The Roast of Bob Lutz

General Motor's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz recently appeared on the Colbert Report on Comedy Central (check it out on youtube). Lutz has been on a media blitz lately to promote the 2011 Chevy Volt, which is doing a fine job of promoting all by itself. Let me first state one thing: I've always liked Bob Lutz because of the products that he made possible since becoming Vice-Chairman. He truly has my dream job. However, I don't know whose idea it was for Lutz to appear on the Colbert Report, but it was an awful decision. I've been watching Colbert long enough to know that his interview segments, while painfully funny, are usually a trap for the guests. It was a no-win situation for Lutz. Someone at GM should have let him know the premise of the show. Colbert is deceptively smart, lightening quick, and will usually take any chance to make the interviewee feel uncomfortable. He had Lutz stumbling through the entire interview. During the segment, it became obvious that Lutz is not the right person to have in public view to usher in a new era of GM products. The Colbert appearance would've been a great opportunity for GM to change the way Gen Y thinks about it (more PC than Mac). Bob Lutz is at least 35 years too old to be the public face of the company that desperately needs to change its image. They need a spokesman who is sharp, witty, and talented enough to exchange verbal jabs with someone like Colbert, instead of being knocked out cold on TV. This interview will be parked in the garage of bad decisions by the General, right next to the Pontiac Aztek and T.I./Dale Earnhardt Jr. commercials. Memo to General Motors: the Volt needs every advantage it can get to be a success. Keep Lutz behind the scenes where he does his best work, and get a spokesman who reflects the direction GM wants to go.

If any good news came from the interview, it's that Lutz hinted about an exciting option for the Volt. Apparently, a photovoltaic roof, which will charge the battery using the sun's energy, can be checked on the options list. I believe this will alone will establish the Volt's position as the most environmentally minded car available.

What to Think About the Chevrolet Volt

Much has been written about the recently revealed 2011 Chevy Volt. I'll leave the driving impressions to someone who has actually driven the car, but some notes can be made from what has been shown to the public.

• The Volt received criticism for its more conventional styling, which strayed from the original concept Volt which was the show-stopper of the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. The production Volt looks much more mainstream compared to the concept's radical design. GM shouldn't worry too much about this criticism because the Volt's closest competitor will be the Toyota Prius, which won't exaclty be mistaken for an Aston Martin or Jaguar.,
  

One of the most visually striking aspects of the Volt's design is it's headlamp assembly. I like the look because it reflects the car's technological prowess. I hope that the extensive use of LEDs doesn't put too much of a drain on the batteries. LEDs use less energy than typical halogen headlights, but this car has A LOT of them.

• As far as the design is concerned, the most exciting thing has got to be the interior layout and specifically the center stack. The glossy white panel is the focal point of the dash, containing many touch-sensitive buttons for audio and HVAC controls. The futuristic look of the interior was obviously influenced by an iPod, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's also been reported that the car's GPS system will be able to tell the car how far from is from home, letting it make the most of its 40 mile electrical range.