Fifty-six years after the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line, General Motors can now boast it has produced 1.5 million of America’s sports car. Chevrolet Product Marketing Director Karen Rafferty made the announcement at the June meeting of the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association.

The 1,500,000th ‘Vette, produced at the company’s Bowling Green Assembly plant is a 2010 Grand Sport Convertible, painted white with a red interior and a black top. This color combo is almost identical to the first, 500,000th and 1 millionth Corvettes which were built in 1953, ’77 and ’92.

The Grand sport replaces the Z51 model and offers performance closer in line to the Z06, thanks to a revised suspension, wider tires, bigger brakes, shorter gear ratios and a few other toys as well.

Suspension upgrades include new spring, shock and stabilizer bar specifications, helping the Grand Sport to achieve 1.0 g under cornering. Also helping out in that department are some 18-inch front and and 19-inch rear wheels with 275/35/18 front and massive 325/30/19 rear tires.

Inside those wheels is a big surprise as well, with a serious brake kit that includes six-piston front calipers with 14-inch rotors and four-piston rear calipers with 13.4-inch rotors.

Power comes in the form of an LS3 V8 with 430hp and 424 ft-lbs of torque. An optional exhaust system will up those numbers slightly to 436 and 428. The Grand Sport will be offered as a six-speed manual or automatic and thanks to new gear ratios for the manual and a new rear axle ratio for the automatic, Chevy says the Grand Sport will shave 0.2 seconds off the 60 mph sprint of a standard LS3 Vette.

Automatic models will come with paddle shifters, but for those who want to take their car out on the track, the manual is the only option… thanks to a few added goodies. Six-speed stick-shift models will get a dry-sump oiling system, a differential cooler and a rear-mounted battery for better weight distribution.

As for the exterior, the Grand Sport is distinguishable by wider front and rear fenders, as well as a large rear spoiler and Z06-style front splitter. And for those who want that extra-special look, a Heritage Package will be available in one of four colors with “hash-marks” on the front fenders, two -tone seats and Grand Sport embroidery.

The 2010 Grand Sport will be available as both a Coupe and Convertible and priced at $55,720 and $59,530 respectively.

GALLERY: 2010 Corvette Grand Sport

Official release after the jump:

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Scion has added yet another product to its already extensive list of dealer-offered accessories – a Kenstyle aero kit for the xB model.

The kit includes a new front bumper, side skirts and a rear bumper, all for a reasonable $1,299.99 plus installation. The kit is a part of Scion’s Optomize accessory program and is currently available at dealers thought the United States and Puerto Rico.

Made to high-quality standards the Kenstyle kit is designed to fit perfectly. It is made of urethane for light weight, an OEM-look and overall durability.

The Kenstyle aero kit gives U.S.-tuners a genuine JDM look with the convenience and quality service of a local Scion dealer.

For more on the aero kit and Scion’s Optimize accessory program visit:

http://www.optomizescion.com/

GALLERY: Kenstyle Scion xB

[Source: HelloScion]

Chevrolet has decided to cancel production of its Malibu Hybrid. As shocking as this might seem for a company that claims it is now dedicated to building environmentally-friendly cars, it actually makes a lot of sense.

For starters, while the Malibu itself continues to sell well and has received critical acclaim from auto journos, the hybrid version has never been a popular model – and its about to get less so.

Rated at 24/32 mpg (city/highway) the numbers aren’t all that impressive, due mostly to the car’s “mild” hybrid system. Those numbers aren’t as good as the 33/34 mpg rating for the Toyota Camry Hybrid and are nowhere close to the 41/36 mpg rating of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

The 24/32 rating is even less impressive when you consider the four-cylinder Malibu with a six-speed automatic transmission gets 22/33 mpg and costs significantly less.

General Motors has not commented on if or when a new and improved hybrid system will find its way into the Malibu.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]

Toyota has finally made the decision to stop producing the Solara Convertible. It’s not likely to be missed.

The Coupe model was discontinued last summer (in case you hadn’t noticed), but Toyota decided to keep up convertible production as there were no other drop-top models in the entire company’s vehicle lineup.

A few months later in December of ’08, Toyota then decided to pause production of the Camry-based vehicle, but retained its spot in the lineup, expecting a resurgence in sales for the summer of ’09. That never happened.

“I think there was some hope that eventually during the spring/summer months the market would bear a need,” said company spokesman Rick Hesterberg to Ward’s Auto. “We kept the tooling, just waiting to see, but that never came to fruition.”

The original Solara first came to market in 2000 and a second-generation of the car began for 2005. In that year Toyota sold almost 50,000 Solara models. Demand dropped to 40,000 in ’06, with 30,000 in ’07 and just over 20,000 in 2008.

The Solara Convertible is just the latest drop top to leave the market and is likely to be missed about as much as the PT Cruiser Convertible and Pontiac G6 Convertible. Other models that will bow out this year are the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Honda S2000.

Is the Sebring Convertible next?

[Source: WardsAuto]

In press release issued by Lotus Cars, the British exotic car maker takes issue with recent reports that a new Formula 1 team for 2010 will run under the banner of Team Lotus. The new team, however, says that’s not the case.

U.K.-based Litespeed Racing has already secured a sport on the 2010 F1 lineup and decided to run under the Team Lotus name, with the permission of the name’s rights-holder David Hunt.

When Lotus Cars Limited heard of this, it issued a release which clearly stated that, “Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image,” a thinly veiled threat that the automaker will seek legal action if Litespeed continues with its plans.

That all seems straightforward enough, except this morning a report in AutoSport suggests information to the contrary. An unnamed source inside the newly formed Team Lotus said, “We’ve kept Lotus fully informed of our intentions and are well aware of the need to protect its brand image. We look forward to having closer ties with it in the future.”

Is this all just a big misunderstanding, or is it possible that Lotus Cars has been made aware of Team Lotus’s plans and is not amused?

[Source: WorldCarFans and Autosport]

We’ve known for some time now that Volkswagen is planning to build a new mid-size sedan, but as details of the German automaker’s future product lineup emerge, it appears as though VW isn’t just interest in taking on the Camry, but the entire Toyota lineup.

Volkswagen has the potential to overtake Toyota as the world’s largest automaker, but first it must crack the North American market. The new mid-sized sedan will be the first step in that direction, but after it will come a competitor for the Highlander.

Apparently Volkswagen is finally ready to abandon its European philosophy and sell Americans what they want – big cars. “U.S. customers look at size and engine displacement. They won’t pay an extra dollar for a Passat over a Camry just because of its finesse and attention to detail,” said a VW representative to the staff at Car & Driver.

So what we can expect from the upcoming sedan is essentially just a larger and less expensive version of the Passat, with what will most likely be a more progressive (CC-esque) design. The VW rep’s comments about engine displacement also draws into question previous reports that the upcoming sedan will be powered by VW’s 2.0 TFSI and 2.5-liter engines.

The release date for the upcoming Volkswagen family sedan has also been moved up to 2011, most likely to take advantage of the struggling U.S. automakers.

It, as well as the Highlander-competitor, will both be assembled in the Unites States at Volkswagen’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee facility.

The new bigger-is-better philosophy at Volkswagen will also spill over to the Polo. Apparently it will still hit our shores but not until 2012 and in a larger format than in Europe and as a sedan.

According to C&D, VW’s future vehicles for the U.S. include the BlueSport Roadster (which has been temporarily placed on hold) as well as a second generation of the hugely unsuccessful Phaeton.

[Source: Car & Driver]

Hyundai and Kia have announced plans to build more fuel-efficient versions of the Accent, Elantra and Forte. These “blue” models will be much like GM’s XFE (Xtra Fuel Efficient) cars and trucks and use many of the same techniques.

For starters, fuel-economy will be improved through the use of a five-speed, rather than the standard four-speed automatic transmission. The cars will also get lower rolling resistance tires, as well as electric (rather than hydraulic) power steering. Additionally, new alternators will be used that produce less drag on the engine, while special aerodynamic enhancements will help improve efficiency in that respect.

Kia says the Forte EX with the company’s add-on fuel-economy package will get a rating of 27/36 mpg (city/highway) as compared to 25/34 mpg.

Hyundai has not released expected fuel-economy numbers for the Accent or Elantra, but if Kia’s 2 mpg rating holds steady then the vehicles should get 28/37 mpg and 25/37 mpg (city/highway) respectively.

Hyundai has set a goal of a fleet average fuel-economy rating of 35 mpg by 2015 and this will no doubt help it get there.

The cost to consumers for these fuel-efficient models will vary. Kia believes buyers will pay extra ($600 extra) for a fuel-economy package, while Hyundai will offer its “blue” models as stripped down versions costing less than the other trim levels.

All three fuel-efficient vehicles will be available late this summer as 2010 models.

[Source: Car & Driver]

Scion has just rolled out its final special edition model for 2009, the xB Release Series 2.0, starting at $14,650 – just $1,270 over the base price.

What you get for that amount is a long list of extras, not to mention Electric Wasabi green paint and the knowledge that only 1,600 such models will be built.

Other highlights include a touch screen 5.8-inch high resolution LCD Pioneer Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) head unit with a flash memory, voice recognition and Bluetooth compatibility. It also has USB and SD card connectivity as well as an iPod hookup. And will even play videos from your iPod when parked.

GALLERY: Scion xD Release Series 2.0

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

At a recent engineering conference Ford representatives gave a presentation on secret new engine the company is developing. Code named “Bobcat” the new twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 engine is seen more as an alternative truck engine, although as it is similar to Ford’s EcoBoost engine, passenger car applications are possible.

The Bobcat engine is a twin-fuel engine, using both conventional gasoline and E85 ethanol. Both fuel systems even have their own tanks and fuel injectors. Here’s how it works:

Turbochargers work to compress the air, while conventional port-injection of gasoline is used to get fuel into the cylinders. Then ethanol is sent into the combustion chambers through direct-injection, eliminating knock by cooling the air/fuel mixture. Ethanol is only added under high-load conditions, otherwise the engine operates like a conventional gasoline engine. By injecting ethanol, it also raises the fuel octane rating from 87-91 to 150 – allowing for extremely high compression. As a result, an engine the size of the 5.0-liter one can make 500hp and 750 ft-lbs of torque, while getting 25 to 30 percent better fuel-economy than a conventional gasoline engine.

Ford developed the technology alongside Ethanol Boosting Systems of Cambridge, Mass., which calls its trademarked process DI Octane Boost. The Bobcat engine would be comparable to Ford’s 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel, which makes 350hp and 650 ft-lbs of torque, but would cost one third the price to make as no exhaust treatment systems would be necessary.

The system is also 5 to 10 percent more fuel-efficient than Ford’s new EcoBoost engine.

The down-side is that as there are two fuel-tanks, both would need to be filled up separately. No worry says Ford, the 5.0-liter Bobcat V8 would get 528 miles on a 26-gallon tank, while a 10-gallon tank of E85 would last anywhere from 100 miles to 20,000 miles depending on how much heavy-load conditions the truck is driven under. And if no E85 is available, the engine can still run on just gasoline, albeit at reduced power.

The Bobcat engine may just be Ford’s answer to recent increase in the fleet fuel-economy rating for light trucks and SUVs, which will go from the current 23.1 mpg to 30 mpg by 2016.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Ford recently launched a new website dedicated to the 2011 Fiesta (due out in early 2010) and the option sheet lists a turbocharger kit!

Don’t get too excited, however, as the site is aimed at gauging consumer interest and isn’t necessarily a list of the options Ford will offer. Most likely the automaker just wants to see if auto enthusiasts see the Fiesta as a car they’d be interested in.

Still, there is a strong possibility that a turbocharged engine for the car may actually be in Ford’s future plans. Ford hinted at a turbo-four for the Fiesta at the Shanghai Auto Show and it has been widely speculated that the automaker is working on an EcoBoost four that will deliver V6 power with four-cylinder fuel-economy.

This would of course be necessary to match GM’s upcoming turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, which will launch in the Chevy Cruze.

[Source: Jalopnik]