes in and everybody expects immediate changes, but the reality is his legacy won't be realized for 5-10 years.

I'm not really a domestic car guy, because they've mostly (not all) created crap during my driving life, but I am an American and I want the best for America. GM and Ford and all the manufactures that have plants in America, make me a good car and I will buy it.
max_stirling is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 08:33 AM   #11
RealDealTarheel
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 142447
Join Date: Mar 2007
Chapter/Region: AKIC
Location: Not so Fair...banks
Vehicle:
2019 Audi S3

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by max_stirling View Post
GM and Ford and all the manufactures that have plants in America, make me a good car and I will buy it.
Yeah about that.....stick to Toyota or Honda.
RealDealTarheel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 10:37 AM   #12
Rootus
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 89821
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: A Series Of Toobs
Vehicle:
2015 STI LE

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RealDealTarheel View Post
Yeah about that.....stick to Toyota or Honda.
Or not. They make boring cars and their quality isn't as great as the hype.
Rootus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 12:49 PM   #13
Stonebaru
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 64033
Join Date: Jun 2004
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Rochester, NY
Vehicle:
2012 5.0
Doucherlicious

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rootus View Post
Or not. They make boring cars and their quality isn't as great as the hype.
I think his point was about who exactly has factories here in the states.......
Stonebaru is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 01:28 PM   #14
sxotty
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 95600
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh
Vehicle:
2003 WRX wagon
Silver

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RealDealTarheel View Post
Yeah about that.....stick to Toyota or Honda.
And the profits get to go to Japan. Yay.

I would rather buy from a company with factories here (that means they follow decent environmental standards unlike many other places), with workers from here, and the profits going to a corporation here. That is if all other things are equal though. Whether they are or not is questionable.
sxotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 02:19 PM   #15
SplatZ400
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 84377
Join Date: Apr 2005
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Vehicle:
2011 335d

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sxotty View Post
And the profits get to go to Japan. Yay.

I would rather buy from a company with factories here (that means they follow decent environmental standards unlike many other places), with workers from here, and the profits going to a corporation here. That is if all other things are equal though. Whether they are or not is questionable.
Pot calling the kettle black (oh that's right Subaru is Australian car not Japanese right )
SplatZ400 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2010, 04:06 PM   #16
sxotty
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 95600
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh
Vehicle:
2003 WRX wagon
Silver

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SplatZ400 View Post
Pot calling the kettle black (oh that's right Subaru is Australian car not Japanese right )
So I am subaru? Otherwise I fail to see how I am a pot

I live in the US I couldn't care less if they were from Japan, or Australia, or wherever. It is just blatant self interest that if all things are equal buying from a company based in your country is preferable. As I said all things are not equal.
sxotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-03-2010, 02:00 PM   #17
plunk10
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 32342
Join Date: Jan 2003
Chapter/Region: International
Vehicle:
13 BubblePrius
00 F150

Default

Quote:
Earlier this month, in an incident reported in The Detroit News, Stracke soundly trashed the outgoing Chevy Cobalt with the statement, "Look at this car, it's horrible. How did this get through so many people?"
If you turn back the clock and read magazine reviews they raved endlessly about the new level of quality engineering that was put into the Cobalt. GM likes to prop up today, and bash the past.

Its like in 2001 when folks said that the VW Jetta had resolved all of the issues that plagued the outgoing models.

Nothing new here. GM has a LONG way to go in gaining the trust of people that have been burned by their product over the last 30 years.
plunk10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2010, 06:55 PM   #18
amdmaxx
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 31665
Join Date: Jan 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Northern NJ, USA
Vehicle:
2006 Saab 9-2x Aero
Black

Default

waiting for ATS-V. should be a monster.
amdmaxx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 08:02 AM   #19
SQ3.0dotJP
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 136330
Join Date: Jan 2007
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Nippon, Yeay
Vehicle:
# OCCUPY

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sxotty View Post
And the profits get to go to Japan. Yay.

I would rather buy from a company with factories here (that means they follow decent environmental standards unlike many other places), with workers from here, and the profits going to a corporation here. That is if all other things are equal though. Whether they are or not is questionable.
so much wrong with that statement... but ill just ignore it
SQ3.0dotJP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 10:48 AM   #20
sxotty
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 95600
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh
Vehicle:
2003 WRX wagon
Silver

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SQ3.0dotJP View Post
so much wrong with that statement... but ill just ignore it
You already failed at ignoring it so you may as well try and say something intelligent.
sxotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 01:12 PM   #21
Brahmzy
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 3293
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: CO
Vehicle:
'20 Ascent
'15 XTerra P4X

Default

I LOL at all of this....

Good luck GM... shouldn't you have been trying to do this 10+ years ago?

I really LOL at one of the top GM suits calling his own product trash. Well freaking DUH man, c'mon. All design/decision employees should be forced to drive a different manu's vehicle every single month. I think it'd become very clear to them why the public makes the buying decisions they do.

Last edited by Brahmzy; 06-08-2010 at 01:20 PM.
Brahmzy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 06:56 PM   #22
kpluiten
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 120273
Join Date: Jul 2006
Chapter/Region: SWIC
Location: AZ
Vehicle:
06 WRBWRXWGN
Now with 100% more Spec-C

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sxotty View Post
And the profits get to go to Japan. Yay.

I would rather buy from a company with factories here (that means they follow decent environmental standards unlike many other places), with workers from here, and the profits going to a corporation here. That is if all other things are equal though. Whether they are or not is questionable.

I can buy their stock right? It's traded globally right? I think the profits are going many different places, not just back to the country of origin.
kpluiten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 06:57 PM   #23
kpluiten
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 120273
Join Date: Jul 2006
Chapter/Region: SWIC
Location: AZ
Vehicle:
06 WRBWRXWGN
Now with 100% more Spec-C

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brahmzy View Post
I LOL at all of this....

Good luck GM... shouldn't you have been trying to do this 10+ years ago?

I really LOL at one of the top GM suits calling his own product trash. Well freaking DUH man, c'mon. All design/decision employees should be forced to drive a different manu's vehicle every single month. I think it'd become very clear to them why the public makes the buying decisions they do.
It's actually the opposite! They are forced to drive the worst GM vehicles that don't/can't be sold. The Ass-tec was a perfect example.

But I agree with you.
kpluiten is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2010, 07:09 PM   #24
sxotty
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 95600
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Pittsburgh
Vehicle:
2003 WRX wagon
Silver

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kpluiten View Post
I can buy their stock right? It's traded globally right? I think the profits are going many different places, not just back to the country of origin.
Dividends are not the same as profits. Still that is a somewhat valid point, but to have a reasonable argument you would need to show the
What matters is where the money is actually going. Where are the taxes going? And so on.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da...tm#rom60909_47
sxotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2010, 10:17 PM   #25
Derbagger
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 32113
Join Date: Jan 2003
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Trollhatten, Japan
Vehicle:
05 Saabaru
Satin Grey

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by FaastLegacy View Post
And I still think a luxury econobox(Buick's Cruze platform-mate) is a terrible idea....
I think GM needs a VW GTI/Jetta fighter.

Picture a 280 HP Buick Astra 2.0l turbo 5-door. I could go for that.
Derbagger is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Next gen Camaro to have Turbo 4 banger option? markman Off-Topic 19 05-07-2008 02:39 AM
Next Gen. Camaro Threads - Merged mhoward1 Non-Subaru News & Rumors 144 01-15-2007 06:35 AM
Next-gen Camaro?? Hazdaz Off-Topic 45 12-08-2005 03:39 PM
Next gen Impreza to be used by Saab too palpullero News & Rumors 11 05-10-2005 06:48 PM
Next Gen Legacy to Get H6 Turbo ? subarugt Legacy Forum 8 04-16-2003 11:50 AM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:12 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.