General Motors
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Pontiac’s replacement for the Grand Prix, the Australian sourced VE Commodore, will feature new front-end styling when it goes on sale in 2008 as the new G8. Automotive News reports that the car will feature a unique nose similar to that seen on Pontiac’s smaller Solstice roadster (pictured above) including unique sheet metal from the A-pillar forward. General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz confirmed that the Australian built car would be exported to the US during the recent Detroit Motor Show but stated that final details won’t be revealed until next month’s Chicago...
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New Corvette ”Blue Devil” to challenge Viper SRT10General Motors has all but confirmed that there will be a Viper SRT10 rivaling Corvette supercar during an interview with analysts on Thursday, according to an article from The Detroit Free Press. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has commented that the General isn’t about to let the Viper hold the...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM planning global fuel cell vehicle testGeneral Motors yesterday unveiled its plans for a large-scale test of fuel cell vehicles across the globe, which will include stints in Asia, Europe and North America. The tests are set to be the largest and most comprehensive ever for a car manufacturer and will range anywhere from several dozen...
Ralph Hanson -
Wagoner rules out more Opel imports for nowGeneral Motors will sell the Opel Astra hatch as a Saturn in the US towards the end of this year as a 2008 model, but its chief, Rick Wagoner, has ruled out importing any other Opel models for now according to the Financial Times in Germany. Opel exec Klaus Franz has admitted that a larger export...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM to bid for Malaysia’s ProtonMalaysia’s state owned Proton has been losing market share to a host of international competitors as well as Malaysia’s own Naza and Perodua Motors. Its market value is at an all time low, so it comes as little surprise that there are several major carmakers interested in bidding for...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM cleans up at Detroit Auto ShowTwo vehicles from General Motors have been picked by a 49-member panel as this year’s North American car and truck of the year. The Saturn Aura was picked as the favourite in the car segment ahead of 10 other vehicles, achieving a score of 205 out of a possible 490 points. The truck award was...
Alex Kaufmann -
Pontiac will be launching two new performance versions of its G6 sedan and Torrent SUV. Now in GXP guise, the G6 GXP will come in both sedan and coupe versions and will be powered by a new 3.6L V6 engine developing 252hp. The Torrent GXP will run an even more powerful version of the same engine, this time with 263hp. Coming in both AWD and FWD configurations, the performance SUV will reach 60mph from rest in under 7 seconds. To go with the extra hp, both cars receive suspension upgrades, unique 18in wheels and GXP badges. The G6 GXP gets GM’s Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed auto with drive...
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GM working on a 70mpg SUVGeneral Motors has announced two new battery technology deals that will enable it to build a sports utility vehicle that could achieve economy ratings in the region of 70mpg. The deals revolve around lithion-ion batteries, which can hold twice as much capacity as the nickel-metal hydride batteries...
Siddarth Raja -
Camaro convertible could pave the way for a soft-top MonaroWe reported a while ago that GM would be displaying a soft-topped Camaro at the Detroit Motor Show. A concept of the soft-top Camaro was shown last year at Detroit and was approved for production using the Zeta rear-wheel-drive platform, the same platform that is used in the latest Holden VE...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM: We overused the SS labelIt’s rare to hear a company so openly admit it was wrong, but that’s what GM is saying when it comes to its use of the “super sport” label. In recent years it has applied the moniker to the undeserving Malibu sedan, which only gets minor feature and visual updates. "Not...
Siddarth Raja -
GM: Rollover airbags standard on all models by 2012The wraps will be taken off GM’s brand-new rollover testing facility in Milford today and it’s expected GM will use the occasion to announce that it will make rollover-enabled airbags standard on all retail vehicles by 2012. At the moment, only 43% of light trucks and SUVs have rollover...
James Martinez -
Holden lends a helping hand on the CamaroGM’s Australian arm, Holden, will be helping develop the Chevrolet Camaro before its official release in 2008. Holden has had experience developing the Pontiac GTO (called the Monaro downunder) for the US market, and will be finetuning the chassis that underpins the Camaro. The Camaro is...
Ralph Hanson -
GM’s Advanced Design has won the Los Angeles Auto Show’s Design Challenge for the second year in a row. This year’s winning entry is a two-dimensional rendering of a 2015 Blue Sky Concept that addresses environmental sustainability. Called the HUMMER 02, this design proves that daily use of a vehicle could result in a net gain for the environment. The designers had some interesting ideas for the concept such as individual fuel cell powered hydraulic motors built into each wheel. The HUMMER 02 Concept also features a phototropic body shell that produces pure oxygen throughout...
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GM wants to be first with plug-in hybridsGeneral Motors CEO Rick Wagoner conceded that there’s no one solution to providing fuel-efficient cars during his speech at the L.A. Auto Show on Wednesday. However, the GM boss is backing vehicles that could be charged by plugging it into a standard electrical outlet. In fact, GM wants to be...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Saturn Vue and Green Line HybridSaturn has launched its European designed compact five-door crossover, showcasing the brand's new design character and intensified focus on driving characteristics. Labeled the VUE, the new crossover will go on sale in the second quarter of 2007 and is Saturn's fourth all-new model since the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM may follow Ford and dump minivansThe decline in popularity for the minivan, down 50% this year, has led to rumors that General Motors will be dropping all minivans from its future lineup. An inside source from GM commented to The Detroit News that the company has no immediate plans to build minivans after the upcoming closure of...
Siddarth Raja -
GM open to alliance with Ford says LutzNow that any chance of an alliance with Renault-Nissan is truly over for both General Motors and Ford, the two US carmakers may just form a partnership of their own. When asked by Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung if GM would choose to go it alone or merge with Ford, the General’s Vice-Chairman...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saturn Vue making its debut at L.A. Auto ShowGeneral Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has outlined key details about the Saturn brand and more specifically its Vue crossover. Lutz tells us that the vehicle will be launched later this month at the L.A. Auto Show and that it will be very similar to the PreVue concept (pictured above) that was...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM will introduce a remote-control key fob next April that provides drivers with information about their car’s tire pressures, odometer and fuel levels, whether the doors are locked and even the ability to change the radio station, all remotely. The device will cost $150, and will initially be available as an option with Cadillac Escalade luxury SUVs and other full-size GM SUVs, pickups and crossovers. GM was one of the first companies to offer remote start features, fist seen in the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, and this time it’ll be the first to offer a key-fob with an LCD that...
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Big plans for GM’s small Gamma platformLike Ford, General Motors is starting to realize the benefits of using a truly global platform in high volumes. AutoWeek is reporting that both a GM source and one of its supplier’s has mentioned that the General is developing a new platform for small cars that it will share across its global...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM working on ”plug-in hybrid” for Detroit Auto ShowGeneral Motors has caught the electric bug and is now rumored to be unveiling a prototype plug-in hybrid at next year’s Detroit Auto Show as part of the company’s rekindled interest in the electric car. The Detroit News is reporting that GM CEO Rick Wagoner is set to deliver a speech at...
Ralph Hanson -
GM to build hybrid cars in China by 2008General Motors has announced today that it plans to build hybrid-electric cars in China by 2008 at one of its plants in Shanghai. GM will be working in a joint venture with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp to build a new cost effective and highly flexible hybrid system that was co-developed...
Kenneth Hall -
More images of Jay Leno's EcoJetGeneral Motors, who collaborated with Jay Leno to build the EcoJet concept, has released new images that give us a better idea of what this stunning concept really looks like. The rear shares styling cues from the Cadillacs of old, and we had to look twice to check that the wheels weren’t the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Pontiac Solstice Club Sport Z0K & GXP-R at SEMAThere were two highly tuned Solstice’s at this year’s SEMA auto show that managed to catch our attention. First there’s the Club Sport Z0K, a fun little weekend track car, followed by the GXP-R, perfect for those Sunday drivers who wish they could be down at a track. The Club...
Alex Kaufmann