We’ve heard plenty of stories of ‘old’ turbo Buick Regals, ones with solid rear axles and blown V6s hitting high speeds, but 162 mph from a front-drive four-banger?
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The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
General Motors has started the expansion of its Wentzville, Missouri plant, essentially taking the first steps toward brining the new Chevrolet Colorado to the U.S. Continue Reading…
The latest rumblings from Down Under are suggesting that GM subsidiary Holden will soon announce its plan to export the V8 Commodore to the American market as the Chevrolet SS Performance sedan.
General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, has confirmed its plan to pull $10 million worth of ads from social media behemoth, Facebook, just days before the site’s IPO.
After losing its crown as the world’s largest automaker in 2011, Toyota looks to regain its position at the top of the heap, out-selling rivals General Motors and Volkswagen through the first quarter of this year.
This year has been rough for Porsche designers. Last month Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the 911, passed away; and now Tony Lapine (second from left), former chief designer at Porsche passed away at the age of 81 on Sunday, April 29.
Marking a milestone in one of the key hindrances to plague electric vehicles (EVs) thus far, eight of the word’s automakers have agreed to unify on a harmonized charging system capable of a 15-minute recharge.
Having renewed its long-term business relationship with GM, Walt Disney Land has renovated, or “re-imagined”, an older test track feature at Epcot for a more up-to-date experience.
With an atmosphere that combines Tron themes and the appearances of a development lab, the new ride incorporates a new design center concept that allows visitors to design and create their own GM vehicles. Guests use interactive design and styling workstations to come up with their own prototypes, and will later hop aboard to experience their thrilling creation first-hand on the twisting and turning Test Track. After the ride, participants can also make their own pretend commercial, or take a picture with the new car.
Sponsored by Chevrolet, the ride is intended to provide a fun learning experience, sharing a look inside the process of vehicle testing and development.
Expect the new Epcot Center Test Track to be revealed this fall. To car enthusiasts planning a fun trip to Orlando, don’t miss out!
A series of very public Li-ion defect related incidents have caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) decision to hold a meeting with automakers and battery suppliers with regards to the safety of the new technology.
It’s called “Super Cruise” and is essentially a semi-autonomous technology that enables a vehicle to incorporate fully automatic steering, braking and lane centering under certain driving conditions. Furthermore, Cadillac says this technology could be ready for production by mid-decade.
Some of the fundamentals of this Super Cruise technology can already be found in existing Cadillac models, notably the 2013 XTS and ATS, as part of the Driver Assist Package. Notable features within this umbrella include adaptive cruise control at all speed ranges, lane departure warning, intelligent brake assist, automatic rear braking, automatic collision preparation and rear vision camera with dynamic guidelines.
General Motors announced pricing for its bi-fuel Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 heavy-duty pickup trucks today, saying the vehicles will cost $11,000 above base price.
Customers may begin placing orders for the CNG trucks on March 19 and will be available in standard or longbox configurations with either two- or four-wheel drive.
“The announcement of the bi-fuel Silverado and Sierra has been well-received among customers, which sends a clear message that businesses are looking for alternative fuel options to meet their needs,” said Ed Peper, general manager, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations. “The addition of the full-size bi-fuel pickups to our product portfolio is part of our commitment to offer great products, innovative business solutions and an exceptional customer experience.”
Running on either compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline, the trucks are powered by a 6.0-liter V8 that can seamlessly transition between fuels. Doing so will allow for between $5,000 and $10,000 in savings annually, according to GM. Although the trucks are initially more expensive, over time the reduced fuel costs will save money for the businesses that use them.
“Businesses are looking for ways to control their costs while reducing vehicle emissions and becoming less dependent on fluctuating gas prices. The low cost of ownership makes these vehicles a realistic solution,” said Joyce Mattman, director, GM Commercial Product and Specialty Vehicles. “CNG has maintained a significantly lower retail price than either gasoline or diesel. The current average price of CNG is equivalent to $1.89 per gallon of gasoline.”
Yesterday, an explosion was reported at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan and early reports had one or two people injured. An official statement was released by GM that five people were injured, one seriously.
“We are aware of five employees being evaluated on scene by medical personal and only one employee is being further treated,” said GM.
The one employee who was injured seriously is expected to make a full recovery and no one suffered life-threatening injuries in the accident. According to GM, the explosion “was related to extreme testing on a prototype battery,” and of course the American automaker had to include that it was “unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle.”
It is being reported that the prototype lithium-ion battery that exploded was manufactured by A123 Systems, who recently had to deal with all the negative press surrounding the Fisker Karma and is already facing financial obstacles.
Watch the news report below.
After Chevrolet temporarily halted production of the Camaro ZL1 at the Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant due to a potential software problem, we reported recently that it had been green lit once again.
However, given that the three-week hiatus caused a hiccup in the original production schedule of the car, General Motors has now released some information regarding how many ZL1 coupes will be built and when they’ll be made available.
As it stands some 1,100 orders out of the original 2012 allocation (less than 3000 units) are currently outstanding. That said, given the time required for changeover to new model year production, GM has said it will only build a further 500 as 2012 models. The remaining 600 cars will be serialed as 2013 models, manufacture of which isn’t scheduled to begin until sometime after April.
The Chevrolet Volt has had its fair share of teething problems. Soon after its birth, there were reports of some vehicles spontaneously combusting.
This obviously had an effect on the cars reputation, and sales fell. To save money and rid themselves of backed up inventory, General Motors decided to halt production of the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant for five-weeks.
However, the Volt’s fortune quickly changed. March was its best sales month ever, as GM sold 2,289 examples of the plug-in range extended EV.
The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse officially debuted at the 2012 New York International Auto Show this morning as the as the brand’s latest full-size crossover.
“We have injected a stronger presence into the Traverse exterior by focusing on the details. The small but important changes give it a more vibrant personality that more closely reflects the lifestyles of the families who rely on the Traverse to get them through their busy lives,” said GM director of exterior design Phillip Zak.
GALLERY: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
It wasn’t long ago when the best-selling General Motors models greedily guzzled gas, but times have changed due to a large part to rising gas prices.
Now, GM’s fuel-effiicient models rule the roads and in March they have reached a milestone. Last month, GM sold more than 100,000 vehicles that achieve 30 mpg or better.
“GM’s strategic investments in four-cylinder and turbocharged engines, advanced transmissions and vehicle electrification have been very well timed,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. “Three years ago, about 16 percent of the vehicles GM sold achieved at least 30 mpg on the highway. Today, that number is about 40 percent, and we have more new fuel-economy leaders on the way, including the Chevrolet Spark, Cadillac ATS and the Buick Encore.”
This is a huge shift and shows where the market is heading. The cars that make up this new sales record include the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze, Volt, Malibu, Impala, Equinox and even the V6 Camaro.
Buick‘s Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, and GMC‘s Terrain round out the field.
In future, GM will be offering more fuel efficient models, like the new Cadillac ATS, which will also offer four-cylinder engines.
The Heartland Institute is well known for its skepticism on climate change, pushing to challenge accepted norms about global warming and their man-made causes.
General Motors on the other hand, is trying really hard to sell their Chevrolet Volt so any support for an association that spreads climate misinformation isn’t good for the American automaker. A recent leak exposed that GM was sending funding towards the Heartland Institute and climate advocacy group, Forecast the Facts, began a petition to ask GM to stop their support.
It didn’t take very long for the petition to get over 20,000 signatures from current GM vehicle owners. And without further ado, GM has announced that they are no longer supporting the Heartland Institute. The decision was reported to the Climate One organization and it said:
“General Motors has decided to discontinue funding of the Heartland Institute, an organization that downplays the risks of climate disruption, three weeks after GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson was asked about it during a Climate One radio interview. GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss confirmed the move today.”
While this probably doesn’t have a huge impact on the Heartland Institute – it is believed that GM’s contributions weren’t significant – it proves that GM is willing to back off support for organizations that their car owners aren’t too keen of.
Now if only they could persuade those tens of thousands of customers to switch to a Volt.
[Source: Tree Hugger]
Who would have thought it? Given the flack the Chevy Volt has received at Republican hands over the last few months, former Republican president George H. W. Bush dealt the Volt attackers a serious blow, deciding to purchase one of GM’s extended range electric cars.
The Volt, which has become a symbol of all that’s wrong with the Obama administration according to a number of conservatives, might finally be getting a break. In addition to Bush Sr.’s purchase of a Volt (for his son Neil), there’s growing sentiment among the right that the car might not be that bad after all.
Fred Barnes, writing in the conservatively inclined Weekly Standard, showed sympathy for the Volt, saying it “is not an Obamamobile,” a view that’s been widely held by many Republicans. In perhaps an even more surprising turn, Fox News, the notorious Volt basher, is also apparently changing it’s tune. Lee Spieckerman, CEO of Spieckerman Media and a conservative himself, said during a recent interview on the network that the “Volt is the quickest and most efficient way to bring American fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and nuclear energy to American automobiles. It is a terrific car, it is the iPhone of the automobiles. I’ve driven it and it’s very impressive.”
Volt sales remain sluggish despite GM introducing a zero percent incentive this month, so this change is probably welcome news, though Spieckerman did say that in order for it to truly be successful in the market, the price of the Volt needs to be reduced by about 20 percent, in order to give it a fighting chance against the likes of machines like the Chevy Cruze.
[Source: Yahoo Autos]
In today’s safety conscious world, having a vehicle earn “Top Pick” status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a big deal for many automakers, especially when it’s not just one car, but the entire brand’s lineup.
Buick has already been awarded IIHS top safety picks for its LaCrosse and Regal sedans, plus the Enclave crossover and now the Verano compact sedan, which was recently bestowed with the same award. That means each model in the current 2012 Buick lineup has been awarded Top Pick status, with the exceptions of the Encore compact crossover, since it hasn’t hit the market yet.
According to IIHS president Adrian Lund the results indicate that “Buick is building state-of-the-art crash protection into every model from the ground up. This means the best overall protection in the most common kinds of crashes, along with standard electronic stability control for helping drivers to stay out of many crashes to begin with.”
Among the key features that have enabled current Buicks to enjoy Top Pick safety status, include the use of high strength steel in the vehicle body structure, ABS and panic braking technology, collapsible pedals, GM’s Stabilitrak dynamic control system and a plethora of airbags – the Verano alone has 10 of them.
Lund’s sentiments are echoed by Jack R. Nerad, veteran auto journalist and editorial director of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com website, who stated in response to the Top Safety pick awards that “Buick buyers want to make certain that any vehicle they buy has state-of-the-art safety features. With this in mind, Buick engineers have incorporated an unprecedented combination of safety systems to more than address that need.”
Interestingly, the newest IIHS Top Pick Buick, the Verano, was also named by kbb.com as one of it’s “Ten Best sedans under $25,000.” Clearly it seems that Buick is indeed back.
Watch the IIHS Verano crash test below.
When Opel/Vauxhall first announced that its Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would participate in the 13th International Monte Carlo Rally for alternative energy vehicles, it made a point to challenge the Tesla Roadster, which won the previous two years.
Completing the racing stages from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monte Carlo from March 22 through 25, the Opel Ampera of Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert finished in first place, winning the Ampera’s inaugural Monte Carlo Rally. Following the leading Ampera, three more crossed the line to finish in the top 10.
A total of 130 competitors from 30 manufacturers took part in the Monte Carlo Rally, including a total of seven Amperas, the Renault Fluence Z.E., Tesla Roadster, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Volkswagen Up!, and Peugeot Ion. A test of endurance for alternative propulsion, teams were judged based on energy usage at a steady speed via a ratio formula that accounted for vehicle weight, CO2 emission, energy density of the fuel and its consumption.
According to French rally co-pilot Joseph Lambert, “The sophisticated technology of the Ampera was always reliable and enabled our tremendous success.”
“The Ampera’s success in this versatility contest under very challenging conditions proves its impressive balance between durability and fuel efficiency. This underscores our leadership role in the field of alternative propulsion,” Vauxhall/Opel director of E-mobility Enno Fuchs said.
GALLERY: Monte Carlo Rally Opel Ampera
WellStar Health System, a five hospital not-for-profit health system, teamed up with General Motors to create a three-dimensional visualization system to track step-by-step progress on everything from vehicle repairs to patient care…with Legos.
The same childhood building blocks we all adore, are now being used for real-world dilemmas instead of constructing toys (Like the 1966 Corvette Stingray pictured above). GM says the new system could help reduce the time needed to implement a change that would prevent future warranty repairs by 33-percent.
“The automotive and healthcare industries may be different, but we face similar challenges,” said Tim Herrick, GM global vehicle chief engineer for trucks, vans and crossovers. “If a customer visits a dealership service department they expect their car to run better afterward, much like a sick or injured person expects to feel better after going to the hospital. 3-D Visualization helps manage both processes more efficiently.”
Instead of complex computer algorithms or fancy 3-D programs, the Lego-based system is built on GM’s Problem Resolution Tracking System. When a problem arises, a corresponding Lego block goes on a Lego board. The bigger the block, the bigger the problem; while the color designates what are of the vehicle needs fixing. Each Lego block is labeled with a number and date of discovery with the board showing its progress from cause to solution to outcome.
GM isn’t only using this neat system for warranty repair tracking. The American automaker is planning to implement it to track vehicle program engineering changes and program budgets. A digital version has already been developed to deploy worldwide.
Not long ago, we reported that General Motors was possibly looking to move Commodore production out of Australia, which would have resulted in the loss of some 12,000 jobs at Holden and affected numerous other positions in directly.
In order to provide GM with an incentive, Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, recently announced that the country’s government will grant the auto giant a government subsidy of $275 million Australian dollars ($288 million) to engineer and manufacture cars in the country for at least another decade.
A strong Australian dollar driven by high demand for minerals and energy, particularly in China, is rendering Australian manufactured goods increasingly uncompetitive in export markets. For GM this presents an issue because the full-size Holden VE Commodore and it’s long wheelbase variant, the WM Caprice, are in relatively high demand in certain export markets, notably the Middle East (where they’re sold as the Chevy Lumina and Caprice) and in North America, where the WM is sold as the 9C1 Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle.
With the strong dollar eating into profit margins and GM already engaged in a global consolidation and cutting exercise, it must be sorely tempting to seriously consider relocating production of these vehicles elsewhere if not dropping them entirely.
Although the Australian Government subsidy will go a substantial way to easing fears regarding Holden’s future, at least in the short term, Gillard is making it quite clear this isn’t a handout. “It is a strategic investment that will boost our economy, foster innovation, build new business opportunities and promote adoption of new fuel-saving and safety technologies,” she said during a press conference to reporters in the Australian capital, Canberra.
The money, which will come from federal coffers as well as the Victoria and South Australia state governments, is designed to ensure that GM will continue to commit to vehicle production at its Melbourne and Adelaide plants for the foreseeable future. As part of the deal, GM announced that it will be investing more than $1 billion at both these facilities between now and 2022.
With a refreshed Commodore due out soon, that has already been announced to run entirely on a GM platform, it raises the question: will more Holden products make it to the U.S. in the coming years? GM already tried, albeit with little success, to port the Commodore as the Pontiac G8, but a refreshed model might do the trick.
[Source: Detroit News]
General Motors is going to some pretty extreme lengths to capture a younger audience. The automaker’s latest tactic was to hire MTV Scratch to head its latest marketing campaign.
So you might ask yourself: “What’s so newsworthy about that?” General Motors – one of the largest, well-known and well-established car brands is handing over its marketing to the same marketing company behind quality programming like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Yeah, you can say that GM is definitely going in a different direction.
Apparently, GM is having a problem getting the younger generation to care about cars – and that’s where MTV Scratch comes in. “They think of a car as a giant bummer,” said Ross Martin, executive vice president of MTV Scratch. “Think about your dashboard. It’s filled with nothing but bad news.”
Based on some of the marketing research, GM has made a few changes to its cars to appeal to this younger audience. For example, new Chevrolet colors, like “techno pink,” “lemonade” and “denim” will be seen on the Spark this summer.
We wonder what these new MTV Scratch-produced campaigns will look like. Uber-tanned twenty-somethings sporting skin-tight clothes and big hair fist-pumping to tunes cranked out of a Sonic? You stay classy, General Motors.
[Source: New York Times]
General Motors is all about consolidation these days. From cutting down it’s portfolio of brands to just four core entities, trimming the number of individual product lines, powertrains and vehicle architectures, it’s now also moving ahead with plans to streamline and “globalize” it’s marketing operations.
We first got wind of this a couple of months ago, when the General awarded Aegis Group’s Carat advertising arm in London most of its media buying and planning activities, reportedly worth close to $3 billion. The move sidelined a number of small agencies, a trend which is expected to continue, especially as GM’s marketing supremo Joel Ewanick announced that he plans to cut the number of agencies that handle Chevrolet promotions and advertising from around 50 to just five.
Not only that but GM plans to align its marketing in different regions around the world with the theory that a campaign in China, Germany or Brazil, could be adapted for North America. “I’m bringing these guys together and making them talk,” said Ewanick during a recent interview with Automotive News.
Last year, GM spent some $4.48 billion on advertising expenses, though if Ewanick’s plan to streamline Chevrolet ad operations and push forward with a much more consolidated marketing strategy succeeds, the company projects it could save some $2 billion in advertising and marketing costs over five years.
[Source: Automotive News]