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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM The Nürburgring record-setting Cadillac CTS-V Over the past two decades, John Heinricy has probably done more to enhance the performance image of General Motors than any other single individual. From the perspective of a petrol-head, Heinricy has for many years held what is probably the coolest job at GM as the director of the Performance division and top-dog test driver. We found out today that Heinricy is retiring after 38 years as an engineer and test driver for GM. In his off time, Heinricy has raced a wide variety of cars at many different levels and captured 11 SCCA national titles. Much of his best known work has been at the wheel of the last several generations of Corvettes along with the Cadillac CTS, but this year he got the most attention for his exploits in the new CTS-V . Specifically, he became the first driver to record a sub-eight minute lap time at the Nurburgring in a production four-door sedan with...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Chevrolet , GM The Chevy Cruze era has begun in South Korea, except the sedan will be badged as the Lacetti Premiere. General Motors partner Daewoo is producing the fuel efficient sedan for Korea, the first market to get one of GM's most important future vehicles. The Cruze is the first truly global vehicle that the General will produce, with a keen eye on fuel economy and scalability. The Lacetti Premiere will come equipped with the same 1.6L powerplant with 140 hp as the rest of the world, meaning fuel economy is reported to approach 40 mpg on the highway. Europe won't receive the Cruze until early 2009, with the U.S. getting the Bow Tie-branded sedan in 2010... at the earliest . Gallery: 2011 Chevy Cruze [Source: Trading Markets ] GM launches Cruze in South Korea as Lacetti Premiere originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Buick , GM Click above for high-res gallery of Buick LaCrosse spy shots Judging from spy pics we've seen of the upcoming 2010 Buick LaCrosse , General Motors may have a winner on its hands, even if it is getting delayed . If specs from GM Inside News are accurate, Buick's new midsize sedan will have significant new powertrains, too. The big news comes from an all-new 3.0L, direct-inject V6 engine based on the larger 3.6L VVT powerplant that the General uses now. The small-displacement V6 packs some serious punch at 250 hp, and will be mated to the automaker's new 6T70 six-speed transmission for improved efficiency. The new 3.0L engine is likely to achieve a significant fuel economy gain over the 3.6, with highway economy estimated at close to 30 mpg. The new LaCrosse will also feature the same 3.6L powerplant that underpins the Chevy Traverse, with direct injection and an estimated 290 hp. Other details about the new LaCrosse include HID headlamps...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Chevrolet , GM , Earnings/Financials Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 2011 Chevrolet Cruze As General Motors burns through $1 billion in cash each month, the automaker's belt-tightening continues unabated, spanning the spectrum from lay-offs to shutting down the escalators at the RenCen. Naturally, its products aren't immune from the cash-strapped hatchet. First came word that the CTS Coupe and Buick Lacrosse debuts have been delayed , and now BusinessWeek reports that the Cruze's launch has been put off by a year, now set to hit dealers in 2011. Additionally, the next generation Malibu won't be out until 2013 - six months after it was due to arrive. GM spokesperson Dee Allen wouldn't get into specifics, only saying that new-car programs "are going to shift around a bit." The General's decision to put off development of certain projects isn't surprising considering the automaker's current predicaments...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Cadillac , GM , Rumormill According to MotorTrend , General Motors is considering fitting its 4.5-liter Duramax V8 Turbodiesel inside the Cadillac CTS sedan as a stepping-stone between the standard V6-equipped CTS and the barn-burning CTS-V. The report contends that the Duramax V8 would be an easy fit inside the confines of the CTS' engine bay with the addition of the CTS-V's bulging hood. The dual-overhead cam, four-valve diesel V8 puts out 310 hp and a tire decimating 520 lb.-ft. of torque and GM already has a transmission that can handle the grunt. The oilburner currently meets the tougher 2010 emissions standards which would allow it to be sold in all 50 states, and with a reported 20-25% increased fuel economy over the V8 model, the diesel CTS could provide some competition to similar offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. According to MT , the amount of modifications would be minimal and the addition of the CTS diesel...
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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: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Videos , Chevrolet , GM Click above to view video after the jump GM celebrated its 100th anniversary by unleashing the production 2011 Chevy Volt to the world. It was a great way to show that the General is working hard on innovative transportation to kick off its next 100 years, but we're still two years and a month away from being able to actually buy a Volt. Until that time, we're forced to gather intelligence as it becomes available without being able to get behind the wheel. Thanks to the Volt-o-files over at GM-Volt.com, we now know what the Volt looks like when it's traveling on the open road. The video after the jump shows the Volt strolling around GM's closed course proving grounds in Milford, Michigan. The two-minute clip reveals very little of the Volt's capabilities because it's chugging along at a leisurely pace, and the Coldplay soundtrack hides the Volt's audio, which should be limited...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Green , Chevrolet , GM , Pontiac , Saturn Click above for live high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt GM is not going to let the Volt or its E-Flex powertrain get lonely. The first Volt -- the one due in late 2010 -- hasn't been finished yet, yet is so popular that GM is publicly theorizing about how far it can spread the technology through the empire. Ideas include a smaller car with a smaller battery pack that could go 20 miles on pure electric, and be much cheaper. A proper wagon, just "a little bit bigger," could also make the cut. And those variants don't all need to be Chevrolets. Other GM brands will certainly be blessed with Volt technology, if not an outright case of brand engineering. Cadillac is one of the wolves thought to be circling the Volt's henhouse, and using Volt systems in a Caddy might allow GM to make a profit on such a car without tax breaks . If there were a more economical...
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Filed under: Coupes , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Plants/Manufacturing , Chevrolet , GM , Earnings/Financials Click above for more high-res shots of the Chevy Cobalt SS General Motors cites the success of the current Chevy Cobalt as the reason for delaying the launch of the Cobalt's replacement, the upcoming Cruze , in the States. In order to meet the market's soaring demand for small cars in general, and the Cobalt in particular, earlier this year GM added a third shift to the Lordstown Plant where the Cobalt is built. For '09, the General plans to build an extra 70,000 Cobalts, expecting fuel prices to remain high and demand for its compact sedan and coupe to follow suit. Unfortunately for the struggling automaker, those extra cars may not necessarily add up to extra profits, with the Cobalt priced below its main competitors from Japan. For this reason, GM will be adding a few bucks to the bottom line of the Cruze , in a pricing move similar to the recently released Malibu...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Videos , Chevrolet , GM Click above to watch video after the jump General Motors' goal for the exterior of the 2011 Chevy Volt is to create as much pizazz as possible with superior aerodynamics to ensure the least amount of parasitic loss for the electric drivetrain. The interior, however, is all about how the driver interacts with the vehicle. And with the Volt, GM designers attempted to pull off a Buck Rodgers meets Apple iPod theme. A quick glance at the futuristic Volt interior shows a very unique approach to integrating design and technology. The first thing we noticed was that GM decided to use two seven-inch LCD screens, with one working as the main driver instrument panel (no gauge cluster here) and the other for everything from navigation to tracking battery charges. Both screens are user configurable, and two different configurations can be saved for two different drivers. Follow the jump for more including a video...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of 2011 Chevy Volt Everyone who has been waiting with bated breath for the past year and a half to see the production version of the Chevy Volt can now breathe a big sigh of relief. After some extremely unflattering press shots shots were accidentally released last week, people were extremely disappointed with what appeared to be little more than a Prius clone. Anyone who spends time photographing cars knows how hard it can be to make them look good and how easy it is to make them look really awful. Unfortunately, those shots that were unapproved and never supposed to be released anyway fell into the latter category. The car that GM rolled out this morning as part of its centennial celebration in Detroit is a much more attractive machine that while different from the concept is still very attractive. Rather than the egg shape look we saw, it's actually much more like...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Ford , GM , Holden , Australia , FPV , HSV FPV vs. HSV is basically Australian for "Ford vs. Chevy," but on steroids. The two performance divisions have elevated the production of the muscle sedan to an art form, with audacious looks and big power ruling the day. It's as if the original American muscle car era never ended, but got a passport and moved Down Under. Granted, we in the States don't have much to complain about lately, with Aussie muscle now available in a Pontiac wrapper, as well as the 21st century editions of Camaro, Challenger and Mustang waiting to wreak havoc at stoplights. Still, the sweetest fruit is that which is forbidden, so you might be interested in the Motoring Channel's super acronym showdown: FPV GT-P vs. HSV GTS. The FPV is based on the new Ford FG Falcon, which arrived earlier this year, while the HSV's Holden Zeta platform underpinnings are now a couple years old. Both have V8s, both look...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , GM , Saab A Saab owner attending the 2008 Saab Owner's Convention posted a recap of the events at Trollhattan Saab (which we thought was defunct , but if not, we're glad it's back). One of the most noteworthy events was something on which he barely commented: a sketch of the new 9-5. Saab has been threatening for a while to start incorporating Aero X cues into its vehicles, and this could be it. The text around the car says it will have "aircraft heritage," "fuselage bodysides," a "wraparound winshield," and a "grille inspired by a J21 ." We find the J21 bit and the fuselage sides a stretch, but it's still a good looking place to start. The sketch also hints that the tech in the new 9-5 is already being used in the Turbo X. While other Saabs are supposed to be downsizing , the 9-5 will actually grow since it's based on the Epsilon II platform along with the Opel Insignia and next-gen versions of the...
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