Chevrolet muscle cars were at the center of the classic era of American large cubic inch high performance engines. The central theme of the muscle car was maximum performance for minimal cash. This design played to Chevrolet’s strength as a premium producer of attractive and affordable muscle cars for sale. Chevrolet produced the most extensive and most admired lineup of muscle cars of any manufacturer throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Chevrolet had credibility as a performance-car builder due to its small-block V-8 introduced in 1955. This V-8 was a favorite of racers and hot rodders, and its role in the success of the Corvette swayed any remaining doubters that Chevrolet knew how to build fast cars. It was the renowned 409-cid V-8 that did as much for Chevrolet’s muscle car representation. Introduced in 1961, its most fascinating home was the new lmpala Super Sport, which could be ordered with a 360 horsepower 409. A dual four-barrel carburetor option for 1962 brought 1 horsepower per cubic inch to this V-8, and soon after the 409s produced up to 425 horsepower. Read the rest of this entry »

General Motor’s Asia Pacific executive director James Reymond told reporters in Seoul today that the American carmaker may add the Chevrolet brand in its South Korean portfolio. “Sales of imported vehicles are gradually growing, so it’s natural for us to see an opportunity to increase our sales here,” said Reymond. In South Korea and apart from its domestic Daewoo brand, GM currently sells Cadillacs and Saabs. The reason why GM is thinking of adding mid-size Chevy’s in its range, is because sales of imported cars surged at seven times the pace of the overall market last year. Plus, there’s a huge growth potential as Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp still hold an amazing 75% of the total South Korean car market.

The Captiva is based on the Saturn Vue/Opel Antara architecture but it’s got lower trim levels and sold at a significantly lower price. GM has just launched a new base level diesel Captiva in Europe with a 2.0L common rail diesel. The 150hp diesel engine offers up some pretty impressive fuel economy numbers on the EU test cycle. In urban driving the diesel Captive manages 26.7mpg (U.S.) while highway numbers come in at 36.2mpg (U.S.). Here in the U.S. market, of course, we are relegated to the mild hybrid Vue which doesn’t come close to those numbers or the diesel torque. The 2.0L diesel is not currently certified for U.S.

According to an announcement made by the folks at the Central Indiana Camaro Club (CICC), GM has given them the “ok” to reveal that the production version of the Chevrolet Camaro will be unveiled at the Indy 2008. In particular, the 2009 Camaro will appear at the ‘Back at the Brickyard’ Event that takes place in Indianapolis from September 19-21, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Moreover, CICC supports that the public will have the chance to see many different models/engine combinations of the new Camaro. See the release after the jump.

From CICC:

“General Motors, Chevrolet Division and the Central Indiana Camaro Club (CICC) would like to announce an exciting new development in the Camaro world. We have now been authorized to release information that the new production Camaros will be in attendance and unveiled at the Indy 08, Back at the Brickyard Event in September. The car will be unveiled at the event and many different models/engine combos will be available for the general public to review. Expect to see many different color combinations as well.”

“The ‘Back at the Brickyard’ Event will be happening in Indianapolis Indiana from September 19-21, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hundreds of Camaros, Firebirds, and Pace Car owners will be in attendance to celebrate the unveiling and enjoy this historic event. GM Dignitaries will be in attendance as well to discuss the design, engineering, marketing, and accessories for this new model of Camaro. Vendors will also be on hand displaying their products.”

Link: CICC

Chevy’s European arm is enhancing its UK line-up with the addition of a new entry-level diesel version of the Captiva SUV. Priced from £18,295, the new five-seater Captiva 2.0 VCDi LS is equipped with a 2.0-litre 150PS common-rail diesel engine powers the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, electrically-adjustable heated door mirrors, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, a six-speaker RDS radio/CD player with MP3 socket, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, front, side and curtain airbags, remote control two-stage deadlocking and charcoal-effect roof rails.

 GM Daewoo displayed its global mini concept car ‘Groove’ during BIMOS 2008, which is powered by 1,000cc diesel engine.

Unveiled in 2006, the Chevrolet Camaro Concept sports car embodies the best in performance and styling that has made the Camaros, the most sought after cars. The sophisticated design of the 2006 Chevrolet Camaro concept car is sure to take it places. This concept car captures the true spirit of Camaro, one which has made it the most popular coupe of all time.
One thing that is bound to catch your attention immediately with the 2006 Chevrolet Camaro concept car is its long hood. Apart from making a style statement it also shows you the kind of attention that has been paid to the design. The short deck, wide stance and long hood make for greater aerodynamic performance. This is not all; there is a powerful 400 horsepower, six-speed manual transmission engine that is inside this futuristic concept car that can achieve exciting speed.
The sports car is a fifth generation Camaro which will offer both V 6 and V 8 engines. This American sports car will also be available in a choice of automatic as well as manual transmission. The small-bock engine offers serious performance, bound to leave the competition behind. The sports car is pretty long at 186.2 inches. The wheel base is quite large at 110.5 inches. You can find real monstrous 275/30 front and 305/30 rear tires which are designed to take on the power generated from the LS2, V-8 engine. The power-packed engine is capable of reaching speeds up to 300 km/h with ease. When not hurtling along in highways, the sports car is also capable of performing equally well inside cities. Even though designed for achieving high speeds, some of the features in this concept sports car have been carefully thought out for every day use. A good example would be the ´Active Fuel Management´ feature. This latest feature allows for optimum saving of fuel. This is enabled due to the incorporation the latest in cylinder deactivation technology. This in turn means higher fuel economy on long drives.
The lean and mean design is great for highway drives as well as parking in places where space is at a premium. From suburban parking lots to garages in homes, the overall size of the sports car is just about right. The cockpit design has been by those of fighter planes. The instrumental panel is purposeful at the same time being perfectly in sync with the overall aesthetics of the concept car. The luxurious interiors also reflect the same fetish for perfection for which Camaro is famed for. You can still find a hint of the first generation Camaros in the overall execution of the interior. Along with luxury, functionality also has been taken care off in a never before way.
The sports car features progressive rate springs as part of its rear suspension which means no more jarring drives. Ultra-smooth rides are a possibility with these suspensions along with the gas-pressurized dampers which are part of the features of this concept car. Adequate care has also been taken to offer a superior braking system. The four-wheel vented disc brake which comes with 14-inch rotors means that this sports car comes to a full halt even while cruising at high speeds and importantly, under all conditions.

To evaluate the all-new 2008 Toyota Sequoia, I spent some quality time with comparable full-size SUVs from GM and FoMoCo. In back-to-back-to-back tests on the highways and byways of Denton County, Texas, I pitted the new Sequoia Platinum against the 2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition and the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ “White Diamond” edition. Let’s not beat around the Texan brush: the Tahoe outshines its competitors as the best all-around full-sized SUV. Here’s why…

The Tahoe is a happy, jumbo-sized appliance. Its massive prow encapsulates the truck’s clean, modern design. Although endlessly, relentlesly generic, the big Chevy’s sheetmetal is handsome enough from any angle– without getting within two counties of ostentatious (or unpredictable). The $2,365 White Diamond treatment adds pearlescent sparkle to the Tahoe’s paint job; the chrome grillwork shines through like a gleaming chain mail vest.

The Tahoe LTZ’s cabin strikes the middle ground between Ford’s sleek yet sumptuous King Ranch Edition leather cabin and Toyota’s plasticized Hell. Okay, the Tahoe also puts its occupants in plasticized Hell. But the Chevy’s dashboard is far less cluttered than ToMoCo’s big rig, so the Tahoe seems significantly less cheap.

Speaking of not-so-divine retribution, adults condemned to the Tahoe’s way back sit with their knees pressed into their chest and their feet wedged between the seats. Every time the Tahoe hits a bump, the seatbelt tensioner ratchets ever tighter, compressing the occupant’s shoulder towards the short seatback. After twenty minutes in the third row, anyone who’s not a pint-sized passenger will be calling Amnesty International.

In defense of the Tahoe’s class-trailing interior packaging (or SUV packaging in general), try towing 8400 lbs. in a minivan. And while the Tahoe’s heavy third row seats must be manhandled and removed to create a suitably cavernous load space, the four wheel-drive SUV can thusly carry a large, heavy load AND tow a boat AND retain plenty of off-road capability.

Back up a second. When doing so, the Tahoe’s Rearview Camera displays the image on the dash-mounted sat nav screen. At the same time, the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist’s yellow and red LED lights– mounted on the interior right-rear D-pillar– light-up and beep. Yes but– a driver watching the backup camera can’t see the LED lights. And a driver looking at the warning lights over his shoulder (or, God forbid the rear-view mirror) isn’t looking at the backup camera view. D’oh!

Fast forward. GM’s 5.3-liter Vortec V8 doesn’t deliver the same knockout punch as Toyota’s ridiculously lusty 5.7-liter mill. Still, with 320hp and 340 ft. lbs. underfoot, accelerative Tahoe drivers won’t be left lingering for long. Not that I’d recommend it, but the 5840 lbs. truck will mountain-move from rest to sixty miles per hour in an entirely reasonable 8.7 seconds. More importantly, the Tahoe’s four-speed automatic shifts crisply and predictably; a welcome change from the manic six-speeds found in the Toyota Sequoia and Ford Expedition. Read more