1955 Chevy Bel Air/150/210 on 2040-cars

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GM will make Chevy Volt production announcement tomorrow

Thing are apparently happening to get the next-generation Chevy Volt ready for public consumption. The most obvious proof is in a preview of an announcement (possibly coming tomorrow) that the two main places where General Motors gets the Volt ready -the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and the Brownstown Township battery assembly facility - will be getting big money upgrades and lots of new positions. The Hamtramck plant builds the Volt and its fancier cousin, the Cadillac ELR, as well as the global versions of the Volt. The Detroit News reports that GM will add 1,400 jobs and spend roughly $450 million at the two locations in order to build the redesigned Volt. What's less clear is exactly what the updates will bring us. We've heard that the new volt will be a 2016 model and come on a new chassis. Speculation in The Detroit News about tomorrow's announcement runs the gamut from a new compact PHEV with less electric range and a lower price (which makes sense) to an updated Volt with more electric range (heard it before) to a new all-electric vehicle (the moon shot). If there's any hints to be gleaned in the international Volts, there are also reports coming in that the Opel brand will get an all-electric vehicle that is cheaper than the Ampera. Read into that what you will. We pestered GM's Kevin Kelly on the new Volt (again) and he said (again) that he couldn't give out any more detail other than what's been reported. He just told AutoblogGreen that there will be an announcement tomorrow and that it will be about the Hamtramck and Brownstown facilities and involve the Volt. So, stay tuned.

Is Buick's surprise Detroit concept a Camaro-sized coupe?

Tomorrow night marks the unofficial start of the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Keep your eyes peeled for a number of reveals, including a surprise debut from Buick. Yes, Buick. And we think it's going to be something really hot. According to a report from Bloomberg, the Tri-Shield's secret car could be a Camaro-sized sport coupe concept. As Bloomberg explains, it'd certainly gel with the impression the company is trying to put out – that it's no longer a brand for those with one foot in the grave. Introducing a sports coupe, even as a concept, could certainly reinforce that message. And if it happens to make production – which is not a certainty, Bloomberg's secret source says – it could certainly help Buick drive its average buyer age down from 59. Bloomberg doesn't offer any speculation on Buick's new coupe, but we have no problem making educated guesses. Our most reliable conjecture is this: it will ride on General Motors' Alpha platform, which underpins both the Camaro and the Cadillac ATS. And with a certain twin-turbocharged V6 in the GM stable, we've got an idea of what kind of engine could be shown. That speculation will have to suffice for now. But don't worry, we'll have official details, live images, and video tomorrow when Buick unveils its new concept in Detroit's Eastern Market.

C7 Corvette makes inaugural ad appearance in Chevy's first spot with new slogan

Chevrolet's "Runs Deep" tagline has finally been run into the ground, replaced with the Bowtie brand's "Find New Roads" slogan that's part of parent General Motors' plan to unify its everyday brand's marketing efforts worldwide. The new Chevrolet campaign was ushered in on prime time last night during the Grammy Awards on CBS, and the first spot, a 90-second full-line ad, also marks the first appearance of the 2014 Corvette Stingray in a commercial.
Being a full-line ad, the commercial is composed of vignettes centered on different vehicles in the brand's lineup. The all-new 2014 Impala also makes its first commercial appearance in dapper fashion, and time is spent on a skateboarding Sonic and a bouquet of brightly colored Spark hatchbacks driven by fashionable women. The ad starts and ends with Chevy's green halo car, the Volt, along with a young girl with her robotic dog (yes, really).
Chevrolet's "Runs Deep" campaign got off to a rocky start in the fall of 2010, but it did last for a couple of years with some tweaks. This new one, "Find New Roads" seems more intent on drawing new customers into the fold than the outgoing tagline, which seemed to play more toward the brand faithful. It admittedly reminds us more than a little the short-lived "Find Your Own Road" Saab motto (which, we note, was conceived while the Swedish brand was under GM's control), but no matter, we still think it's got more long-term potential than "Runs Deep."