Does anyone have an email address for bob lutz or know the gm email format. I was goin to email him and ask him if he has a photo of the solstice with the top up that he would be willing to publicly share with us
Yea thats a good point. lol maybe we should just all tell them that we arent gonna buy one if we dont see it soon. lol :lol:Fformula88 said:If they do not realize its more than a curious desire and a hope to see it by now, then they are not reading too well! :lol: We have had some heated comments about our distain for not having a top available to view!
Contacting them is always a good idea too. The more people that tell them something, the more likely they will work to accomodate those people. However, they probably have a good reason for not showing it at this point too. If its not ready to be seen, they are not going to show it off, and it may not be ready in a production form yet.
That is assuming it was a production spec top. We have pictures of developmental cars with tops on them, from the england test mules as well as some cars spotted around Deleware and Michigan. Either way, I guess we had no body in the area able to go. If the proving grounds were in my neck of the woods I would have went over and checked it out. However, the 6 hour drive just didn't seem worth it.LatinVenom said:Well I am going to have to disagree for a moment here. We were invited to see it, maybe not upclose but with the right camera..
Here was the post from them...........
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19315&postcount=1
But no one took them up on the offer.
That car was the red one which was seen around the proving grounds before, but I don't recall anyone seeing a red one prior to any of the non-saleable builds. I'm can't speak to the timeline of this program, so I'm not sure if the build in February was a non-saleable or saleable build, but at this point it should be saleable if production starts in May.Fformula88 said:That is assuming it was a production spec top. We have pictures of developmental cars with tops on them, from the england test mules as well as some cars spotted around Deleware and Michigan. Either way, I guess we had no body in the area able to go. If the proving grounds were in my neck of the woods I would have went over and checked it out. However, the 6 hour drive just didn't seem worth it.
So Ff88, then why do we keep pleading and asking GM to show us the top?. If I read you correctly unless you ( the forum) see a production model, seen anything else is not what you all want, I am confuse. By the way I am not picking on you, is just that there is a lot of talk but when the opportunity is presented to us then no one takes action.Fformula88 said:Someone saw a red one in Deleware at least a month ago. At any rate, cars coming off the line right now are not saleable cars. They are at best pre-production cars intended to test the tooling, and the vehicles the tooling makes. However, it could also still be a custom made prototype too. Either way, nothing is set in stone until production cars are rolling down the line which is not going to happen until May 16 based on the dealers on the forum. That gives them plenty of time to make changes and alterations.
With 10 weeks to SOP, there will be no major plans to change anything. The only things that will be changed from here to SOP will be problems. And... if there were still problems with the top (a major component) then the SOP date would not be confirmed. Granted, nobody likes to push back SOP... it's VERY expensive... but if the problem can not be sorted, or reworked, then the car wouldn't get built.Fformula88 said:Someone saw a red one in Deleware at least a month ago. At any rate, cars coming off the line right now are not saleable cars. They are at best pre-production cars intended to test the tooling, and the vehicles the tooling makes. However, it could also still be a custom made prototype too. Either way, nothing is set in stone until production cars are rolling down the line which is not going to happen until May 16 based on the dealers on the forum. That gives them plenty of time to make changes and alterations.
Then if the top is done and not changing, why the secrecy and lack of pics? Just because pictures of top down convertibles are sexier? They will have to ship from the factory to the dealers with the top up. Unless they use the Saturn delivery trailers with the side curtains.rlhammon said:With 10 weeks to SOP, there will be no major plans to change anything. The only things that will be changed from here to SOP will be problems. And... if there were still problems with the top (a major component) then the SOP date would not be confirmed. Granted, nobody likes to push back SOP... it's VERY expensive... but if the problem can not be sorted, or reworked, then the car wouldn't get built.
By saleable, I'm referring to the GM builds, in which there are many... near the SOP date they increase in frequency, and have non-saleable and saleable builds. Saleable simply means the parts in the car are production intent (at least as closely as can be)... all parts should have been off production tooling (from every supplier), and produced a production rates, so that the result would be a car with the same parts and quality as will roll off the assembly line after SOP. Saleable does not me that the car will be sent to a dealership and sold.
Ff88... I love reading your posts, and find your posts informative... however, in this instance having been in the automotive world for a good deal of time, I'm inclined to say any vehicle built since February (the last build date I am aware of) will be 99.9% as production will be. Even if it is not a saleable build in February. Also, having some knowledge of what's going on with "problem areas" of this car I have confidence that the top is not changing at this point and that the issues which were being noticed have been resolved.
Maybe nobody had the opportunity to take action. I don't know how many people live close to the proving grounds, but forum members are spread out across the country so its probably a small percentage. Say we do have a couple people that could have run over there that night. What would they see in the dark? The next morning? If it was still there, we would need someone who could do it around there work schedule. Maybe for the couple members who could have seen it, getting there just wasn't feasable.LatinVenom said:So Ff88, then why do we keep pleading and asking GM to show us the top?. If I read you correctly unless you ( the forum) see a production model, seen anything else is not what you all want, I am confuse. By the way I am not picking on you, is just that there is a lot of talk but when the opportunity is presented to us then no one takes action.
Don't worry about disagreeing with me. If I am not right, I certainly would prefer the correct information thrown up on the forum then to have misinformation continue to be seen as the truth. No big deal. In this case, I'll go by your industry experience. I was just throwing out posibilities anyway in a devil's advocate sort of way.rlhammon said:Ff88... I love reading your posts, and find your posts informative... however, in this instance having been in the automotive world for a good deal of time, I'm inclined to say any vehicle built since February (the last build date I am aware of) will be 99.9% as production will be. Even if it is not a saleable build in February. Also, having some knowledge of what's going on with "problem areas" of this car I have confidence that the top is not changing at this point and that the issues which were being noticed have been resolved.
1) if you want to hang out aroung the Proving Ground with a camera and talk to the lovely security guards that are very likely to come around and have a conversation, have at it. It's not a fun situation, I'm sure.LatinVenom said:...is just that there is a lot of talk but when the opportunity is presented to us then no one takes action....
Well BOB/SM what I think is Rlhammon is one of your people and in an inderect way, GM were trying to tells us to go look, see we left it there for you boys and girls, and no, the guards have been told to leave you alone this time.solsticeman said:1) if you want to hang out aroung the Proving Ground with a camera and talk to the lovely security guards that are very likely to come around and have a conversation, have at it. It's not a fun situation, I'm sure.
2) even if we live in SE MI, we have had snow and inclement weather the last several days, and it's inconvenient to go hunting for a car that's likely only temporarily parked in the area for shipping prep.
3) not all of us have a super-wazoo telephoto camera, which is likely what would be required to snap a good picture of a car inside the grounds - there is at least 100 yards between the public road and any parking areas or roads inside the grounds, with a 10' privacy fence around most of it (the type of fence with the green stuff woven in, making a long photo shot of anything almost impossible).
All due respect rlhammon, your info about the car being there may be correct, but I've seen the gate which you are referring, and I doubt anyone could get a clear shot at anything parked in the shipping lot without pulling into the gate.
In fact, the only areas of the grounds that you can get a clear shot at a car are areas where the car is in motion - almost impossible for a clear shot with a digital camera and a telephoto lens, due to the light and shutter speeds required (even the newer SLR cameras). I bet it would take prolly close to $2000 worth of camera equipment and a soul with enough b@lls to sit on a shoulder with such a lens on a camera and tell security to nicely go away....
....someone like Jim Dunne. Apparently not someone like me or anyone else in the SE MI area.
and
4) Not all of us that LIVE in SE MI are necessarily IN SE MI at the time - folks like us go to Disneyland or Grand Cayman Island sometimes in the winter, y'know...
:thumbs: If you can without getting in trouble, give it a shot!gmtoolie said:I have recently emailed with Gary Cowger and I could try to email with Bob Lutz, but I won't give out their direct addys.
Don't I wish I worked with GM... well, actually I don't think I wish that, and I don't work for any of the OEM's... however I don't think at this point it's any surprise that I am somehow related to a supplier or in some way work for a company which does business for at least GM and maybe other OEM's. I'm sure others on here have similar working situations.LatinVenom said:Well BOB/SM what I think is Rlhammon is one of your people and in an inderect way, GM were trying to tells us to go look, see we left it there for you boys and girls, and no, the guards have been told to leave you alone this time.
She did leave room for speculation that maybe 07 or 08 we may see power top and hardtop. Note she said the "2006 Solstice" would not have these options, not the "Solstice" would not.Thank you for contacting Pontiac and for your interest in the 2006 Pontiac Solstice! We apologize, but we are not able to forward your email to Robert Lutz. We also apologize that we do not have access to a picture of the production Solstice with the top up. We are able to tell you that the 2006 Solstice will not have an available option for an automatic top or hardtop. We should have more pictures available in summer of 2005 or you can keep in contact with your preferred Pontiac dealer, since they will be the first informed of new information.
We hope that this information is helpful to you. If you have any additional questions or would like to receive product information on any of our other vehicles, you may write back or contact Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, between 8:00am - 11:00pm Eastern Time, seven days per week. Thank you for contacting Pontiac!
Sincerely,
Amy Yamasaki
Customer Relationship Manager
Pontiac
solsticeman said:Guys,
Lutz is a VERY busy man. You really shouldn't be bothering him with e-mails, even if you do know what his e-mail is. Honestly, in the big scheme of things, the Solstice/Sky is small fry - low volume, low profit potential, limited MSRP... do you really think he doesn't know that we all want to see the top.
Take advantage of the blogs, contact pontiac directly and work the phones (remember, those things that you put up to your ear and talk - actually INTERACT, real-time, with another person), use your charm... work up the ladder through avenues (there's a phone number on the e-mail two posts back, start there...)
But if there a bunch of folks bugging Lutz through e-mail, you may just end up in a semi-spam-filter being installed, which could also prevent legitimate internal low-level-organization communication directly to the top.
Just my $0.02, but it's a fine line between seeking information and hi-volume, low-value e-mail.
GOOD ONE :glol: Like the Dr. Evil touchFformula88 said:Bob is sitting at his desk right now laughing at everyone in this thread! (insert Dr. Evil laugh here). :glol:
:lol: In his Dr. Evil voice he's saying I'll let you see the top for one million dollarsFformula88 said:Bob is sitting at his desk right now laughing at everyone in this thread! (insert Dr. Evil laugh here). :glol:
Are you saying Solsticeman is Bob Lutz?RODEO said:Looks like Bob's, errrr, S-Man's, Inbox is full :lol: :brentil:
Contrary to the humorous photochop in this thread... :glol:Bob Lutz said:...and by the way, there's a guy on the forum who posts such quasi-insider information that he repeatedly has had to post 'No, I am not Bob Lutz'. And the truth is, he's not....