#BobLutz

With yesterday’s announcement of the Chevrolet Caprice police cruiser, General Motors was clear to indicate that a civilian version of the car would not be offered. According to a report by the GM know-it-alls at GMInsideNews, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that no rear-drive full-sized sedans are coming.

One of the stories you might have missed during all the recent hub-bub surrounding the Frankfurt Auto Show, was a piece that included Buick’s new marketing push.

As unlikely as it seems, Cadillac may be preparing to launch a high-performance V version of the CTS SportWagon.

If you’re a car junkie, Twitter is the place to be today. Ahead of a webcast tomorrow morning by GM CEO Fritz Henderson, the General arranged for a select few media to meet with its PR folks and get a preview of what the New GM has to offer.

GM’s new communications boss has confirmed that the automaker is looking at equipping the upcoming Orlando MPV with a plug-in hybrid system similar to the one used in the Chevy Volt.

Yesterday we urged GM CEO Fritz Henderson to sit down with his new Vice Chairman Bob Lutz to get their stories about the future of the Pontiac G8 straight. Now they have, and the news isn’t good.

Perhaps General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson and his newly appointed Vice Chairman Bob Lutz should sit down, have a talk and get their stories straight.

When General Motors emerged from bankruptcy protection and announced that it would unretire Bob Lutz, it seemed like an odd move, considering Lutz’s interest in performance cars and the fact that he’s 77 years old. Enthusiasts, however, rejoiced and with good reason, as over the weekend the former product boss and now Vice Chairman let slip that Cadillac may in fact build a high-performance “V” version of the upcoming CTS Coupe.

Calling the Pontiac G8 “Too good to waste,” GM’s new product boss, Bob Lutz, has just announced that the car will live on, rebadged as a Chevrolet Caprice. The news comes as a surprise, considering GM’s CEO Fritz Henderson has been unwavering in his insistence that the car would be eliminated from the New GM.

Today the sun rose on a New General Motors, a move which will also see the sun set on a lot of people’s careers. GM emerged from bankruptcy protection at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time with news of a serious corporate restructuring plan that will take effect over the next few months.

In a move that should probably be illegal (but isn’t) six General Motors executives recently sold off all their shares in the company. That’s right, those same guys who helped drive GM into bankruptcy traded in all their stocks when a trading window opened.

Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of Global Product Development at General Motors, is stepping down from his current position at the company and will retire at the end of 2009. According to a press release posted on the company’s website, Lutz, one of the best known names in the auto industry, will continue on at GM as Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor.

In his transitionary role, Lutz will give, “strategic input into GM’s global design and key product initiatives until his retirement at the end of 2009,” and will report to CEO Rick Wagoner until that time.

Tim Stephens, the current executive vice president of Global Powertrain and Global Quality, will replace Lutz. Stephens will also continue to oversee quality issues at General Motors.

Before joining GM in 2002, Lutz held many key roles at many major manufacturers including being a VP at Ford, an Executive VP at BMW and an executive at Chrysler.

“Bob Lutz was already a legendary automotive product guy when he rejoined GM in 2001,” Wagoner said, “and he’s added to that by leading the creation of a string of award-winning vehicles for GM during his time here. His 46 years of experience in the global automotive business have been invaluable to us.  I’ve personally learned a great deal from Bob and have very much enjoyed the time we’ve worked together. I’m looking forward to Bob’s continued contributions to GM for the remainder of 2009 – and I know the impact of his efforts leading GM global product development will continue for years to come.”

As for Stepehs, Wagoner had this to day: “Tom Stephens is the perfect guy to take the reins of GM’s global product development. “e’s had extensive experience in virtually every aspect of our global product development activities. With his 40 years at GM, Tom has an extraordinary understanding of our products and our organization, and is highly respected worldwide.  I’m confident that with Tom’s passion for great products and vast knowledge of advanced propulsion, he will continue to raise the bar in executing outstanding GM cars and trucks.”

Official release after the jump:

According to a report in Automotive News, General Motors is looking to sell Saab but no one is looking to buy.

With almost 8,000 out of 25,000 votes, Dana Roberts of Gilroy, CA was chosen as the “cheeky” winner of Saturn’s “Kiss my Astra” photo contest. As the Grand Prize Winner Dana was awarded a brand new Saturn Astra.

Several other prizes were also awarded, with $300 gift cards going to the first five runners up, and all remaining finalists receiving a $100 gift card.

The contest was kicked off earlier this year with Vice Chairman of Global Product Development Bob Lutz submitting the first photo.

See Bob Lutz kissing Astra, after the jump:

[Source ImSaturn.com]