Quote:
Originally Posted by bwilson4web
I'm not convince the Lutz culture at GM is gone. I've seen one too many 'cute' announcements about the Volt to believe it is anything more than 'greenwash.' For example, their claim it will have a noise maker for the blind when they don't put noise makers on their two-mode hybrids. Just look at the history of GM's "two-mode" transmission.
The "two-mode" was supposed to be this great thing only you had to spend $50,000+ to get one after ordering it blind. The only affordable two-mode, a Saturn Vue was canceled and the Saturn division closed down. GM totally blew the "two-mode" and now they want us to believe the Volt is real?
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I'm fairly sure the Malibu carried on the hybrid drivetrain from the Saturn cars. Also, it's not "bait and switch" it's become "we gave you what you wanted, and then you didn't buy it". The saturn hybrids were effective and on their own great cars. And... nobody... bought them. I'm sure the lack of hybrid stickers and that hybrid-car-look had some to do with it as well, as hybrids are not immune to the "status symbol" buyers.
The two-mode tranny in the GMT900s is a piece of work certainly, giving full sized SUVs car-like fuel economy around town. And that transmission is used by both Chrysler and BMW. The biggest downfall was their cost, though. Not that it stops a load of rich folks from buying them around here, they've become almost common.
And how can you hate Bob Lutz? Such swagger:
