A pair of Chevrolet Impala taxi cabs were seized and their drivers are facing “stunt driving” charges out in Toronto, Ontario Canada when they were caught street racing on Canada’s longest street, Younge Street. Those charged with stunt driving will have their license seized for seven days and face a fine between $2,000 to $10,000.

The motives behind why both drivers decided to race it out is unknown, but sections of Younge Street have been known to be street racing spots in the past. Maybe both of them were just reliving the past or settling a grudge, either way we don’t think either of them owe the other a 10 second car.

Check out the news clip after the break.

[Source: CTV News]

Continue Reading…

For 2014 Chevrolet will be unveiling the all new Impala, which is long overdue for a redesign. The new Impala will be built at the Oshawa, ON assembly plant along side Cadillac’s new flagship XTS model. The two will share the same platform and, it seems, even some styling cues.

Spy photos show the new Impala, still camouflaged of course, but enough that it is obvious that Chevrolet is going after a much more upscale sleek look then the now bland old Impala. This redesign has a lot riding on it as the Impala is one of the most popular fleet cars in North America. If the new 2014 model can retain the family and fleet-friendly pricing of its predecessor and capture the elegance of a Caddy it is sure to be a hit.

GM announced Friday that it will be investing $68 million into the Oshawa plant to get the new line of Impala’s up and running and they should hit dealers sometime in early 2013.

GALLERY:Chevy Impala

[Source: Automotive News]

Even though GM admits that the 2007-2008 Chevrolet Impalas has a faulty rear suspension, they’re hoping to avoid a class-action lawsuit by turning to their bankruptcy – as in, the “New GM” can’t be responsible for the “Old GM’s” mistakes.

Seriously? The defect is in a tie-rod design that causes premature wearing of the vehicle’s rear tires. In fact, they’ve proven that it causes the rear tires to wear out after just 6,000-miles. A technical service bulletin was issued in 2008, but GM made it only apply to police-spec Impala models, stating that they’re different than the retail versions. Right.

To us, GM’s response is borderline absurd especially considering there’s concrete evidence of a defect that is affecting owner’s pockets.

New GM did not assume liability for old GM’s design choices, conduct or alleged breaches of liability under the warranty, and its terms expressly preclude money damages,” GM said in response to the suit. The suit “is trying to saddle new GM with the alleged liability and conduct of old GM.”

Shouldn’t GM relate to its consumers when it comes to not wanting to spend excessive money?

[Source: Left Lane News]

General Motors has confirmed that the 2012 Chevrolet Impala will be powered by a 302-hp V6 when it debuts later this year. The full-size four-door will come with a 3.6-litre V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and puts out 252 lb-ft of torque in standard trim.

The Impala model has been on sale in its current configuration since 2006 and isn’t scheduled for a redesign until 2014 at the earliest. The 2012 Impala will be nearly as powerful as the previous, small-block V8 powered Impala SS, which made 303 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque.

[Source: Autoblog]

Chevy, my Chevy, why hast thou forsaken me? The Biblical Impala, dating back to the Burning Bush, still shuffles off the assembly lines in slippers and a tennis-balled walker. But as the rest of GM’s lineup leaps forward into the 21st century, the Impala’s age is starting to become a burden around Chevrolet’s neck.

How old is the Impala? Justin Timberlake was making a comeback from N’Sync when the Impala last received a redesign. The GM W platform it rides on dates back to 1988, which makes it old enough to run for state office or write for Autoguide. GM isn’t planning for a full redesign until 2014, by which time children of Impala owners will be shocked to learn that it was once rear-wheel-drive. If only the beleaguered Impala enjoyed the same voracious support as Ford’s Crown Victoria and Town Car, the darlings of the police and taxi fleets.

“There’s no doubt that the Impala is longer in the tooth than we would traditionally run a vehicle,” said Rick Scheidt, Chevy’s vice president of marketing. The Impala cost GM a higher score in Consumer Reports’ annual corporate ratings, bringing it down to 12 out of 13 automakers as one of the “lackluster cars” GM builds.

Not that GM’s doing this on purpose. A rear-drive variant had been rumored for 2011, but GM’s bankruptcy woes three years earlier nixed that plan. The America-only Impala took less priority than the globally-sold Cruze and Malibu—even now, GM is pushing the Sonic as fast as possible for consumers to take advantage of $4-gallon gas prices. And advertising the Impala as “roomier than a $66,000 Lexus LS460″ isn’t going to do any favors.

With the newly-redesigned Malibu, GM is struggling to find a place for the Impala—compounded by the fact that with deep discounts (including one from the AARP), an Impala costs the same despite the differences in MSRP.  ”You have to reconcile that within a four-sedan showroom and be clear on whose position is what,” said Bryan Nesbitt executive director for Chevrolet design. ”We’ve seen this transition happening, where it’s harder and harder to justify the scale of a vehicle without paying for it. This idea of a giant box that you can get for a very low price becomes harder to solve.” The next Impala will most likely move to the Epsilon platform, instead of the Australian, rear-drive Zeta from the Pontiac G6 that enthusiasts clamor for. It will share a chassis with the Buick Lacrosse and the next Cadillac XTS, as well as styling, too—dealers who were given a preview of the Impala claim that it resembles the Lacrosse.

For now, however, the Impala soldiers on. A six-speed transmission replaces its four cogs, and the choice of engine options gets cut in half to just a 3.6-liter V6. Lastly, a new grille and dual exhausts should keep the look current in a way Joan Rivers is used to. The fleet buyers that make up 75% of current Impala sales are happy, and so are the 25% of those who don’t just say “they don’t build ‘em like they used to—” they live it.

Keep on keepin’ on, Chevy Impala—America’s #1 rolling nostalgia trip.

[Source: Automotive News]

Current Commodore-based Lumina SS as sold in the Middle East and Africa

Even if General Motors survives its current financial woes, it has a serious problem on its hands regarding future products. Take the Chevy Impala for instance. Sure it’s not very exciting, nor is it much to look at, but its a top seller for GM and not something they would want to mess up – or do without.

GMinsideNews (GMI) is reporting that their sources inside General Motors are indicating a switch to a rear-wheel drive platform for the next Impala. The only problem is, this new version of the car wouldn’t be until 2015. Even worse, the current Impala is slated to stay in production until 2013, leaving a two year gap.

Worse still, just think how outdated the already long-in-the-tooth Impala will be four more years from now. Yikes!

According to GMI, this is how it will play out. The next generation Impala was supposed to be built on the RWD Zeta platform bu that was recently axed in a bid to cut costs. In Australia the Holden Commodore, which rides on the Zeta platform, will use a version of the Camaro’s platform starting in 2011. Once that Commodore is ready to be retired, both it and the next generation Impala will arrive (in 2015) sharing GM’s upcoming Alpha platform – much like how the current G8 shares most everything with the current Holden Commodore.

It sounds like a stretch to us, but as “world cars” are becoming more popular as automakers search for ways to save cash, there is certainly an economic argument for the report.

GMI says the use of the Alpha platform for both the Commodore and Impala in 2015 is under “serious consideration” by GM execs, but these days nothing is certain.

Case in point, just last week GMI reported that the Impala would get a long wheel base of the front-wheel drive Epsilon II platform (which is planned for the next generation Malibu).

[Source: GMInsideNews]