Inside GM: Mystery of Crap Interiors Solved

I'm not at all surprised that the GM executives are too tightly wrapped up in their cocoons to drive their own products (with the exception of heavily tweaked versions). Given their inability to recognise the shift in the auto industry over the last 30 years, it's obvious they aren't in touch with reality.

I think the article has a good message for developers, especially that the old rule of 'Eat your own dog food' is of utmost importance. If you don't use your product, how can you know what your customers experience is like?

I don't think it's that unusual that the executives would only be presented with the best sample for demonstration. You have to remember that each car represents the hard work of many people, and I know that if I was the last person in that chain responsible for preparing the demo model for the CEO, I'd certainly take the time to make sure everything was perfect!

In fact, I think the author buried the lead in the last paragraph. I've never been turned off of a car because of a loose fitting joint on the dash, or a persistent rattle (my current car has both). Rather, the real problem is that they've removed the human element from the design process. I can't find the exact quote at the moment, but I recall Jonathan Ive once said something to the effect that he could pin-point when each car manufacturer moved from clay model prototypes to CAD design, because that's precisely when the cars lost their "soul".

Am I the only one that thinks executives should focus on making their company more efficient? Making calls from the back of a car is fine with me. Leave the test drives to people that know what to look for, media people, car enthusiasts, passionate buyers.