If ever a car made us think of mullets, Cragars, racing suits and Natty Light, this is it. And we don’t mean that in a bad way. The COPO Camaroconcept that Chevrolet last year is officially becoming a production reality for everyone; however, only 69 people will be able to own it. In celebration of the built in 1969, is building just that many of its modern drag-strip-only racer.
Two engine choices have been mentioned previously: a 427-cubic-inch V8 for AA Stock racing and a 327-cubic-inch V8 with a 4.0-liter supercharger for A Stock racing. Now, a third engine choice has been added: another 327-cubic-inch engine but with a 2.9-liter supercharger for B Stock. If you want all three engines Chevy will install one and provide the other two, all with matching numbers. Shifting is handled with a Powerglide automatic, and color schemes include Metallic White, Semi-Gloss Black, Inferno Orange Metallic and Chevy Racing Blue.
The price of entry is $89,000. How can you be one of the lucky? Chevrolet isn’t saying. An “independent third party” chose the initial buyers, but it isn’t clear how many slots are left or how they’ll be distributed. for a press release with more info.
We weren’t exactly smitten with the when we got the chance to tae one out for a spin, thanks in part to the eAssist wizardry aimed at improving the vehicle’s fuel economy. With a lackluster drivetrain, regenerative brakes and low rolling resistance tries, the simply isn’t capable of keeping its head high among the competition. Even so, we were told to wait for the Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder set to debut this year. Now we know why. According to General Motors, the engine is good for 269 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. More importantly, all that torque comes on at a very low 1,700 rpm.
The direct-injection engine helps the Malibu hit 60 mph in a scant 6.3 seconds. Trust us when we say that’s an improvement over the Eco model. While there’s no word on fuel economy, we would expect the engine to return well better than the 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway supplied by the outgoing 3.6-liter V6, an engine that was only good for 252 horsepower.
This isn’t the first time GM has dabbled with a turbocharged four-cylinder. The company supplied buyers with a 2.0-liter Ecotec in vehicles like the Pontiac Solstice GXP, HHR SS and Cobalt SS that put out 260 horsepower. for the full press release.
Malibu’s turbo four rated at 269 HP, 0-60 in 6.3 seconds
When we say we’re obsessive, we mean it. The list below of 90 vehicles that Autoblog covered at the 2 is proof positive that we stand behind our tagline.
The Geneva Motor Show is always the biggest international auto show of the year in terms of vehicle debuts, whether they’re production cars, forward-thinking concepts or outrageous tuner vehicles. This year we got super-sized helpings of all three.
Special thanks go to our crew of five who were on the ground in Geneva, as well as the large support staff here at home who backed them up. We love covering auto shows, and after so many years doing it, we think we’ve gotten pretty darn good. Look below and you’ll see why.
has obtained a letter from Russel Clark, Director of Marketing for small cars, small utilities and performance cars, to dealers informing them that shipments of all produced to date are being held by General Motors for a “quality assessment.”
There is no explanation as to what’s causing the hold or its duration, though the letter does say it “may last a few more weeks.” has Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran on record saying, “We may have found a potential issue that we want to resolve.” If you think you know what the issue is, let us know in the comments or send us a tip.
Being one of the Bowtie brand’s halo cars, the Camaro ZL1 can hardly afford a hiccup in its roll out. Though with a 580-horsepower6.2-liter V8 underhood and sub-$55k starting price, we’re certain that a few weeks wait won’t change the number of people in line to buy one.
In the fine tradition of the Celebrity Wagon, the Bow Tie brand brings you this: The .
We kid, but in all honesty, the Wagon isn’t just a more utilitarian take on one of our favorite C-segmenters – it’s an attractive one to boot.
And speaking of boots, the Cruze wagon uses its extra inches to good effect, expanding the cargo capacity of the standard sedan and hatchback models to 17.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and blowing out to 52.9 inches with the rear thrones folded flat.
Chevrolet MyLink comes along for the ride, and in Europe, buyers get a choice of three gasoline engines and two diesels. But here in the U.S. we get nothing. Chevy has no plans to bring the Cruze Wagon to the States.
SPEED’s Brad Fanshaw joins us, Bentley EXP 9 F Concept, Chevrolet Volt production idle, SLP Grand National and GNX Regals
Episode #272 of the is here, and this week, of joins Chris, Dan and Zach. Topics include the Bentley EXP 9 F SUV Concept, Chevrolet idling Volt production and new high-performance Buicks. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #272:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:12:34
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We’re almost ready to record Episode #272 of the Autoblog Podcast, and we’re excited to be joined this week by of . Check out the topics below and you can join us live via , as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player after the jump. Thanks for listening!
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #272
We record Episode #272 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we’ll be joined by from the . You can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below, check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #272
Volt production idled
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The , but it’s one of the most lauded cars in history. Today the plug-in hybrid was named the 2012 European Car of the Year, an award it will share with its European fraternal twin, the Opel Ampera.
The Volt won North American Car of the Year in 2011, while also picking up car of the year accolades from , , and nabbing . Britain’s What Car? awarded the Vauxhall Ampera – as the Opel model is called in the U.K. – , as well.
But the Volt has been at the center of one controversy after another, . A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into a battery fire , but it led to the . Recent negative publicity among has contributed to making the Volt something of an enigma for General Motors, which just announced it was .
While Europe was never envisioned as the prime market for the Volt/Ampera, GM says it already has 7,000 orders for the Ampera and that the company expects to hit its target of 10,000 sales this year. Certainly, winning this award, presented at the for the first time this year, should help.
The Volt/Ampera finished significantly ahead of the Up! and in the European Car of the Year voting, which included a field of 35 vehicles.
A seriously stretched Cadillac XTS has been snapped during cold-weather testing doing what appeared to be checks of its traction-control, braking and stability systems, according to our spy photographers. With the Town Car having left the building, probably sees a huge opportunity not only , but also in the celebs-and-prom-kids segment.
More than once the spy photogs mentioned the size of this car, and it looks massive even from its best angle. Another option for its use is as a new presidential limo to replace the rolling Imperial Starship that is the current Cadillac One, though while that vehicle does have the body of a Cadillac, its underpinnings come from a medium-dutyChevrolet Kodiak truck.
Chevrolet has added another new direction to its advertising, this one inspired by the show The Office: when the boss at a dealership gets the idea to create a workplace comedy, it becomes a series called “Under the Blue Arch.”
The campaign was created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and directed by Randall Einhorn, veteran of The Office and Parks and Recreation, among other shows. Actual 30-second television spots will be created based on the “show” to run in support of local dealership groups.
You’ll find the premiere episode and a press release on the campaign and the characters .
Roger Penske has run a NASCAR operation off and on since 1972, and continuously since 1991. In that time his drivers have piloted cars from AMC, , , , and, for the last nine years, . Penske announced this week, though, that 2012 would be his team’s last year with Dodge and that 2013 would inaugurate a new partnership with Ford. There’s another Dodge in the Sprint Cup field driven by Robby Gordon, but Penske has been .
Autoweek reports that the move isn’t over money, but Penske’s desire against some same-brand competition, and that the association with Ford would make that possible. To us that sounds like excessive chivalry. Had Penske Racing been winning with Dodge, would it really swap makers just to make closer comparisons? In the last eight years Penske took the Nationwide series in 2010 with Brad Keselowski, but in the Sprint Cup, the team has won just 18 times in 764 starts.
The 2013 Sprint Cup car is set to be revealed next week at the race in Las Vegas. The question now is, who will run the new car?
Both Penske and SRT CEO Ralph Gilles say they’re focused on winning this year, and in a statement Gilles added, “We do value our NASCAR program and will be evaluating the opportunities available moving forward.”
Follow the jump for the press releases from Dodge and Ford on the latest events.
Even with the new HOV-eligible 2012 models and , has reportedly decided to shut down production of the plug-inhybrid for five weeks because of overall sluggish sales. With a 150-day supply of Volts sitting on dealer lots around the country, this shutdown will temporarily lay off 1,300 employees.
What’s perhaps even more interesting is that this production hiatus comes after a lengthy “holiday” retooling break that only ended in early February. The upcoming shutdown is scheduled to last from March 19 to April 23. As a GM spokesman told MLive, “We’re matching our production levels with demand and building to market.”
Another month, another pack of downloadable content for Forza Motorsport 4. This month’s DLC car pack, called the March Pirelli Car Pack, features 10 new cars that could potentially find their way into your Forza garage. Why call it the March Pirelli Car Pack? The team from Turn 10 Studios responsible for developing Forza Motorsport 4 says that actual tire performance data from Pirelli helped them dial in the most realistic handling possible for each car.
This month’s car pack includes some true gems, most notable of which is the Aston Martin V12 Zagato. As the was just revealed less than a month ago and won’t make its official debut until next week at the , the car in the game is the on which it’s based, though you’d be hard pressed to tell any differences between the two.
The most peculiar car in this month’s car pack is definitely the 1966 Ford Country Squire. The giant woody wagon comes from era of Country Squires that featured the Magic Door Gate, which both flipped down like a tailgate and swung open from the side. An interesting factoid, though Turn 10 says it doesn’t make a difference in the game.
We’re also excited to try the Ultima GTR, versions of which have set all sorts of world records related to speed and quickness. The version in the game is less powerful than those headline-makers, being powered by a Corvette engine producing 565 horsepower, but it still weighs just 2,200 lbs.
Check out the full list of 10 cars in the March Pirelli Car Pack below and for the official trailer. The pack will be available on Tuesday, March 6 for 560 MS points ($7) or is free for those who have already purchased the Season Pass.
As you might remember, we were left unfulfilled by the 2012 GS. , which is why when we read about the possibility of a tuner version of the GS from SLP Performance Parts on Inside Line, we got on the phone posthaste.
SLP is best known for building the Firehawk and SS versions of fourth-generation F-body Firebirds and Camaros for General Motors, and owning the “ZL” trademark that both it and GM have used on the current-gen . But the company is also the rights holder of fabled monikers “Grand National” and “GNX,” names that it intends to put back into play.
An SLP spokesman confirmed the report that a 300-plus-horsepower Buick GNX based on the GS is in development, saying that it should have a final mock-up based on the above sketch by the middle of this month. But SLP also told us that it has plans to revive the Grand National name, which would presumably fall somewhere between the GS and the GNX on the performance scale.
But before we get too lathered up about this, remember that SLP has dipped its toes in the performance Buick game before, with middling results. The company rolled out a Buick GSX back in the early part of last decade, based on the supercharged, 3800 V6-powered Regal GS. This dealer-installed kit was a good idea applied to the wrong car, as the front-drive, fourth-generation Regal just wasn’t enough of a performance machine out of the box to bother with.
The current GS, on the other hand, offers a much more intriguing proposition for a little bit of aftermarket improvement. As long as SLP does the full-blackout treatment that was a hallmark of the original GNX, we’d be willing to take it for a spin.
Coming soon to select dealers, at least , is the most efficient five-passenger car in America, the 2012 Electric, which the EPA has certified gets 105 miles per gallon equivalent, combined. This is better than what the Blue Oval was estimating publicly in December, when it said the all-electric Focus . The Focus EV is also rated for 110 MPGe in the city and 99 MPGe on the highway. As you can read in the press release , Ford is using the official numbers to go after the for the all-electric passenger car market. Ford says its new electric car:
… achieves a combined rating of 105 MPGe, topping Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while also offering more motor power, passenger room and standard features. Customers can make more use of this efficiency with Ford’s faster charging technology that can recharge Focus Electric in about half the time of Nissan Leaf.
To compare with some other combined MPGe ratings for plug-in vehicles on the market or coming soon: the 2012 gets 94 MPGe (one better than ), the Plug-In Hybrid gets , the gets , the is rated at , and the current champion, the 2.0, officially gets .
The EPA also says the Focus EV will have a range of 76 miles. As Ford is quick to point out, again, that’s three miles more than the Leaf. Given the variances of EV ranges based on driving style and outside influences, those three miles won’t make all that much real-world difference to most people, but it does give the engineering team one more thing to brag about.
For all the comparisons that Ford makes in today’s announcement, it does leave one thing out: the Leaf’s one big numerical advantage. The 2012 Leaf , while the Focus EV .
Electric officially rated at 105 MPGe with a 76-mile range
Touring car series proliferate in countries around the globe. The UK has the British Touring Car Series, Germany has DTM, Australia has V8 Supercars, Japan has Super GT and Italy has the Superstars Series.
Most of these national championships are contested by grids limited to just a handful of manufacturers, but like the BTCC, the Superstars series is made up of cars from a seemingly endless array of automakers. , , , , , and are all represented in a grid of some 34 contenders, but while is the team to beat, the newest entry is coming from .
Just as Audi has replaced its -based touring car in the DTM series with a modeled after the , so has its Superstars series effort switched from the RS4 to a new RS5 that will challenge for wins this season. Considering that the outgoing RS4 seized the drivers’ title in 2007 and both titles in 2008, the new RS5 has big shoes to fill, and hopes to fill them with its 450 horsepower V8 and what looks like it will be a suitably aggressive body shell to maximize airflow to the engine and over the car.
Three cars will be entered in the series, including one from Audi Sport Italia driven by 2007 series champion and former grand prix driver Gianni Morbidelli, another fielded by German turner MTM and driven by Thomas Schoeffler, and a third piloted by Swedish driver Johan Kristofferson and fielded by his own team KMS. for the press release, and stay tuned to see how their new touring car shapes up.
Chrysler Wins Again, Small Car Battle Brewing and Mustang Beats Camaro
Automakers love Leap Year. And why wouldn’t they? Who doesn’t love an extra day for selling? Actually, it turns out the extra day that Leap Year provides didn’t make that much of a difference, as there were 25 selling days in February of this year versus 24 last year. A variance of one day is not out of the norm for any month. Still, sales were so good last month that you’d think each automaker had an extra week.
Like last month, the best performer was again , both the brand and company, which saw sales rise 113.87 and 40.39 percent, respectively. The in particular, which just won our versus the , saw sales rise 480% to 7,670 units versus the same time last year.
Indeed, nearly every major automaker had positive news to report, except for General Motors and . While posted a positive 5.78-percent increase in sales and a narrow 0.14-percent rise, GM as a whole was dragged down by and especially , which reported drops of -11.29 and -27.04, respectively. In aggregate, GM reported a sales gain of just 1.10 percent, though its daily average sales rate was 2.94 percent below February of last year. In other words, GM sold about 254 vehicles less per day on average in February of this year than last.
If we go one level deeper and look at the sales of some individual models, the most interesting numbers were in the small car segment. Both the and have been leading the segment lately, but February saw the resurgence of both the and . Focus sales were up 115 percent to 23,350 units while Civic sales rose 36 percent to 27,086 units. Both vehicles sold more than the Corolla at 22,148 units and Cruze at 20,427 units. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the finally posted a better month of sales than the : 7,351 to 6,923.
*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in February 2012 versus 24 selling days in February 2011, so there will be a difference between monthly sales volume and the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.
Over at HQ, the bubbly is flowing like high-octane unleaded. Of all the sports cars sold in the U.S. in 2011, 30 percent were either a or . Woo hoo! *POP!*
Take that, ! Take that, ! Take that, um, ? and ? Yeah, Camaro trounced all y’all! Beat Mustang by almost 18,000 cars and the Dodge Challenger by, wow, more than 48,000 units! And don’t even think about lining up your CR-Z next to a Camaro, ’cause you’ll get smoked!
In the big-ticket sports car class, the Corvette is still king. In fact, nearly as many Vettes were sold in 2011 as the , and the combined.
But back to the Camaro. Why is the (at minimum) 323-horsepower Camaro listed alongside the relatively anemic 122-hp Honda and 138-hp Hyundai? Smoke and mirrors from Chevy? Maybe, but probably not. They’re all two-door coupes… except for the Veloster which has three. They’re also all available in red and considered compact cars by the EPA…. except for the CR-Z, which is a two-seater. More likely, the three are in the same GM target market of 25-40-year-old males… who want to get 40 mpg while going 150 mph with the convenience of a hatchback?
We give up. Feel free to peruse the press release .
Four Wheeler magazine named the Power Wagon its 2012 Pickup Truck of the Year, and it’s an award that celebrates features we associate with so-called “serious” pickups, like a two-speed transfer case, trail performance and vinyl flooring. But what if you want a Pickup Truck of the Year that’s got a little less pickup in it? Consumer Reports holds your answer, as it chose the as the 2012 Top Pick Pickup Truck.
Why? Because of, as far as we can tell, its versatility and the ways it feels more like a than a Power Wagon: interior, fire-and-forget four-wheel drive, decent acceleration and comfy ride. Or, put another way, because even though it’s not a Chevrolet Suburban it can do almost everything a Suburban can do as well as hold a kayak. But you can’t see out the back, because there’s a bed there. for the CR video report.
Just as Audi has replaced its -based touring car in the DTM series with a modeled after the , so has its Superstars series effort switched from the RS4 to a new RS5 that will challenge for wins this season. Considering that the outgoing RS4 seized the drivers’ title in 2007 and both titles in 2008, the new RS5 has big shoes to fill, and hopes to fill them with its 450 
Automakers love Leap Year. And why wouldn’t they? Who doesn’t love an extra day for selling? Actually, it turns out the extra day that Leap Year provides didn’t make that much of a difference, as there were 25 selling days in February of this year versus 24 last year. A variance of one day is not out of the norm for any month. Still, sales were so good last month that you’d think each automaker had an extra week.
