This move of GM fulfills a big wish of car buyers: the possibility to compare cars. The web is loaded with comparison sites and cars are no exception:

BUT, the web is also a great place to bash on GM, which is known for its awful quality. This has resulted in declining sales and massive losses. In 2006 GM lost $US 2 billion (and US$ 8.6 billion in 2005). Toyota has recently passed the American giant in sales volume. GM is taking a huge beating on the web, where the empowered customer speaks out. For example on sites like these:

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People want to compare cars and now the only place they can do this is on the web. But this same web is transparent and its content is killing GM. So the company decided to boldly take the web’s transparency and bring it to their showrooms. In an attempt to beat the enemy with its own weapons, GM hopes people will make their buying decision in the showroom and not in the comfort of their homes with a a computer (full of compromising info) at hand.

It is a brave move, as Toyota is selling three times as much Camry’s as GM does Aura’s. Personally, I think it is a desperate move of GM and badly executed. Because GM is only battling the comparison battle on the mid-size car market. When it comes to SUV’s (where they have a 70% marketshare) they do not have the guts to roll in a Toyota Landcruiser.

In the end I think the idea is brilliant, but it is partial transparancy and not total transparancy. The 21st century consumer wants total transparency, but GM is thinking out of its own sales figures and not out of the consumer. I hope the idea will be picked up by another brand which will take it a few steps further.