The news that the Chevrolet Camaro beat the Ford Mustang in June sales is being heralded by GM as some sort of breakthough, a triumph of good product over weak sales.
To some degree, GM has it right. The new Camaro is a compelling product and deserves some credit for getting buyers to pry open their wallets during one of the worst recessions of all time.
But let's face it, the Camaro hype machine has been running overtime for years now. From concept cars to movie cars to prototypes in the desert, the Camaro has enjoyed so much advanced publicity that anything less than a sell out would have been catastrophic.
To call a victory for the Camaro in the pony car war at this point seems a little premature. Let's wait until the early adopters get their cars and then see how sales pan out. Right now the overabundance of SS models being sold suggests that most of the buyers are true enthusiasts, but as we all know, it's the V6 models that end up carrying cars like the Camaro and the Mustang. We'll see how long that lasts.
The General Motors bankruptcy proceedings are wrapping up today and the judge is expected to let this one sail through much like Chyrsler's reorganization. GM will be split into an "old" company saddled with all the problems, and a "new" GM that will emerge with few brands and none of the legacy issues that have plagued the company for decades.
Sounds great right? Well, maybe not. Bill Visnic of AutoObserver breaks down what's left of the "good" GM and doesn't find much to get excited about. Although Chevrolet looks like it can become a strong brand, Buick and GMC are big question marks. Even Cadillac has a tough road ahead gives its limited lineup and dependence on large cars and SUVs. Kind of makes you wonder if this whole government sponsored bankruptcy thing is really doing us any favors.
This is one new problem GM is more than happy to discuss. Yesterday, officials told Inside Line news that demand for the Camaro has outstripped supply, forcing the company to work overtime at its Oshawa production plant.
According to GM, SS models account for about 70% of its current orders. Black is also the most popular color as 25% of all models are ordered that way. "We think this may stem from the SEMA Black Concept, which was the most popular GM car at SEMA last year," Chevrolet spokesman Adam Denison told Inside Line.
In a brief statement (138 words), GM North America President, Troy Clarke today announced the end of GM's joint venture with Toyota, the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI).
In the statement, Clarke noted that, "GM and Toyota could not reach an agreement on a future product plan that made sense for all parties." Therefore, the 25-year-old NUMMI has been relegated to the dustbin known as "Old GM," and will not be among the assets the company will continue with when it emerges from bankruptcy. GM's participation will end when the last Pontiac Vibe rolls off the line in August.
Clarke ended the statement with, "...we remain open to future opportunities of mutual interest." He most certainly did not end it with, "It was awesome having you in homeroom this year. Stay cool!!!!"
The days of Vibes, Prizms and Novas is officially over.
Sure, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS is fast and all, but next to the latest 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 the standard Camaro doesn't stand a chance. To even things up a little, we snagged a supercharged Hennessey Camaro to see how it matches up.
Contributor John Pearley Huffman was tasked with burrning the rubber off of both cars and in the end he came away with a clear winner. Which one would you choose?
General Motors recently released some images of Volt prototypes undergoing testing in order to tell everyone that the company is ahead of schedule in testing the range-extended electric car and to keep the publicity pot boiling.
Unlike the Volt mule that we drove, which wore a cobbled-together Chevy Cruze body, these photos show a truly production-intent body. We thought we'd take this opportunity to point out some of the ways in which the production car will differ from the "production concept Volt" the company unveiled at its Centennial Celebration last September and has been trotting out at various auto shows around the world.
General Motors has announced that it will close its Shreveport, Louisiana plant by 2012. The plant currently builds the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups along with the Hummer H3 SUV which utilizes the same platform.
When a deal was announced to sell Hummer to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd., it appeared as though GM would continue to supply the H3 to the new owners. Now reports out of China are questioning whether the deal will go through as the Chinese government is not thrilled with the idea of a small private company dipping its hand into the production of Hummer-badged vehicles. AutoObserver: GM To Close Louisiana Truck Plant
This car could sell on looks alone, but it has a notable racing history thrown in for good measure. According to RM Auctions, this Corvette was owned by Georges Filipenetti, a Swiss racing enthusiast who brought the car to LeMans in 1968. It went on to race at LeMans for the next five straight years - a record that remains unbroken by a single chassis. The car was recently added to the roster at RM's Pebble Beach weekend auction in August.
Although hardly a pillar of the automotive industry, Farrah Fawcett posed with enough gaudy 70s Corvettes to make her a noted "car girl" of sorts. Her role opposite Burt Reynolds in The Cannonball Run helped too. And who can forget this 1975 commercial for the Mercury Cougar? They don't make them like that anymore.
Yeah, yeah, we know, you're sick of Hennessey Camaros already. But just for fun, take a look at this video of an LS9 V8 up and running in a 2010 Camaro.
Not only is the prospect of having the 638-horsepower monster under the hood of a new Camaro enticing, but just listen to what an ultra-modern V8 can sound like when it not all corked up with emissions/noise controls.
Not sure if this is a good sign or not. On one hand, the fact that you can score a new supercharged Hennessey HPE550 Camaro on Ebay means it actually exists, or will exist in the near future.
On the other hand, if Hennessey is already resorting to Ebay auctions to sell his latest creation, maybe demand isn't quite what he had hoped. The bidding started at just under $60,000.
In a webchat yesterday with journalists, GM's CEO Fritz Henderson said he's not a fan of badge engineering, the practice of creating new models by simply changing the name and styling of a current vehicle.
Odd then that he sees a bright future for GMC, a division that is made up entirely of badge-engineered Chevrolets. According to Henderson, the upcoming GMC Terrain is an example of badge engineering done right as it's sufficiently differentiated from the Chevrolet Equionox.
Well, Fritz may be right that the Terrain doesn't necessarily look like the Equinox, but that doesn't change the fact that it will still compete against its Chevrolet counterpart. They're both the same size and feature the exact same drivetrains. Sure, not every town has both a Chevrolet and a GMC dealer, but isn't GM supposed to be doing things differently now?
Mustangs and Challengers in the Nationwide Series next year? That's what Fox Sports is reporting. According to Lee Spencer, when the Car of Tomorrow debuts in NASCAR's second-tier series next year, it will include the Dodge and Ford pony car designs.
"Ten-fold better than a Cup car," a NASCAR official said of the designs, which must be submitted for approval by June 26 according to the NASCAR Rule Book.
Spencer also noted a conspicuous absence of talk about the Camaro, a possible consequence of GM's financial condition. Toyota is also stuck without a coupe, so it will most likely continue with its Camry sedan.
Clearly, the move is designed to bring back fans who grew bored with the cookie cutter designs of today's Sprint Cup cars, but the "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mantra may not have the draw even with the new designs.
A Chevrolet Corvette won the GT1 class at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R scored the team's sixth class victory in the French endurance classic. The question is, will this be the last victory for Corvette at Le Mans?
The No. 63 Corvette Racing C6.R of Antonio Garcia. Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell prevailed when the no. 62 Corvette Racing entry broke down with gearbox issues while leading the class with just two hours to go. The No. 63 car faced its own issues as Jan Magnussen fell ill with food poisoning during the night and was unable to continue. The No. 73 Luc Alphand Adventures Corvette C6.R finished second.
In truth there was never any doubt that a Corvette would win the woefully undersubscribed class, which has fallen far from the days when the Aston Martin DBR9, Ferrari 550 and Saleen S7 all battled Corvette. This has been the last year for the current GT1 rules.
Pratt & Miller Engineering has prepared a Corvette for competition in the GT2 class next year, where it would match up with the Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, but the GM bankruptcy has made the future of the program problematic. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Corvette's first appearance at Le Mans, when the Briggs Cunningham entry won its class and finished eighth overall, a breakthrough in respectability for America's sports car. No other Corvette finished so well at Le Mans until the factory-sponsored Corvette Racing entry did the job in 2001.
The win was Corvette Racing's 16th podium finish at Le Mans since 2000. It was the fourth Le Mans class win for O'Connell and Magnussen, and the second consecutive Le Mans GT1 victory for Garcia. O'Connell became the first American driver to win four class titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Last week we showed you a pic of John Hennessey's LS9 Camaro conversion in the early stages of its engine swap. The engine is now in and it fits quite nicely. A shame that Chevrolet is unlikely to perform the same upgrade anytime soon.
Peugeot beat Audi to pole position for the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday, June 13. Both teams had spent much of the qualifying sessions working on race setups, but with ten minutes to go in the second session, Stephane Sarrazin took his no. 8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP onto the circuit with orders to grab pole position away from Allan McNish in the no. 1 Audi R15 TDI.
Sarrazin threaded his way through slower cars on the 8.5-mile track to record a lap in 3:22.888, just 0.8 seconds quicker than McNish, for an average speed of 149.8 mph. This is the third consecutive pole at Le Mans for the Peugeot, while Audi has won the race overall eight of the last nine years. Both the diesel-powered sports cars are slightly slower around the track this year because of new regulations to make the gasoline-powered cars more competitive. The no. 7 Lola Aston-Martin was the quickest of these with a lap of 3:27.704.
Caspar Elgaard drove a Porsche Spyder RS to the pole in the LMP2 class in 3:37.720. The no. 63 Chevrolet Corvette C.6R of Jan Magnussen took the pole in the LM GT1 category with a best lap of 3.54.230, while the Porsche GT3 RSR of Flying Lizard Racing's Jorg Bergmeister took the pole for the GT2 category with a 4:03.202.
Audi's narrow victory over Peugeot in last year's race has revived interest in the endurance contest after a decade of dominance by Audi (and Bentley, its subsidiary), and enthusiasm has also been aroused by access through the Internet. Audi offers coverage through its own site (http://www.audir15tdi.com/) as well as sites on Facebook (fb.audir15tdi.com), Twitter (tw.audir15tdi.com), and YouTube (yt.audir15tdi).
They call it "Wild Thing" and it seems quite appropriate. Never mind the Green Lantern paint, this Corvette Z06 by Geiger Cars of Germany boasts twin turbos, 890-horsepower and a top speed of 220mph. If that doesn't grab your attention, well then, move along and let us bask in the ridiculousness.
Maybe you've had enough supercharged Hennessey Camaros for awhile. Fair enough, but we figured you might want to check this one out anyway.
As you can see from this early build shot, the Camaro up on the lift is getting a full-fledged heart transplant, specifically, a supercharged LS9 just like the ZR1 Corvette. That means at least 638-horsepower will be on tap even if Hennessey doesn't start messing with stuff. And how often does that happen? Should make for an interesting Camaro.
The Insurance Institure for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just released bumper tests on 7 "minicars" as it likes to call them and the results weren't pretty.
Smart Fortwo -- Acceptable Chevrolet Aveo -- Marginal Mini Cooper -- Poor Toyota Yaris -- Poor Honda Fit -- Poor Hyundai Accent -- Poor Kia Rio -- Poor
In the case of the Kia Rio, IIHS noted that repair costs from a 6mph frontal impact would result in $3,701 in damage, which equates to rougthly 30% of the car's original cost. The solid rating for the Smart car was largely a consequence of its easily replaceable pre-painted body panels.
The latest in GM drama takes a turn away from the government (for once) and moves on to the comments of a sassy blogger from the Huffington Post.
Blogger Gerald Sindell (the author of The Genius Machine) wrote this post called "An Open Letter to GM CEO Fritz Henderson," where he commented "Can an organization that has made so much truly ugly stuff suddenly start making great design?" and even called out the design office in Detroit for being "Older white guys wearing suits."
Ed Welburn, global vice president of General Motors Design, said "No, he didn't," and challenged Sindell to a bare-fisted battle in the Octagon.
Actually, he just dared him to take a seat in the Chevy Malibu or Camaro, Cadillac CTS or the Buick LaCrosse before making such wild accusations. What do you think? Would a drive in any of those vehicles change Sindell's mind?
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
If Jay's dyno test left you thirsty for more Hennessey HPE550, you're in luck. We have a full test of the first blown 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, and its numbers are downright impressive.
562 horses to the meaty Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires, a 12.1-second quarter-mile and a 4.3-second sprint to 60 mph. That cuts nearly half a second off the stock SS's 0-60 time, and almost a full second off of its gallop to 1,320 feet.
Whether it is the whining of the blower's 6 pounds of boost or the Yenko-inspired throwback graphics, the Hennessey HPE550 shows that American muscle is not dead - even with the looming CAFE standards.
Writing about the best used performance cars for $5,000 was a challenge. At that price point, you're either going to get lucky and find a gem, or get unlucky and end up shelling out another $5,000 to keep a basket case running.
So with that in mind, we decided to bump the price floor to $10K to start and see what we could find. The talent pool is much deeper for sure, although the possibility of a clunker is still there if you're not careful.
So take a look at our list and see what you think. Anything we missed?
What's that? You're a power addict and the 426 horsepower with which Chevrolet endowed the 2010 Camaro SS is weaksauce?
Here's your fix. The orange 2010 Camaro SS you see above has been given the full Texas-style treatment, and I'm not talking about barbeque. Hennessey Performance Engineering, headquartered in Sealy, Texas, coerces more power out of more than just Mopars and Mitsubishis these days, and he's turned his attention to Chevy's latest pony car.
It's called the Hennessey HPE550. The centerpiece of the conversion is the breathing enhancement delivered by a Magnuson Roots-style blower and liquid-to-air intercooler. Supplementing the 6 psi generated by the supercharger is a cold-air intake and free-flow exhaust. Owner John Hennessey tells us that the package swells peak power to 562 hp as measured at the flywheel.
Aftermarket horsepower claims are notoriously optimistic, so we did the obvious thing and strapped it to MD Automotive's Dynojet in Westminster, California. The result was anything but weaksauce.
General Motors announced this morning that it intends to build a new small car at an undisclosed plant in the U.S. We assume GM is referring to the Chevrolet Spark, but who knows at this point.
Announcing production plans just days before you also announce your own bankruptcy seems like odd timing, but then again, everything coming out of GM seems a little bit odd these days.
When GM engineer Mark Stielow was reassigned from the dying High Performance Vehicle Operations unit to the group that handles the hybrids, he created the coolest, most powerful "hybrid" we've ever seen.
This hybrid of a 1969 Camaro body with the engine, brakes, wheels and tires of a Corvette ZR1, called "Jackass" puts more than 500 horsepower to the rear wheels, through a Viper transmission and a live rear axle. Sounds exactly like something a Jackass could appreciate.
You see GM Engineer Mark Stielow's alter ego is that of a famous Pro-Touring hot-rod builder by the name of Mark Stielow. His series of reworked first-generation Camaros that go and turn and stop have made him something of a hero in the muscle car world.
Jackasses that we are, we might even get a drive in this creamy yellow screamer very soon. The car is seen here very near the end of its 20-month gestation.
A report in Automotive News says that the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro is still almost two years away. Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan told the industry trade paper that Chevrolet had initially intended to release the convertible in ealry 2010, but now it's looking like it will have to wait an extra year.
Sounds like a major disapointment, but let's face it, this isn't a great time to launch a completely unnecessary car. By the time the 2011 Chevy Camaro rolls out, the economy should be in much better shape. .
Say what you will about Chevrolet (and you will), but it has for decades led the industry in production of sometimes-tasteful, often-not special editions of its cars. In this way, Chevy is very much like the Bugatti Veyron, Maybach and Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Otherwise not so much.
This marks the first time Chevrolet won't produce an Indy pace car replica on the years when the Camaro has paced the race ('67, '69, '82, '93).
This may or may not have something to do with the fact that the company will produce an unspecified number of Bumblebee replica Camaros, timed to go on sale when the second Transformers movie opens this summer.
Here's your chance to vote for your favorite special-edition. Will it be the 2010 Bumblee Camaro? The 2010 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Camaro that won't exist? Or the 1974 Oleg Cassini American Motors Matador?
Bill Reinert, Toyota's U.S. national manager for advanced technology, told a National Academy of Sciences panel in Washington, D.C., Monday that the success of plug-in hybrids depends on their advantages over traditional hybrids.
"There is a great deal of variation on how current PHEVs perform in real-world conditions," Reinert said.
Although his statements sound like direct shots at cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma, Toyota is also testing plug-in variations of the Prius so he's probably speaking about their own conclusions.
Earlier this month, Bob Lutz took exception with some comments made by David Letterman about the Volt. Lutz called Letterman misinformed and vowed to show him the wonders of the Chevrolet Volt himselt.
That time has now come, as Lutz has been confirmed as a guest on the Late Show. Stephen Colbert will be there too apparently. Wonder what Lutz will say to him this time?
Deliveries of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro started last month and the demand is still running strong. Browsing completed Ebay auctions reveals plenty of buyers who just couldn't wait for their local dealer.
The 2SS RS shown above went for almost $7,000 over sticker two weeks ago. With over 100 Camaros currently up for sale in Ebay, however, we wonder how long it will continue to pull in such strong money.
Several new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen photos are floating around on the web. Only this one involves the cars in any significant way. And would you look at that? Only one model name stands out in this photo.
You've seen and heard the supercharged Hennessey Camaro SS on the dyno. Now watch it pull an apparent 11.67-second quarter-mile at 121 mph on a dragstrip. But first watch it do a burnout to prime the project car's 20-inch drag radials. Then, make fun of its icky side decals.
If true, an 11.7 quarter-mile would go some distance toward justifying whatever thousands of dollars the HPE supercharger package is likely to cost. We've timed a stock 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS at 13 seconds flat for the quarter-mile with a trap speed of 110.9 mph.
You read our feature on the Hennessey Camaro SS project car, so you know it hadn't made a full-on pull on the Magnuson chassis dyno with its HPE550 supercharger package.
Now it has.
Hennessey was aiming for 562 hp at the crank (the stock 2010 Camaro V8 makes 426 hp). In this pull, the Camaro makes a claimed 550 hp and 503 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, suggesting that goal has been satisfied and then some. Inside Line will be doing its own test on this car once all modifications are complete. And, yes, listening to the blown Hennessey Camaro on the dyno will be the highlight of your weekend.
Is there any reason not to be happy about the arrival of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro? Possibly, says the Financial Times. The newspaper points out that GM has 12,000 orders in for the 2010 Camaro -- enough to justify adding a Saturday shift at its Oshawa, Ontario, plant.
Yet, the Camaro seems not to be the sort of car that can hold the attention of the President's automotive taskforce.
"The Camaro does not exactly fit the eco-friendly image that politicians in Washington -- who now have effective control of the company -- are pushing GM, Ford Motor and Chrysler to adopt," says FT.
So what do you think? Would it really be better if the 2010 Camaro was some sort of hybrid or electric car, rather than a rear-drive, V8 muscle car? Or does it even matter given GM's rather dire situation?
After yesterday's pace car clunker fest, we're proud to present some of the 500's more prestigious pace cars. These cars actually did their production namesakes some good, or at least looked great trying.
This year it's the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, a solid, almost inevitable choice. Such decisions haven't always been so clear cut. During much of the 70s and 80s, the choices were slim. But they had to slap stickers on something, so you had some dodgy representatives like the Oldsmobile Calias and Cadillac Eldorado.
So what do you think? Which car deserves the title "Worst Indy Pace Car Ever"?
On Monday we posted the first video of Hennessey's supercharged Chevy Camaro SS. There wasn't much to it other than a claim that it made 562-horsepower. Luckily, we had a guy on the scene who witnessed the runs first hand. He said there's no reason to doubt the horsepower claim, but it's still very much a work in progress.
I know it's hard to believe, but in this video Jay Leno praises every single thing about the new 2010 Chevy Camaro SS. Shocker I know. But Jay is unpredictable. A wildcard. And that's what makes him so great. --Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
And now for some more uplifting news on the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS. Hennessey Performance Engineering has just completed a dyno run on its new supercharged Camaro and the result was pretty impressive. How does 562-horsepower sound to you?
Actually, the teenager wasn't driving the Camaro. That distinction went to one lucky owner who had just recently picked up his new pride and joy. The teenager in question was driving another car that failed to stop before laying a substantial lick on the new Chevy. As you can see, the Camaro took the impact quite well. No word yet on how the owner is taking it.
According to CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most marketable sports figure in the world today despite his lack of winning. That's right, the sports number one son has won just twice in his last 110 races, but he keeps signing lucrative endorsement deals.
And the reason is simple. If you sponsor Dale Jr. you sell more product.
Just ask Pepsi. Since the soda giant put its AMP energy drink on Dale's car last year, sales are going at 200 mph.
Rovell says, "Last year, sales of AMP Energy drink grew 127.5 percent in top NASCAR markets. And growth almost hit 100 percent in the grocery channel alone.
This year, with AMP still on Earnhardt's car, the brand saw a 2.6 percent share jump in the first quarter, with volume up over 30 percent.
AMP Energy has jumped from sixth to fourth in the category - only behind Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar.
So despite Earnhardt's lackluster win percentage, Pepsi announced the next step this week. Starting this summer, Amp Energy will have an Earnhardt-themed drink called Tradin' Paint."
Personally we prefer Rowdy Busch. Like Dale's daddy, he actually wins.
Here's your chance to own the "most collectible and valuable of all the 789s built," says n2a, the California design and engineering company that built it. Blending elements from '57, '58 and '59 Chevys, the 789 is build on a sixth-generation Corvette chassis and powered by an LS2 V8.
There's nothing about this car that appeals to us, but it's doing well on Ebay so far. Current bidding is up to $75,000. Then again, n2a charges $135,000 if you just order one, so maybe the market isn't quite as robust as the company had hoped.
Can't say that we'll really miss this one. Front-wheel drive and V8s rarely make for a very compelling driving experience, and although the Impala SS made the best of its odd setup it never really caught on.
Is this a sign that GM is starting to cull its lineup of unnecessary or slow selling V8 models in the name of improved fleet-wide fuel economy? Possibly.
Last week we were alerted to one of the first known breakdowns of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Turns out it may not have been an isolated incident as GM has now issued a recall to realign a battery cable that could cause a short.
According to the recall, it only affects certain Camaros with a V8 engine. Turns out the positive battery cable rubs on the starter housing which could eventually wear the protective insulation away and cause a short. GM is advising owners not to drive their cars and will provide courtesy transportation to the dealership.
GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens used the company's Fastlane blog to reassure hybrid fans that a plug-in hybrid is still in the works. Originally planned for the Saturn Vue, GM's plug-in system is currently being adapted to another similarly-sized vehicle. Looking at GM's new "core" brands, that means either the Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain.
GM says the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox gets 32mpg during highway driving based on internal tests. It expects official EPA ratings to come out shortly. If the numbers (it also gets 22mpg in the city) prove correct, the Chevrolet Equinox would be the most fuel efficient SUV in its class.
Contrary to what you might see on the nightly news, Americans do not despise pickup trucks these days. In fact, they still buy them in huge numbers, quite possibly because they need them, or maybe just want them.
The ability to tow large things is one of the most often cited reasons for owning a truck, so we gathered four of the best half-ton crew cabs currently available and headed for the desert with trailers in tow. The players consisted of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, 2009 Dodge Ram, 2009 Ford F-150 and a 2008 Toyota Tundra.
The premise was simple: find out which truck is a true jack of all trades. Dan Edmunds, our Director of Vehicle Testing, not only conducted an array of instrumented tow tests, he also let the trucks loose in the dirt for some off road fun. He also track tested each truck and lived with them for two weeks on his daily 100-mile round trip commute. Care to guess which truck came out on top?
There have been cop Camaros since the late 1970s. The ponycars second, third and fourth generations all made it into the hands of the man (some photos after the jump) and chances are the new 2010 Camaro will do the same. This video shows the best rendition of a 2010 Cop Camaro we've seen. The guy got it right, down to the push bar and extra lights.
With production still over a year away, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is still very much a work in progress. Our Senior Editor in Detroit Dan Pund recently had a chance to see just how much work has been done thanks to a brief test drive in one of Chevrolet's development mules.
He reports that the Volt does in fact move under pure electric power, and it does so in a way that makes it feel like a properly sorted sedan. No, he didn't go far enough to test the range, or even engage the gasoline-powered generator for that matter, but that's why it's called a mule.
Check this out. Avis will rent you a 2010 Chevy Camaro. One that seats 4, has air conditioning and the rare luxury of power steering. Automatic transmission too of course, as Avis has no interest in frequent clutch replacements.
With all the hype surrounding the new 2010 Toyota Prius and its arch rival the 2010 Honda Insight, a hybrid pickup truck like the Silverado can get lost pretty easily. Without huge mileage numbers to brag about, the Silverado hybrid is left trying to convince a skeptical public that it's worth paying extra to get 20mpg.
Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh digs into the numbers, and the technology, to see what this truck is all about. His conclusion? Makes more sense from an environmental standpoint than a financial one. Are you surprised.
Camaro5 member BUMLEB was stranded on Sunday when her yellow 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS automatic conked out without warning. She had just bought the car and had driven it for only 20 minutes before needing her AAA card and a big white flatbed.
Yeah, you read that right, Chevrolet Camaro SS Sedan. If there can be a BMW M3 sedan why not a four-door Camaro?
The Camaro and the G8 already share a platform and although their engines aren't exactly the same they're pretty close. Leave the Impala for family duty and keep the rebadged G8 what it should be -- a full fledged sport sedan.
There's been considerable talk lately about some early build 2010 Chevrolet Camaros that arrived at dealer lots with weights attached to their brake calipers. After much speculation, Camaro5 got an official answer from GM. Spokesman John Fitzpatrick said the weights were added as a damper to reduce noise and only early build cars would need them.
Sounds like an odd engineering change at the last minute, but as our own Dan Edmunds pointed out just yesterday, BMW apparently had a similar issue with the 1 Series. Turns out that our 135i long-term car has some extra mass added to its calipers as well (green arrow), most likely for the same reason as the Camaro.
What would happen if a tape-and-name special edition turned out to be something genuinely interesting and not just another shameless grab at the wallets of the Corvette faithful? Would we not make fun of it?
The answer is, "Yes, we would not make fun of it." Thankfully, such is the case with the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. While the production Grand Sport isn't exactly the wicked racer that in the way the original '60s. But neither is it just a couple of piece of tape on the fender.
Camaros are finally starting to reach customers and one of those lucky owners is Hennessey Performance Engineering. No surprise there and the tuner has already announced various upgrade programs for the latest Camaro.
In this case, Hennessey has set up a blog to chronicle the build up of its new Camaro SS. According to the most recent post, they've already squeezed some additional power out of the 6.2-liter V8 with some minor modifications. Expect some more serious work to yield the ridiculous horsepower numbers Hennessey is known for.
In a rousing Earth Day memo, GM Vice President of Environment, Energy and Safety, Beth Lowry, sought to reassure outsiders that GM is still committed to its environmental initiatives despite having little money to pay for them.
"I want to assure everyone that despite the current economic challenges and the fact that we are undergoing great changes to reinvent the company, resources for 'green' initiatives are being preserved," Lowry wrote.
Strangely absent was a progress report on the Chevrolet Volt although GM has said numerous times in the past that it was safe from the current cost cutting measures.
We spotted this 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS with RS package on an open carrier at the Flying J truck stop in Frazier Park, California, on Saturday evening. But don't get too excited: It had manufacturer plates and is likely destined for the press fleet, like every other vehicle on this carrier. We got a rare look at the underside of the Camaro, but a dying camera battery kept us from getting anything more than one blurry shot.
As soon as the Ridemakerz press release came across our desk all we could think about was how this might be an opportunity to play with some model cars while still on the clock.
Mission accomplished. We started with the company's latest replica, the new 2010 Ford Mustang - somehow they'd managed to make the models look cartoonish but strikingly authentic at the same time. But this is no one size fits all toy.
Notice the funky license plates? Yes, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is GM's new world car. It goes on sale in Europe any day now and it will eventually make it to the U.S. sometime next year.
Contributor Matt Davis calls it one of GM's most important cars ever given how many markets it's expected to compete in. He thinks it has what it takes to compete, and if the price is right the Chevrolet Cruze could finally become a small car that works for General Motors. Clearly, it could use the help.
The Mercedes-Benz ML-Class-lookin' 2010 Chevrolet Equinox will go on sale in June for $23,185, including $745 destination fee.
That'll get you a front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder LS model. Chevrolet notes that price is $1,800 less than the base-level 2009 Equinox. By our math the 2010 model is $1,825 less expensive than an '09, but who's counting? The significance of this move is that it highlights the fact that at $25,010 the '09 was overpriced compared to its American and Asian competitors (all of which start between $21,000 and $23,500).
You might point out, as Chevrolet did not, that the base level 2010 Equinox is powered by a four-cylinder and the base level 2009 Equinox had a V6. But the new direct-injection 2.4-liter four makes about 182 horsepower. The old 3.4-liter V6 ground out a whopping 184 hp. So it's not as much a downgrade as it might seem on the surface. Plus, Chevy would very much like you to know that it anticipates the four-cylinder model will get 30 mpg on the highway (the old V6 got 24 mpg highway).
Chevrolet hasn't released pricing for 2010 Equinox models powered by the new 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 or any other optional equipment, for that matter. The Equinox will be joined in show rooms soon by a mechanical twin in the GMC Terrain, which is to be introduced next week at the New York Auto Show.
Matt Dillon plead guilty to a monster ticket he rang up back in December to avoid a charge of negligent operation. Authorities in Vermont clocked him going 106mph in a 65mph zone, enough to get him arrested and booked in the local jail.
Even more embarrassing than getting caught is the fact that he was driving a Chevrolet Impala rental car at the time.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're introducing a new feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
So yesterday we showed you how the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6 stacks up against the Hyundai Genesis V6. Not exactly your typical foes, but as the numbers showed, a surprisingly even matchup.
Today it's a more traditional fight, Chevy versus Dodge. A classic rivalry maybe, but let's face it, the Dodge is a little overmatched here. What used to be considered adequate power for a V6 has now been rendered, well, just adequate.
The sizes of their engines only vary by a tenth of a liter, but the Camaro's 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 out muscles the Dodge's 3.5-liter V6 by 54 horses. Add in the Challenger's extra 100 pounds of weight and four-speed automatic and it never really had a chance.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every one gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're introducing a new feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Everyone has had their eyes on the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, including us. It is, after all, the Camaro with a V8. This makes the SS the Camaro for enthusiast. And with a 6-speed manual, the SS will stomp through the quarter-mile in a stunning 13 seconds flat at 110.9 mph.
Also new for 2010, is the Camaro V6, known as the LS, 1LT or 2LT, depending on how much equipment you want on your coupe. All versions use the direct-injection V6 3.6-liter V6 that powers upmarket Cadillac CTSs. And if you order the manual, you get a the same Aisin-built 6-speed gearbox as the Caddy too. That's a good starting point for a car that is supposed to sway those that aren't already initiated into the Camaro faithful.
This car stomps the V6 American pony-car competition. What? You think a 210-hp 4.0liter V6 Mustang will have an answer for the Camaro V6? You think the Dodge Challenger SE with its 250-hp V6 bolted to a 4-speed automatic is going to do anything but embarrass itself? Stop being ridiculous.
No, to get a car that gives the V6 Camaro a run for its (relatively little) money you have to go to Korea, of course. Here we speak of the 2010 Hyundai Coupe 3.8 Track. We've track tested both and we think you'll find the numbers and specifications after the jump quite surprising.
Ah yes, the comparison test years in the making is finally here.
The debut of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS was the final piece of the puzzle. Together with the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and 2010 Ford Mustang GT, these three cars represent American muscle at its finest - and fastest ever.
Of course, in the end, only one could come out on top. Was it Chevrolet, Dodge or Ford? See for yourself in our latest comparison test.
A Michigan tuner shop got its hands on a Camaro SS press car and put it on a dyno. The results were 364-horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque at the wheels for the manual transmission car with around 1,000 miles on it. Video of the run after the jump.
For reasons of personal safety and also convenience we cannot tell you where we shot these spy photos, which was at GM's Milford Proving Grounds two days ago at about 9:17 am.
Anyway, our crack shooters got two clean shots of GM's answer to the Aptera 2e two-seat, three-wheel electric vehicle.
Unlike the Aptera, the GM vehicle, known by its codename "Monte Rickshaw," uses one small front wheel which is connected to the passenger cabin/trunk by a long tube. GM is known to have been researching what's known as Chevrolet Advanced Caster Application, or CACA, which allows the front wheel to spin a full 360 degrees and chatter annoyingly in grocery-store parking lots.
The tube is assumed to be packed, flashlight-style with alkaline batteries or, possibly, magic. Steering is thought to be by something called "helper monkey."
Our sources indicate that: A. The vehicle will arrive in dealerships with the throwback Monte Carlo Style rear seen here with the up-to-the-minute matte black paint job. Or, B. Could this be the next Corvette?!
What's a day without a Camaro post? No fun at all, so we present this impromptu weigh-in of the latest crop of muscle car re-creations.
As expected, the Camaro falls right in the middle on the scales just above the Mustang and below the Challegner. Factor in the Camaro's across the board power advantage and it looks like it should lay down the quickest numbers of this trio. Right?
We promise this will be the last Chevrolet Camaro post for at least...a day or so.
Figured you might want to check out the Camaro configurator on Chevrolet's official website. It's one of the better such devices as it gives you a rotatable view of the car that changes as you add and remove options.
We like the look of this base LS with the heritage wheels and side stripes. Not bad for $23,505
Yes, the hype machine is in full gear now that production of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is officially underway at GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant. According to Chevrolet, 14,000 Camaros have already been sold, most of them top-of-the-line SS models.
Official EPA numbers were released as well and they are indeed impressive. Base V6 models with the 3.6-liter V6 are rated at 18mpg city and 29mpg highway when paired with the six-speed automatic. With the six-speed manual, the city rating drops to 17mpg. SS models with the automatic are rated at 16mpg city and 25mpg on the highway. Manual models are rated the same in the city and 24mpg on the highway.
The first production Camaro off the assembly line will go to Rick Hendrick who bid $350,000 for the honor at the recent Barrett-Jackson auction in January.
The Fast and the Furious series is admittedly light on plot lines and believable acting, so it's up to the cars to carry it along. From turbocharged imports to blown American muscle cars, it's an ever-changing mix that makes up for all the cheesy one liners and Vin Diesel close ups.
The latest installment is called simply Fast & Furious and contributor John Pearley Huffman went behind the scenes to chronicle nearly every noteworthy car and truck features in the movie. Could this be the best F & F lineup ever? Maybe. Will it make for a good movie? Uh, maybe.
GM is looking to conserve cash any way it can, so programs that might not be considered "core" projects are getting pushed aside. The latest casualty is the 4.5-liter Duramax V8, a light-duty diesel engine that was originally scheduled to become an option in the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.
According to Automotive News, the program has been put on hold indefinitely. "We have to make tough decisions right now," said GM Powertrain spokeswoman Susan Garavaglia.
The innovative engine design was hailed as a breakthrough when it was unveiled last year. "By using integral cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow cylinder block, designers saved space and reduced the engine's weight," said Gary Arvan, chief engineer for the 4.5-liter V8 diesel at the engine's introduction.
Will it be much of a fight? On paper it doesn't look like it, but as Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief of Inside Line, points out in our latest road test, this Mustang is already faster than the Dodge and should hold its own against the Camaro.
This of course leads to a bigger question: Does anybody care? Are big muscle coupes like these destined to linger on dealer lots as buyers save their money for more practical purchases?
Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe these retro-themed muscle cars will remind Americans why the Big Three are worth saving.
Yes, the 2010 Chevrolet Spark is a European-only vehicle at this point. Between its 1.0- and 1.2-liter engines and tiny footprint, it slots into the growing minicar segment in Europe perfectly.
Along with the Chevrolet Cruze, which launches in Europe this spring, and the larger Orlando MPV that goes on sale next year, Chevrolet expects to substantially increase its European market share.
And the U.S.? Well, GM has said it expects to sell the Spark in the U.S. in 2011, which leaves plenty of time to figure out an engine strategy and a profitable place to build the subcompact four-door.
Of course, GM is banking on the fact that there will be demand for such a small car. There was back in late 2008, but now it's hardly a sure thing. And if there's any company that needs a sure thing right now, it's GM. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
No surprise here, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will serve as the pace car for the 2009 Indianapolis 500 in May. The announcement was made by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a press conference that included past winners Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr. and Eddie Cheever Jr.
Like so many pace cars before it, this 2010 Camaro sports a hideous paint job that only a collector could love. In fact, other than the paint scheme and roof-mounted light bar, there are no changes to this Camaro SS.
A recent report by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University concludes that the cost-effectiveness of plug-in electric vehicles is suspect.
"Large-capacity PHEVs sized for 40 or more miles of electric-only travel are not cost-effective in any scenario," the report's authors insist. Yeah, 40 or more miles of travel, you might have heard that figure before.
According to the report that will appear in an upcoming issue of "Energy Policy," the added cost of the systems required to provide long distance electric power outweighs the savings in fuel costs.
"Forty miles might be a sweet spot for making sure a lot of people get to work without using gasoline, but you're doing it at a cost that will never be repaid in fuel savings," Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor who led the study, told Bloomberg News in an interview.
About two weeks ago, Hennessey Performance released information and test results for its modified 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Dubbed the ZR700, the 705-horsepower beast ripped off a 10.9-second quarter mile on stock tires. Not bad.
Now Hennessey has released more video of its ZR700 in action. This time it was in the hands of former GM driver John Heinricy as he lapped the MSR road course in Houston. He hits a cool 145mph on the back straight. Not bad.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every one gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're introducing a new feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Talk about a hybrid that gets no love from the green team. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is rarely mentioned in the same breath as the Prius or even the Ford Fusion Hybrid despite offering excellent mileage at a reasonable price.
There's a reason for that, of course. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid isn't a full hybrid like the Prius and the Fusion. In the Malibu, the electric motor is only there to help out the gasoline engine when it needs a little extra power, it can't actually propel the vehicle. It's a simpler system that keeps the Malibu's price down, but it doesn't give the Malibu the big mileage numbers that you might expect from a hybrid.
And how does it perform at the track? Results are after the jump.
From the department of No News is Good News comes this non-news: The Chevrolet Corvette, that totem of American performance, is safe from the corporate restructuring and Federal Government-appeasing sweeping through GM these days.
While, General Motors announced the disbanding of its High Performance Vehicle Operations unit last week, Corvettes were never subject to that group's ministrations -- not even the Z06 or ZR1 versions. Still, 600-plus horsepower two-seaters are probably not high on Washington's list of favored projects.
"Any speculation about the Corvette going away or being curtailed is unfounded," says Chevy PR boss Terry Rhadigan. "There's nothing to worry about with regard to Corvette."
It's going to take some really ugly business to make GM give up on one of its crown jewels and let's not go there just yet. This does not mean that we'll see the next-generation car, the C7, anytime soon and it does not mean that we'll necessarily get a 638-hp version of that car, but...
There are plenty of interesting details buried within GM's latest rescue plan, but one in particular caught our eye. In the "product plan" section, it states:
Planned Chevrolet Volt and two additional models sharing Volt's extended range vehicle technology
Now we know that GM plans to roll out the Opel Ampera at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show next week, but the third vehicle is a little tougher to pin down.
This is the new Chevrolet Corvette GT1 Championship Edition. It sort of looks like the Corvette C6.R racecar thanks to some fancy stripes and lettering. It has specially embroidered seats and an "owner installed" windshield banner too. Need we say more?
Yesterday's news that GM will suspend all work at its High Performance Vehicle Operations will not threaten current performance vehicles or the upcoming 2010 Camaro SS.
"Camaro SS, Corvette ZR1 and Corvette Z06 are all regularly engineered cars," spokesperson Vince Muniga explained. "They did not go through HPVO. Most people did not realize that. They are safe."
More importantly, Muniga said that HPVO is on hiatus, not shutdown completely.
"Ford SVT did the same thing a few years ago and they are back," he said, holding out the prospect that HPVO may be revived at some point. "This is an indefinite hiatus."
With that in mind we decided to see what the current market looks like for the ZR1. When it came out last fall dealers were gouging to the hilt, asking as much as $100,000 over sticker for the low-volume super 'Vette.
The surprise announcement that the Chevrolet Orlando concept would go into production in 2011 didn't get much attention at the Detroit Auto Show. Maybe these spy photos of the Chevrolet Cruze-based crossover will help out the cause.
Judging by this prototype, the 2012 Chevrolet Orlando will come to market with very few changes. Slightly larger side mirrors and a taller overall greenhouse are the most obvious differences. There was a turbo diesel four-cylinder engine under the hood of the concept, but we're expecting to see GM's Ecotec gas engines powering the U.S.-bound models.
The Corvette Stingray Concept, set to appear soon as Sideswipe in the second Transformers movie, was easily the talk of a relatively quiet Chicago Auto Show. The Stingray, which was inspired by the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray split window coupe and the 1959 Sting Ray race car, owned by GM styling king Bill Mitchell, was not actually designed for the movie though.
According to Ed Welburn, the current GM design chief, the mock-up for the concept was already sitting in design studio when he took Transformers director Michael Bay for a tour. While it will likely be remembered best as "the Transformer Corvette," the Stingray Concept is an homage to iconic GM design by GM designers taking their crack at reviving the good old days.
But unlike the Ford GT, VW New Beetle, Mini or Dodge Challenger, the Corvette Stingray Concept is less literal. What exactly makes this concept evocative of the 1959 racer and the 1963 production car? And where does it leave the past behind? And what is up with those four tailpipes, anyway?
Join up after the jump for answers to those and possibly other questions.
A 10.9-second quarter-mile at 132.2 mph, to be exact.
Hennessey calls his breathed-on 2009 Corvette ZR1 a ZR700, and did the deed on stock Michelin street tires.
The ZR700 wears a host of bolt-ons and a reflash to swell output to 705-hp and 717 lb-ft, which apparently is enough extra sauce to beat the stock ZR1 we recently tested by 0.6-second and 3.9 mph.
As an aside, how badass are the ZR700's blacked-out wheels? A night and day improvement over the gaudy chrome on the stock ones, we say. Click the thumbnails below for a full-size version:
This video is slight less exciting than watching a paperweight, but it is a pretty good walkaround of the new Chevy Spark through the eyes of its designer. Personally, I'd rather watch a wall, but that's just me. Enjoy.
Of the many things that the first Transformers movie has done for Chevrolet, perhaps the most predictable is the opportunity for company execs to make really dreadful puns at today's press conference announcing its involvement with the sequel: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Here's a sampling: We don't consider these vehicles movie stars; we think of them as movie cars. Or how about this inevitable one: We're transforming the Chevrolet brand.
According to the company, it also increased awareness of the Camaro by 97 percent.
Anyway, Chevrolet rolled out all five of the vehicles it has placed in the new movie. We've seen the Camaro-based Bumblebee. We'd seen spy shots of the purple Volt (that's actually a stock Malibu under the skin). We knew about the little Beat -- although we didn't know that it would be painted in a decidedly snowmobile-like scheme. And then there was the Mudflap, played by the small Traxx showcar from a few years back. Nobody cared to even look at that.
#CAS09 Chevrolet held a small press conference this afternoon, the day before the Chicago auto show opens to the press, to highlight the contributions of two suppliers to the Chevrolet Volt program.
Goodyear, which will supply the tires for the 2011-model extended-range electric vehicle (GM gets mad when you call it a hybrid) revealed some details on the low-rolling-resistance rubber that should help Chevrolet attain its goal of 40-mile all-electric range. Specifically, the Assurance FuelMax tires will provide an extra mile of range in the Volt's electric mode compared to a conventional tire. According to Goodyear, the tires' rubber compound uses "functional polymers" that allow the tire to rebound more easily than a conventional tire. That's useful because the flattened patch of the tire that contacts the road regains its circular shape more easily as it rotates around. Goodyear says this equates to lower rolling resistance. And according to the company, a 10-percent reduction in rolling resistance can mean a 1-to-2 percent fuel-efficiency gain for the vehicle. Critically, this is achieved, says the company, while maintaining the grip level of a conventional all-season tire.
Bose was also in attendance, touting the new Energy Efficient Series audio system that it has designed for the Volt. The system is said to be 30 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter and 50 percent more energy-efficient than a standard Bose audio system in a similarly sized car. This is accomplished largely through proven technology, pieces of which Bose has used previously in other car audio systems. The two main components of the system are a "switching" amplifier that is lighter and more efficient than a conventional linear amp. This sort of amp has been used in other Bose applications. The system's loudspeakers also use neodymium magnets in place of a conventional speaker's ferrite magnets, which are three times heavier. Again, this variety of magnet is used by speaker makers in other applications. Bose claims that the reduction of energy use for its system is equivalent to removing 50 pounds of mass from the vehicle.
All of this indicates that a project like the Volt can push suppliers to find efficiency in unexpected places, which is great. But can we drive the car already?
After teasing us at the Detroit Auto Show with a mere picture, GM has finally released, uh, more pictures of the upcoming Chevrolet Spark minicar.
Set for a world debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the Spark is expected to make its way to the U.S. after its European debut early next year. It's a tiny car by American standards, some 18-inches shorter than a Honda Fit.
The Euro versions will use 1.0- and 1.2-liter engines, but GM's new 1.4-liter four-cylinder is a good bet for U.S. models. Expect to see both manual and automatic transmissions driving the front wheels.
More detailed information will be released when the Chevrolet Spark makes its world debut in Geneva early next month.
With the 51st running of the Daytona 500 less than a week away, the gray and yellow 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car was on full display at the Florida track. It is, of course, an SS model with the 426 hp 6.2-liter V8.
With sponsorship money getting tight and manufacturer support looking more questionable by the week, NASCAR needs to do something drastic to maintain its popularity.
Here's one idea: Have the domestics switch to Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs instead of their current crop of "sedans".
Everyone knows that stock cars have drifted away from their production roots, so why not make them a little bit more like real cars?
Chevrolet has announced that it will display at the Chicago auto show a new version of Bumblebee, the Autobot character played by the new Camaro from the upcoming movie Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen.
The yellow-and-black Camaro is apparently different in some way from the yellow-and-black Camaro from the first Transformers movie, although Chevy has not released any images of the new car.
Also at Chevy's Chicago-show stand will be other characters, played by Chevy models -- all good-guy Autobots, naturally. We've already seen that the Volt will make an appearance in the new movie as will the Chevy Beat concept and a Corvette Stingray concept.
Update: Thanks to the wonderful world of the world wide web, we've got some behind-the-scenes shots of the new Bumblebee during filming of the movie
There you'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the upcoming retro coupe. There are photos galore, up-to-the-minute news updates, and if you're lucky you might even catch one of the Camaro program engineers just hanging out in the forums!
And it's all brought to you by the collective enthusiasm of Camaro lovers from all across the country, with no corporate suits from Chevrolet to get in the way. Isn't the internet great?
GM announced another delay in the construction of a Flint, MI plant that will build engines for both the Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Cruze. Construction was put on hold initially during GM's cash crisis last month.
According to a Bloomberg report, the plant will still be done in time to provide engines for the launch of the Cruze and Volt in 2010.
Well, we don't know if this car will ever see showrooms given GM's current cash crunch, but it appears as though development work is still moving along on the Chevrolet Camaro convertible. These shots were posted on the Australian website www.drive.com.au, hence the rather odd bumper stickers indicating its status as a left hooker. Looks like GM did a decent job on the soft top, no?
Set for a world debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the Opel Ampera will use the same Voltec powertrain as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. GM released a teaser shot of the five-passenger sedan and it's pretty obvious that Opel tried its best to differentiate the European sedan from its U.S. counterpart.
Then again, given how large a role aerodynamics plays in a car like this, the Ampera probably won't deviate from the Volt all that much. GM's claims for its fuel efficiency are quite familiar, metrically speaking of course, about 60 kilometers on pure electric and "several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving."
No word yet on whether or not GM sees any problem with the fact that there's an electric vehicle called the Aptera being built in the U.S. but we're pretty sure no one will confuse the two, except us maybe.
The often hysterical atmosphere of past Barrett-Jackson auctions was missing this year, replaced by cautious bidders who rarely ventured out of their comfort zones. The resulting prices were some of the lowest we've seen in years, and a reminder that classic cars aren't any better than a brokerage account when it comes to parking money safely.
Here are just a few examples of how far the fortunes of classic muscle cars have fallen in just the last two years alone.
Given the capabilities of the current Corvette lineup, there's not much room left for tuners to work. The base model is now a 430 horsepower monster, while the Z06 and ZR1 versions tack on 75 and 208 horsepower respectively. How much more do you need?
Then again, when did "need" ever really factor decisively into the purchase of a Corvette? Quite possibly never, but that has not deterred Reeves Callaway from continuing to sell his namesake Corvette that fits neatly between the Z06 and ZR1 in terms of horsepower and torque.
If only General Motors could sell every 2010 Chevrolet Camaro for this much. Actually, it's not going to do much for GM's bottom line as all the money generated by the sale of this Camaro goes to charity. For the tidy sum of $350,000, the winning bidder not only lent a helping hand to the American Heart Association, he will receive the very first production Camaro off the assembly line. Not really much of a deal, although he stands a good chance of getting some of that money back at Barrett-Jackson 2040.
It started Tuesday and ends Sunday, but the big days for the Barrett-Jackson auction are always Friday and Saturday. That's when the expensive stuff rolls across the block and last night was no exception.
Prices are down this year, but 32 cars still managed to break the $100,000 mark. Expect to see if even more money being thrown around tonight when the auction's most sought after vehicles roll across the block. We'll be keeping tabs on all the big news, but in the meantime check out what brought the biggest money last night.
GM will use its press conference tomorrow at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to announce the opening of a new lithium-ion battery production facility in Michigan, according to a report in The New York Times. A new advanced battery test facility located at the company's global electric-vehicle engineering center in Warren, Michigan, is also part of the plan. The two facilities will provide battery packs for the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt and possibly a production version of the Cadillac Converj, a two-door coupe that uses the same Voltec propulsion system as the Volt. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
#DAS09 During GM's wide-ranging press conference at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Troy Clarke, president of GM North America, slipped in a surprise announcement that quickly got lost among all the hysteria over the Cadillac Converj. The Chevrolet Orlando, a seven-seat concept shown at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, will arrive in U.S. showrooms by 2011.
Built on the same platform as the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, the Orlando concept has a 108.6-inch wheelbase. That's about 3-inches longer than the Cruze. The Orlando also has a wider front and rear track than the Cruze to open up more space inside. A 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine powered the concept, but expect the production vehicle to switch to a similarly sized gasoline engine for the U.S. market. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
Well, if the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro wasn't already the most modified car never to have set a tire inside a dealership, then it most assuredly is now.
Behold the 2010 Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE)700 Camaro, a surprisingly tasteful aftermarket package that blends revised bodywork with the guts of the ZR1 Corvette. It's the Camaro that GM couldn't build on its own, or at least couldn't justify to the accountants.
In a surprise announcement on everybody's favorite fluffy news program, Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn told the Today's Show's Matt Lauer that GM would bring a production version of the Chevrolet Beat to the Detroit Auto Show. He even did the now trademarked "GM executive sheet lift" which revealed the nose of the subcompact hatchback. Welburn divulged no details, but we're guessing it will be fuel efficient, inexpensive and, of course, a "surprise".
You may have already seen the sales totals for December, and 2008 as a whole. If not, here's a summary: not good. For a more detailed look, check out the industry wide 2008 sales analysis over at AutoObserver.
We assembled something a little different though. Instead of assessing the big picture, we looked at the sales numbers for individual models. Which new models flopped, which old models recovered, that sort of thing. Some of the results we expected, others were a little more eye opening. See for yourself after the jump.
One of the highlights of the upcoming automobile auction season is guaranteed to be this iconic Corvette. Set to go on the block at RM Auctions on January 16th, this is one of just five Grand Sports ever made. It has a 377 cubic inch V8 that produces 616-horsepower and custom body work that makes it look like some kind of movie prop. Expect the final price to go well into the seven figure range.
So it's not going to be a banner year for the home team at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are about as beat down as major industrial giants can get, but this is a chance for each company to convince the public that there's still some life in the Motor City.
Well this seemed almost inevitable. After watching Tesla and Chrysler suck up all the glory for electric cars that are basically Lotuses with batteries, the British sportscar builder has announced that it plans to build an electric car of its own. In a report in yesterday's Financial Times, Lotus CEO Michael Kimberley said, "Don't be surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly."
You know that second coming of the muscle car war we've been talking about for years now? Well, come this spring it's finally on. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, 2010 Ford Mustang and 2009 Dodge Challenger will all be available on dealer lots, and the three models detailed after the jump represent the most potent versions of each. Looks like Ford will have the edge initially, but if things start looking up for Chevy and Dodge, a more potent SRT8 or Camaro Z28 could arrive later in 2009.
Is this truck another case of "too little, too late?" The current Colorado I-5 engine okay, but it's nothing to get your blood boiling; worse still, power-hungry small truck customers felt the same way, and have stayed away from Chevy (and GMC) dealers in droves. Shouldn't this V8-powered version debuted when this current generation Colorado was announced a few years ago?
When it was announced that the Hummer H3 was getting a 5.3L V8 option, it was also (unofficially) confirmed that the Colorado would also get that engine. No one, however, figured on the financial industry collapse, and the resulting domino effect it would have on the auto and other industries. So will this be a savior for this truck line, or just another example of a great idea coupled to miserable timing?
Chevy will debut an all-new 2010 Equinox CUV at the upcoming NAIAS. The vehicle will be available with either a 2.4L, 182 hp, 4-cylinder model; or a 3.0 V6 putting out 255 hp. Both models have direct injection, will be available in either FWD or AWD, and will be coupled to a 6-speed automatic.
The vehicle looks good and the spec sheet is pretty impressive. The question is, can Chevrolet convince customers cross-shopping the CR-V, RAV4 and Escape to pick this new Equinox over those models?
Thomas L. Friedman, the New York Times columnist, is viewed as either a knight in shining armor, or the devil himself, depending on where you stand. Most in the auto industry think of him as the devil, while those who are convinced Detroit (and the auto industry in general) are the real devils, think of Friedman as someone sent from heaven. Friedman is now calling on this government auto aid package to include this "string" to be attached: it must include the hybridizing of everything (here).
"You want my tax dollars?" asks Friedman in his latest NYT column. "Then I want to see precise production plans and timetables for the hybridization of all your cars and trucks. I want every bailed-out car company to move to hybrid-electric drivetrains, because nothing would improve mileage and emissions more -- and also stimulate a whole new 21st-century, job-creating industry: batteries."
I don't know about you, but I get very nervous when the government (or journalists) who know zip about the auto industry, start regulating as to how vehicles have to be built. Yeah, we have a long history of this happening, and there have been good things that have come from that; but I'm not so sure about what's happening now down in DC, or within the editorial office of Mr. Friedman.
How's an automotive world without any (new) manual gearboxes grab you? Forcing everything to be a hybrid will be the final nail in the coffin for manual transmissions, as hybrids (and pure electric-powered vehicles as well) and 3-pedal gearboxes go together like oil and water. If Friedman's "string" get attached, anyone who enjoys the pleasure of shifting on their own, might as well go find a bridge to jump off of, as life as we've known and loved will be a thing of the past.
Ford and GM may have paired up down in the nation's capitol, but in the showrooms they're going at it as if there's no tomorrow--hey, maybe there won't be a tomorrow for one or both! At any rate, the new Mustang base model starts at $21,845, whereas the base Camaro starts at $22,995.
It also just undercuts the new Dodge Challenger, which starts at $21,995. Winner Ford.
Alan Mulally will be driving a Ford Escape hybrid, and GM's Rick Wagoner will be driving a Chevy Malibu hybrid to Washington for Round Two of their epic sales pitch to drum up resources from Congress. No word yet on how
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