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Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat vs. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in latest Head 2 Head

"Olympian" is one of the terms we use to signify the greatest height, the seat of the gods. Yet Mt. Olympus is the second-highest peak in the Balkans ranges, overshadowed by the crest at Musala in Bulgaria's Rila mountains. Both great heights, but one is a little higher. That's how we get the Olympian Chevy Camaro ZL1 pitched at the Musalic Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in Motor Trend's latest episode of Head 2 Head. The side-by-side spec sheet is filled with farcical numbers. For the ZL1, that's a 6.2-liter V8 with 580 horsepower, 556 pound-feet of torque, a 4,051-pound curb weight, 0-to-60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 12.2 seconds and a base price of just $57,800. Opposing that, the Hellcat wrings out its 6.2-liter V8 for 707 hp, 650 lb-ft of torque, weighs 4,449 pounds, does the quarter in 11.7 seconds and has a base price of just $60,990. Except in the case of the Hellcat, when Motor Trend put it on the dyno the machine spit out a reading of 672 hp and 606 lb-ft at the wheels. If there's a 10-percent driveline loss through those beefed-up internals and heavy-duty eight-speed transmission, that means the Hellcat is actually rated at about 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft. But once they get put on a closed-off strip of coast road in Northern California, there are only a few strands of hair between their respective performances. That's not the case for they sensations provide; host Jonny Lieberman calls one of them, "One of the most incredible cars ever made," and says, "It changes everything." Watch the video above to see who got the verdict and how. Related Video:

2021 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra fuel economy to go down due to global chip shortage

Production of the 2021 Chevy Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra is continuing, but the global semiconductor chip shortage is resulting in a mid-year change. Or rather, an omission.  Basically, the availability of cylinder deactivation for the 5.3-liter V8 will be significantly reduced, resulting in a reduction of 1 mpg combined for affected models. This applies whether that engine has the six- or eight-speed automatic, as well as to both the regular Active Fuel Management and the more advanced Dynamic Fuel Management cylinder deactivation systems. DFM does remain with the pairing of 5.3-liter V8 and 10-speed automatic that comes standard on the LT Trail Boss and High Country. "Due to the micro controller shortage, the components that control AFM/DFM in the engine control module (ECM) have been removed," GM spokesperson Michelle Malcho told Autoblog. She also indicated that the engines will still have the AFM/DFM hardware in place, but that GM will not allow activation of the systems in the future with an ECM change.  Malcho also confirmed to Autoblog that the Silverado and Sierra's other engines will continue to have AFM and DFM, including the 2.7-liter turbo inline-four, 4.3-liter V6 and 6.2-liter V8. In an earlier statement to Reuters, she declined to say the volume of vehicles affected. "By taking this measure, we are better able to meet the strong customer and dealer demand for our full-size trucks as the industry continues to rebound and strengthen," Malcho wrote Reuters in an email. The change runs through the 2021 model year, she said. Malcho told Reuters it would not have a major impact on the Detroit automaker's U.S. corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) numbers. "We routinely monitor our fleet for compliance in the U.S. and Canada, and we balance our portfolio in a way that enables us to manage unforeseeable circumstances like this without compromising our overall (greenhouse gas) and fuel economy compliance," she said. GM's fleetwide fuel economy in the 2018 model year was 22.5 miles per gallon and was projected to rise to 22.8 mpg for 2019, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. To meet federal CAFE requirements, automakers like GM often use credits from either earlier years where they faced less stringent rules and performed better than the requirements or buy credits from other automakers. GM said last month the chip shortage could shave up to $2 billion from this year's earnings.

With only 246 Volts sold in Australia, Holden not getting next-gen model

The Chevrolet Volt has not been the resounding success General Motors hoped for here in the United States. But it's fortunes in Chevy's home country are nothing compared to how poorly it's done down under. Only 246 Volts have been sold in Australia, where the car is branded as a Holden, since its debut in 2012. That's not just a bad showing – it's an absolute disaster. According to Motoring.com.au, it was the Volt's astonishing $60,000 price tag, combined with a lack of interest from Aussie drivers, that killed the car's chances. What's fascinating about this development, though, is that it doesn't necessarily seem to be Holden that's pulling the plug. Instead, it's the Volt's Hamtramck, MI factory, which is preparing to shift into production of the second-generation model that seems to be taking the blame. According to Motoring, the plant confirmed that it will only build the Gen 2 plug-in in left-hand-drive form, basically ruling out a model for Australia. "Electric and hybrid vehicles haven't taken off in Australia," Holden's director of communications, Sean Poppitt, told Motoring. "Considering the lack of infrastructure, the lack of government incentives, the large distances between cities, it's a tough sell." The death of the right-hand drive Volt won't be the only loss of business in Hamtramck. Opel has already confirmed that it will drop the plug-in's European fraternal twin, the Ampera, while the next-gen Chevy won't make the trip across the pond either. Related Video: