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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Plants/Manufacturing , Supercars , Chevrolet , GM , Rumormill The rumormill is a funny thing, and sometimes, it can run amok. This appears to be one of those times. The DigitalCorvettes.com forum posted a note earlier this evening suggesting that Corvette ZR1 production has been halted and that the ZR1 may be cancelled. A post on dealer Rick "Corvette" Conti's blog , linked in the referenced DigitalCorvettes thread, added to the intrigue. Autoblog has contacted GM's Terry Rhadigan, who handles global communications for the Chevrolet brand. We presented the DigitalCorvettes link and asked for an official resonse. His was very clear: "Not true." Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Economy , Chevrolet , GM , Lifestyle Click above for high-res gallery Many people choose their car because it is an extension of themselves, their personality, their style and their passion. These folks tend to forge a deep attachment with their automobile, an inanimate object void of emotion. Despite that fact, a vehicle has wants and needs of its own, and some can be more demanding than a small child. As with any parent, there are curious automobile owners who often wonder, where did my baby come from? Recently 134 Chevrolet Cobalt fans got the chance to find out. Back on September 27th, GM opened up the Lordstown, OH plant for 85 lucky owners and their guests. It was a rare chance for many to view the inner workings of an automotive assembly line, without a need to join the UAW. Event attendees received a full facility tour, on site lunch meet and greet, and of course freebee swag. Not surprisingly, the majority of the Cobalt fan base stemmed from the website CobaltSS.net...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Supercars , Chevrolet , GM , Rumormill With GM facing well-publicized challenges -- along with just about everyone else who needs a little thing called money -- certain high-profile and expensive programs are crowding up on the back burner. Even America's sports car, the Corvette, is not exempt, with CAFE regulations clouding the view inside the 'Vette Nation's crystal ball. Motor Trend , commenting on the C7 Corvette's delayed arrival , has said that the new coupe won't appear until the 2014 model year at the earliest. The mid-engined route has also been scrapped, since it would simply cost too much to re-engineer the entire car for the purpose of easier integration of fuel saving tech like cylinder deactivation. That means a six-cylinder is still being talked about -- by GM outsiders only, at this point -- as an option for the C7. If we take the Camaro as an example, that 2014 introduction date could mean late 2012, but that still...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Coupes , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 I received an Indy 500 poster on my birthday in 1986 that featured a Yellow C4 Corvette pace car leading the pack. My dad hung the poster above my bed, and I can honestly say that I stared at it every night for years. The Corvette was my dream car for my entire childhood, but as an adult I turned my attention to European rides like the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 360 Modena. When the C6 Corvette hit the scene for the 2005 model year, the Bow Tie brand's halo vehicle again had me pining for some General Motors muscle. GM gave the base Vette the same 400 horsepower as the C5 Z06, and I figured it was all the power I could ever want. That is, until the 2006 Z06 came along. The Z06 was kicking ass on the track and in enthusiast magazines, and it was toppling competition that far exceeded the Corvette's $70,000 price of entry. We never had the Z06 in the Autoblog...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro The highly anticipated 2010 Chevy Camaro is now only a few months from hitting the showroom floor, and we're just getting the final scoop on standard and optional content that will be available for all five Camaro variants. Customers wanting to order a Camaro can choose from LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS and 2SS models, and standard and optional equipment varies greatly between each package. The base model LS comes equipped with OnStar, 18-inch rims, and a 300-hp V6 engine, and the only optional item is floor mats. The 1LT package includes optional 19-inch rims, a Boston Acoustics sound system and a sunroof. The 2LT gets standard 19s, the sound system, leather seats, ambient lighting and Bluetooth and USB connections. If you want your Camaro to include a 422-hp V8, you'll need to step up to the SS . The 1SS package includes standard 20-inch rims, four-piston Brembo brakes, a limited-slip...
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Filed under: Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Paris Motor Show , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the Chevy Cruze LT The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial - in fact, it looks like it could be foreign - even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Minivans/MPVs , Paris Motor Show , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of Chevy Orlando Concept live shots Ever wish the Chevy HHR would evolve into something more cool than kitsch? What that would be is the Chevy Orlando Concept , a seven-passenger multi-purpose vehicle that will be entering production in Europe sometime in the near future. We sincerely hope General Motors considers selling the production version in the U.S. as a replacement for the HHR, as its slab sides and chunky stance impart a much more grown up and aggressive attitude than Chevy's current compact people mover. And just like the HHR is based on the compact Cobalt's platform, the production Orlando will be based on the same platform as the upcoming Cruze, which itself will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. There's really not a doubt in our minds that the Orlando is being developed to replace the HHR in the U.S. while it simultaneously enters a new segment in Europe...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Chevrolet , GM Bill Heard Chevrolet, which had been the largest Chevy dealer in the world by volume, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week after closing down all of its 13 stores last week, and the tale of financial ruin is surprisingly bad. The dealer conglomerate owes $229 million to GMAC financing, BMW financing, and JP Morgan Chase, but with the Chapter 11 filing, much of the money owed will likely never see the light of day. Bill Heard Chevrolet was the self-proclaimed "Mr. Big Volume" car shopping superstore that pushed Motown metal out its showroom doors even for customers with bad credit. The Georgia-based dealer seems to have had as many enemies as it had vehicle sales, and the state of Georgia just last month accused it of misleading business practices and forging signatures. The over 2,000 employees at the 14 dealerships are also considering a class action wrongful termination lawsuit that stems from the abrupt conclusion of...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Contests , Government/Legal , Green , Chevrolet , GM Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt Now that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has an agreement with General Motors regarding how to measure the fuel mileage of the 2011 Chevy Volt , our attention turns to the EPA, which now has to decide what official mileage rating will appear on the new car's window sticker and how to determine what that number will be. The first recommendation comes from the Automotive X-Prize, the foundation of which will award $10 million from Progressive Insurance to the winner of its competition to design a production-viable car that people would want to drive that gets 100 MPGe or more. What's with that little 'e' after the familiar miles per gallon? Basically, the X-Prize crew wants to convert all units of energy to a figure that's equivalent to the power from a gallon of gas. That way, a car's powerplant - regardless...
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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs , Etc. , Plants/Manufacturing , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac The last aardvark inspired minivan has passed through the doors of GM's Doraville, GA assembly facility. The plant, which opened in 1947, has four developers vying to get their hands on the 165-acre parcel. About 1,500 workers have been idled due to the closing, which was a long time coming . The Doraville plant's closing is an unfortunate consequence of the old GM, and its divestiture is intended to aid General Motors as it continues clawing its way back from the brink. We can't say the U-Platform vans will be missed. Though significantly changed from its inception as the Lumina APV with its odd styling, the Uplander was a swing of the pendulum to the other side of weird. Smack dab in the middle was the normal, yet lackluster, Venture. None of the platform's iterations managed to ignite buyer passions, coming up short against the competition, and lately completely crushed by the Odyssey...
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Filed under: Green , Tech , Chevrolet , GM At a press conference on Thursday, shortly after announcing plans for a new engine plant in Flint, Michigan, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner said his employer, "should be able to put to good use its portion of a $25 billion government loan package ." Wagoner goes on to say he's concerned about the details of the plan but hopes the package is expanded to include all gas-saving technologies, not just electric cars. Which is understandable, considering GM has already invested a great deal of money into the Volt and would logically welcome financial assistance in investigating other fuel-saving methods. Then again, the Volt may just yet turn out to be classified as an electric car by the EPA, as the California Air Resources Board just did. Wagoner was also pleased to hear about the Senate's approval of a $7,500 tax credit for buyers of electric vehicles. The tax break is something the company has been lobbying for since May, and would...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chevrolet , GM Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt According to General Motors E-Flex spokesman Rob Peterson, the automaker has reached an agreement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that would see the 2011 Chevy Volt get a unique classification different from other current hybrids. This new classification takes into account the fact that the Volt's 40-mile battery range allows it to complete the bulk of the emissions and economy test procedure without ever running the engine, which would likely give it a mpg rating of 100 mpg or better. This is problematic for the EPA, which considers dual-power vehicles like the series hybrid Volt no different than a parallel hybrid like the Prius. Currently the EPA is expecting the Volt to complete the test cycle with a charged battery, which means the engine would have to run a lot more and essentially kill the charge sustaining control plan. According to Peterson, GM...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of 2011 Chevy Volt Inside Line kicked up a dust storm yesterday by claiming that the 2011 Chevy Volt could not recharge its batteries while driving using its on-board, range-extending 1.4L gas engine. 40 miles of electric-only drive was it, and then the battery packs become "400 pounds of uselessness" was what IL said. They got this impression from a press release issued when the production Volt was unveiled to the public , which stated that the gas engine could only "sustain" the battery pack's charge and not increase it. GM got its communications crossed and apparently confirmed IL's take, but has thought about it some more and today reconfirmed what we initially thought was true, that the Volt's gas engine can recharge its batteries while underway. What the Volt's gas engine can't do is completely recharge the battery pack to its full capacity. Rather, when...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Chevrolet Bill Heard Enterprises sells more Chevy cars and trucks than any dealer in the world, but that distinction isn't enough to keep the doors open at the dealer's 13 stores. The soft economy, fuel prices and an over-reliance on the sales of trucks and SUVs were the reasons stated for the demise of these Chevy superstores. Another possible reason for the mass closure could have something to do with a pending suit against Bill Heard Enterprises involving signature forgery and deceptive marketing that could result in up to $50 million in fines. 2,700 people worked at the stores, and now all of those workers are out of a job. The dealer consortium didn't give workers any notice, either. Managers were told yesterday at 2PM that the stores were closing, and the doors are locked today. Customers with vehicles in the service area were told to pick up their cars, fixed or not, and customers arriving to pick up their new cars were given back their trade...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Paris Motor Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet , GM Click above for a gallery of the Chevy Orlando Live images of the Chevy Orlando , possibly shot during GM's own photo session, have surfaced online, showing the seven-seat crossover in all its conceptual glory ahead of its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show next week. The Orlando shares the same Delta II platform as the Chevy Cruze, with power provide by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel, and blends some traditional Chevy styling cues with a blocky, upright silhouette and show-friendly lighting tricks. Unlike other pie-in-the-sky concepts, the Orlando's interior looks downright drivable, with two-tone leather seats, a traditional steering wheel and a center stack that wouldn't shouldn't look out of place on anything rolling off the General's assembly line. All the details and plenty of live images from the show floor are coming in just over a week. But in the meantime, check the gallery below. Gallery...
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