Ambition = Respect.
This video is a quick rant about Bob Lutz challenging any car maker to race him in a CTS-V (500-some hp), and how this has created a huge opportunity for any less competitive car brand (I chose Saab and their Aero-X w/ 280hp, but one of the best AWD systems on the market).
Why? Because the CTS-V has already won. None of the cars that could beat the V are competing. Therefore, if Saab entered, no one would be suprised when they lost, but everyone would be suprised that they showed up when no one else did. The Saab would be the bigger story here. Ambition=respect.
GM recently sold Saab to the Swedish supercar company Konigsegg, which has big ambitions to properly give Saab the resources the ambitious car company needs to compete in its marketplace. GM and Bob Lutz never did that - in fact they sucked all the brand out of Saab and almost killed it.
Putting Saab on this highly visable stage now would be a huge opportunity to show that the carmaker is serious about performance, at a time when no one expects it. As long as the Saab didn’t fall apart or have a dismal finish, it would be brand visibility on a stage where it would shock everyone and be a very positive publicity stunt for Saab.
When every other premium car company is chickening out, it would be so refreshing to see a brand like Saab step up and take on a challenge like this. Even though they wouldn’t win, it would make a refreshing point.
QUESTION: If you were Saab, would it be a good move to put yourself on this stage?
