Chevrolet’s upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid will get 230 miles per gallon according to General Motors. The astonishingly high number comes as the result of new EPA methods for testing fuel mileage for PHEVs.

GM made the announcement today as a part of a product and technology event held at the company’s Design Center and Milford Proving Grounds.

How exactly GM came by that number we can’t say for sure, but we can say that it is for city driving only. Highway driving won’t be as high, but GM says that number will still be in the triple digits. What we do know is that the number is somewhat of an average between those who don’t ever need to gas up and those who do. 

GM also had this to say on the matter:

The EPA methodology uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins. Applying EPA’s methodology, GM expects the Volt to consume as little as 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in city driving. At the U.S. average cost of electricity (approximately 11 cents per kWh), a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than 3 cents per mile.

The Volt will officially go on sale next year as a 2011 model and will be able to travel up to 40 miles on pure electric energy before the gasoline engine kicks in, extending the vehicle’s range to 300 miles.

Official release after the jump:

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Sadly, Michael Schumacher will not return to Formula 1 this weekend, although there is a possibility that the 7 time World Champion will be back in 2010. Schumacher today posted on his personal website that he could not return to the sport after recent testing at Ferrari’s private track in Mugello revealed fractures in his neck from a motorcycle crash earlier this year.

“I am disappointed to the core,” wrote Schumacher. “I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races.” 

So with Schumacher out of the running to replace the injured Felipe Massa for this weekend’s race in Valencia, Spain, Ferrari was left to choose between two less than ideal candidates, Marc Gene or Luca Badoer. Gene hasn’t raced an F1 car since 2004, and it’s been a decade since Badoer last did. Still, today Badoer got the call from Ferrari head Luca di Montezemolo that his services were needed back in the big leagues.

Schumacher’s announcement, however, does not mean that a comeback is impossible; at least according to di Montezemolo who is pushing for a rule change that would allow Ferrari to run three cars in 2010, one of which would be piloted (at least in part) by Schumacher.

[Source: F1Live and AutoSport]

[Photo Credit: Kappakstur]

If you’re a car junkie, Twitter is the place to be today. Ahead of a webcast tomorrow morning by GM CEO Fritz Henderson, the General arranged for a select few media to meet with its PR folks and get a preview of what the New GM has to offer.

Many of those folks have been tweeting on Twitter and so we have a good idea of what’s going on. In a press release from earlier today, GM said that Fritz will unveil a new model during the webcast. The only problem is, the tweets cover so many new models that we don’t know which one it will be.

Some of the biggest stories of the day include a new Cadillac model named the ATS, which is aimed at taking on the BMW 3 Series (yes pulease)! And it would be offered as both a coupe and sedan. Other Cadillac news includes a story we ran earlier today about the new CTS Coupe and CTS-V Coupe coming in May. Tweets also covered a story we ran several weeks back about the DTS replacement being called the XTS and using the LaCrosse platform – meaning AWD will be optional.

As for the Buick brand, there will reportedly be a new model added to that lineup – a mid-sized sedan due out in the next 24 months. This will no doubt the the Chinese market Regal, a story we reported on several weeks back as well.

In Chevy news, those lucky enough to be at the General’s party today got to glimpse the 2012 Malibu, well ahead of its unveiling. Additionally Bob Lutz still isn’t done getting peoples’ hopes up, saying that the Pontiac G8 might still have a life at GM.

[Source: Twitter via Autoblog]

Chicago-area Audi dealers have formed a partnership with the Autobahn Country Club, that will give the race track the use of an Audi S5 and TTS Coupe for its high-performance driving school.

The Audi dealers are now the official sponsors of ‘The Autobahn Experience’, a high-performance program for those interested in improving their driving skills. Autobahn’s professional instructors will give lessons both on the autocross and on the race track in the 265hp TTS Coupe and the 354hp S5, both of which feature AWD and are capable of hitting 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

“When looking for an exclusive partner in Chicagoland to provide hands-on customer excitement, Autobahn Country Club was the clear choice,” said Scott Zuercher, Area General Manager for Chicago, Audi of America. “The proximity to Chicago, high-quality facilities, and staff expertise all contributed to making the project become a reality. This is a great opportunity for customers to test drive the latest Audi performance models. Our dealer partners in Chicagoland all benefit from the investment of customer enjoyment and familiarization with the Audi brand.”

Along with “The Autobahn Experience,” the Autobahn race track, Located in Joliet, Ill., also features one, two and half-day driving schools, a teen defensive education program and training for Chicagoland police departments.

For more information visit the Autobahn Country Club website here:

http://www.autobahncountryclub.net/

Official release after the jump:

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The fully-electric Nissan LEAF, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, will be priced from $25,000 to $33,000. Word comes from Nissan North America product VP Larry Dominique.

“Competitive pricing is going to allow mass-market appeal, which is going to set Nissan apart,” said Dominique, commenting that the LEAF will be less expensive to own and operate than a gasoline car, even if gas cost just $1.10 a gallon.

Importantly, this price comes before any government tax incentives, which are certain to reduce the total cost by several thousand dollars.

Comparatively, the 2010 Toyota Prius starts at just $22,000.

The LEAF is powered by an electric motor and lithium-ion battery packs. Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Sales of the LEAF will begin next year with 5,000 vehicles available in five U.S. markets: the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Fleet sales will also be offered in 2010, while full retails sales are planned for 2012.

[Source: Automotive News]

Thanks the the prying eyes and quick fingers of one amateur spy photographer in Sydney, Australia, we have this single image of the upcoming second-generation Hyundai Tucson. Driving alongside a truck with a full camera rig, Hyundai was apparently filming either a commercial or some promotional video.

And while we now know what the SUV looks like (at least from one angle), what still isn’t clear is what the crossover will be called. It’s known as the ix35 is most markets, but Hyundai might keep the Tucson name for North America.

With an overall shape that reminds us of the Nissan Rogue, the front end design is much nicer with Hyundai’s new hexagonal grille. This optioned-out model also has a sizable set of wheels and chromed roof rack bars. Overall, it’s actually quite close to the ix-onic concept that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show last March.

Details of the powertrain are exciting as we’ve already learned the next-generation Tucson will get a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. We just don’t know if that engine/transmission combination will be offered in North America.

The production model as shown here is expected at this Fall’s Frankfurt Auto Show as either a 2010 or possibly a 2011 model.

[Source: Ausmotive]

After a consistent season with five trips to the podium in six races, Huntington Beach, California native Brandon Davis finally took the checked flag this past weekend at Mid-Ohio in his Applied Computer Solutions/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra.

Davis started from pole and had excellent competition from the K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 driven by Andy Pilgrim, until lap 17 when Pilgrim’s car suffered mechanical issues.

“I think Andy [Pilgrim] would have been tough, had he stayed around,” said Davis. “Getting out front, I was able to breathe a little bit and just run laps. When I saw that Andy dropped out, I was able to conserve tires a little bit.”

“After being so close for so long, it feels great to finally win this year. We’ve been on the pole but in the races, we just didn’t have the pace to win. So it feels pretty good.”

Rounding out the podium was Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, and James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif, both driving Porsche 911 GT3s.

The win for Davis further solidifies his lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 733 points, leading Safronas with 656.

Full race results after the jump:

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Volvo will show an all electric version of its entry-level C30 hatchback at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. News of the expected unveiling comes from the U.S.’s AutoCar, saying that the model will be displayed and driven at the Innovation for Life event, which will take place shortly after the auto show.

Interestingly, Volvo has no plans to put the car into production, similar to how it (apparently) never had any plans to bring the C30-based Recharge Concept (shown above) to market. That model was a plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV), whereas this model will be a pure electric vehicle along the lines of the upcoming Nissan LEAF.

The car is part of a larger initiative by Volvo to explore the possibility of bringing pure electric vehicles to market. Currently Volvo has made clear that it will bring a plug-in diesel hybrid version of the V70 wagon to market by 2012.

[Source: Autocar]

Hyundai shocked consumers in the North American market by introducing the Genesis last year and is set to do so all over again as the flagship Equus luxury sedan is scheduled to go on sale here next year.

At the time of the announcement the Equus was slated to get the company’s largest engine, the 4.6-liter V8 found in the top-trim Genesis sedan. Now it appears Hyundai has an even bigger engine in the works, to be paired with an even larger version of the Equus.

These spy photos, taken in Ulsan, South Korea, show a long wheelbase Equus sporting a VL500 badge, indicating that the limousine will be powered by a 5.0-liter V8. With the 4.6-liter unit making 375hp, the five-liter should certainly produce as much as 400 ponies.

The new flagship for Hyundai will get several other enhancements, including LED headlights and, no-doubt, numerous lavish luxurious features.

GALLERY: Hyundai Equus VL500

[Source: TheCarBlogger]

Thanks to the folks at iCar we have this single photo of the upcoming replacement for the Ferrari F430, the 458 Italia. Ferrari has already release four images of the new exotic, but those are computer generated images. Here we have the first solid idea of what the 458 will look like when its unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

The new mid-engine exotic is powered by a 4.5-liter V8 that puts out an incredible 570hp at 9000 rpm and 398 ft-lbs of torque at 6000 rpm – 80 percent of which is available at just 3250 rpm.

The new engine it a typically high compression Ferrari V8 rated at 12.5:1 and uses direct-injection technology. This means it gets better fuel economy that otherwise might be expected with a combined city/highway rating of 17.2 mpg. In comparison, the F430 only got 16 mpg on the highway.

Using an aluminum chassis and plenty of other light weight metals and materials the 458 Italia weighs an astonishingly low 3,043 lbs in its dry form (expect an extra 100 to 200 lbs with all fluids in place).

Combining these factors with a new smooth-shifting dual-clutch 7-speed transmission (that Ferrari claims is faster than the current F1 tranny), the 458 Italia can hit 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds and blast on to a top speed of 202 mph.

As expected, however, the 458 is about far more than straight line speed and so Ferrari has worked hard at applying its racing technology to improve the E-Diff differential and F1-Trac traction control systems to allow the newest prancing horse to put down 32 percent more power out of the corners.

We’ll be sure to bring you full details and lots of photos from the Frankfurt Auto Show starting September 15th.
[Source: iCars]