BOB LUTZ TALKS ABOUT THE NEW PONTIAC!

By Bob Lutz--GM Vice Chairman

OK, where was I? I was discussing some of our brands like Saturn and Chevrolet. Let's talk about Pontiac now. In the midst of all the Saturn excitement at the Detroit auto show, did anyone notice the interest of the public in the new G6 coupe and convertible? They, and the new Torrent SUV, are the latest entries in a Pontiac lineup that's being replenished and expanded.
For the past few years I have been getting up in front of the press and extolling the virtues of Pontiac's potential. We want Pontiac to be a performance-oriented division offering vehicles that can really be driven the way vehicles are meant to be driven. In the old days, that meant, simply... fast, straight-ahead, foot-down excitement.

This time around, we want Pontiac to be about total performance. Not just straight-ahead power, but great vehicle dynamics and chassis management, and firm handling without compromising ride quality.

We started this with the launch of the new GTO. Many people complained about it because it didn't look anything like the old GTO. But it was never supposed to look like the old GTO - it was supposed to feel like the old GTO. When you put your right foot into it, it's supposed to give you the same visceral thrill as the old one, its V8 launching you from a standing start. All the GTO enthusiasts out there... their affection was not based upon the car's looks, but upon the driving experience.

Anyone who's driven the new one will tell you that the power is there, the feeling is there, and the handling is better than it ever was. Apparently, its current owners think so, because their love and enthusiasm for it helped it win Most Appealing Sporty Car in the most recent JD Power APEAL awards.

Anyway, that's the plan for all the Pontiacs, from the forthcoming Solstice roadster to the new Torrent SUV. Even the ones that aren't performance cars per se will make the driver feel connected to the road.

Compare a Pontiac showroom from ten or even five years ago to how one will look next year. Except for the sign out front, you won't even recognize the place.

You'll have the beautiful Solstice. The G6 family will be complete, with the coupe and retractable hard-top convertible to go along with the sedan that, thanks to Oprah, delivered the most TV exposure Pontiac has had since The Rockford Files. You'll see a stylish new SUV in the Torrent, an innovative crossover sport van in the Montana SV6, and our various GXP performance packages.

It will be a whole new ballgame for Pontiac, one that we hope excites current Pontiac fans and creates new ones at the same time. Stay tuned.

Posted by Lutz at January 25, 2005 11:40 AM