Hey Josh-- CTS??

[caddycruiser]

I just hope the CTS doesn't get watered down outside. Regardless of the few that don't like it, it seems to be the only Caddy right now that has something about it that REALLY makes it stand out. The STS and Escalade, for example, look great, but the extreme hard-edged look of the CTS is just out of this world, still to this day, and combined with things like the orange DRL's, it's just in a class of its own on the road.

[G. David Felt]

<_< Biggest challenge will be to keep the CTS on the A&S theme and not get it watered down like a jeally bean. My wife still is complaining to me that while the New Escalade is nice, it has lost the in your face look that made it a hit. Cadillac wanted to attrack a younger crowd to grow their brand, Leave the DTS and STS to the older 50 to senior people. They rarely go for the SUV / Truck scene or the entry level scene of the CTS, but keep the aggressive look of the CTS otherwise Caddilac will have had their flash but lost the long term war. Next year will be a very telling year for GM as to weather or not Lutz is worth the money they pay him and his addiction to the Jelly Bean style of autos. <_< IMO, Lutz is past his prime and lost his edge. He does not have the right mind set for growing the general, keep him for input as a specialist, but take him out of the actual direction of the company designs, he is messing up the formula.

[97regalGS]

IMO, Lutz is past his prime and lost his edge.  He does not have the right mind set for growing the general, keep him for input as a specialist, but take him out of the actual direction of the company designs, he is messing up the formula.

[post="43850"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

what formula? are u referring to Cadillac specifically or GM in general? cause I'm not sure what 'great GM formula' you're referring to.

[Cadillacfan]

He's just saying what all the other Lutz bashers are saying. It's so easy to blame one person instead of the company for all the faults GM has to this day. He never made promises that I can recall that said he would turn huge profits for GM almost immediately. He's finally allowing more design to come into the brand, even though some of the design might be a little outdated. Let me say this: do you think GM would ever build cars like the HHR, Solstice, Sky, the new GMT900 SUVs and the rest of the cars with attractive styling and with higher quality interiors if Lutz wasn't there? Hell no! On the rate GM was going, we'd still be getting interiors like the G6 or the CTS and getting designs like the Pontiac REV concept. He's focusing on the most important part of the vehicles first. Getting GM designers to focus on the inside as well as the outside of their vehicles. Like it or not, GM is far better with Lutz then without him.

[caddycruiser]

He's just saying what all the other Lutz bashers are saying.  It's so easy to blame one person instead of the company for all the faults GM has to this day. 
He never made promises that I can recall that said he would turn huge profits for GM almost immediately.  He's finally allowing more design to come into the brand, even though some of the design might be a little outdated.  Let me say this:  do you think GM would ever build cars like the HHR, Solstice, Sky, the new GMT900 SUVs and the rest of the cars with attractive styling and with higher quality interiors if Lutz wasn't there?  Hell no!  On the rate GM was going, we'd still be getting interiors like the G6 or the CTS and getting designs like the Pontiac REV concept.  He's focusing on the most important part of the vehicles first.  Getting GM designers to focus on the inside as well as the outside of their vehicles.
Like it or not, GM is far better with Lutz then without him.

[post="44870"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

VERY good point, and one I never seriously thought about until now. While I still think a lot of the designs could stand to be stepped up a notch (or several), the level at which things like the interiors on the GMT-900s or the overall design of the Solstice are at, would probably never be where they are today if he wasn't there.

It'd be great if they'd step it up further and get some exterior designs across the board that really had the wow factor, so until that point, such criticisms will most likely still remain. As is, things are definately better, but still seem a bit stifled overall. Edited November 18, 2005 by caddycruiser