GM Inside News Forum

What about a GM-Honda partnership for the small RWD lightweight coupe

Pako — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:28:30 GMT

This is just me daydreaming, but what if GM worked with Honda to build that coupe just like Subaru and Toyota did. Honda used to sell performance cars for the masses, Acura used to have the RSX and the integra both cars that were very popular with young drivers. Now Honda makes mostly boring cars outside of the civic SI (depending on your tastes) and the Accord, which has a good CVT but still has a CVT. Im sure they would be very content to appeal to young drivers again particularly with the launch of the 2015 NSX as their halo car. On the other hand, Reuss would like to build a small RWD lightweight coupe, but doesn't want to use the alpha platform since its not as scalable and efficient. the 2 company co-developing that car could be beneficial for both of them. Honda used to have the S2000, but now they dont have a RWD platform anymore, meanwhile im sure GM could use alot of their learnings with the Alpha platform to develop another lightweight one if they have help. They could even use one of those high revving v-tec engines which, imo, have a TON more personality than the 2.0 boxer engine found in the FR-S/BRZ.

So what do you guys think of the idea? Do you think its realistic?

Running the prison camp costs

jhootehk — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:49:11 GMT

Running the prison camp costs the Pentagon more than $150 million a year -- just over $900,000 for each of the 166 detainees at the facility, located on a Navy base on the eastern end of Cuba. By comparison, costs for a typical federal prison inmate run about $25,000 a year; at the "supermax" prison in Colorado that holds domestic terrorists Eric Rudolph and Ted Kaczynski, it's about $60,000.

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what if the 1955 Chevy?....

St�phane Dumas — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:16:17 GMT

Frank Peiler of Collectible Autmobile and Consumer Guide imagined what if the 1955 Chevy had been built by AMC, Chrysler, Ford or Studebaker http://cgdailydrive.com/what-if-the-...or-studebaker/

Looking back: 1983 Pontiac 6000 & STE LaserDisc Promo

91 s-10baja — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:18:07 GMT

Quote:

Model offerings increased to five for 1983. High output 2.8 liter V6 added to engine lineup. OHV 2.5 liter 4-cylinder base powerplant for carry over models, with 2.8 liter V6 (112 hp) and 4.3 liter diesel V6 optional in standard sedans as well as LE versions. Limited production 6000 STE added to top Pontiac’s A-car line...
Video: 1983 Pontiac 6000 & STE Promo

Don't forget to join me on Facebook for other vintage GM and non-GM pictures and footage!

Just Can't Make those Fog Lights Big Enough

plane — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:27:36 GMT

The Newest GM Exclusive - Fog Lights Larger than the Sun

Forget that streamlined, sporty design.
Honkin' Fog Lights are the Newest GM Innovation.
If you've ever been a fan of jowls, extra-long nose hairs, and women with large proportions,
the newest GM design craze is made with you in mind.

Just think of all the sleek, desirable sports cars that have this GM exclusive feature.
Just think of all the premium non-GM luxury sedans that have wheels smaller than the fog lights.

Glad to see GM management is at the forefront of the next bell-bottom-jean car fashion craze.
This should do wonders for the stock and boost profits.

2014 gm car and truck guide

k59 — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:56:38 GMT

2014 car and truck guide

2014 Chevrolet Commercial - Parking Reminder

91 s-10baja — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:20:16 GMT

See, I did not even know this existed!

1999 Regal GS random rpm drop

srm93 — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:58:35 GMT

I have a 1999 Regal GS. Driving at low speeds or idling it will randomly drop to around 500 rpm then spike to 2000 rpm. no ecm codes that would cause this. if anyone could shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated

What I saw this afternoon

44 mpg by 2010 — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:35:27 GMT

Out driving through a parking lot ...

Saw an unfamilar vehicle.

Beautifully formed coupe in all black. Striking tail lights. The only major marking was "V12". The logo was unfamilar ... it looked like a winged "8".

Stopped, got out and walked over and asked the driver what it was. With a smile he said "a Bentlley".

A Bentley Continental GT is a striking vehicle even to me, a utilitarian.

GM shares return to $33 IPO price on optimism for truck sales

ne_one — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:57:45 GMT

GM shares return to $33 IPO price on optimism for truck sales
Automotive News
May 17, 2013
by Tim Higgins

Shares in General Motors topped its $33 initial public offering price for the first time in more than two years as the automaker prepares to introduce redesigned full-sized pickups.

GM shares closed up $1.03, or 3.2 percent, at $33.42 in New York Stock Exchange trading today amid a broad rally in U.S. equity markets.

The company's shares peaked at $38.98 at the close on Jan. 7, 2011, less two months after its November 2010 IPO.

They slid below the IPO price in March 2011, and reached a low closing price of $18.80 in July 2012.

Confidence in GM is growing as the U.S. Treasury sells down its stake, helping facilitate a return to the S&P 500 Index.

The automaker also plans to introduce about 20 new vehicles in the United States this year, including profitable Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, as it seeks to rebound from an 88-year-low market share in 2012.

Full article at link.

Turbo V6 for next Ferrari 458

asrapid1 — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:15:37 GMT

458's successor to get F1-inspired engine tech but not carbon construction, says Ferrari
Pistonheads.com
by Dan Trent
14th May 2013

Last week�s Formula Ferrari presentation didn�t have a whole lot of talk of cars but CEO Amedeo Felisa did let slip one important hint about the replacement for the celebrated 458 Italia adopting a turbocharged V6.
OK, he didn�t say so in as many words, but given the importance Ferrari is placing on green tech � Felisa saying half of the 250m-euro R&D budget for the next five years is going on emissions and efficiency measures � you�d have to expect even Ferrari is feeling the pressure for engine downsizing. He also said that the trickle-down of F1 technology into road cars traditionally takes four to five years.
Extrapolating that to the current Ferrari range, and considering the pending introduction of forced induction V6s to F1 next year, could Ferrari really consider dumping signature screaming normally aspirated V8s for smaller turbocharged V6s? Well, pressures from legislators are only going to go one way, and such high-revving engines are notoriously ill-suited to the official tests for emissions and fuel consumption.
Ferrari has been there before of course, sleeving down the 308 GTB and creating the turbocharged 2.0-litre turbocharged V8 208 to duck under the same Italian tax barrier that gave us the E30 BMW 320iS. And the 288 GTO and F40 prove that it�s more than able to give forced-induction engines the necessary thrill factor we all expect. Add into that the additional 250 workers Ferrari is taking on to build the twin-turbo V6s for the Maserati Ghibli and the production lines already full of this engine and it�s not hard to see where this could be heading.

More at the link.

Opel Guerilla Marketing: GTI-Fans struck by lightning

Toto — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:57:10 GMT

Industry Reports April 2013 Sales

Mr. Burns — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:49:39 GMT

Apologies this has been late.

General Motors Company (+11.4%)

Ford Motor Company(+17.9%)

Chrysler Group LLC (+11.0%)

Audi USA (+14.2%)

BMW Group (+8.3%)

American Honda (+7.4%)

Hyundai USA (+1.7%)

KIA Motors America (0.0%)

Mercedes Benz USA (+4.4%)

Nissan North America (+23.2%)

Toyota Motor Sales (-1.1%)

Volkswagen of America (-10.3%)

Best Selling Cars April 2013

Sales Broken Down By Segment

Verano 3,391 +13.4%
ILX 1,894; hybrid 152
CT 1,171 -27.7%
A3 55 -91.4%

Regal 1,746 -38.8%
TSX 1,622 -50.4%; wagon 206 -37.8%
1-Series 626 -15.5%
Eos 478

3series 8,236 -8.5%
Cclass 7,338 +14.2%
ES 5,122 +63.9%
LaCrosse 4,307 -5.2%
MKZ 4,012 +115.4%
A4 3,143 +1.1%
TL 2,959 -5.2%
G 2,696 +29%; coupe 794 -8.9%
ATS 2,725
CTS 2,398 -42.9%
IS 1,797 -26.4%

5series 5,234 +46.8%
Eclass 4,431 -16.8%
XTS 2,891
A6 1,905 +21.7%
GS 1,236 -40.8%
MKS 730 -42.8%
RLX 400
M 388 -15.8%
RL 7 -79.6%

Sclass 1,103 +16.4%
7series 871 +68.8%
LS 700 +53.4%
A8 467 +30.4%

RX 7,053 -1%
RDX 4,088 +97.6%
SRX 3,478 -13%
Q5 3,241 +31.6%
GLK 2,702 +30.7%
x3 1,914 -22.8%
FX 548 +12.8%
EX 91 -59.7%

Enclave 4,797 -4.1%
x5 3,444 -3.3%
Mclass 3,280 +7.3%
MDX 2,877 -27.2%
JX 2,580 +24.1%
MKX 1,740 -7.5%
Q7, 1,183 +33.4%
GX 655 -16.3%

X6 354 -12.6%
ZDX 52 -26.8%

Spark 3,121
Cooper 2,469 -5.8%
iQ 384 -61.7%
Beetle 3,679

Sonic 8,151 +27.6%
Versa 7,155 -14.2%
Fiesta 6,080 +18.4%
Accent 4,730
Rio 4,531
Fit 4,286 +28.5%
Yaris 2,066 -53.6%
Mazda2 564 -46.2%

Civic 26,453 +4%; hybrid 569 -28.7%
Elantra 24,445
Corolla 24,273 -6.1%
Focus 22,557 +16.1%
Cruze 22,032 +21%
Jetta 11,110 -4.1%
Sentra 10,734 +44.9%
Dart 8,099
Mazda3 7,067 -16.9%
Forte 5,212
Impreza 4,692
Golf 1,435 -20.6%

Accord 33,538 -9%; PHEV 55
Camry 31,710 -17.3%
Fusion 26,722 +23.7%
Altima 21,991 +35.4%
Malibu 21,734 -0.8%
Sonata 16,077
Optima 14,678
Passat 9,069 -10.2%
Legacy 3,286 -13.5%
Mazda6 2,933 -22.4%

Impala 10,943 -26.9%
Avalon 6,321 +110.6%
Taurus 5,887 -11.7%
Maxima 2,678 -22.2%
Azera 1,409
Cadenza 61

Prius 19,889 -24.1%
C-MAX 3,608
LEAF 1,937 +423.5%
Volt 1,306 -10.7%
CR-Z 405 +16.4%
Insight 391 -49.1%

Camaro 7,949 -17.4%
Mustang 7,751 -0.6%
Genesis 2,584
FR-S 1,629
GTI 1,023
BRZ 812
370z 568 -27.6%
Golf R 149

OutBack 8,730 +2.1%
Venza 3,297 +3.7%
CrossTour 1,504 -18.4%

Soul 11,311
xB 1,578 -6.3%
Cube 468 -18.3%

CR-V 26,519 +7.8%
Escape 25,826 +52%
Equinox 20,965 +14.7%
Rav4 18,541 +17.1%
Rogue 11,904 +39%
Forester 9,366 +65.3%
CX-5 6,262 +77.8%
XV CrossTrek 4,433
Tucson 3,733
Sportage 2,845

Explorer 14,204 +5.8%
Edge 10,357 -1.5%
Pilot 10,613 +15.4%
HighLander 9,793 +.5%
Sorento 8,909
Traverse 8,405 +8.4%
PathFinder 6,473 +214.7%
Murano 2,404 -20.1%
CX-9 1,694 +11.2%
Veracruz 16

Odyssey 11,832 +8.4%
Sienna 9,948 +1%
Flex 1,808 -33.6%
Quest 1,103 -43.7%
Mazda5 762 -19.1%
Sedona 9

Why are car towing capacities so low these days?

F14CRAZY — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:58:59 GMT

How many current coupes or sedans are rated for more than 1k lbs? How come an Impreza is rated for double what a V6 Taurus is rated for? Larger crossovers, pickups, and SUV's continue to get higher but with today's structural ridgid-y, brakes, 6+ speed automatics, and high hp/torque i dont understand it.

Recently BajaBusta, host of Test Drive Junkie.com, posted an '80's Chevy dealer training video comparing the Thunderbird to the Celebrity Eurosport (A bodies were pretty flexy...had a Century wagon and with wagons beeing more ridgid it was still flexy) and Monte Carlo (V8, RWD, solid axle, body on frame so I can understand).

Anyway, the Tbird was rated for 3500 lbs, the Celebrity an outrageous 5400 (good luck towing that Sea Ray SRV up a boat ramp), and the Monte Carlo was 6800 lbs...thats more than some half ton trucks. I should have just found an old Celebrity for my towing needs.

http:// http://testdrivejunkie.com/1984-chevrolet-celebrity-eurosport-monte-carlo-vs-ford-thunderbird-training-promo/

Liability? Warranty claims? Manufacturers wanting everyone to buy pickups? Counting what the Celebrity could do a new Impala or Taurus ought to be pushing 10k these days

April monthly sales numbers

GHull3 — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:19 GMT

Am I missing the thread somewhere? Where are the monthly sales numbers for April?

Is Fiat Moving to Detroit?

Z284ever — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:55:00 GMT

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2013...m-italy-to-us/

With Fiat SpA hoping to wrap up its takeover of Chrysler LLC sometime this year, the maker appears to be thinking over what could be an equally significant step, the possible move of its corporate headquarters from Italy to the U.S.
Marchionne recently indicated he�d like to switch from having Fiat, Italy�s largest manufacturer, listed on the Milan exchange and instead traded on the New York Stock Exchange. But several sources say the Canadian-educated executive is also giving serious thought to basing the merged automaker out Chrysler�s sprawling campus in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills.
t would be a sharp blow for recession-plagued Italy, but perhaps no surprise despite the fact that Fiat has been headquartered in the northern industrial city of Turin since it was founded in 1899 as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino.
Marchionne has frequently criticized both the Italian government and the country�s unions for creating an uncompetitive work environment. Fiat received numerous concessions over the last several years but only after bitter wrangling and the threat that Fiat would transfer production from Italy to more efficient plants in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Meanwhile, with Europe�s automotive market in a tailspin, the maker has become steadily less dependent on it for sales and revenues. As recently as 2004, Europe generated 90% of Fiat�s worldwide 27 billion Euros in sales. By last year, revenues had grown to 84 billion Euros, in large part due to the acquisition of Chrysler, while Europe�s contribution had dropped to just 24%.
�Europe is becoming a less and less relevant fact in the scheme of things,� Marchionne told automotive analysts last month.
Ironically, while Fiat had to rescue a bankrupt Chrysler in 2009, the U.S. maker is now helping prop up its Italian ally.
Beyond the U.S., Fiat and Chrysler are looking for significant growth in China, Latin American markets such as Brazil, and other emerging regions.
Nearly empty in the years between the break-up of DaimlerChrysler AG and its emergence from Chapter 11, insiders say Chrysler�s Detroit campus � which includes a headquarters tower and a vast technical center responsible for much of Fiat/Chrysler�s product development work � has become the single most important operation in the global corporate empire. Fiat maintains only a marginal staff in Turin anymore.
Marchionne, meanwhile, is often working in the air as he travels from one Fiat/Chrysler facility to the other, including the many new operations the maker has been establishing around the world.
How soon Marchionne might consider a move from Italy is uncertain, though it is not expected he would take action before completing the purchase of the 41.5% of Chrysler Fiat still does not own.
The Italian maker acquired its first 20% stake following Chrysler�s emergence from bankruptcy and steadily increased its holdings by meeting a series of benchmarks set during the federal bailout. But the remaining stake is in the hands of the United Auto Workers Union�s retiree health care trust, or VEBA, and the two sides are disputing the value of those shares in Delaware court. A decision is expected sometime over the summer.
The court�s decision will likely determine whether Chryler simply buys out the UAW�s stake or is forced to stage an IPO for the remaining Chrysler shares. It is also possible Marchionne will help fatten the treasury by offering an IPO for the combined company.

Product Placement

sfbreh — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:56:08 GMT

So, I'm watching older episodes of Burn Notice while I write about the Bauhaus and Vhkutemas schools...

And I realize how perfect the placement of the Gen 2 CTS is in this show. It's (was) the perfect series (even if it's terrible) to advertise the CTS.

Christ, I wish the show didn't go down the tubes so badly so they could advertise on it some more.

Well it got me wondering... what do you guys think Cadillac could do for product placement? Any shows out there you'd think would be good? Upcoming movies? Recent movies? Chinese propaganda films excluded, of course.

Camaro ZL1 Commercial - Magnetic Ride Control

91 s-10baja — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:23:29 GMT

Cadillac 15 sec Internet commercials

91 s-10baja — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:50:04 GMT

Regular Cab 2014 GMC Pictures - Wind Tunnel Testing

KMK454 — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:22:52 GMT

Repost, but here they are anyways... my mistake.

LINK:
General Motors

Texas Y'all! V8 Supercars Austin 400 this weekend!

JoeT — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:55:37 GMT

Texas track has drivers revved up for V8s Texas track has drivers revved up for V8s

V8 Supercars
15 May 2013
www.v8supercars.com.au

The few drivers who have seen the American track for this weekend's V8 Supercars race say Bathurst might be the only thing bigger than Texas.

Only a handful of those who will race at the spectacular Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas have seen it close up.

The vast majority will get their first look when they arrive in the United States later on Tuesday (AEST) ahead of Saturday's first practice session.

Purpose-built to host America's rounds of the Formula One and MotoGP, a truncated 3.75km version of the full 5.5km Grand Prix track will be used for the V8s' four weekend races.

With several points of elevation, a lightning-fast straight and a mix of high-speed and low-speed areas, Austin is being described as "a driver's track" the competitors will love.

Some, like Ford's Mark Winterbottom, say racing in North American motor racing heartland on such a quality track can provide the closest thing to a Bathurst-like experience outside Mount Panorama.

"Last time I was there, only half the track was finished. From my initial visit, I was impressed by the facilities and the dramatic elevation changes so I can't wait to see the finished product," Winterbottom said of his visit last year.

"I thought it was amazing and, when I saw the track ... the front half was asphalt, but the second half was dirt.

"Even then, it was still one of the best looking circuits I'd seen and I think it will suit our category well. I can't wait to have a go at it."

Among those to have driven on the finished article are Holden duo Fabian Coulthard and James Courtney.

"It's unbelievable ... when you drive it in a V8 Supercar, it is pretty impressive," Coulthard said.

"The most impressive part for me was turn one driving down into turn two. It was awesome to have the up and down and the high-speed, low-speed mix. It will work really well with our cars."

The US will become the sixth international venue to host V8 Supercar racing, joining New Zealand's two venues Pukekohe and Hamilton, China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Holden driver Jamie Whincup leads the series after four events from Ford's Will Davison.

Engineer Preview: Austin 400 Engineer Preview: Austin 400

V8 Supercars
15 May 2013
www.v8supercars.com.au

It�s the first time the V8 Supercars are racing in America, so this week we introduce you to one of the international engineers in the paddock. Fujitsu Racing GRM's Manuel Sanchez hails from Venezuela and has joined the series this year after following it for some time. Sanchez engineers Alex Premat.

Sanchez found the variety of formats and the competitive nature of the series compelling and while he said it had been a steep learning curve so far, he�s enjoying the challenge and is confident of more positive results for #34.

Sanchez shares his thoughts on racing at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend.

V8Supercars.com.au: What are the main characteristics of the circuit?

Sanchez: �Being an FIA Grade 1 circuit this is a very wide and smooth track with low kerbs and high grip.

�It has various kinds of turns: low speed hairpins, mid speed long turns and high speed sweepers, most of them with large paved run-off areas.

�An interesting fact is the elevation change of +40 meters in Sector One, with the highest point being the apex of Turn One.�

What is the tyre allocation and what sort of degradation are you expecting? How will this and the weekend's format impact setup and strategy?

�Tyre allocation for this meeting is 28 hard tyres (seven sets).

�We expect degradation to be low � however, having four races with compulsory pit stops to change at least two tyres will make tyre management an important factor for this weekend�s outcome.

�Having no pre-marked tyres for Texas means we will have to use at least one set for all Practice sessions, leaving us with six sets for the rest of the weekend (four Qualys and four Races).

�Given that the track is balanced in terms of left to right turns (10L, 9R) it's likely we will see cars pitting in and changing tyres on one axle only during the races. So with that in mind, race setup should be aimed to balance the car under these conditions as opposed to Qualy setup which is aimed at extracting the maximum performance out of the car with fresh rubber on all four corners.�

What aspects of the circuit are you expecting to suit your car and what do you have to be mindful of?

�I believe mid to high speed sectors as well as hard braking zones will play in our favour at this track.

�Because of the limited tyre allocation, in the latter Practices we should not get carried away by car performance as running on tyres with many laps on them can be misleading for qualifying pace, however useful for race pace.

�Both Alex and Scott (McLaughlin) have to be conscious and take care of the tyres as much as they can because one flat-spotted or punctured tyre could hurt our strategy to a great extent.

"When pitting for tyres everyone should be extremely cautious and really focused on their task, as it is so hard to gain one tenth on the track but so easy to lose a second on a pitstop that goes wrong."

What are you expecting to be the most important thing to do well this weekend?

�Whatever the strategy teams opt for, having a good Qualifying has proved to be paramount in all our races so far. Racing amongst the front runners gives you more clean air and the ability to control your pace better and although this is not always the case, it's usually easier to stay out of trouble and avoid contacts/accidents.�

What are the main challenges when racing at a new circuit � how do you prepare, and how important is Friday Practice at a new circuit?

�Not having prior information of the circuit makes it a little bit more difficult to establish a base setup for the start of the weekend; we have access to the data collected on V8SC demo run, however it is not enough.

�We try to do as much research as possible before getting there, but given the fact that this track is not just new for us, but almost a brand new track (opened last October) there is not that much information available as you would imagine.

�From the engineering point of view you analyse each turn and try to find similarities to some turns in different race tracks; also talking with friends/colleagues who have recently raced there proves useful.

�As from the driver point of view, Alex and Scott have been watching some onboard footage from other series and from the V8SC demo run � when V8SC sent a 2013 CotF Holden Commodore (a prototype used in the early stages of development) to promote the race over at Texas, driven by James Courtney, Fabian Coulthard and NASCAE driver Kurt Busch. However, they only drove around the long circuit (F1 spec) not the one that V8SC will be using, effectively missing four turns. Also the car wasn't set with the correct drop gear, and only ran with used tyres.

"Alex and Scott have also been spending some time in our racing simulator learning the track and exploring different racing lines. This helped Alex last year as all the tracks were new for him.

�Once there, the first step is to do our track walk on Thursday, and together with data engineers and drivers we analyse the track characteristics, discuss racing lines, braking points, overtaking zones, take note of kerbs height, surface condition, banking etc.

�On Friday Practice Alex and Scott have to find the fastest racing line and adapt to the track as soon as possible so we can start working on car setup with enough rubber left on our tyres."

What is your overseas experience?

�I was first involved in racing working as a Data Engineer in the Spanish Motorcycle Racing Championship with the Honda Factory Team in the Formula Extreme and Supersport categories, and Pons Racing in the 125cc category from 2007 to 2008; during the same period I worked as a freelance Race Engineer for Rodrive Competi�oes in the Formula Renault 2.0 Portuguese and Western European Championships.

�After that I moved to Argentina to work as a Design and Data Engineer for the Renault Factory Team in the Argentinean TC2000 Championship from 2008 to 2011; and then as Race Engineer for the Peugeot Factory Team for the 2012 season.

�Finally I disembarked in Garry Rogers Motorsport early this year before the start of 2013 season.�

10 Fast Facts: Austin 400 10 Fast Facts: Austin 400

V8 Supercars
13 May 2013
www.v8supercars.com.au

1. The Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, will become the sixth venue outside Australia to host the V8 Supercars Championship, following Pukekohe and Hamilton (New Zealand), Shanghai (China), Bahrain and the Yas Marina Circuit (Abu Dhabi).

The V8 Supercars Championship first raced outside of Australia at Pukekohe in 2001 and the Austin 400 will be the 22nd V8 Supercars Championship event to be held offshore.

The Austin 400 is the second international event in the 2013 V8 Supercars Championship following on from the ITM 400 Auckland at Pukekohe in mid-April.

2. V8 Supercars Championship leader Jamie Whincup is the instant favourite for the Austin 400 � and not just because he�s the points leader or winner of the last two races at Barbagallo.

Whincup�s success offshore has been unmatched, the Red Bull Racing Australia driver winning 16 of the last 24 V8SC races held outside Australia from Bahrain 2008 onwards.

He�s also taken nine of the 21 pole positions in that time, with a total of eight drivers sharing the 12 other pole positions on offer between them.

On the flip side, Whincup�s teammate Craig Lowndes has claimed just one of his record 91 ATCC/V8SC race wins outside Australia � a single race win in Bahrain in 2007.

A total of 57 races have been held offshore since the first overseas event at Pukekohe in 2001. Interestingly, five different drivers have taken the first race win at each international venue. Those drivers are Greg Murphy (Pukekohe 2001), Todd Kelly (Shanghai 2005), Jason Bright (Bahrain 2006), Garth Tander (Hamilton 2008) and Jamie Whincup (2010 Yas Marina Circuit).

3. Of the 28 drivers in the V8 Supercars Championship field, just four � Jason Bright, Alex Davison, Alex Premat and James Courtney �have raced cars before in the United States.

Team BOC�s Bright is the most experienced, having competed in the US Formula Ford 2000 Championship in 1996, Indy Lights in 2000 (including a victory in Portland) and the 2006 Sebring 12 Hour for Aston Martin Racing � where he finished fourth overall and second in class.

JELD-WEN FPR Ford�s Davison was the first Australian to win a race at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he won in Porsche Supercup in 2002. He also competed in a handful of American Le Mans Series races in a Porsche in 2003 and 2008 � including a second place finish in the GT2 class of the 2008 Sebring 12 Hour.

Fujitsu Racing GRM�s Premat competed in a round of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca in 2011 in an OAK Racing Pescarolo-Judd, while the Holden Racing Team�s Courtney made a one-off start in the US in 2004 when the Japanese GT Championship he was racing in at the time competed at California Speedway in Fontana.

4. V8 Supercars will use the shorter 3.7km �National Circuit� at the Circuit of The Americas, rather than the full 5.5km �Grand Prix� layout.

The circuit is the first purpose-built Grand Prix racetrack in the United States and was designed by Herman Tilke as the focal point of the 350 acre precinct.

It hosted Formula One in November last year and hosted MotoGP as recently as April 2013.

V8 Supercars will compete in four 100km races at the Circuit of The Americas � the same format as Pukekohe in New Zealand � though with compulsory pit stops for tyre changes in each race, which were not part of the Pukekohe format.

Only hard Dunlop tyres will be used at the Austin 400 � no soft tyres will be used.

5. Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford driver Mark Winterbottom is desperate to break a 12-month winning-drought as he continues to mount a comeback from a lowly position in the Championship pointscore.

Winterbottom last won a V8SC race at Phillip Island on May 19 last year, which will be exactly one year ago to the day come Sunday race day at the Circuit of The Americas.

He will also have added reason for celebrations should he win in Texas given he will celebrate his 32nd birthday on the Monday after the event on May 20.

Winterbottom sits ninth in the championship, 292 points behind leader Jamie Whincup.

The Ford pilot was the first V8 Supercar driver to visit the Circuit of The Americas last year while it was under construction.

6. Holden will become the first manufacturer to rack up 250 pole positions in the Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars Championship with its next pole position in 2013.

It currently sits on 249 after the last event at Barbagallo with rivals Ford achieving 215 pole positions.

Peter Brock took Holden�s first ATCC/V8SC pole position at Symmons Plains in Tasmania in 1973, while Holden drivers have dominated Qualifying this year and taken 11 of the 12 pole positions so far this season.

7. With four events completed in this year�s V8 Supercars Championship (and 12 races within them) the spread of points between the top 10 is much tighter than at the same point last year.

A total of 369 points covers current leader Jamie Whincup to 10th placed Scott McLaughlin, while last year (after the fourth event, also at Barbagallo), there was a whopping 524 points between Whincup and 10th placed Rick Kelly.

The spread between the top five is also less (238 this year to 358 last year), though the top two drivers in the Championship at the moment are exactly the same as this time last year: Jamie Whincup and Will Davison.

8. Two drivers � Craig Lowndes and Jason Bright � make important moves up the all-time event starts list at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

Lowndes moves to fourth on the all-time event starts list with his 213th ATCC/V8SC appearance and now sits behind only John Bowe, Russell Ingall and Mark Skaife, while Bright moves into the top 10, tying Tony Longhurst for 10th on 192 event starts.

9. While things remain tough for the Holden Racing Team, it�s the recent qualifying form of former champion Garth Tander that produces some startling statistical analysis.

Tander qualified outside the top 15 for all three races at the last event at Barbagallo in Perth; the first time since the first three qualifying sessions of his V8 Supercar career way back in 1998 (at Phillip Island, Winton and Mallala) that he�s qualified outside the top 15 three times in succession.

Tander has also been out-qualified so far this year by HRT teammate James Courtney for the first time since they became teammates in 2011.
Courtney averages a starting position of 9.67 this year, while Tander averages 11.9.

Tander has qualified in the top 10 for just five of the 12 races held so far this year, whereas Courtney has managed it eight times.

There have been 50 V8 Supercar Championship races since HRT�s last win at Bathurst in 2011.

10. An often over-looked fight in the V8 Supercars Championship is the Team�s Championship.

After 12 races, reigning Team�s Champions Red Bull Racing Australia lead by 182 points over Pepsi Max Crew FPR Ford � who finished runners-up last year.

Brad Jones Racing�s great start to the season sees them third, just 35 points behind FPR, with the Holden Racing Team fourth from Tekno Autosports.

HRT Flying Aussie Flag in USA HRT Flying Aussie Flag in USA

V8 Supercars
13 May 2013
www.v8supercars.com.au

Holden�s official factory V8 Supercars team, the Holden Racing Team, will proudly fly the Australian flag at this weekend�s historic Austin 400.

The V8 Supercars Championship makes its US debut at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on May 17-19.

HRT�s new VF Commodores, driven by V8 Supercars Champions Garth Tander and James Courtney, will display the distinctive Aussie flag on their rear quarter panels and roofs.

The flag is comprised of the Union Jack, which acknowledges Australia�s historical link with Britain, the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star, which represents Australia�s federal system of government, and the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars only visible in the Southern Hemisphere, all on a blue panel.

HRT�s livery design highlights the VF Commodore, which will be built by Holden Vehicle Operations in Adelaide, as being the basis for Holden�s new export program with the car to be badged and sold as the Chevrolet SS in the US later this year.

�V8 Supercars� first visit to the US is an exciting time for HRT in being able to showcase Holden�s new VF Commodore to the market where it will soon go on sale badged as a Chevy,� Tander said.

�The people at [Holden head office] Fishermans Bend are very proud of exporting a rear-wheel-drive V8 performance sedan to America � the home of muscle cars.

�As Holden�s factory race team, we�re also proud to wave the Aussie flag and show what truly world class cars Holden is manufacturing in Australia.�

GM Holden Motorsport and Sponsorship Manager Simon McNamara said HRT�s new livery for Texas provided an ideal opportunity to highlight VF Commodore as Australian-designed, engineered and made.

�Commodore has built an incredible heritage in its 35 years while HRT is the sport�s most successful team,� McNamara said.

�We are extremely proud of new VF Commodore; it�s a world class car with world-leading technology and amazing performance credentials, which has opened up new export opportunities for Australia.

�So, with V8�s first trip to the US we couldn�t think of a better time to stamp the Holden Racing Team�s VF Commodores as �proudly Aussie-made�.�

Holden�s Commodore is the Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercars Championship�s most successful nameplate with a record 383 race wins and 22 Bathurst titles, and 12 driver�s championships.

The recently superseded VE Commodore won a series record 103 races, while VF has already recorded 11 wins and 11 pole positions in just 12 races since its debut at the beginning of this season.

While this is V8 Supercars' first foray into North America, Commodore�s record in international events is already outstanding.

It won the first-ever round of the World Touring Car Championship, held at Monza, Italy, in 1987.

Commodore has also won 43 of the 57 V8SC races held on foreign soil since the series� first international championship event was held in New Zealand in 2001, and taken pole position 21 of 33 times.

It has also already experienced success competing as the Chevy SS in America�s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, taking pole and winning on debut at the world famous Daytona 500 in February.

With 200 all-time wins, HRT is the most successful team in ATCC/V8SC history, while the Holden factory team is also the only team in V8SC history to record wins in Australia, New Zealand, China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Tander himself is no stranger to success on the international stage, with victories in Bahrain and New Zealand, but the 2007 V8 Champion says a win in America would highlight his overseas achievements.

�Holden and HRT have done a lot of winning at international events, but to win the first race on American soil would be very cool to have on the CV � it�s what every V8 driver is hoping to achieve this weekend,� Tander said.

�It�s a level playing field although a few guys have been over there doing promotional stuff � James has done some laps around the track so I�ll try and pick his brain.

�We�ve got plenty of time on Friday to learn the circuit and get the car set up so everyone has the same opportunity, and it�ll be exciting to see who gets their head around the venue fastest.�

A total of 15 VF Commodores will line up for the Austin 400 in Texas, with Practice beginning Friday (US time).

The Seven Network�s 7mate digital channel will carry all the weekend�s races live on Sunday and Monday mornings (Australian time).

Goodbye: Last Holden VE Commodore rolls off line

JoeT — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:34:35 GMT

Last Holden VE Commodore rolls off line

Stuart Martin
17 May 2013
www.carsguide.com.au

An era ended yesterday as the final Holden VE Commodore rolled from the Adelaide production line.

The final VE, an SS Z-Series, was completed amid the first examples of its VF replacement and early build examples of the VF-based Chevrolet SS export cars.

The �chlorophyll� green SS V Z-Series automatic sports sedan, which retails for a list price of $49,790 and is destined for a Northern Territory dealer, is the last of more than 350,000 sold locally since it started production in July 2006.

The car Holden dubbed its �billion-dollar baby� is soon to be replaced by the VF Commodore on sale next month, the latest in a Commodore line-up of 15 models that number more than 2.9 million produced.

Holden executive director of manufacturing Richard Phillips said the VE was a landmark achievement for Holden and yesterday's end to production of the model was a bitter-sweet moment.

�The company's first true �clean-sheet� design allowed our team to show the world what Holden was capable of and the result was, and remains, a stunning car,� he said.

�It's been such a great product for us but at the same time we're excited about the future and the entire Holden team is energised by the imminent launch of the fantastic new VF Commodore.�

"The VF is the most advanced car ever created in this country, a car that takes the winning values and trademark driving dynamics of the VE and elevates it to a new level of luxury, technology and sophistication,� he said.

The final VE made its journey through the General Assembly plant yesterday, sharing the line with VF pre-production cars including the first pilot-build examples of the Chevrolet SS - many of the workers involved were part of the team that completed the Elizabeth plant transformation for the model when it began in 2006.

Andrew Shaw, 40, has worked for Holden at Elizabeth since 2002 and was hired as part of the VE preparation. �To be part of the VE launch and follow it right through and then end up in here watching it come off the line for the last time, it was a bit of a spinout and good to be part of ... it's been a real buzz for the last few months. �One chapter finishes and another one begins, this one is so important to get our domestic sales back to where they need to be - there's a lot of faith in this car and we're very proud of it,� he said.

Continue here

VF Commodore won't take back crown, says new Mazda boss

JoeT — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:30:13 GMT

Keeping Mazda3 Number 1

Ken Gratton
17 May 2013
www.carpoint.com.au

VF Commodore won't take back crown, says new Mazda boss

Martin Benders, the new MD at Mazda Australia, is quite confident the importer's small car can remain the country's favourite car – even in the last 12 months of its current model cycle.

And any threat to the Mazda3's dominance won't be coming from the previous title holder, Holden's Commodore, Benders told motoring.com.au earlier this week.

"If you look at the segmentation, before we were worried about brands or our models. The small car segment is growing, and the large car segment is falling. So people are voting with their feet in that direction," he said.

"So I don't know whether a new Commodore is going to make people go back to the large car, because I don’t know that people are moving to a small car for any reason other than it suits their needs."

The Mazda exec, who has been with the company for 27 years – including three-year postings in Japan and Europe – has seen a lot happen to the brand in Australia during that period. That the Mazda3 could overtake the Commodore when he left the country about six years ago was not something widely anticipated. The market has changed in recent years however, and that's fundamentally why large car sales are in the doldrums – and unlikely to recover to the same levels as yesteryear.

"My personal opinion is that what has happened is that a lot of companies who used to say, 'Here’s your job and here’s your car,' have now said, 'I don’t need to have that depreciating asset on my books. I’ll put you on a novated lease, and I’ll say to you, ‘You can have whatever car you want.’ Go and buy something that’s suitable for you, but you can take it with you when you go, and it’s not on my books.' And so that has made a lot more people who get a company car become more like private buyers, which is where our target is."

Since the GFC there was a very sudden downturn in large-car sales, hitting Ford in particular. Holden can argue for the moment that current Commodore sales reflect a run-out period and lower stock levels for the VE model, but the VF may not return the nameplate to the 4000-unit-plus monthly sales of recent years.

"I guess the surprising thing is how quickly that’s happened, right?" Benders remarked. "I think everybody recognised that [large car sales were] dwindling, but it’s sort of become a fairly steep gradient, [a] steeper gradient than anybody expected. So I don’t see that Commodore can turn that around suddenly. I would like to think that they can come up with some solution. I mean, Ford tried it with a four-cylinder version [the EcoBoost Falcon], but that wasn’t the issue. The issue is that people don’t need that size car anymore, I guess."

So what sort of car will topple the Mazda3 from its sales leadership position on the dais?

"Well, Golf 7’s just arrived," Benders responded. "It’s come in at a very hot price, so I’m sure that’s going to be a threat to us. Corolla is reasonably well-priced, but leaves some question marks on design, maybe..."

Continue here

HSV must wait to run its GTS around Germany�s infamous Nurburgring

JoeT — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:24:54 GMT

GTS not ready to become �Ring wraith: HSV

Barry Parks
15 May 2013
www.goauto.com.au

Holden's performance skunkworks will consider pitting its most powerful HSV-badged vehicle against the global performance car benchmark � Germany�s infamous Nurburgring.

The 21-kilometre road circuit that has tested the claims of many performance car-makers � including sparking a bitter war of words between German sportscar brand Porsche and Japanese car-maker Nissan over whose products were fastest � is now on the radar at HSV, which is keen to see what it can do to get a car there.

However, HSV director of sales and marketing, Tim Jackson, says any attempt to benchmark the supercharged 430kW 6.2-litre LSA-engined GTS would need to wait a while.

�A few (people) are asking us to take it over (to the Nurburgring),� Mr Jackson said. �Last year, when the Holden ute went around, we looked at what was the fastest truck around Nurburgring, and looked at taking a Maloo there to see if we could break that record.

�There�s a few asking us to have a crack, and we�re open to it.

�One of the challenges at this stage is that we can�t afford to have a car out of play, we can�t afford the resources to do it.

�In order to not have a car out of play, you have to air-freight it over and that�s a $75,000, $85,000 exercise even before you factor in people and those sorts of things,� Mr Jackson said.

Continue here

2014 Corvette Stingray Filmed at the Movie Set of Next Captain America

ausrutherford — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:23:55 GMT

MAY 16, 2013
Carscoops

Adding to the many Marvel Comics-based movies coming out from Hollywood these days, is "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", which Moviefone says, picks up where "The Avengers" left off. As interested as we may be in the superhero crusades of Steve Rogers / Captain America (played by Chris Evans) and his sexy sidekick Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), it's not why we are sharing this scoop video.

The reason is that YouTube author Jason Vandervliet recorded the new 2014 Corvette Stingray pulling up during filming of the movie.

GMC pcm reprogram info

JoeB — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:36:07 GMT

I recently changed the rear axle in my GMC from 308 to 410.I went to my dealer today to have the pcm reprogrammed so the speedo reads correctly and he says they cant do it.
Can anyone recommend someone who can reprogram it ? I have read prices from 50.00 to 225.00
Thanks:confused:

Rumor: Holden Developing a Torana.

Z284ever — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:05:19 GMT

This according to Alex Nunez from Road and Track. He says that his sources inform him, that Holden has developed a three box design, sport compact clay proposal, called Torana, and are trying to get GMNA to sign off on it as a Chevy.

He also says that a good name for the Chevy version would be either Chevelle or Monte Carlo SS. I disagree, but whatever. Actually, >>IF TRUE<<, I wouldn't mind Chevy Torana. Just me, though.

A bit heavy on speculation and light on actual facts, but fairly interesting if you have 23 minutes to kill.

BMW's 'return' to the sports compact car: the 2 Series

voyager — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:13:16 GMT

Remember the BMW sports sedan, the two-door E30, that looked like 8/10th of the normal car Americans were used to? Well, next year BMW will launch its 2 Series.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/16/b...-during-shoot/

Buick Encore Review

mjd1001 — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:08:04 GMT

As good as the Bose Noise Cancellation system is, it is sometimes not enough to overcome the squawk that comes from underhood when the 1.4-liter turbocharged EcoTec-branded powerplant is called up for duty. Although the Encore, in front-drive form, tips the scale at just shy of 3,200 lbs., we think it could really use something mo�better underhood.

Acceleration is sluggish, almost giving the impression that the overall weight of the car is too much for this four-banger, even with just one passenger. It might be a challenge with a full compliment of people and their things.

Buick goes global to its overseas operations, for the smallest crossover in the lineup.

Although not a muscle-bound juicer, the Buick Encore should fill many a bill for those seeking a small hauler with which to ply the urban jungle.

full article here: http://www.leftlanenews.com/buick-encore-review.html

Ultimate Incentive? Volvo Offers To Make First Payment On Audi A4 Purchase

Perian — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:34:43 GMT

Volvo Cars North America

Take the Volvo S60 challenge and discover how it's outdriving and outperforming the Audi A4. If after you visit us for a test drive of the Volvo S60 and see all its great features, and if you still want to buy an A4, we'll cover the first payment for you. That's just how confident we are that you'll fall in love with the S60. Hurry, this offer is only good from April 12, 2013 to May 31, 2013.

Limit of rebate amount is $400.

For United States residents only, excludes Puerto Rico.

This program limited to a new 2013 Audi A4 2.0T model only.

2013 Audi A4 2.0T purchase cannot be prior to or on the same day as the Volvo S60 test drive.

* "�2013 Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. The Iron Mark is a registered trademark of Volvo. Estimated MPG estimated on Highway. Audi information from www.audiusa.com.. If you should purchase a new 2013 Audi A4 2.0T sedan, which you won�t, reimbursement is in the form of a pre-paid Visa debit card. 2013 Audi A4 2.0T purchase cannot be prior to or on the same day as the Volvo S60 test drive. First payment capped at $400. Program ends 5/31/13. To be eligible Audi purchase must be made within 30 days of test driving a Volvo S60.

2014 GMC Sierra Aerodynamics with First Regular Cab Standard Box Photos

FenwickHockey65 — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:08 GMT

GMC Pickups 101: Busting Myths of Truck Aerodynamics
2014 Sierra gains fuel economy, quietness from time in wind tunnel
General Motors

May 16, 2013

DETROIT � The all-new 2014 Sierra full-size pickup truck spent more development time in a wind tunnel than any GMC pickup before it, resulting in design changes that benefit both fuel efficiency and interior quietness.

To achieve improved airflow, aerodynamic engineers like Diane Bloch examined every millimeter of the truck to find areas of improvement, debunking some popular myths along the way.

To study the way air passes over, under and around the Sierra, engineers used General Motors� state-of-the-art Aerodynamics Lab, a 750-foot-long tunnel through which a 43-foot-diameter fan powered by a DC electric motor with the equivalent of 4,500 horsepower can generate winds of up to 138 mph. Aerodynamic advancement is one reason why the 2014 Sierra will be the most fuel-efficient V-8 pickup on the market.

�We can�t stop air; we can only guide it through the path of least resistance. It�s like electricity, without the shock,� said Bloch, GM aerodynamic performance engineer. �The biggest misconception is that it�s all about single components. But a certain side mirror design doesn�t create a certain amount of drag, its interaction with the rest of the vehicle does.�

For example, a new air dam below the 2014 Sierra�s front bumper successfully reduces drag because it directs air toward the ground and away from the truck�s rough underbody. And Sierra�s ducted flow path between the grille and radiator prevents air from swirling inside the truck�s front cavities.

Even the top of the Sierra�s tailgate and the center high-mounted stop light are optimized to guide air cleanly around the truck. And because Bloch�s team detected unwanted airflow between the cab and bed, new sealing has been added.

�We discovered that in the computational analysis we perform,� said Bloch. �The most harmful air between the cab and bed was coming over the cab and down through the gap, so we paid the most attention to that specific area.�

The pickup market has a great number of available aftermarket accessories, and Bloch says those have varying impact on aerodynamics. Add-ons like bug deflectors on the hood, wider tires or aftermarket bumpers can raise the drag coefficient, which is the measure of how air pushes on a vehicle as it moves down the road. The result: added noise and increased fuel consumption.

A long-disputed topic among truck owners is whether a tailgate raised or lowered is better for aerodynamics, but Bloch says a tailgate in the up position is more aerodynamically efficient. As air flows over the truck, it falls over the cab and pushes forward on the rear of the truck. With the tailgate down, the benefits of that airflow are diminished.

�Replacing the tailgate with an aftermarket net is worse than having no tailgate at all,� Bloch said. �Imagine dragging a solid object and a fishing net through water. The net is going to require more muscle.�

So what accessories can truck owners add to help aerodynamics? Tonneau covers for the bed help smooth airflow over the truck, and Bloch says soft covers are more beneficial than hard covers because they form to how the air wants to flow. Running boards can also help air flow smoothly down the truck�s sides.

�Round, tube-style running boards can provide a minor improvement to the truck�s drag coefficient,� said Bloch, �Fully integrated, flush-mount running boards are even better.�

AutoguideVideo: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Review

eastcoasthd — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:29:39 GMT

AutoguideVideo: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Review

Double-Cab Long-Box (Some people do use trucks for work still)

chevrolet_kelowna — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:02:29 GMT

I can buy a 2013 Extended or Double Cab 1500 with a long box.
Are you guys discontinuing that in 2014? Will it be available as a fleet option?

MKZ: A "Dog"?

megeebee — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:06:52 GMT

Who at Ford gets credit for this?:

2014 Chevy Impala 15sec internet ads

91 s-10baja — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:05:38 GMT

Chevy Equinox Commercial - Programmable Lift Gate That Won't Scratch the Garage Door

91 s-10baja — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:41:56 GMT

another ad that compares features. I am a fan of these types of ads.

Chevy Spark Commercial - Show Off Your True Colors

91 s-10baja — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:38:13 GMT

I honestly feel this commercial is great. Plus I like the song, as it was part of the soundtrack to one of my fav movies 'GO'!

GM dropping full-size hybrid SUVs for 2014

uvikrama — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:12:27 GMT

GM dropping full-size hybrid SUVs for 2014
Source : www.leftlanenews.com
By Andrew Ganz
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 @ 12:00 pm

If you're looking to buy a full-size hybrid SUV, you'd better get a move on. General Motors has confirmed that it won't be offering hybrid versions of its Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade for what's expected to be an abbreviated 2014 model year.

Despite persistent rumors indicating otherwise, GM's next-generation full-size SUVs won't show up until the 2015 model year.

That means that the current versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, which first hit the road in 2006 as 2007 model year SUVs, will soldier on as 2014s before the redesign launches.

Read more : here

Did GM Swing and Miss With Its 2014 Silverado?

andretti — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:34:53 GMT

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...silverado.aspx

By Daniel Miller |
May 14, 2013

Make no mistake, the Silverado is the most important vehicle for General Motors (NYSE: GM ) , and whiffing on this model would be a huge speed bump on its road to recovery. Analysts estimate the Silverado could bring in over half of GM's profits. While some critics quickly snubbed the 2014 Silverado as a design failure, I have to disagree – to some extent. Yeah, if you compare the 2014 with its predecessor, the initial appearance might not be life-altering. However, how many consumers that own a 2013 are actually going to be buying a 2014 anyway? I'd bet it's not enough to matter.

Those with an older Silverado model are likely going to come away with a much better impression, and that's what matters to General Motors. Here's a quick look at the difference between past and present Silverado's and how GM plans to take advantage of a surging luxury market.

That's a vast design improvement for the consumer that is more inclined to purchase a new truck. Trucks have a higher price tag and when the recession hit and the housing market collapsed, truck sales took a nose dive.

The average age of pickup trucks has hit 13 years. Now, as we're beginning to see a slow economic recovery, with an uptick in housing construction, truck sales are beginning to surge – and so are automakers' profits. That graph compares Ford's (NYSE: F ) F-Series to combined sales of the Silverado and Sierra – which are built on the same GM platform. Ford enjoyed a nice sales surge and that led its bottom line profits to stand above those of General Motors in this year's first-quarter earnings reports. If GM wants to reverse this recent trend, and boost profits to the level desired by investors, it must impress critics and consumers alike starting with this summer's Silverado launch.

Full article at link.

Attached Images

me_silver_2_large.jpg‎ (16.2 KB)

Radiator Protection

Neanderthal — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:50:03 GMT

Today I performed my formerly-standard radiator-protection process.

I did this to the 2004 Impala and the PT, but have skipped subsequent cars until today.

Though Elwood has but 5700 miles, there are already a few dings in the radiator, likely from stone or hard bug hits at speed. In the Soul access is pretty simple, though not all cars have such easy access.

Parts: Aluminum screen about *30" x 36". Silver or aluminum foil duct tape. For a Soul: 10mm wrench, screwdriver, scissors, discarded toothbrush.

Eyeball-engineer-measure the size at about 30 x 36 and cut a piece of aluminum window screen to approximately that size. You can always tuck in the excess, you cannot stretch the screen if you cut too short.

Make a "picture frame" with four pieces of tape to cover the rough edges of the screen. Just lay the screen on top of the tape, double the tape over. Secure with X-ray heat vision.:cool:

*Remove two bolts and about eight plastic fasteners holding the horizontal part by the hood opening lever. Wiggle, wedge, and pry lightly with a flathead screwdriver until this piece pulls out.

Use the toothbrush (or other brush) to remove deceased bugs. Find cardboard matchboxes and give them proper burials, according to their religious beliefs or presumed preferences.:rolleyes:
Clean out any other dirt or crud from the radiator fins. Carefully.

*Slide the screen in, there's plenty of clearance. My screen went down deep enough to tuck in to the bottom lip of the grill surround. Tuck at the top. You're done.

*Scrooch the plastic part back in, snap in the fasteners, tighten the bolts, you're done.

The radiator is now protected from hits and clogs from assorted insectoids and other flying debris which is especially popular in the summer months.

From my years of dolphin research, I know that dolphins' sonars had blind spots regarding how fine or large the mesh in fishing nets is.

I don't know if the aluminum screen has any effect regarding police radars.

*This is Soul-specific. Other cars vary from simple to a huge pain in the caboose.

North Carolina targets Tesla, considers banning direct-to-consumer sales

nruggiero — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:20:59 GMT

North Carolina targets Tesla, considers banning direct-to-consumer sales
Autoblog
May 15, 2013
by Danny King

North Carolina is the latest state to line up against Tesla Motors by proposing a bill that would bar direct automaker-to-customer sales within the state, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. Still, Tesla says plans to open a showroom there and has sold about 80 cars to North Carolina residents, with reservations for about 60 more.

According to Slate, a bill pushed by the state's Senate Commerce Committee � and backed, of course, by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (NCADA) � would not only prevent Tesla from opening a showroom in North Carolina, it would go as far as banning Internet vehicle sales in the Tar Heel state. We're not sure how that would be enforced, but it would certainly crimp the success Tesla has had without using the traditional industry dealer distribution model. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Tom Apodaca (R), who claims the goal is to stop unfair competition between manufacturers and dealers (as Slate notes, Apodaca also received $8,000 from the NCADA last year, the most allowed by law). Tesla's vice president for corporate and business development, Diarmuid O'Connell, argues that the bill is "a protectionist move to lock down the market so we have to go through the middleman � the dealer � to sell our cars."

Full article available at link.

What do you think?

ih8slowcars — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:06:19 GMT

Motorsport accordingly to Europeans:
http://www.formula1.com/default.html

Motorsport accordingly to Americans:
http://jalopnik.com/are-combine-harv...grea-506657817

Two interesting articles

katekebo — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:54:01 GMT

The first one is about fleet sales.
http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...le-secret.aspx

The second is about 10 fastest growing car companies. As expected, the Detroit Big Three are not on the list. It's logical to see some smaller companies from China growing fast due to emerging automotive market in their home country. But many of the fastest growing companies are not small start-ups.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoz...-one-american/

Spied: 2015 Tahoe and Yukon

Seagrave7 — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:42:12 GMT

Photos and Video. Video is of the Tahoe.

http://wot.motortrend.com/spied-chev...#axzz2TNnioMgK

Opinion: Cadillac Has Mastered Product Execution, But...

nsap — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:16:13 GMT

Unfortunately the brand's image does not match the product.
www.GMInsideNews.com
May 15, 2013
By: Nick Saporito

The Cadillac brand has been in a near-constant state of renaissance since the CTS launched in 2002. What showcased signs of a trajectory to excellence back then with the age of the Art & Science quickly turned into a brand devoid of direction and lacking in execution. Now Cadillac is pushing the throttle down a little harder in its second attempt at luxury viability – only this time it’s showing promise.

The barometers of success for any automobile brand are challenging to gauge, particularly in the luxury arena. One can look at sales numbers, demographics, transaction prices, media opinion and much more to determine if a brand’s turnaround efforts bear fruit.

For the sake of argument, let’s narrow the metrics to three categories - strategy, product execution and customer experience (including advertising). While that’s likely a generalization, without any of those three in place, any automotive brand—specifically a luxury marque—is not going to sustain long-term success.

In the case of Cadillac, the brand has lacked in each of the three categories. Strangely enough, it could be easily argued that Cadillac had a narrowly focused strategy back in the early 2000s by launching the Sigma cars (CTS, SRX, STS). After the XLR launched, the brand literally had an all rear-wheel-drive lineup of great driving cars, but all lacked in the product execution arena. The STS was plagued with a lackluster interior and the SRX looked like a tall station wagon that never caught on with buyers.

Today, Cadillac has the opposite problem. The execution of the brand’s latest products is as near flawless as a brand can get. The ATS, XTS and the 2014 CTS all show a level of precision that has never been seen in Cadillac product. This time, the strategy portion of the brand equation is questionable. We have a front-drive SRX that was produced to chase the volume leader of the segment, the Lexus RX350. We also have the XTS that is a modern day rendition of the Deville. Neither product fits in with a brand attempting to play with the high rollers of the luxury automobile club.

It’s interesting, really. While the argument behind having the XTS in the Cadillac portfolio is a completely valid one, there’s no denying the car has been executed flawlessly for what it is. It has a gorgeous, no-excuses interior. It has all of the latest and greatest technology, including hardware from brand names such as Brembo and Bose. It even has a real metal grille on the front.

And for 2014, the XTS gains a 410 horsepower twin-turbo V-6 and even more luxury features. On paper, the XTS could easily become Cadillac’s viable attempt at tapping into the corporate C-Suite, but there’s something missing.

Luxury vehicles do not sell off of value proposition or price. Luxury vehicles sell off of image. At the moment, Cadillac lacks the image to fully play in the luxury league, but the brand is closer to that image than it has been in modern history.

Yes, Cadillac has finally proved to the world that it can flawlessly execute luxury product. With the XTS, it could have just been an anomaly. Following with the ATS could have just been dumb luck, but with ELR and CTS appearing to be on the same level – Cadillac can silence critics of their product.

There are now two things left for GM’s flagship brand to perfect: strategy and the customer experience.

Yesterday, GM CFO Dan Ammann told Automotive News that Cadillac will not chase volume, which is an encouraging step in the right direction on the luxury front. Instead, Cadillac must chase higher transaction prices. The only way to increase those prices is to elevate the brand’s image.

Cadillac also needs to figure out if it is going to play with the Germans or chase segment leaders – risking a dilution of the brand image. The SRX and XTS are arguably diluting the brand today. Should they move them to rear drive to be like the Germans or continue on their own multi-faceted strategy?

As a Cadillac owner, I can attest that the customer experience is not perfect yet. There are still Cadillac showrooms that would look at home in the 1970s and the brand is not engaging younger clientele as successfully as Audi, and to a lesser extent, BMW.

Cadillac advertising—while decent—deserves more luxury traits. It tries so hard to be youthful that it lacks the feeling of a luxury brand, this coming from a 20-something ATS owner.

As of May 1 there were over 14,000 ATS’ in inventory. That’s a lot. It isn’t the car’s fault that sales are not taking off as quickly as they should – it’s the customer experience and advertising. Showing the car traverse parts of the world does not explain the car’s features or it’s stellar interior. And Cadillac dealers are largely lost in dealing with younger, more typical luxury customers.

Cadillac would be best served by tying its strategy and customer experience together. Assure that every Caddy is bold and almost brash in design, much like the new CTS. In America, we are bold, independent and relentless. Cadillac should carry these traits in products and customer experience. The brand needs an aura of brashness – a brand that does well with those people doing well.

Yes, Cadillac is finally showing the world it can be great again. The execution of products like the ATS, XTS and CTS has proved that the brand can be the standard in many metrics. Now it just needs to pick a strategy and hone in on the customer experience to be the best in the luxury business – both can only be proven over the long run.

New-generation 1.6 SIDI Turbo Now Powers Opel Astra Models

Toto — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:07:17 GMT

New-generation 1.6 SIDI Turbo Now Powers Opel Astra Models
2013-05-15
Opel Media Online

- Best-in-class: SIDI Turbo gasoline unit with strong low-end torque and high refinement
- Three body styles: Available as 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedan and Sports Tourer
- More torque: Up to 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) from just 1,650 rpm
- Greater economy: Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions cut by up to 14 percent
- Refined transmissions: Smooth six-speed manual and automatic transmissions

R�sselsheim. An all-new gasoline engine in three Astra variants: the new-generation 1.6 SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) Turbo unit now makes its debut in the Opel best seller. The 125 kW/170 hp, direct injection engine leads the newly-launched Opel powertrain offensive and takes the Astra five-door hatchback, four-door sedan and Sports Tourer models to the top of their segments for superb low-end torque and refinement.

This new-generation engine tops the gasoline offer in the Astra family and replaces the previous 1.6 Turbo. It generates exceptional maximum torque of up to 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) (50 Nm (37 lb-ft) more than its predecessor), which is available from just 1,650 rpm (previous generation: 2,200 rpm). It does more than just beat its predecessor: it also delivers 12 percent more torque than its closest competitors from the compact class with 150 - 180 hp output, even those from German premium brands.

At the same time, with NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) fuel consumption of just 5.9 liters/100 km (five-door and sedan), the new Astra models powered by the 1.6 SIDI Turbo also require up to 14 percent less gasoline than their predecessors. Refined transmissions also play a role in delivering better fuel economy as well as enhanced comfort and performance. The five-door Astra, the sedan and Sports Tourer 1.6 SIDI Turbo come with next-generation six-speed manual gearboxes distinguished by especially high shifting comfort and substantially lower friction. A new, low-friction six-speed automatic transmission can also be combined with the new 1.6 SIDI Turbo engine in the Astra models. It features an Active Select function to provide manual shifting for a sportier driving experience.

The five-door Astra 1.6 SIDI Turbo can now be ordered, with prices starting at 23,385 euros (RRP incl. VAT in Germany) and 24,485 euros for the similarly equipped Astra Sports Tourer. The Astra four-door sedan with the 1.6 SIDI Turbo engine will be available this fall.

Top of segment: Higher torque than all direct competitors

While most competitors provide maximum torque of 240 - 250 Nm (177 - 184 lb-ft) , the Astra five-door, sedan and Sports Tourer 1.6 SIDI Turbo impress with powerful low-end torque of up to 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) between 1,650 and 4,250 rpm. The all-new engine combines excellent refinement and a smooth power delivery with lower fuel consumption. It boasts up to 22 percent more torque than its predecessor engine and a reduction of up to 14 percent in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, diminishing impact on the environment and drivers’ wallets.

With Start/Stop technology and a six-speed manual transmission, the Astra five-door and sedan 1.6 SIDI Turbo models have an NEDC combined fuel consumption of just 5.9 l/100 km and emit only 139 g/km CO2. The five-door Astra 1.6 SIDI Turbo accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 8.7 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 220 km/h (137 mph), while the sedan achieves two km/h more. Both variants also boast impressive elasticity in fifth gear, with acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h (50 - 75 mph) in just 8.8 seconds, nearly two seconds faster than the predecessor model.

The new Astra Sports Tourer 1.6 SIDI Turbo also easily joins the ranks of exemplary performers: it accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h (50 -75 mph fifth gear) in nine seconds – 1.5 seconds faster than the previous 1.6 Turbo model– and from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.8 seconds, with a maximum speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). The flexible Opel station wagon consumes 6.1 l/100km (NEDC combined) and emits 144 g/km CO2.

Music to the ears: Running smoothness par excellence

Strong pulling power, exemplary elasticity and excellent running refinement were the key development objectives for the new 1.6 SIDI Turbo. To achieve low overall levels of radiated noise and vibration, engineers optimized the induction and exhaust systems. This included decoupling the cam cover from the cylinder head via specific fasteners and the sealing system. In spite of direct injection and pulsed combustion, engineers were able to substantially reduce noise levels compared to the previous engine. As a result of these ‘sound-engineering’ measures, occupants of the new Astra 1.6 SIDI models will appreciate quiet, smooth idling and a pleasant sound quality even at high road speeds, engine speeds and loads.

Opel Management Board Member for Engineering Mike Ableson says, “Following the introduction of the all-new 1.6 SIDI Turbo in the Cascada and Zafira Tourer, we are now delighted to make this state-of-the-art engine available for our customers in our best seller, the Astra, in three very popular body styles. With this powerful and quiet new-generation Turbo, we are heading towards the top of the class – three times over with the five-door Astra, the Astra sedan and the Astra Sports Tourer.”

The new 1.6 SIDI Turbo gasoline engine is the start of Opel’s huge powertrain offensive. Through 2016, the automaker will introduce three completely new engine families and 13 new engines. Many new transmissions will also be introduced in the same time frame. As a result, Opel will renew 80 percent of its engine portfolio within the next four years.

New Supercharged 6.2 HSV GTS almost stalled on the start line

JoeT — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:32:50 GMT

HSV GTS almost stalled on the start line

Toby Hagon
15 May 2013
www.drive.com.au

The inside story on how Australia’s fastest car was almost stillborn.

HSV considered shelving the development program for its first supercharged V8 engine early in the development of the new Gen F GTS.

What will be the fastest, most powerful car ever to be produced in Australia when it goes on sale in August threw up engineering and design challenges that almost saw the company abandon the multi-million dollar program that kicked off in December, 2009.

Based on the upcoming VF Commodore, the new HSV GTS borrows its 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine and other major mechanical components from one of America’s most brutal muscle cars, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Commodore was never designed to accept the supercharged engine and its associated hardware.

But the project proved more difficult than simply sliding the engine into the new VF Commodore.

Speaking at the launch of the new car, HSV managing director Phil Harding said it was the biggest engineering program ever undertaken by HSV.

“It’s almost like a four-door Camaro than an upgraded Commodore,” said Harding.

“There was a lot of pressure on this thing,” he said, referring to various engineering challenges that at times looked like being too steep.

“You walk away and think ‘will we solve it or won’t we?’, so there was a period of that, then there was a period of ‘will we get enough cooling [to key components such as the engine]?’.”

It was enough to have engineering manager Joel Stoddart questioning whether the project would make it to completion.

Continue here

Protect your investment with OEM Wheel Locks

ChevyPartWorld — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:58:35 GMT

Help deter thieves with an OEM wheel lock and nut package, featuring a unique key.

All Chevy Part World OEM parts and accessories are backed with a one year factory warranty. Buy with confidence knowing that your parts are of the highest quality.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

asrapid1 — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:53:14 GMT

For the first time in the history of the S-Class, the development focus was on the long-wheelbase sedan. Unlike before, the standard-wheelbase version was derived from this. This is because the S-Class is not only firmly positioned as a prestige sedan in the large overseas markets such as the USA, China or Japan. Whereas in Europe and North America the owner of an S-Class is frequently behind the wheel themself, the flagship model in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car portfolio is very definitely a chauffeur-driven vehicle in Asia. The logical consequence is the number of new features specifically related to comfort and safety in the rear – in the S-Class, there is no doubt that passengers in the rear are also seated in first class.

Interior design: visual breadth and calm solidity

With its clear-cut architecture, the interior design of the new S-Class is the embodiment of a classic, serene and yet ultra-modern sedan. The interior space derives its expressiveness from a distinctively flowing, sensual and elegant style. Horizontal features and lines create an ambience characterised by visual breadth and calm solidity. Where high quality and elegance go hand in hand with clarity and functionality. The interior concept of the S-Class combines driving, spatial and operating comfort at the highest level.

The perfectly coordinated use of materials and colours produces an exclusive interior seemingly cast from a single mould. There is generous use of wood trim, especially in the dashboard and centre console. Metallised switch surfaces with pearl-effect paint finishes in three colour shades to suit the interior colour particularly highlight the outstanding quality.

Passengers in the rear are also seated in first-class – the design and exclusivity of the seats, door panels and all controls are to the same, high standard as the front. As an additional individualization feature, the "First Class Rear" incorporates a Business center console combining personal comfort with practical convenience (integration of a telephone handset, additional stowage compartments, folding table, etc.).

New control and display concept: elegant new command centre

The radically redesigned display extends in front of the driver as a key element of the horizontal alignment. It replaces the traditional instrument cluster and combines numerous other functions in a visually and ergonomically highly sophisticated manner. The entire display appears to be free-floating, an impression reinforced by "corona effect" ambience backlighting.

Two high-resolution colour displays in 8:3 format with a screen diagonal Page 5 of 30.7 cm (12.3 inches) form the new information centre in the S-Class. The left-hand display performs the functions of the previous instrument cluster, providing the driver with all relevant information. The right-hand display allows the convenient control of infotainment and comfort functions. Ergonomics, operating convenience and safety were the main considerations for the newly designed control and display concept.

For the S-Class, the constantly increasing need to integrate additional functions into the vehicle led to a further development of the entire operating logic. The aim in designing the control and display features was to group controls and display functions together in a coherent manner in terms of both design and functionality. Apart from the new displays, the metallised switch surfaces and solid aluminium controls are visual highlights of particularly high quality.

Seats: mobile office and centre of wellbeing

With numerous world firsts such as the ENERGIZING massage function on the hot-stone principle or active seat ventilation with reversing fans, Mercedes-Benz has raised the seating and climatic comfort in the S-Class to a new level. There is a choice of five different rear seat variants including
an Executive seat with a backrest angle adjustable by up to 43.5 degrees, allowing occupants in the rear to concentrate on work or relax in comfort.

A large number of innovations enhance seating and climatic comfort. The ENERGIZING massage function on the hot-stone principle is a world first. Working together with physiotherapists and psychologists, the seat specialists at Mercedes-Benz have developed a unique massage function with 14 separately actuated air cushions in the backrest, as well as an integrated warming function. There is a choice of six massage programmes, two of them using the warming function.

For the first time, so-called reversing fans are used in the active seat ventilation system. Here the rotational direction of the fan, and therefore the airflow within the seat structure, can be reversed. When the ventilation function first begins, cooler surrounding air is drawn onto the seat surface.
After four minutes the fans are automatically switched to blower mode to Page 6 reduce draughts and therefore ensure sustained comfort.

Another world first as part of the Warmth Comfort package is the heated armrests and door centre panels in the front and rear (door and centre armrests). The package also includes a heated steering wheel and particularly fast-responding seat heating Plus. Each occupant is able to find the ideal level of climatic seating comfort. The heating output can be adjusted using the central display or the remote control in the rear.

Luxury or reclining seat in the rear: new backrest concept

Two rear seat variants (static bench seat or individual seats with 37-degree adjustment) are available for the standard-wheelbase S-Class, and no less than five for the long-wheelbase version. Unlike the conventional trailing backrest design, the backrest is adjusted separately so that the legroom and seat reference point remain unchanged. The cushion can be separately adjusted for angle and horizontal position.

The maximum backrest angle of the reclining seat on the front passenger side is increased from 37 to 43.5 degrees, giving it the largest backrest inclination in the luxury segment. The reclining seat behind the front passenger seat features a calf support which is freely adjustable for length and angle. In combination with the heel rest on the forward-folding chauffeur seat, this allows a reclined position that sets new standards in the automobile sector with respect to sleeping and resting comfort.

Three new features improve safety in the rear: in the belt buckle feeder an electric motor automatically raises and lowers the buckle. The beltbag is an inflatable seat-belt strap that is able to reduce the risk of injury to passengers in the rear in a head-on collision by lessening the strain on the ribcage. The reclining seat is fitted with a cushionbag as standard. This prevents the occupant from sliding under the belt in the event of an accident. In this way Mercedes-Benz has been able to design a comfortable reclining seat which provides a higher level of accident safety than a seat with a trailing backrest.

The newly developed climate control unit of the THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control included as standard has a mass flow regulating concept whose automatic operating principle meets individual comfort requirements for every occupant. New features include completely autonomous adjustment options for the driver and front passenger sides, also for the individual automatic modes with their climatic settings of "Focus", "Medium" and "Diffuse".

As a world first, the new S-Class Sedan has an "active perfuming system" as part of the AIR BALANCE package. 'Active' means that the perfuming system is switched on and off manually, with manual adjustment of the intensity. The perfume atomisation system individualises the smell of the vehicle interior. It neither changes the interior smell permanently, nor are perfume molecules deposited on fabric surfaces or clothing.

Another feature of the AIR-BALANCE package is improved filtering of the outside air fed into the vehicle interior by the climate control system, and of the air recirculating in the interior in air recirculation mode. The filter system is now even more efficient, and is able to reduce the peak levels of certain gaseous emissions while lowering their concentration below the perception
threshold. Ionisation is another component of the AIR-BALANCE package, the air from the climate control unit being conducted into the interior via an ioniser. In a combined operating mode this renders certain viruses, bacteria and spores inactive (cleaning effect). At the same time the air can be freshened by an increased concentration of negatively charged oxygen ions (relaxing effect).

More pictures at flickr.com

New Trademark Patent - Chevrolet Tracker

EJD1984 — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:24:13 GMT

US Patent and Trademark Office