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GM's Lutz to retire May 1

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz plans to retire from the automaker effective May 1, according to a statement released by GM on Wednesday. Lutz, 78, had been serving as a senior adviser to GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre after shelving retirement plans to take charge of the automaker's marketing after it emerged from bankruptcy in July 2009. An outspoken executive who both challenged global warming and championed GM's all-electric Volt, Lutz is credited with revitalizing GM's product development efforts after being hired by former GM CEO Rick Wagoner in 2001.

Chris Harris finds the McLaren P1 “a whole new thing” (video)

Chris Harris and McLaren’s Chris Goodwin in the McLaren P1 We know the McLaren P1 is exceptional, and we’ve heard almost the same ‘game changer’ dialogue from anyone who’s driven it. We’ve also seen the McLarenj P1 on the move in the recent Top Gear with Jeremy scaring himself witless in Belgium as his brain came to terms with the awesome 903bhp at the P1′s disposal on a less than forgiving Spa circuit in damp conditions. But what we have here – in case you’ve not seen it elsewhere – is a video review of the McLaren P1 from Drive’s Chris Harris, and it does the best job we’ve seen of explaining just why the P1 is so special and why it’s “…a whole new thing”.

GM grants Saab a reprieve, CEO Henderson resigns

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 02 December 2009 15:51 The board of General Motors has granted Saab a lifeline – by extending the deadline for bids on its stricken Swedish patient to 31 December 2009. GM has been trying to sell Saab for the past year, and the Swedish car maker has been under court bankruptcy protection since February 2009.GM chief executive officer Fritz Henderson also announced he was to stand down. His interim successor is hard-nosed GM chairman Ed Whitacre – meaning that GM Europe and the US mothership have both lost their bosses in a matter of weeks.