Live from the Show - Updates and Impressions

[Ming]

Live From the Show - Updates and Impressions
GMI Live @ NAIAS 2009!
Robinson Mason aka "Ming" of GMInsidenews.com
www.GMInsidenews.com
1/12/2009

After a full day at the auto show and some time to absorb it all (and upload) I thought you fellow GM fans who could not be with me here would enjoy reading about the experience of being in Detroit in the center of it all.

The atmosphere here is upbeat.

Yesterday morning there was a rally from GM employees eager to support GM and GM management that began gathering an hour and a half prior to the press release and unveils. Chants of "Let's go GM, Let's Go!" kept the mood in the GM portion of the hall lively. They stood alongside a pathway that was roped off to allow the parade of GM vehicles to pass. As each vehicle rolled by, cheers erupted from the heavily GM employee populated crowd.

What might have felt phony at any other show felt real here, and it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement.

After all, many of the cars I've hoped GM would bring to the US market are finally coming here. The Spark, a version of one of the three Minicars we were told were off again, on again is coming. The Cruze is exactly the kind of car from styling to powertrain that I've been requesting from GM, and the Buick LaCrosse is not just another W-Body reskin - it looks great, fresh and upscale like a Buick should. The Orlando and Converj were just like more icing on the cake. It began to feel like overkill!

GM executives were approachable and accessible -- but I could only squeeze in a few interviews here and there since the crowds were unbelievable, and pushy. To one side of me, a British reporter was giving a dire report of the economy and playing down the excitement with a frown. "But this all depends on Americans buying cars," he said with a heavy dose of newsy BBC accent. But other reporters from CBS and elsewhere were also caught up in the moment. They were mentioning to one another how much they love the Volt and how the Volt and the Converj have made GM "relevant" again.

A reporter from Denmark approached me and told me how much she loves the Volt - I think she was more enthusiastic about it than I was!

The goodness kept coming, like GM was opening the floodgates to all of the great pent-up ideas that beancounters and naysayers have kept from us since the early 2000's. I felt my once battered-down GM Fanboy flag rising again.

The only moderately depressing press conference I attended was the one given by Chrysler yesterday. They had plenty of positive news regarding their quality and progress on the warranty front "best in the history of Chrysler", but the crowd was rather muted at Jim Press' jokes and overall atmosphere was nothing like the pep rally feel of the GM press conference earlier that morning.

The best response from the crowd came to the Chrysler 200C EV concept. (Personally I liked the Jeep Liberty EV reveal) Still, it was nothing like the reaction to the Cadillac Converj and the other GM vehicles.

Today things are much less hectic and have calmed down a bit, but GM executives, designers and other employees are still around and (with enough patience) available to discuss concerns and take questions - or will find someone who can. It has also given me a chance to upload more photos and snap more shots on the show floor.

We had the announcement this morning regarding the Volt battery supplier being Korean, and the floor had its fair share of Korean journalists covering the announcement. This also gave me a chance to talk to Tae-Wan Kim, the Cruze designer, if only for a moment. Most of the interviews he was conducting were in Korean.

The other portions of the show, Ford, the Luxury brands are all looking quite good. The tall, thin models in black with darker sets that surround the Audis and BMW's on display offer a distinctly different feel from the Toyota display with its all white, pristine image of green-ness. The Koreans - Hyundai and KIA both had some very promising vehicles, and I must admit I like the new KIA Soul and Hyudai Elantra Touring cars.

I heard that Saturn has something special going on outside, so I'm off to check that out.

I'll update with more later - look for more photos and info to come as I'll be here until mid-day tomorrow.

Thanks for all of the comments on my coverage here, I'm just happy to have the opportunity to get up here from Texas and talk directly to (or hover in the presence of) all of the big names at GM that I've long read about. The show itself is, of course, fantastic in its own right and I highly suggest that if you're a GM fan in the general vicinity of Detroit that you come check it out!

[Lunden]

Go Ming!

[Michael_S]

Did you get any feel for whether Chrysler is actually going to bring the range extended hybrid minivan to market?

Because that, assuming it was half-way affordable, would be spectacular.

[1G6]

GMI has "arrived."

Good work.

[Hurricane]

Ming,

I want to let you know how much we greatly appreciate your photos, interviews, and reporting! Great stuff! Very, very interesting reading!



Hope it isn't too cold up there for you this week!

[wolfrun_can]

Great reporting. As bad as the news has been for GM, looks like there are better days ahead.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by Michael_S

Did you get any feel for whether Chrysler is actually going to bring the range extended hybrid minivan to market?

Because that, assuming it was half-way affordable, would be spectacular.

The way they introduced it seemed kind of pie-in-the-sky. The one that they got really detailed about and if I had to bet on, would be the 200C EV. They mentioned it would be a "value" vehicle, and made a lot of promises that made it sound as if they'd thought it out seriously. The Tesla-looking one and the Patriot EV were also given the "would be great if we could do it" attitude.

Thanks again guys for all of the positive comments. Gives me fire in the belly for more --- I ALMOST got the nerve to approach Lutz while he was taking a break, but it seems he has "handlers" who keep him from those nosy reporters and underwear blogger types.

Oh, here's something I know you've ALL been waiting for. But seriously...by request...

Doin' that Texan thing with my belt, it seems:



For the legion of G3 fans here at GMI!

[Bravada]

For the legion of G3 fans here at GMI!

Mystery solved!

Orange-ish suits you

[Michael_S]

What? No "Ming the Terrible" outfit! DAAAAAMN!!!!!!



Boy, you look a lot less like a discussion forum geek than I do.

[Ming]

The car is so not orange -- but it shows up that way on camera, even on the view screen. It's a nice color of red, actually.

I'll take that as a compliment, Michael S! But we all blog in our dirty t-shirts, so I had to get all dressed up --- you should've seen me in my suit jacket yesterday... Today my shoulders said NO to suits and heavy bags.

[ponywarrior]

Ming, very, very good inside reporting. I loved the part about the BBC chap with the frown. Oh well, and thanks for the live pics. From one Texan to another - you are kicking b*tt.

[Bravada]

I'll take that as a compliment, Michael S! But we all blog in our dirty t-shirts

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF! :p

[Koasterking]

Ming, I want to personally want to thank you for the photos and info covering the show. Without your help and insight, I couldn't share any of the info with people at my work place; some of whom are skeptic about the US auto industry.

Thanks

[dracleath]

Honestly the G3 doesn't look like a bad little car, if it were a Saturn (well, 2000 era Saturn) or a Chevy it would be fine.

Aren't the Aveos getting an MCE next year?

[jdurhan]

I believe the japanese car makers are the ones that have
"awakened a sleeping giant" once again, but this time it's GM. Go GM GO!