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Buick Velite is a not-so-Volt-like plug-in hybrid concept for China

Is the Buick Velite a Volt by any other name? That's a question worth asking after General Motors said that the Buick Velite concept vehicle will make its global debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show later this month. GM says the car "will provide a template for upcoming models being launched under the Buick Blue new energy vehicle strategy." Whether that means the Velite is a variant of the second-generation of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in is open to interpretation. Some automotive publications, including Autoweek, are saying that's the case, but GM China doesn't mention the Volt in its press release, only saying that the car is a "high-performance" plug-in hybrid vehicle. As we know, GM doesn't use the "PHEV" descriptor for the Volt, which makes us thing the Velite's powertrain is more like the Cadillac CT6 PHEV. Either way, the concept was developed by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), which is a joint venture between GM and Shanghai-based SAIC. As far as the name, GM has been shopping the Velite moniker around for a while now. The automaker first used Buick Velite for the convertible concept vehicle it showed off at the 2004 New York Auto Show. More recently, GM in 2014 filed to use the name for the US variant of its Opel Cascada four-seat convertible model, which debuted in 2013. As for the second-generation version of the Volt, that model appears to be gaining favor in the US. Domestic sales of the Volt through October have surged 64 percent from a year earlier to more than 18,500 units. The new version boosted its all-electric range by 40 percent to 53 miles while increasing its power output by 20 percent. Related Video: News Source: General Motors via Autoweek, Automotive News-sub.req. Green Buick Chevrolet Electric Hybrid PHEV buick velite

2017 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport spotters guide

The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport is a mix of regular Stingray and steroidal Z06. Unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, this tweener 'Vette will go on sale this summer. If you need a refresher, click here for the details and official press release. We sat down with Chief Engineer Tadge Juecter in Switzerland to explain the differences between the Grand Sport and the rest of the Corvette lineup. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Stingray Hood The Grand Sport comes with the LT1 V8 (and 460 horsepower) instead of the supercharged LT4 in the Z06. That means the Grand Sport gets the lower Stingray hood, absent the power bulge. The Grand Sport also weighs less than the Z06. As such, the Grand Sport's springs and anti-roll bars are different to accommodate the lighter nose. "Mainly it's the weight distribution that changes," explains Juecter, "It's a custom tune around the obvious standard components." Grand Sport Wheels, Z06 Brakes In the sixth-generation Corvette, the Grand Sport came with a Z06-style body but kept the standard Vette's steel structure. With every version of the C7 built on an aluminum backbone, the Grand Sport has almost the same structure as the Z06. That means the Grand Sport can handle all the track-ready goodness like Z06 brakes and the optional Z07 package that adds carbon-ceramic disks and Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Cup tires. Except the Grand Sport comes without the max-downforce add-ons of the Z07-packaged Z06, because it doesn't need them. What you can't get on the Z06, though, is the unique Grand Sport wheel design, which comes in five different finishes. Stingray Brake Lights, Interior The dead giveaway for the Grand Sport is the hash marks on the front fenders which come in six different colors. Another way to spot the Grand Sport is the taillights, which use the Stingray's red lenses instead of the blacked-out Z06's lights. Z06 body plus taillights equals Grand Sport. Got that? The Grand Sport also comes with body-color rear fender vents, which are black on the Z06. And the Grand Sport's interior is based on the Stingray except the Collector Edition, which has unique blue accents.

Corvette Z06 and Viper TA square off at the strip

There are many long-standing grudge matches among automobiles: 911 vs GT-R, Mustang vs Camaro, Ferrari vs Lamborghini... but as far as high-end American metal goes, it doesn't get much more legendary than Viper vs 'Vette. So after Chevy released the new Corvette Z06, we knew it was only a matter of time before it would have to square off against the Viper TA. And what better place to pit these two parallel pillars of American performance than on the drag strip? Fortunately that's just what we have here. In one corner, the 2014 Dodge Viper TA, with its 8.4-liter V10 pumping out 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. In the other, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the supercharger on its 6.2-liter V8 more than making up for the discrepancy in displacement and cylinder count to produce 650 hp and just as much torque. But numbers don't tell the whole story, so watch the video clip to see which reaches the end of the quarter-mile first. News Source: To the Floor via YouTubeTip: James Chevrolet Dodge Videos drag race chevy corvette z06 quarter mile drag strip srt viper ta