Lutz: Global warming a "total crock of ****"

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz is fully behind development of Chevrolet's aggressive Volt plug-in hybrid, but not for the same reasons as many environmentalists. Mr. Lutz -- GM's go-to man for one-liners and candid opinion -- had some choice words against the claim of global warming.



"Global warming is a total crock of shit," Lutz told a group of mostly local journalists during a closed-door meeting at the Cacharel restaurant near Dallas and Fort Worth. "I'm a skeptic, not a denier ... I'm motivated more by the desire to replace imported oil than by the CO2."

Aside from CEO Rick Wagoner, Lutz is among the highest-ranking GM executives who speaks with the press on a regular basis.

According to D Magazine, Lutz made it clear his opinion doesn't guide GM. "My opinion doesn't matter," he said. Of course, GM has done nothing to tone down the outspoken executive during his tenure as head of product development.

Indeed, Lutz is no stranger to controversial points of view. He is openly opposed to the U.S. government's new CAFE fuel efficiency standards, which he has claimed will add $6,000 to $10,000 to the price tag of most cars.

He even went as far as blasting his own company in 2006 for failing to compete with Japanese automakers early on. "I can't believe that we were so stupid," he said in March of that year.