Chevrolet G10 Van, page #60

Auto blog

2016 Chevrolet Camaro powers up, slims down

Don't be fooled by its familiar appearance, the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is vastly different than its iconic predecessors. It has a new chassis, a fresh engine lineup, and is loaded with clever technologies that promise to invigorate and improve the sixth generation of Chevy's legendary sports car. It was revealed Saturday before a crowd of enthusiastic Camaro revelers on Belle Isle in Detroit. Redesigning the sports coupe was a heady task, especially as its archrivals, the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, drive better and are more powerful than ever. But the new Camaro is aiming to be the best combination of handling and raw performance, with quick acceleration and competitive fuel economy. "Redesigning the Camaro is thrilling and challenging all at once, but the secret is to offer something more," Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of product development, said in a statement. It all began with a weight-loss plan. The new Camaro shed more than 200 pounds compared with the outgoing car, with 133 pounds coming from a lighter body-in-white. Then engineers culled weight nearly everywhere, using aluminum for the instrumental panel frame and some suspension components to trim as much fat as possible. The slimmer body rests on new bones. The Camaro's rear-wheel-drive platform is lighter and stiffer in a bid to improve handling. It's a modified version of the underpinnings used by the Cadillac ATS, though about 70 percent of the architecture is unique to the Camaro. Chevy said structural rigidity is improved by 28 percent. As you'll see, healthy doses of Cadillac and Corvette technologies have been used to bolster the Camaro's drive character and performance. The new car is also expected to handle better thanks to a slightly smaller footprint. It is about two inches shorter in length, with most of that due to the more compact wheelbase. It's also an inch shorter in height and an inch slimmer in width. So yes, the Camaro will be leaner, but it will still be plenty mean. The Camaro SS tops the range (for now) with the Corvette's 6.2-liter V8 pushing put 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. Known as the LT1, is has a cast aluminum block and cast aluminum cylinder heads, and it's fortified with direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation. About 20 percent of the engine's parts are said to be unique to the Camaro, including the exhaust manifolds.

2016 Chevy Camaro leaked on CNBC

It seemed inevitable. Eventually some outlet would get access to fully uncovered pictures of the sixth-generation 2016 Chevrolet Camaro and let them loose early. Embargoes break. All. The. Time. And for this round, credit goes to CNBC's Squawk Box. The program, according to the GM Inside News forums, had been talking about the new Camaro "all morning," when it dropped a trio of images of the new muscle car. Consider this, then, our first full look at the 2016 Camaro, a car we detailed extensively earlier this morning. In general, the leaked images confirm much of what we discussed in that post regarding the car's looks – an evolved style, with a slim grille up front, a rounded tail, and a very short rear deck. Check out the leaked images, give our Camaro round-up a read, and strap in for tomorrow's big Camaro reveal.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro: Everything we know so far [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We fully expect the floodgates to open as facts and photos leak throughout the day. Watch this space for more information as it breaks, including these leaked photos, and some new powertrain speculation. Chevrolet has made a grand production of teasing the all-new, sixth-generation Camaro. That slow trickle will become a deluge this weekend, when the 2016 model hits the stage on Detroit's Belle Isle as part of an all-day Camaro-palooza. Considering you're likely to hear plenty about the next-gen muscle car in the next couple days, we figured now is the perfect time to sort out all the facts and rumors we've heard about the next-generation coupe that's coming this weekend. Here's everything we know about Camaro Six. What Will It Look Like? Arguably the easiest Camaro question to answer after all the teasers and spy shots, General Motors' design team favored evolving the current car's retro design language while retaining the same basic shape. The long hood will carry on, joined by an even shorter, wing-topped rear deck, giving the 2016 an almost fastback-like look. The greenhouse is still slim, but lateral visibility may improve slightly owing to the larger quarter windows. We can only hope. The rear end looks to have been rounded, while Chevy's own teaser shows off larger, more prominent taillight housings than the simple rectangular lights on today's car. Expect quad-tipped exhausts to be offered on at least one version of the Camaro. Judging by the single teaser of the car's profile, the rear haunches will be larger and more chiseled. The muscular aluminum hood and its accompanying power bulge are more heavily styled than on today's car, although it looks largely similar in terms of size. It sits atop an even slimmer upper grille that's barely big enough for Chevy's Bowtie logo, with most of the visual mass moving to the gaping lower grille. One of the more tantalizing rumors surrounding the new Camaro focuses on its roof. As evidenced in a rather bizarre round of spy photos, it almost looks like Chevy is considering a removable panel, a la Corvette Stingray. T-tops are also a distinct (and more probable, we hope) possibility. The new shape will result in a more aerodynamic car, and Chevy claims the 2016 Camaro spent 350 hours in the wind tunnel. Overall lift has apparently been cut by 30 percent, thanks partially to a new, smooth underbody panel. Chevrolet has been far less forthcoming with information on the new Camaro's cabin.

LG Chem ready to double workforce at plant that makes Volt batteries

With a history that involves paying people not to work, the fact that LG Chem is going to hire more people for its electric-vehicle battery plant in Holland, Michigan is good news on a couple fronts for the Korean company. The South Korea-based LG Chem is holding a job fair at the factory about 30 miles west of Grand Rapids. The company wants to double its workforce this year to "several hundred people." LG Chem, whose factory notably makes the cells for General Motors' Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle battery, is looking for everything from technical operators to maintenance workers to production supervisors. The company held a previous job fair last September that resulted in about 40 people being hired. The prior year, though, LG Chem gained a measure of infamy after the US Department of Energy (DOE) discovered that workers were, for a time, getting paid to do absolutely nothing because low demand for battery packs made it cheaper for the factory to remain idle. With LG Chem also making electric-vehicle battery components for Ford, Renault, Hyundai, and Volvo, though, those lazy days appear to be long gone. Take a look at LG Chem's press release below. Show full PR text LG Chem Michigan Inc. 2nd Job Fair Will Help To Double Its Holland Workforce HOLLAND, Mich., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Chem Michigan Inc. (LGCMI) is conducting a 2nd job fair on Thursday, May 14 as part of the company's efforts to double the size of its production workforce in 2015. LGCMI is an air-conditioned, clean room production environment with strong opportunity for career growth. Over 250 people attended the first job fair and the company is looking for more people to help it grow with increased production volume and new models. The company is adding production equipment and new processes and expects to employ several hundred people by the end of the year. Globally, LG Chem has numerous automakers as clients for EV batteries including GM, Ford, Renault, Hyundai/Kia, Volvo, Audi and Daimler etc. The company's push to build its workforce continues on Thursday, May 14 with an all-day job fair at the company's facilities, located at 1 LG Way in Holland. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and is open to everyone seeking employment opportunities with the company. Prospective candidates should plan to meet with members of LGCMI's staff to learn more about opportunities available at this market-leading, advanced-technology manufacturing company.

GM slashes prices in China as sales falter

Buying a vehicle from General Motors' stable of brands might be a lot cheaper in the near future – at least for customers in China. The effort comes as GM hopes to keep sales there growing, and the decision alludes to yet another sign that the Asian country no longer has the booming auto market of past years. GM and its Chinese joint venture partner SAIC are slashing prices by as much as the equivalent to $8,700 on 40 models from Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac, according to The Detroit News. Across all of automaker's nameplates, the overall sales dipped in China in April by 0.4 percent to 258,484 vehicles. Among the drops, Buick was down 8.5 percent, and Chevy shrunk 5.6 percent. Caddy's numbers increased 4.6 percent for the month, though. Buick remains a popular brand in the minds of Chinese consumers, but according to The Detroit News domestic automakers there are starting to eat into the dominance of foreign companies in the market. The country remains important for GM, though. Late last year, it outlined a future strategy that included China as a major pillar, including a $14 billion investment to build five new factories and boost sales. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Alexander F. Yuan / AP Photo Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM Car Buying Car Dealers saic

GM recalling 521,817 cars in two campaigns

General Motors is issuing two, separate recalls covering a total of 521,817 vehicles worldwide. The larger campaign covers 468,887 units of the 2011-2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Specifically, 437,045 of these are in the US, and the rest are outside the country. In these sedans, a steel cable that connects the seat belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate. GM knows of 36 claims about the problem but only one minor injury. According to The Detroit News, this happened when a taxi driver hit his head. To fix things, dealers will replace the "outboard lap mounting bracket," which will move the tensioner rearward. They'll also inspect and if necessary replace the steel cable and lap pretensioner. In the second campaign, 52,930 examples the 2015 Chevy Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon have seat frame attachment hooks that were installed incorrectly during assembly. GM hasn't received any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities about this problem. Dealers will inspect the affected trucks and repair as necessary. GM spokesperson Alan Adler told Autoblog that he didn't yet have a specific date when affected owners would receive official mailings about either of these recalls. GM Statement General Motors is recalling 48,309 2015 model year Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks in the U.S. because certain seat frame attachment hooks were not properly attached to the vehicle body during assembly. Dealers will inspect the potentially affected seats for proper installation and repair if necessary. GM knows of no crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 52,930 including 4,620 vehicles sold in Canada. General Motors is recalling 437,045, 2011-2012 model year Chevrolet Malibus in the U.S. because the flexible steel cable that connects the safety belt to the vehicle can fatigue and separate over time as a result of occupant movement in the seat. Dealers will replace the outboard lap mounting bracket to relocate the tensioner slightly rearward. Dealers will inspect the cable and, if necessary, replace the lap pretensioner. GM knows of 36 claims, no crashes or fatalities and one minor injury reportedly related to the condition. The total vehicle population of the recall is 468,887 including Canada, Mexico and exports.

New 2016 Chevy Volt ad arrives in time for Tomorrowland

As summer approaches, so do the blockbusters. We've already seen Furious 7 and The Avengers: Age of Ultron, while Mad Max: Fury Road arrives this week. Next week's big debut is Disney's Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, and not surprisingly, the advertising campaign is kicking into gear. Perhaps attempting to capitalize on the high-tech theme of the flick, Chevrolet has teamed up with Disney for the second-generation Volt's very first commercial appearance. As we reported previously, the Volt will star on the big screen when Tomorrowland hits theaters, and it will be accompanied by the EN-V Concept. Take a look at the Volt's Tomorrowland spot, up top. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: meet the Luka EV project, VisibleTesla allows Model S hacking

Select Registry is partnering with Tesla to install chargers at many of its lodgings. More than 170 hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts will install Tesla High Power Wall Connectors for their guests to use. So far, 63 properties have installed the chargers. Eventually, Select Registry members in 34 states as well as Nova Scotia will offer charging on-site. Tesla's wall charger provides the Model S with 58 miles of range per hour. The hotels will rent you a room for the full night, as well. Read more in the press release below. Tesla Model S owners can hack their car with the VisibleTesla app. The free, open source app allows users to check on and control the status of the car and its subsystems, similar to Tesla's official apps. VisibleTesla can also be used to schedule certain automated commands. For example, its creator, Joe Pasqua, has his car send him a text message reminding him to bring his bags with him when he enters the grocery store parking lot. Other users have the car remind them if the car is not charging at a certain time, or schedule the car to turn on the heat before departure. Read more at TechWorm, or learn more at the VisibleTesla website. Georgia Power has added 32 Chevrolet Volts to its fleet. Employees, particularly the utility's energy efficiency experts, will use the cars to travel to customers' homes and businesses to conduct energy audits. "We are leading by example and demonstrating to our customers, and other Georgia businesses, that electric transportation works for all drivers," says Georgia Power Chairman, President & CEO Paul Bowers. Georgia Power also offers charger rebates and special rates for EV customers. Read more at Domestic Fuel. The Luka EV is a project to build an affordable, lightweight, retro-looking, road-legal electric car in one year. The team wants to get the car certified for use on EU roads by September 2015. They have goals of achieving a driving range of 300 kilometers (about 186 miles), keeping the cost under ˆ20,000 (about $22,280 US at current rates) and the weight under 750 kilograms (about 1,650 pounds). The builders recently completed their first range test of the working vehicle, which uses in-hub motors for propulsion. Learn more at the Luka EV project page on Hackaday. Select Registry Teams with Tesla Motors Both Tesla owners and their vehicles can recharge at more than 170 B&Bs, inns, and hotels throughout the U.S.

2016 Camaro gets most revealing tease yet

Chevrolet started its long teaser campaign for the 2016 Camaro by just revealing the exhaust manifold and front frame, but as time has passed the company has slowly unveiled more. In the latest glimpse ahead of the pony car's May 16 debut, we're actually getting to see the model's profile completely undisguised. As suggested by the recent tease of the rear and hood, the 2016 Camaro wears a sharper, more angular design than the current model. This is especially the case when you look at the taut lines making up the rear. Chevy claims that the new shape underwent 350 hours of wind tunnel tests to be able to generate left lift, improve cooling and reduce wind noise in the cabin. A smooth underbody pan is among the aerodynamic tweaks, and it runs from underneath the front grille to the center of the Camaro. Chevy asserts that all of the changes at the front help reduce lift by 30 percent. Related VIdeo: 2016 Camaro is all about the Aero Total aerodynamic lift improved by 30 percent for improved stability 2015-05-11 DETROIT – After 350 hours of wind tunnel testing – often 24 hours a day – the new Camaro will slip more easily through the wind, and drivers of the Camaro SS will experience a marked improvement in reduced aerodynamic lift. These changes illustrate the lengths the aerodynamics team went to for improved performance, stability, cooling and lower wind noise intrusion "The importance of aerodynamics increases exponentially as we increase vehicle performance," said Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design manager. "As engine output increases, we need more engine cooling. As acceleration and top speeds climb, we need to reduce lift for better high-speed stability. However, we cannot make any changes at the expense of increasing drag, which can hurt fuel economy. "To balance these different aerodynamic targets, we tested literally hundreds of changes on the new Camaro, millimeters at a time." For example, the initial design called for the lower grille bars to be set at a 20-degree angle to the horizon. However, after meticulous testing, the team improved engine-cooling airflow by 1 percent by shifting the angle to 13 degrees – a change that achieved the airflow target while maintaining the original grille design. And rather than a traditional front air dam to reduce aerodynamic lift, the team developed a flush belly pan that stretches from the front grille to the center of the vehicle.

National Corvette Museum to recreate sinkhole experience for patrons [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The Thunderdome at the National Corvette Museum is not a ride; instead it's an experience that mixes digital graphics and thundering sound. For a brief period, it looked like the National Corvette Museum was going to preserve that sinkhole that ate eight important 'Vettes last year. After all, tourism boomed there afterwards. However, keeping the crater would have been more expensive than just doing the repairs. The museum isn't ready to let people completely forget, though, and now intends to make a major attraction out of a recreated version of the calamity. The museum's plan turns the sinkhole disaster into an amusement park ride called the Thunderdome, according to GM Authority. In a smaller recreation of the Skydome, 15 people at a time would get to watch an imitation of the sinkhole devouring the eight Corvettes. To make the experience even more immersive, visitors would get to view this all from an artificial, underground cave. If you missed seeing the actual pit, this would certainly be a bizarre way to experience it. According to GM Authority, the exhibit would also include an explanation of how sinkholes occur. The Corvette museum reportedly wants the attraction open by this fall.