Get to know the Zune HD>>This catchy tune reminds me of one of the pop songs from the soundtrack of the hit movie "Juno." The two-minute jingle praises the Chevy Volt singing: "Volt could change the world someday." The video features pictures of various General Motors executives and President Barack Obama to push a "hope for the future" message.
The battery-powered Volt travels 40 miles on a single charge. After that, a range extending gas generator kicks in, letting the car travel hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.
(Credit:
Chevrolet)
Chevrolet has confirmed details and unveiled images of the 2011 Cruze compact sedan, which is set to be revealed in the sheet metal at the 2009 LA Auto Show on December 2. Set to compete directly with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet expects the Cruze to stand out because of its expected highway fuel economy of 40 mpg.
The Cruze achieves this 40 mpg rating (and a cruising range of more than 500 miles) when equipped with its new, small-displacement Ecotec 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. Standard on LT and LTZ models, the Ecotec 1.4L engine develops an estimated 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque.
Stepping over to the LS model nets you, among other things, a larger displacement 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine and access to a larger wheel and tire package. With either engine, the Cruze is available with automatic and manual transmissions, both of which are six-speed units.
Keeping the Cruze connected to the road is a MacPherson strut suspension up front and a Watts Z-link independent suspension in the rear, which, according to Chevy, helps to keep the Cruze's handling responses symmetrical on both left-hand and right-hand turns. Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, traction control, antilock brakes and electric power steering also do their part to keep the Cruze's 16-, 17-, or 18-inch wheels on the tarmac.
According to Chevy, the Cruze's interior is "Corvette-inspired."
(Credit: Chevrolet)Meanwhile, inside the "Corvette-inspired" cabin, the Cruze benefits from an array of noise canceling technologies, from hydraulic ride bushings to nylon baffles filled with sound-absorbent foam in the body to improved weather seals and tighter panel gap tolerances. Expect a reasonable list of infotainment technologies, including a six-speaker stereo system with MP3 playback capability, an auxiliary jack for personal playback devices as standard with available XM Satellite Radio, and OnStar. Premium audio comes in the form of a Pioneer sound system with a USB port for iPod operation, Bluetooth, and navigation.
The full list of cabin technologies hasn't been carved in stone yet and much can change between now and the Cruze's launch in third-quarter 2010. Stay tuned to our coverage of the 2009 LA Auto Show for more details as they emerge.
Chevy built the Volt for a smooth ride, but now engineers are putting the electric car to the test at General Motors' Milford Proving Grounds. Watch the Volt tackle potholes and a long stretch of cobblestones called Belgian Blocks.
Earlier this week, I posted a video featuring an SUV, the T-98 Kombat, as made by Russian manufacturer Dartz (whose $1.5M Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition extravagantly decked out in whale penis leather--how high-brow is that--even got lip service recently on "The Colbert Report"). Anyhoo, this particular blog (located here for your convenience) garnered the snide comment of "It looks like a Hummer...big deal." Well, funny that you should say that, sir, as today's video features the Dartz Kombat one-on-one against the Hummer H1. Let's get ready to rumble!
The Dartz T-98 has been noted as one of the fastest multiterrain armored vehicles in the world, boasting an 8.1-liter engine and made with parts courtesy of General Motors. The Hummer H1 is often considered to be the most desirable of the Humvee makes, being the first of the now famous line introduced by AM General and also valued for its (relatively) efficient gas mileage. Coincidentally, the Hummer brand is also associated with GM, which had to part with the line as part of its bankruptcy settlement. So how much do they have in common versus how much they don't have in common? Well, I'll let you be the judge, as this video puts both vehicle types to the test in various environments including highways, sand dunes, forests, and snow. Enjoy. Or not. It's no big deal, right?
Wow. I write a piece a couple days ago about the 2010 and upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Camaro, and next thing I know a representative from Chevrolet communications is posting a comment to my blog. Yeah, it was regarding a discrepancy in the information relayed in the video blog, but to me that's still pretty cool. As this gentleman pointed out, there are custom car builders out there who are co-opting the Chevy Camaro make and putting out non-GM versions of the Camaro for the consumer who wants one done their way. Apparently, Hennessey Performance Engineering does just that, and they've splattered videos of their souped-up and supercharged Camaros all over YouTube. And here's just one of several videos they've done to hype their business of making bad-ass cars even badder.
In this Web video HPE puts a reportedly specialized 2010 Chevy Camaro SS up to a dyno to see what kind of power this beast can bring to its wheelbase, and its horsepower is certainly impressive. (Love the hum of that engine!) Then a little after the 2-minute mark we get to see that same Camaro roar by on a two-lane highway. Like Borat would say, the view is "nice!"
Automakers are expected to agree this week to use the SAE J1772 five-pin charging system and coupler as the standard connection for plug-in vehicles.
(Credit: SAE International)The Society of Automotive Engineers International, the organization that sets the standard for aerospace and automotive industry technology, will vote this week to make the SAE J1772 charging system and coupler the standard connection for plug-in vehicles, according to a General Motors executive.
Britta Gross, director of GM's Global Energy Systems, shared the news during a live Web chat at GM's Fastlane blog on Tuesday evening.
"As Jon Lauckner said this morning, the Volt comes with a 120-V charger and if you can find a normal outlet, you can charge the Volt," Gross said.
She went on to add that all major automakers will eventually equip cars with the same charging coupler when their respective plug-in cars in the pipeline reach the consumer market because a standard agreement was being reached.
"Yes, GM's Gery Kissel is chair of the SAE J1772 standards committee. The standard is going to a vote this week after two and a half years of work. All major automakers are expected to agree to adhere to these charging standards. All infrastructure that goes in from now on should be J1772 compliant so all plug-in vehicles can use it," Gross said.
Gross is referring to the SAE J1772 or SAE electric vehicle conductive charging cable and coupler which has five pins and can be used with 120V or 240 V single phase electrical systems.
The agreement would allow charging stations throughout the world to plug in to any standard plug-in vehicle in the same way nozzles at gas stations are standardized to fit gas- or diesel-powered vehicles, respectively.
About a week ago, I read an article online about how automotive industry insiders were recently given a sneak preview of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible, which is reportedly slated to begin production in the near future. With all the dire financial straits General Motors has found itself in the last few years, this is definitely good news--I'm sure that I'm not the only who would hate to see such a classic American muscle car tradition bite the dust.
In fact, there seemed to be a lot of rumbling amongst industry reports that the 2010 Camaro might have been a concept-only vehicle not for sale to the general public. Thankfully, that has turned out not to be the case, and based on an online search, the 2010 Chevy Camaro convertible seems to be readily available at many Northern California dealerships. And while the general public has yet to get a glimpse of the 2011 model, we can however marvel at the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible via Web video, and here's one that will give you the low down on what this newest edition is all about.
This brief synopsis vid comes from those geeks at Edmunds.com (whose videos and analysis are almost always succinct and top notch) where they take the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible for a spin along a Pacific Coast Highway. And Edmunds notes that at the time of this production, the Camaro was still a giant question mark in the mass sale plans of GM. Is it the most amazing Camaro you've ever seen? Uh, no (the '69 Camaro gets my vote for baddest Camaro ever). But I'd rather have a modest modern Camaro running the streets than not to exist at all.
(Credit:
Drop Top Customs)
Suppose you wanted to pick up a convertible Chevrolet Camaro. You could wait patiently until the rumored 2012 release date. You could hope against hope that GM actually decides to release the darn thing. However, if you've got an extra 18 grand burning a hole in your pocket, you could see the folks at Drop Top Customs about making one for yourself, right now.
Ripping back the top will give rear passengers more headroom, but not legroom.
(Credit: Drop Top Customs)
Custom convertibles usually look odd with the top up. Drop Top's Camaro avoids this pitfall.
(Credit: Drop Top Customs)That $18,000 dollar price tag doesn't include the cost of the donor car, so expect to add between $22K and $33K, depending on how much topless muscle you're looking for.
Florida-based Drop Top Customs is currently accepting orders and will display its custom convertible Camaro at the 2009 SEMA Show.
General Motors' pilot program to sell cars on eBay has reached the end of its road. The automaker said it's concluding the program as scheduled, effective Wednesday.
Launched on August 11, the eBay Motors pilot program offered California auto buyers new GM cars, which they could either negotiate for or "Buy it now" at the discounted selling price.
(Credit:
eBay Motors)
Initially set to expire September 8, the program was extended by GM until the end of the month.
The financial success of this pilot may be difficult to gauge. Earlier reports suggested that few sales were being generated. But GM discovered that tracking actual sales was more challenging than expected.
"Nobody's ever done this before, to sell new cars on eBay," said GM spokesman John McDonald. "So the whole point of the pilot was to learn some lessons. And one of the lessons we learned is that it's very difficult to track sales if they're not made directly through eBay. Unless you can tie a sale to an eBay interaction, it's difficult to come up with sales numbers. So we learned that we have to find a better way to (track sales.)."
The company has been encouraged by the figures it was able to track. Around 16,000 vehicles were listed online for the pilot, with more than 225 dealers participating. GM's eBay Motors site attracted 1.5 million visitors during the six-week period, said McDonald, with a total of 1.9 million searches conducted for vehicles. More than 15,000 leads were generated for dealers from potential new car buyers.
"The real intent of the program at the time and the reason we did it in California was that we wanted to raise awareness and consideration of GM products among people who wouldn't typically shop GM," said McDonald. The company wanted to target people who wouldn't normally go to Chevy.com or Buick.com, but would go to eBay to shop.
"Being the first manufacturer out there to put new vehicles online, I think in just that six-week period, it shows you that there were a lot of people looking at these vehicles who weren't looking at those vehicles before," said McDonald.
Unlike the typical eBay seller, GM wasn't auctioning off vehicles at bargain-basement prices, which may have dissuaded some buyers. "We're not fire-selling vehicles on eBay," explained McDonald. "There's a certain amount of user education in that, and a certain amount of dealer education."
A story in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that some dealers found they wasted time pouring through unrealistically low-ball bids that would never result in an actual sale.
McDonald said he understands where the dealers are coming from, and that's something GM can learn from if the company decides to roll out the program nationally next year.
"But the interesting thing about the comment is that they're interacting with customers who didn't even talk to them before," said McDonald. "Is it an offer that you may not be able to take? Probably. But are you talking to someone who wasn't even looking at GM products before? Yeah, you are. So now you've established a contact, and that's a big part of what we were trying to do with the program."
McDonald said a number of dealers liked the chance to extend their showrooms online. But reactions varied. Dealers who already used the Internet as part of their business knew how to work with the program. Dealers who weren't already online ran into more difficulty.
For its next step, GM will review the customer and dealer feedback and the lessons it learned to see if this program can fit in with the company's marketing plans moving forward. McDonald is optimistic. "We'd love to work with eBay next year to do something on a national level," he said. "But what that looks like and what the timing would be will depend on the results of this test."
General Motors announced it will invest more than $21 million to produce the 2011 Chevrolet light-duty crew cab at the GM assembly plant in Flint, Mich., beginning in mid-2010.
GM Flint Assembly is GM's sole producer of GM's heavy-duty crew cab trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Flint Assembly also produces the heavy-duty regular cab Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. The $21-million investment in the Flint Assembly plant will include renovating the existing heavy-duty assembly process, new machinery, equipment, and tooling to support the light-duty crew cab production in the plant.
The 2010 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra have best-in-class fuel economy at 15 miles per gallon in the city and 22 highway.
Construction at Flint Assembly is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009 and production is scheduled to begin in July 2010.
