GM’s Bob Lutz Challenges Public to ‘Run What You Brung’ Duel

General Motors Co. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz says he’s standing by the auto maker’s “May the Best Car Win” marketing effort by challenging anyone with a production stock, 4-door sports sedan to a race against his Cadillac CTS-V.

Lutz, a longtime industry maverick known as well for flying his fighter jets and helicopters around Detroit as he is for his passion for classic race cars, schedules the challenge for Oct. 29 at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, NY.

“I put the challenge out to you,” Lutz writes at GM’s Fastlane blog. “If you own a car comparable to the Cadillac CTS-V and you want to match up against me and the Cadillac, you can join us at Monticello.”

The enthusiast blog Jalopnik.com was the first to respond, Lutz notes, but assures there will be more drivers for the “run what you brung” duel. Drivers can register at the GM blog, and the auto maker will select additional challengers.

It’s difficult to determine whether Lutz has proposed a fair fight. Few production sports sedans stand up to the Cadillac CTS-V, which boasts a 556-hp, 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine.

The car turned a time of 7:59.32 at Germany’s famous Nurburgring, setting a record for its class. The new-for-’10 Porsche Panamera sedan reportedly beat Cadillac’s record in recent testing, but the company is keeping its times close to the vest.

Lutz’s challenge relates to the auto maker’s newly launched “May the Best Car Win” marketing scheme, which asks consumers to compare GM products against key competitors in their segment.

“We have a lineup of vehicles that we think, if given a chance, can stack up with the best the rest of the automotive manufacturing world has to offer,” says Lutz, who postponed his retirement after GM’s bankruptcy to take over as the auto maker’s marketing czar.

Lutz with Cadillac CTS-V at 2009 North American International Auto Show.

Lutz has promised to increase spending on marketing that focuses less on GM’s corporate image and more on its four core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

“We’re going to take away every last excuse people have not to consider our products,” Lutz says, suggesting the duel might also finally put to rest misconceptions that Cadillac cannot put the sort of top-performance cars on the road as the German luxury auto makers.

“In other words, we believe we have achieved our goal of building the world’s fastest sedan, but I look forward to putting that theory to the test.”

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