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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:

GM to restore legendary Corvette damaged in sinkhole accident

Car lover's hearts' sank when they saw images of bent and destroyed classic Corvettes at the bottom of a sinkhole last February after the floor of the National Corvette Museum gave way. General Motors announced Wednesday it would restore the one millionth Corvette ever produced to its former glory. The 1992 convertible was heavily damaged when a 40-foot deep sinkhole opened beneath a bevy of rare cars at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Since then, GM has been slowly restoring the classic cars, though five of the eight that caught in the sinkhole were determined to be too damaged to repair. This November, the 2009 Corvette ZR1 Blue Devil was the first car to be returned in mint condition to the Museum, according to Autoblog. It suffered significant damage but was still drivable after being pulled out of the debris. The one millionth Corvette is still in bad shape. The automaker is estimating six months worth of work to restore the car, which sustained paint scratches, rear-suspension damage and a mangled front fender. Related Gallery Consumer Reports Most Loved Cars 2014 Chevrolet GM Automotive History corvette famous cars sinkhole corvette museum

Chevy reveals Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition

Chevrolet wants to make sure that if people are in the market for a midsize pickup, then there is a Colorado available to fit their desires. For businesses, there's the recently unveiled box delete package and for those looking for a customized look, there's the GearOn Edition. For the latest Z71 Trail Boss version, the automaker is going for folks planning to go off-road. As the name suggests, all Trail Boss versions of the Colorado start with the already off-road-inlined Z71 trim level, including its 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic, and the package can be added to practically any body variant: extended or crew cab, long or short bed and rear- or four-wheel drive. To set things apart, there's a locking rear differential, front tow hooks, darkened 17-inch wheels that are shod with Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires and on the four-wheel drive models, a transfer case shield. For some extra style, the Colorado Trail Boss wears black parts for the fender flares, side steps and Bowtie badges. The bed also gets a spray-on liner and a few parts from the GearOn accessory catalog, including the tie-down rings, load bar and cargo divider. The Trail Boss goes on sale in the spring, and to add all of this equipment to a Colorado, it costs $3,320 in addition to the price of any Z71 trim model. Related Video: Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition: On Point, Off Road When adventure calls, the Trail Boss has your back 2015-03-06 CLEVELAND – For those who want to blaze their own trails, Chevrolet introduces the 2015 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss edition today at the Cleveland Auto Show. The Trail Boss combines the capability of Chevrolet's Z71 off-road truck suspension package with more aggressive tires and additional appearance enhancements. It is offered in extended and crew cab configurations, with a choice of a long or short cargo bed and available 4WD. The Trail Boss goes on sale this spring with a starting price of $28,505 plus the package price of $3,320. "The Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition is equally at home blazing an urban trail or following one to a favorite remote campground," said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager.