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Whereas the Old GM only updated vehicles during an official refresh period and reserved the best technology for high-end brands (read: Cadillac), the New General Motors has a completely different mindset. It seems that New GM puts its best technology into all and all new models, constantly updating vehicles with new features.
Take, for example, the new Buick LaCrosse. Having been on the market for just under a year, the LaCrosse has already received one very important revision with the addition of the 2.4L Ecotec. This coincided with the discontinuation of the 3.0L V6, leaving the LaCrosse buyer with a choice of either the base 2.4L or the high-feature 3.6L – a move that makes perfect sense (as discussed here). But the folks at Buick weren’t content to step there and are making further revisions to the LaCrosse with a technology called HiPer Strut.
An acronym for high-performance, HiPer is an innovative, unique front suspension design that utilizes premium, technologically advanced engineering to improve ride, handling, and steering in the front-wheel drive LaCrosse. The design reduces torque steer, boosts vehicle response to tire variation and imbalanced wheels, and provides more linear steering – all while enhancing communication by improving camber control. HiPer also improves on isolating impact from bumps and rough surfaces. Make the jump for more details and an animation video to boot. (more…)
Two weeks ago, the US Patent and Trademark Office released patent filings of what seems to be the next-generation Chevy Malibu. A few days after, we colored in those schematics, which gave us a better idea of the 2012 Malibu’s exterior styling. The latest in the “catch the 2012 Malibu” spy shot game comes to us from eagle-eyed Car and Driver spy photographers, who caught a camoed’ version of the next-gen ‘Bu.
From the pics, we can see a bit more rake to the beltline, complimented by a slight crease in the body side. That said, the new model’s exterior will most likely see the majority of changes in the front and the rear. While C&D’s spy photographers couldn’t snap a picture of the front of the car, they did catch the tail. It’s no secret that the back of the current Malibu is widely seen as the area that needs the most work – and it looks like the new model will rectify this. From these spy photos and the USPTO schematics, it looks like the 
tail of the new Malibu will receive Camaroesque ornamentation. What’s more, the top of the trunklid seems to have a flat, ducktail-like shape – similar to the controversial design aesthetic pioneered by BMW.
In the end, we may end up with a 2012 Malibu that does not look like a completely different vehicle on the outside, but rather one with most of the changes occurring beneath the skin. It will be shorter, slightly wider, and a tad taller than the outgoing model, joining the Buick LaCrosse and Regal on GM’s global Epsilon II platform (which is an evolution of the current vehicle’s Epsilon I underpinnings). The top trim levels will most likely use GM’s HiPer strut system recently unveiled on the 2011 Buick LaCrosse.
Expect to see vastly improved materials on the inside of the car, not that the current model’s interior is anything to sneeze at. We look forward to seeing many more spy shots of the next-gen Malibu as it gets closer to its introduction, which will most likely be at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Until then, we’ll be here to bring you the latest in the spyshot game!
[Source: Car and Driver]
Last week we reported on Chevrolet’s plans for an innovative extension of its May The Best Car Win program called Test Drive Studio (our initial coverage here). In a nutshell, the Studio will deliver information and test drives of Chevrolet models against vehicles from competing manufacturers (Honda, Toyota, Ford), all in a non-pressure-filled environment (read: not a dealership). We’re glad to report that Test Drive Studio is now one step closer to its grand opening, having just launched a brand new website (located here).
The site has a very clean design that delivers on the initial promise of the Test Drive Studio concept, which is to hide the relationship to Chevrolet and/or GM. Not only is the Studio website completely unbranded, the footer doesn’t even contain copyright and/or contact information attributable to The General or Chevy!
The website contains information about how the Studios work, a blog, and a (VIP) Reservations page. (more…)
Click to watch the second episode!
Unless you’ve been on a desolated island without an internet connection, TV, radio, or telegraph for the last two weeks, you most likely know how 12 Hours of Sebring turned out, especially for the Corvette Racing team. But in case you don’t know, the ‘Vettes didn’t do so well.
The #3 Corvette had a power steering leak and repairing it set the car nearly 10 laps behind the pack. But that wasn’t the worst of it, as the two ‘Vettes had themselves a bit of a fender-bender. All in all, the team faced somewhat of a perfect storm at the 58th annual Sebring, coming away with a black eye (or two) and definitely not achieving its set-out goal.
We highly recommend you watch the second episode of Corvette Racing after the jump to see exactly what went on. The six minute clip is filled with interviews from many directors of the Corvette Racing program that provide an inside look into the team and its operations. (more…)
Click for more high-resolution pictures of the Corvette Z06 Carbon photo gallery
GM has recently announced a new limited edition Corvette, the Z06 Carbon, which will slot in between the Z06 and the ZR1. Even more recently, The General informed Corvette fans that the first Z06 Carbon would be auctioned off to the highest bidder at Barret Jackson in Palm Beach, Florida.
The auction for this specific VIN, which is the first of the 500-run limited edition, will be held on April 3rd, the final day of Barret Jackson Palm Beach. The winning bidder will also get the privilege of touring the facility that GM uses to produce the hand-made LS7 and LS9 pushrod V8 engines in the Zo6 and ZR1, respectively. The lucky new owner of the first Z06 Carbon will also be able to watch their car go down the assembly line at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Zo6 Carbon, which uniquely blends features from the Z06 and the ZR1 (our coverage here), was created to memorialize the 50th Anniversary of the Corvette team’s first race in the 24 hours of LeMans.
The Barret Jackson Auction continues to be a premier choice for Chevrolet’s offering of exclusive new cars. The first ZR1 produced was auctioned in Scottsdale in 2008 for $1,000,000. Last year, the first production Camaro was sold for $350,000. Most recently the last in a line of limited edition Z06s (number 427 of 427) was sold for $200,000 while the first ever production Cadillac CTS Coupe sold for just short of $100,000, with proceeds from both auctions donated to charitable causes.
Check out GM’s full press release past the jump! (more…)
SRX, Escalade, and Escalade ESV. These are the only Cadillac models that posted a sales increase in February 2010. Gunning directly for midsize CUV leaders such as the Lexus RX and Mercedes ML, the SRX recorded a whopping 541 percent year-over-year jump in February. The Escalde and Escalade ESV were up 14 and 32 percent, respectively. But Caddy’s pride and joy – the CTS – dropped 17 percent.
Let’s hope Cadillac flexes its marketing muscle in the next few months and turns those red lines green, since there’s absolutely no reason for dropping sales numbers with a recovering economy and the impending CTS Coupe!
| Model | Volume % | 2010 | 2009 | DSR* % | DSR 2/10 | DSR 2/09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Total | +31.8 | 9,273 | 7,038 | +14.0 | 17,713 | 15,537 |
| CTS | -17.5 | 2,690 | 3,259 | -21.3 | 5,255 | 6,677 |
| DTS | -37.8 | 611 | 982 | -47.6 | 1,229 | 2,344 |
| Escalade | +14.5 | 1,418 | 1,238 | +2.5 | 2,655 | 2,591 |
| Escalade ESV | +32.7 | 552 | 416 | -12.9 | 948 | 1,088 |
| Escalade EXT | -38.6 | 102 | 166 | -55.5 | 223 | 501 |
| SRX | +541.7 | 3,542 | 552 | +370.6 | 6,776 | 1,440 |
| STS | -7.0 | 332 | 357 | -26.6 | 565 | 770 |
| XLR | -61.8 | 26 | 68 | -50.8 | 62 | 126 |
General Motors is recalling 5,000 Chevy Express and GMC Savana passenger and cargo vans due to suspected faulty alternators. The company is halting production and putting a stop sale on the vehicles until it finds a fix.
Affected vehicles were built in February and March of this year and contain the following VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers) – last eight digits shown:
| YEAR | BRAND | MODEL | FROM | THROUGH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | CHEVROLET | EXPRESS 2500/3500 | A1129327 | A1142523 |
| 2010 | GMC | SAVANA 2500/3500 | A1128784 | A1901915 |
GM states that only the 2500 (three-quarter ton) and 3500 (one-ton) Series vans are affected. The light-duty (half-ton/1500) Express and Savana vans use a different alternator and are not affected. The light-duty vans continue to be built and shipped from the Ventzville, Mo. plant, which produces about 60 percent heavy-duty models. Click through the break to find out what you should do if you happen to own one of the recalled vehicles. (more…)
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For Thursday, March 25, 2010
Today, Manoli and Alex discuss General Motors’ operation in China. More specifically, the question is whether GM has too many brands with Chevrolet, Cadillac, Opel, and Buick (with emphasis on the last two).
Listen to the show and cast your vote after the break!
To keep up with growing customer demand, General Motors has announced that it plans to increase production of its Theta-based crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain.
Currently, the Equinox and Terrain are produced at GM’s CAMI Automotive plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. GM will expand the plant’s body shop capacity to produce the extra Equinox units beyond the current capacity. These assemblies will then be shipped to GM’s Oshawa, Ontario plant for paint and final assembly.
This production plan is somewhat unique: GM is trying to avoid potential production over-capacity situations at CAMI, where increased assembly volumes may cause quality issues (read: production mistakes and inefficiencies). Instead, GM has decided to utilize its assets and facilities in this creative, timely, and – most importantly – cost-effective way.
The increased demand for the crossovers is also resulting in positive outcomes for factory workers. The Oshawa plant will add a third shift to support Equinox production on the Consolidated Line in October and is expected to return approximately 600 workers back to the plant. The story gets even better for CAMI, where all laid off employees will soon be recalled, while additional body shop volume required to support the Equinox will result in the need of about 70 new jobs by August of this year.
This is great news all around. The Equinox and the Terrain are both doing extremely well in the marketplace, with the former registering a 132 percent year-over-year jump in sales in the month of February. The plan also enables CAMI to boost Terrain production volumes, although it seems that this is not what’s being announced at this time.
Hit the jump for galleries of the Equinox and Terrain, as well as for the full presser.
While overall GMC sales were up 26 percent for the month of February, all but three models recorded a decrease in sales. The models that actually posted gains include the Acadia, Terrain, and – surprisingly – the Yukon XL. That said, most models that experienced a decrease in sales have been discontinued by The General, such as the Envoy and Topkick series. Without further ado, feast your eyes on the beautiful model-by-model breakdown below!
| Model | Volume % | February 2010 | February 2009 | DSR* % | DSR 2/10 | DSR 2/09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMC Total | +26.2 | 20,456 | 16,204 | +18.2 | 41,759 | 35,324 |
| Acadia | +36.1 | 6,478 | 4,758 | +49.4 | 11,938 | 7,991 |
| Canyon | -7.8 | 510 | 553 | -30.1 | 1,210 | 1,731 |
| Envoy | -98.9 | 6 | 545 | -97.7 | 34 | 1,487 |
| GMC C/T Series | -41.7 | 21 | 36 | -52.5 | 29 | 61 |
| GMC W Series | -64.5 | 27 | 76 | -54.7 | 105 | 232 |
| Savana | -8.5 | 720 | 787 | -39.1 | 1,222 | 2,007 |
| Sierra | -1.6 | 6,296 | 6,400 | -5.9 | 13,567 | 14,420 |
| Terrain | * | 3,789 | 2 | * | 8,091 | 2 |
| Topkick 4/5 Series | -39.9 | 125 | 208 | -26.1 | 315 | 426 |
| Topkick 6/7/8 Series | -85.1 | 41 | 276 | -78.0 | 80 | 364 |
| Yukon | -30.9 | 1,261 | 1,826 | -32.4 | 2,764 | 4,089 |
| Yukon XL | +60.4 | 1,182 | 737 | -4.4 | 2,404 | 2,514 |
*Models are displayed in alphabetical order according to General Motors’ material. There were 24 selling days in February 2010 and 24 selling days in February 2009, therefore the change in monthly sales volume will be the same as the change in the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each model.
Future Product Guide: GMC Vehicles For 2012, 2013, 2014 Model Years 
Rumormill: All-New Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra To Resemble Cheyenne Concept 
Spied: The All-New 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 
Spied: A Better Look At The 2014 Chevy Silverado 
The 2014 C7 Corvette: What We Know 
Officially Official: 2012 Corvette Sees Much-Needed Upgrades 
Spied: Buick Enclave Gets A Redesign For The 2013 Model Year 
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