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Driving Granatelli's turbine-powered 1978 Chevy Corvette [w/video]

With its curvy snout and feminine haunches, the third-gen Chevrolet Corvette looks like a dreamy – if dated – exemplar of Sports Car Fantasy 101 when viewed through modern eyes. This particular specimen circa '78, clad in silver and black paint with red pinstripes, appears to be a well-preserved example from the era. Apart from its low-profile Pirellis, slightly raised and slotted hood, spacious stance and a certain hand-painted descriptor alongside its crossed flag logos, you'd never guess there's a Space-Age propulsion unit powering this Coke bottle-bodied ride. Climb inside, and you're presented with aircraft gauges and big, colorful square buttons in the center panel. It takes a push of the "Ignitor" button, a tap of the starter button, and a slide of a T-handle for this nearly 40-year-old sports car to start sounding like Gulfstream G650 ready for takeoff. Yep, you're sitting in an 880-horsepower, turbine-powered Corvette, the only one of its kind in the world. Welcome to the whoosh. What The...? Built by Vince Granatelli, son of Indy 500 guru Andy Granatelli, this curious Corvette came into being by cramming a Pratt & Whitney ST6N-74 gas turbine engine into the donor car's lengthy front end. The same type of Jet A-burning mill powered Granatelli Senior's STP-sponsored racecar at the 1967 Indianapolis 500, where it famously led most of the 198 of 200 laps until a $6 transmission bearing failed, knocking it out of the race. The idea of turbine power usurping internal combustion was so threatening that Indy's governing body restricted turbine performance into obsolescence thereafter. A turbine-powered Corvette sounds excessive because it is. But there are also things about this 880-horsepower, 1,161-pound-feet monster that might surprise you. While it smacks of futurist exoticism and cost a then-dizzying $37,000 in 1967, the Canadian-built powerplant uses 80 percent fewer parts than an internal combustion V8 and will run on virtually anything combustible – whiskey, diesel, even Chanel No. 5. Though it's triple the length of a V8, the Pratt & Whitney beast weighs only 285 pounds. It's also one hell of a robust workhorse, typically serving as an auxiliary power unit for commercial aircraft or a generator in oil fields, where it can run for tens of thousands of consecutive hours before needing an overhaul. To adapt the Chevrolet for jet duty, the nose section was gutted and a sub-frame was built to compensate for the loosey-goosey front end.

Chevrolet Malibu gets aggressive redesign for 2016

Cars like the Ford Fusion, Kia Optima and Chrysler 200 have recently raised the styling bar in the midsize sedan game is. In that regard, the rather anonymous Chevrolet Malibu has suffered in recent years. That no longer appears to be an issue with the 2016 Malibu, which is simply caked with interesting elements. The wide, aggressive grille, expressive headlights and angled LED running lamps make the Malibu look like the Impala's much angrier little brother. In back, the Impala inspiration is there, but like the fascia, it's noticeably more aggressive, with a sharper cant to the taillights and a pair of large, integrated dual exhausts (at least on the 2.0-liter, turbocharged model being featured by Chevy). Designers also worked to give the 'Bu a bit more character in the profile, adding a pair of character lines to cut back on the last-gen car's slab-sided looks. While the exterior could almost be described as sporting, the brown-and-beige color scheme in the cabin is noticeably more relaxed. A large, central MyLink system sits atop the dash, while drivers will also have access to a dedicated display in the instrument cluster. A thick-rimmed, three-spoke steering wheel is a bit on the large side, but still looks like a nice piece to work. You can read a lot more about the new 2016 Malibu in our original post from early this morning. But before you do that, have a look at our full gallery of live images from the floor of the Javits Center. All-New Malibu is Larger, More Technological and Efficient New hybrid sedan projected to offer combined rating north of 45 MPG DETROIT – Chevrolet today introduced the all-new 2016 Malibu – a completely restyled midsize sedan engineered to offer more efficiency, connectivity and advanced safety features than ever. An all-new hybrid powertrain, which leverages technology from the Chevrolet Volt, will help offer a GM-estimated combined rating north of 45 mpg. The Malibu's standard 1.5L turbo powertrain is projected to offer 37 mpg highway. The 2016 Malibu is also longer and lighter, with more interior space and improved fuel efficiency. Its wheelbase has been stretched close to four inches (101 mm), and it is nearly 300 pounds (136 kg) lighter than the current model. "Midsize customers tell us they want great fuel economy, connected technologies, wrapped in a gorgeous exterior. This is exactly what the 2016 Malibu was engineered to do," said Jesse Ortega, Malibu chief engineer.

GM recalling 250,000 SUVs over door electronics

After a door-fire investigation that dates back to February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially announced a recall today that affects around 250,000 General Motors SUVs for a faulty driver's door module. The recall applies to the Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X from the 2006 and 2007 model years, as well as the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL for vehicles sold and/or registered in the Snow Belt.
Road salt use in these midwestern and northern states can lead to corrosion of the driver's door module on these GMT360 and GMT370 vehicles, which allows water to come in contact with the circuit board. If shorted out, the vehicle's power door locks and power windows will not work, and could possibly lead to overheating and, in some circumstances, a fire. No official word on how many total vehicles caught on fire, but back in June, 28 fires had been reported to the government agency. A fix for the problem is still being worked out, but all affected vehicle owners will be notified by GM.
Scroll down for the official NHTSA statement.