General Motors
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General Motors has confirmed that it will dump its ownership stake in the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) joint venture that it established with Toyota more than 25 years ago. Located in Fremont, California, the NUMMI plant was last responsible for versions of the Toyota Corolla and Tacoma, as well as the Pontiac Vibe. But with GM’s decision to discontinue the Pontiac brand, the automaker decided to stop selling the Vibe. There was hope that GM would use the facility to produce another model but it appears that all chances have since been eroded. Troy Clarke, GM’s...
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Spy shots: 2010 Opel Meriva MPV
GM’s next-generation Opel Meriva compact MPV has been caught undergoing testing once gain. Though it remains in full camouflage, many details are still discernible, including the overall shape, which remains close to the original Meriva concept from last year's Geneva Motor Show. A very...
Ralph Hanson -
Germans, luxury marques lead diesel's U.S. comeback
It's easy to blame the economy or the consequent poor car market for the delay of diesels from Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, but that hasn't kept the Germans at BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen from turning up the wick on oil-burners. In fact, it's quite the...
Nelson Ireson -
GM pitching Volt as sporty, green alternative to Prius, Insight
At first glance, there's very little to differentiate the main contenders for your hybrid sedan dollar - the new Insight looks remarkably like the Prius. For that matter, so does the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Aerodynamic necessity is a harsh master. But General Motors is planning to set the Volt...
Ralph Hanson -
Dealers say Camaro sales hot, average price $500 over sticker
Fans of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro have already placed orders for over 25,000 vehicles, only half of which have been filled since the car went on sale. Demand hasn't let up even a little bit despite the overall downturn in the economy and market, with the average Camaro leaving the lot in a new...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Hummer deal on the rocks, China doesn't want gas guzzlers
General Motors' deal with China's Tengzhong to buy Hummer was thought to be as good as done in early June, but today reports of chatter on China's state radio casts the sale in a different light. The gas-guzzling SUVs just don't fit with the conservation plans in place in Beijing. So now the AP is...
Ralph Hanson -
You may think you've already seen the 2011 Chevrolet Volt inside and out (online at least) but in truth you've only seen mock-ups. The first real, complete pre-production Volts are currently testing on the streets around GM’s Warren test center in Michigan and these are the first images of the prototype vehicles. The vehicles have been fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack, which features more than 200 lithium-ion cells, sophisticated computer controls, liquid cooling system and other components. About 80 of these pre-production Volts will be assembled and continue testing until the...
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Study: Domestic North American production outpaced by European, Asian brands by 2012
As a side effect of the current industry downturn and the subsequent realignment of capacity at America's major domestic car manufacturers, the once-Big Three could be outstripped in North American production by a combination of foreign companies by 2012, including BMW and Porsche-owned Volkswagen...
Ralph Hanson -
New Opel Astra Cabrio in the works
With Opel’s new Astra now out in the open, attention can turn to variants other than the regular five-door Hatchback that’s been plastered all over the web in recent months. While a new Wagon and sporty Coupe are almost certain, latest reports indicate that a stylish Cabrio model will...
Kenneth Hall -
Lexus tops J.D. Power Initial Quality study, Porsche and Cadillac close behind
When it comes to luxury-car quality, taste often plays as big a role as fact, but J.D. Power tries to boil the issue down to a simple metric: problems per 100 cars. The resulting ranks are dubbed the Initial Quality Study, and used to guide consumer decisions. As usual, Lexus rates at the very top...
Alex Kaufmann -
Saab 9-4X crossover on track for early 2010 launch
Saab’s split from General Motors and pending sale to supercar company Koenigsegg will apparently have no major affect on the Swedish automaker’s future model launches, such as that of the upcoming 9-4X crossover. The new crossover will share much in common with the recently-revealed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chevrolet releases full specs and pricing for 2010 Corvette Z06
The 638hp (476kW) ZR1 and brand new Grand Sport models may be getting all the limelight but the race-bred Corvette Z06 supercar is still tearing up pavements around the country and like the rest of the Corvette range has been updated for the 2010 model year. The 505hp (377kW) Z06 remains one of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Much talk over the messiness of so-called 'surgical' bankruptcies has spun about the web, and before Chrysler and General Motors went into the process, there was a lot of doubt that they'd be out within the planned 60 days. But Chrysler is already working with Fiat and now GM sees itself possibly setting up the New GM shop by July 15. There are still several technical hurdles to clear in the mean time, however. And much of the process is out of GM's hands, reports the Wall Street Journal. Much of the remaining work rests on the shoulders of the bankruptcy judge, which will have to clear the...
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GM denies any plans to license Toyota's hybrid Synergy Drive system
Earlier this week news broke that General Motors would in fact be discontinuing the Pontiac Vibe, built alongside the Toyota Matrix at the California New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) the two carmakers share. Since then, speculation as to what sort of joint GM-Toyota project might emerge...
Nelson Ireson -
Hennessey drops new photos of 562hp HPE550 Chevrolet Camaro
Texas-based tuning firm Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) has already announced plans for a highly modified 705hp (526kW) version of the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, which it plans to launch early next year, but if over 700 horses under your hood seems a bit extreme Hennessey also sells a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Opel shows off interior for new Astra
After months of previews, teasers and small official photos, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Astra has finally been let out of the bag. The hatch has been revealed in high-res photos and for the first time we get a look at the upcoming car’s stylish new interior. The new Astra is crucial for Opel as...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fornasari announces 610hp Racing Buggy for series production
It's hard to pin down the qualities of the 'ultimate' vehicle, but the new Racing Buggy from Fornasari looks to be a fair attempt. Its design, however, is as extreme as its capabilities so it's sure to polarize. With 610hp on tap, routed through an AWD system with 60% rear bias and built around a...
Ralph Hanson -
GM bumps price of 2010 Corvette ZR1 up $2,910 to $107,830
Supercar performance from a 638hp supercharged V8 engine, carbon fiber bodywork and sharp styling should all add up to a price tag in the $200,000+ range if you look to the competition, but the Corvette ZR1's unmatched value put its sticker price at just $104,920 for 2009. That price will be going...
Ralph Hanson -
If the rumors are true, General Motors may be in the process of developing a new Buick crossover - with a new two-mode plug-in hybrid engine that should take the alternative fuels fight to its competitors. GM, Daimler, Chrysler and BMW have been jointly developing the two-mode hybrid for some time now, though the Buick application could be the first to see retail sales. GM had previously planned to debut the drivetrain in a plug-in hybrid version of the Saturn VUE. But now, with Saturn essentially sold off to Penske Automotive, GM will need a car to stick its latest drivetrain in, which is...
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Ford: Government loans to Chrysler, GM saved the industry
It's easy to look at the bailouts and bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler as a big-government bonanza. Some even see tints of socialism in the loans and subsequent government ownership stakes. But as Ford points out today, there was more at stake than just two companies. The entire...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hummer won't stop U.S. production, sale to new owners complete by October
Poor sales, growing public concern for the environment and the recession have all added up to weaken General Motors’ chances of finding many buyers for Hummer but the struggling automaker confirmed last week that at least one company was interested in the sale. That company was Chinese...
Ralph Hanson -
Magna may use Opel as vehicle supplier for other brands
The saga surrounding General Motors’ European subsidiary Opel continues to unfold as the struggling automaker ponders the bids that are on offer. Now, anonymous sources close to Canada’s Magna International have revealed that if the auto parts giant wins the bid it will be executing a...
James Martinez -
Saab buyer to be revealed this week, most likely Koenigsegg
The ongoing tale of Saab's sale may be drawing to a close, as early reports out of Sweden today have General Motors and Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg, along with a group of Norwegian investors, agreeing to the deal in a letter of intent. GM confirmed in its February viability plan that it would...
Kenneth Hall -
HSV working on high-performance LPG system
Even V8 performance groups like Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) cannot afford to ignore the new spate of environmental consciousness that’s sweeping the globe. Whether it’s a case of consumers griping about how much they have to pay for fuel, or a genuine desire for greener performance...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran