2013 Chevrolet Corvette?

Before the test, said that the C7 Corvette 2013 model approach readers have not yet reached the production stage. In fact, the model 2012 has not yet reached showrooms. So why the debate on the 2013 model? That’s because GM plans to start production in April 2012. And the buyers who want to buy a Corvette C7 this year can expect to see bits and address of the current model. Here are some details on the C7 Corvette 2013.

Athletes Corvette is very old and traditional there all the time. And why is that GM has announced that new models will Stingray concept. It would be completely wrong statement that the car’s performance will be bad. Amendments added that GM is in the eye, 2013 Corvette C6 C7 comparable model. What can you expect from C7 Corvette 2013? First, they are independent suspension, similar to C6. Then there’s a gun in every street corner. The cons of GM decided to withdraw the traditional driving the car with an electric motor that is able to provide the rest. In addition, a machine for four-wheel ABS brakes again, with several previous models. Other features of the car, Active Handling System, Magnetic Selective Ride Control and Launch Control.

In addition, GM has decided to correct mistakes and improve the interior of the C6. This is due to reveal our sources, the car, I decided to update the entry of the cabin. They should also be significant changes in door panels of banks’ and trim. However, there are things that are equipped with comfort and convenience in the Corvette C6 C7 which took place in 2013.

Source (with more news);
http://2013corvette.info/

2013 Chevrolet Malibu pic leaked

Below is the outgoing model for comparison sake.... I gotta say, it's a nice looking car....
Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/14/2013-chevrolet-malibu/

MotorTrend: First Look: Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck

Nice looking concept, wonder if this is going to have anything really new (in bed trunk or something like), Chevy is sure committed to that Malibu front end....
Ahead of its public debut at the Bangkok Auto Show, General Motors has taken the wraps off of the preview version of its next-generation midsize pickup, which has been (not so) imaginatively dubbed the Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck.

Why Thailand? As it so happens, the southeast Asian country is the number one market for midsize trucks in the world and about 43% of the new cars sold there are trucks.

Technical details on the Show Truck are few. GM has said that under the hood is a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine and that it's equipped with all-wheel drive, which helps to lend it a taller stance. GM currently uses a 2.8-liter diesel inline-four in the Brazilian-market Chevrolet S-10, where it makes roughly 138 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. It's likely that the Colorado Show Truck is employing a version of this mill.

The extended-cab truck sports the same dual-port grille that's become a signature of Chevrolet's design. In this case, it looks much like that of the Malibu midsize sedan. The truck rides on 20-inch aluminum wheels fitted with off-road tires and its exterior features details such as LED turn-signals in the rear-view mirrors, Pepperdust Metallic paint with aluminum details in the fascias, projector-style headlamps with LED accents, and LED taillamps. GM vice president of global design Ed Welburn says that "its broad-shoulders proportions are derived from nearly a century of Chevrolet truck heritage."

Much time and money was reportedly spent on the interior. It features a dual-cockpit instrument panel that flows into the doors that's highlighted by motorcycle-inspired, three-dimensional gauges in the instrument panel. Other interior details include contrasting trim, chrome accents, and soft-touch materials. There are copious storage compartments throughout the cabin, including a covered center console and dual glovebox. The truck is also equipped with dual-zone climate control and a seven-inch LCD display in the center stack.

As for whether the truck will replace the existing U.S.-market Colorado/Canyon, GM continues to remain silent. However, a GM official we spoke with said that the automaker has no plans to abandon the midsize truck market and that a new version of the truck is on the way. We're betting it will come out looking much like the show truck, with different engine options and a steering wheel on left side, of course.

Whatever it ends up being, it will surely built somewhere in the NAFTA area to avoid the so-called "Chicken Tax" that makes importing trucks from countries like Thailand unprofitable. GM says details for the production model will come later in the year, so stay tuned.

Source (with more pix!);
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/trucks/1103_chevrolet_colorado_show_truck_look/index.html

Canadian Driver: First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

I am very curious to see how the Volt will perform in a winter, this is a great read....
Review and photos by Grant Yoxon

Detroit, Michigan – While driving silently through Detroit on a cold day in January, I am reminded of a comic book quote from my childhood, “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Superman!”
In this case, the Chevrolet Volt is neither a bird nor a plane. It is not a hybrid, although it does have both an electric drive unit and a gasoline engine. But it is not a battery electric vehicle either because it does have that gasoline engine on board.

The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with extended range, meaning it is propelled by an all-electric drive unit, but with the assistance of a gasoline engine that generates electricity for the electric drive system, can be driven without a recharge or fill up for up to 610 kilometres. Amongst electric vehicles, it truly is Superman.

The Chevrolet Volt is powered by GM’s unique Voltec propulsion system which, in simple terms (for a more detailed explanation, see the accompanying feature, “Deeper into the technology: the Voltec electric drive system”) consists of a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 149-hp electric drive unit that propels the car exclusively on electricity for up to 80 kilometres, depending on terrain, driving style and climate. When the car’s battery reaches a minimum charge, a 1.4-litre gasoline engine starts up to maintain the minimum charge of the battery enabling the Volt to continue on its way for an additional 530 kilometres, give or take.

On this blustery winter day, we drove approximately 40 kilometres before the driving mode graphic in the driver’s display indicated we had switched from pure electric to extended driving range mode. Not until we came to a stop light, however, did we hear the engine.

Once tuned into the sound of the engine, you realize that it seems to operate with a life of its own. Unlike a gasoline powered car or a hybrid, the rise and fall of the engine speed is not related to the action of your right foot. RPMs increase or decrease according to the needs of the battery pack. It is an unusual feeling to be sitting at the same stop light and hear the engine accelerate while the car is sitting still!

While driving exclusively in electric mode, the driver’s display indicates that we are achieving 250+ miles per gallon (the display can be easily switched to metric) or infinity in other words, but once the car switches to extended driving mode, the fuel consumption figure begins to drop. Over a full 610 kilometre drive, it is expected that the Volt will achieve, according to the US EPA, 37 mpg (6.3 L/100 km) in extended range mode and 60 mpg (3.9 L/100 km) in combined electric and extended range modes. However, if used locally and charged regularly, the Volt will use little to no fuel at all.

The Volt can be charged using either a household 120-volt plug in or a dedicated 240-volt charging station. The Volt comes equipped for the former with a 20-foot charging cord stowed in the back. Charging time takes 10-12 hours on 120V, but only four hours on 240V. Owners can schedule immediate charging or coordinate the charging for their departure time or to take advantage of lower-cost off-peak electric rates. If the vehicle is plugged in, recharging can be controlled remotely using an OnStar mobile app for iPhones and Android smart phones or by accessing an application at MyVolt.com.

While the Volt may not be range limited, our time in the Volt was, with about an hour and a half inside the car, so naturally our driving impressions are somewhat limited. Our drive took us on Detroit’s freeways and suburban streets on our way to GM’s Hamtramck Assembly Plant where the Volt is built along side the Cadillac STS and the Buick Lucerne (although it shares nothing in common with these two).

The Volt has three drive modes – ‘normal’, ‘sport’ and ‘mountain’. The latter, which limits electric range and maximum drive output – the Volt has a maximum speed of about 160 km/h – ensures the Volt has the power to drive up sustained grades. ‘Sport’ mode reconfigures the accelerator settings to provide quicker accelerator response, with zero to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) estimated to be less than nine seconds. Although maximum output is unaffected, the Volt feels more powerful and accelerates quicker. Call this the ‘fun’ mode.

The transmission has a ‘low’ setting, which is not low in the conventional sense of selecting a lower gear for descending steep grades. It is no different than the normal ‘drive’ setting with one exception – regenerative braking, where electrical power is captured and stored in the battery, is dramatically increased. The car decelerates rapidly when the accelerator is released. When combined with ‘sport’ mode, it is the perfect combination for stop-and-go driving.

On the freeways and streets we drove on, the Volt performed no differently, although much more quietly, than any other mid-sized sedan. Power is excellent, although, the more rapidly you accelerate, the more quickly the battery will deplete. Driving style is one factor that affects electric range. (kinda figured that)

The driver is presented with a full range of information and functionality displayed on two seven-inch screens, one behind the steering wheel, the other mounted on the centre stack. A full-colour, high resolution display replaces the speedometer and other gauges found in conventional vehicles and provides information on the battery state of charge and electric range, speedometer, fuel level and extended mode range, driving efficiency, trip information, tire pressure, oil life, and vehicle system messages. The second screen is the primary interface for infotainment, climate controls and efficiency. This latter function is multi-faceted including information on energy usage and energy efficiency, power flow and charging routines. Through this screen the owner can select a charging mode – immediate, delayed departure time and delayed rate and departure time mode, in which the Volt calculates the charging start time based on utility rates, rate preference and the programmed departure time. In this mode, the Volt will charge during the least expensive rate periods.

Surrounding the centre stack screen is a variety of touch-sensitive redundant controls for infotainment and climate, selecting drive modes, programmable charge modes, power door lock and unlock and the electric parking brake actuation and release.

The Volt’s advanced technology is not simply under the hood, but evident throughout the vehicle. Touch-sensitive controls, full-colour graphic displays, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation radio with 60-GB hard drive (30 GB for music storage), AM/FM/DVD-ROM/MP3 playback capability, voice recognition, XM satellite radio with XM NavTraffic/Weather, premium energy saving Bose sound system with six speakers and sub-woofer is the kind of technology one would expect in a premium, near luxury sedan.

The Volt is equipped with standard Jet Black premium cloth seats with Ceramic White accents, but can be ordered with leather seating and heated front seats. Only two option packages are available – a rear camera and park assist package and a premium trim package consisting of leather seating, premium door trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats.

In the US, the Volt starts at $41,695, not unexpected for a premium sedan. The rear camera option is priced at $695 while the premium trim package can be added for $1,395. While the Volt is available now in select U.S. markets, it will not be released in Canada until mid-summer 2011. Canadian pricing will be announced closer to its release, but expect a base MSRP in the mid-forties.

Some may balk at that kind of pricing, but the Volt is not a compact battery electric commuter or just a well-equipped hybrid. It is an extended range electric vehicle that is also a premium sedan, one that you will use 365 days of the year, a vehicle that you will drive to work or to a city 400 miles away, that is equipped with luxury appointments and the latest information and entertainment technology as well as the only range extending electric powertrain available on the planet.

If the battery electric vehicle is the bird and the hybrid is the plane, the Volt really is Superman.

Source;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2011/01/17/first-drive-2011-chevrolet-volt.htm?page=all

SEMA: HPP Comes up with its own Trans-Am Camaro kit

Nice!
The last time we heard from Heide Performance Products (HPP), the Michigan-based tuner showcased a Daytona conversion for Dodge's Challenger. Keeping with the vintage theme, HPP is now ready to show its next pony car conversion - a Camaro-based Trans-Am kit - at this year's SEMA show in Vegas.

As with all the other Firebird body kits out there (Lingenfelter's, ASC's, etc), HPP's version does its best to bring back the good-ol' days of the screaming chicken. The results, as with any "we're selling you memories" conversion, vary.

Regarding the proposition of selling this conversion (for anything other than the collectability factor), I don't see a point. Pontiac is D-E-A-D, it's not coming back, and that means anyone's "new" Trans-Am will forever be a Chevy wearing a costume. It's similar to having a Plymouth nameplate on a modern Chrysler or Dodge; the vintage naming works for the Daytona, but not for the Superbird.

Alongside HPP's Trans-Am will be a body kit for the Camaro that helps give Chevy's kinda-sorta-dated sports coupe some extra flair. Also, HPP will have a Camaro wearing an HPP T-Top kit, too. Expect more info, including pics, pricing, and power, as it becomes available.
By Phil Alex

Source (with more pic's!);
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/10/sema-hpp-comes-up-with-its-own-trans-am.html

Det News: Groundbreaking Chevy Volt is buzzworthy

Here's a really good article on the Chevy Volt....
By Scott Burgess

No one can screw up a good thing like General Motors Co., the U.S. carmaker with the innate ability to magically unravel silk purses into a sow's ear faster than a website can post an outlandish headline.

Sadly, as editors and reporters around the world attempt to understand planetary gear sets (hint, the sun gear is in the middle), half shafts and high-speed generator motors, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will get parked in a confused haze of what percentage of torque from the gas engine turns the wheels.

Here's my take: I don't care.

Instead of trapping GM in a lie or defending a company that should have seen these storm clouds three years ago, I'll simply add my 2 cents: The Volt is a great car.

Label mongers who demand the Volt is a hybrid (it's not) can slap a hybrid refrigerator magnet on the fender if they want. They should also admit, according to their own standards, that the Volt is the best hybrid on the face of the Earth. Then, go out and buy two.

Electric purists who say the Volt is an electric car (it's not) must also admit that all electric cars are currently coal-fired, steam-powered vehicles, which is where most of our juice comes from nowadays. Then, go out and buy two.

It's important that anyone vocal enough to e-mail me their insightful and uninformed thoughts buy at least two Chevy Volts to help lower its price. With a starting sticker of $41,000, the Volt might as well run on diamonds, which used to be coal before succumbing to untold tons of (media) pressure.

No matter how you view this gem of GM, the Volt delivers electric car performance and unlimited gas mileage if you drive like 80 percent of America, less than 40 miles a day.

The problem with the Volt is the technology under the hood is more complicated than a five-word headline.

We live in a world that requires definitive labels. Something this new represents change, and lots of people find change scary.

Powered upThe Volt will leave you screaming, but from its performance and great acceleration.
The electric motors produce 149 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Those are torque numbers you see in V-6s. There are three driver settings: normal, sport and mountain, which adjust a number of electric inputs. My favorite is sport.

The electric power steering is clean, well-weighted and provides a nice return to center. The suspension, which includes an independent front and semi-independent torsion beam rear, is soft for this heavy car. GM has not released its weight, though with more than 400 pounds of batteries, two electric motors and a small four-cylinder gas engine, this car won't be light. Its body rolling through hard corners and tight maneuvering was kind of expected.

The brakes, which include regenerative braking to help push more electricity into the battery pack, take a little getting used to.

The Volt provides a drive setting that will force harder regen braking, similar to some hybrids, and it feels like the car has downshifted when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator. While eco-fficient, it's also eco-nnoying.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Volt ride is how quiet it is. When the gas engine kicks on, it purrs. The start/stop system on the gas engine is flawless, making it difficult to tell when exactly the engine has turned over. There were more than a couple of times while driving it that I had to roll down the window to confirm whether the engine was on or off.

Chevrolet accomplished this with a number of lightweight sound-dampening materials, some of which were sprayed onto body panels, and a laminated windshield. Add to that a car with a drag coefficient of 0.28 and you understand why it's so quiet.

Inside beauty
The cabin is simply the best Chevy interior available. The two-tone dash clearly marks the traditional dual cockpit design that moves from the dash through the doors in a nearly seamless look. This helps the cabin feel even bigger. The grains and materials are all top notch throughout.
The optional heated leather seats are a must order — though interestingly, they are not electric powered. The leather just looks and feels nicer than cloth seats. While there are only two seats in the second row (instead of the bench seat) because of the battery package, I prefer this approach. Most compacts technically can sit five people, but rarely five adults.

The 7-inch LCD digital instrument panel adds to the car's high-tech feel, as does the 7-inch touch screen at the top of the dash. Both are programmable and can be adjusted to show a multitude of settings. Throughout the cabin, the driver is always reminded of the car's eco sensibilities.

The white center stack in my test vehicle added a clean and Apple-esque feel to the interior and the buttonless center stack, which uses touch sensitive spots, are easy to use and add to the clean feel. This is the most thoughtful design and best executed interior Chevy has ever created.

Worth the money?
All of this technology comes with a price: $41,000 or $33,500 after the government rebate. Is it worth it?

If you're looking for some sort of pay back, such as the money saved driving electric, then the answer is no. It may offer every bell and whistle from push button start to a smart phone app that can monitor the car, but it will never save you the difference.

But electric cars are more than an economical purchase. For people who want to drive an electric car without the hassle of range limits and for people who want to buy a car with cutting-edge technology, the answer is a resounding yes.

For the money, here's what you get: An electric car for the first 40-something miles — Chevy states the range as 25 miles to 50 miles, depending upon the weight of the driver's foot.

During two days of testing, I managed 32 miles on electric only at better-than-highway speeds.

The following day, with more typical driving, I managed 46 battery miles.

That means I could drive to work and back and never use a drop of gasoline. The next day, I could do the same thing. No gasoline car or traditional hybrid can make the same claim.

Then over the weekend, I could drive to Knoxville, Tenn., and back with never a worry and never a recharge. No electric car in the world can make that claim.

Introducing an all-new vehicle, something that has never been tried or sold before, takes money and gumption. Chevrolet has shown both.

The Volt is world-beater. Mother Nature might be the first to buy two.

Source;
http://detnews.com/article/20101014/OPINION03/10140368/1148/auto01/Groundbreaking-Chevy-Volt-is-buzzworthy