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If you haven’t noticed, NBC’s The Office has really jumped the shark since Steve Carrell left the show at the end of last season. Or maybe the beginning of the end was Pam and Jim’s wedding during the sixth season. Regardless, the point is that the show is no longer very funny or edgy, nor does it ever make the audience uncomfortable in the way the brilliant original BBC version did. Rather, as the main characters in the American version of the show have become caricatures, The Office has grown predictable and formulaic.

And this is why Chevrolet can launch an ad campaign like its “Under The Blue Arch” series. Despite the brief, 30-second running times of the ads, the characters are instantly recognizable and the “plots” are easy to follow. Although the scenes set in a Chevy dealership play with the tropes created by the Emmy Award-winning series, they do so to little comic effect. Because comedy isn’t the point – these are ads, after all, full of ham-handed product information and designed to sell cars.

If anyone should understand that it’s Joel Ewanick, General Motors’ Chief Marketing Officer. Yet he told Automotive News at the New York Auto Show that GM has “talked about turning this into an actual show because we’ve got so much material.”

Well, that Chevy product line isn’t nearly the joke it once was, but if you say so…

Let’s just chalk this one up to Ewanick being a bit starstruck. “Under The Blue Arch” was created by Randall Einhorn, one of the directors of The Office, and it “stars” Wayne Wilderson, who appeared on the NBC show in 2006.

Click past the jump, where you can watch a few of the ads.

Continue reading GM’s Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

GM’s Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

We love Mini’s sense of humor, and its April Fools’ Day pranks this year were among our favorites. While we really, really wanted the Cowley camper to be real, Mini actually went ahead and built the Amphibious “Yachtsman” – and then brought it to the New York Auto Show, just as promised to in its fake April 1 press release.

Considering that some car companies have been known to release real press releases that are disingenuous at best, we’re even more bemused by Mini’s antics.

Click past the jump to read the entire absurd press release, then go ahead and check out our gallery of high-res images of the Yachtsman.

Continue reading Mini Cooper Yachtsman Concept has us all fooled

Mini Cooper Yachtsman Concept has us all fooled

While the 2014 Chevrolet Impala may have many charming qualities and boast a plethora of engine options, one feature it reportedly won’t be offering is all-wheel drive. According to GMInsideNews.com, Chevrolet reps have said all-wheel drive is not part of the short-term or long-term plan for the new large sedan.

While the Impala will share a platform with the Cadillac XTS and Buick LaCrosse – both of which do offer AWD – apparently General Motors wants to keep the Impala front-drive-only to help differentiate it from the Buick and Cadillac. While it remains to be seen whether the lack of all-wheel drive will hurt the Impala’s chances of competing with the Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger, which both offer it, Chevy’s people have reportedly called all-wheel drive a “very slim piece of the full-size sedan market.”

No all-wheel drive option in sight for 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Last week we brought you Inside Line’s list of the 10 cars most likely to be owned by a women. The Volvo S40 came out on top among the ladies. But what’s most likely to be owned by a guy? Minivans? Fuel-efficient hatchbacks? Hybrids?

No.

At the top of Inside Line’s list is the very masculine, testosterone-oozing Ferrari 458 Italia. It should be no surprise that 95.3% of 458 owners are men. We sure would like to meet the other 4.7%.

Ahem. Anyway, in second place is the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, then the Audi R8, the Mercedes SLS AMG and then, at No. 5, the Ferrari California. So far, we’ve pretty much recited every male motorhead’s ultimate wish list. Seriously, what self-respecting man doesn’t put himself to sleep every night running through the gears of any of those cars?

At No. 6, is the perennial Porsche 911, then the Nissan GT-R at No. 7 with 87.9% male ownership. No. 8 is the obligatory GMC Sierra pickup closely followed by the Ford F-Series at No. 9. Rounding out the list at No. 10 is the consummate mid-life crisis Chevy Corvette with 86.9% male ownership.

So where does that leave the Ford F-650? Are there really that many women buying that monster?

These are the 10 new cars with the highest percentage of male ownership

General Motors is taking a big gamble in a little way with its 2013 Chevrolet Spark. The Detroit automaker is betting that high fuel prices and an increased awareness of one’s ecological footprint will mean more consumers are willing to entertain a new car with an even smaller err… footprint. The Spark will join other minicars like the Fiat 500, Scion iQ and Smart ForTwo, none of which have met with significant sales volume. On the other hand, its big brother, the Sonic has performed well in the early going. In addition, the Spark offers more physical volume than its peers – as well as a set of rear doors – so practicality appears to be solidly in favor of Camp Chevy.

The five-door Spark will test America’s appetites for small car life with a starting price of just $12,995 (*including delivery) when it arrives in Chevrolet showrooms later this year. Available in a trio of trims, the lineup will start with the well-equipped LS model that includes a whopping 10 airbags, air conditioning, power windows, OnStar and 15-inch alloys.

Stepping up to the 1LT trim will cost $14,495, but it adds an audio system with seven-inch color touchscreen, USB connectivity and satellite radio. Additional features include keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth (”for select phones”) and mundane items like visor mirrors and floor mats. The range-topping 2LT ($15,795) will be distinguished by a unique set of 15-inch wheels, sportier body-color fascias, fog lamps and additional exterior brightwork. Inside, heated, leatherette-covered seats and a leather-wrapped wheel spruce up the cabin.

Regardless of which trim spec is selected, buyers will find a 1.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder underhood, and a five-speed manual is standard equipment, though a four-speed automatic can be substituted for $925.

GM announced back in October that it will also bring a Spark EV to “select markets” in the U.S. sometime in 2013, though it has yet to announce pricing or an on-sale date for the pure electric runabout.

Continue reading 2013 Chevrolet Spark to start at $12,995*

2013 Chevrolet Spark to start at $12,995*

Just the other day, we heard that General Motors might extend its traditional two-week summer shutdown to three weeks for the Chevrolet Volt. But, after record Volt sales last month, we wonder how the calendar looks in Hamtramck now. We wonder because we are hearing reports that the current shutdown – originally scheduled to run for five weeks, from March 19 to April 23 – will be shortened by a week. GM originally decided on the hold to reduce supply that had grown too large because of soft demand.

Don LaForest, the chairman of the United Auto Workers bargaining committee at the Hamtramck plant where the Volt is made, told Talking Points Memo that GM is “adding a week of production back in.” The Detroit News reports that GM President of North America Mark Reuss said the same thing Wednesday during the New York Auto Show. Reuss said, “We’re doing it because we sold a lot.”

Increasing sales numbers (GM sold 2,289 Volts in March – well over double February’s 1,023-unit total) come at a time when some of the right-wing attacks on the plug-in hybrid appear to have calmed down. LaForest told TPM that his union workers have been confused about these criticisms. “I don’t think Newt or Mitt have said a single negative thing about the Nissan Leaf,” he said. “They’re attacking our car to get at the President. But our car is going to change the way America does business. It’s a breath of fresh air.”

Improving Chevy Volt sales leads GM to shorten summer shutdown

Carlos Ghosn is not backing down.

Giving the keynote speech at the 2012 New York Auto Show today, the president and CEO of Nissan said that he stands behind his prediction that EVs will make up 10 percent of the market by 2020 in the places they are available. He also said that he expects Nissan to sell 1.5 million zero emission cars by 2016.

Ghosh brushed off a question about somewhat slow Leaf sales by pointing out that the Leaf is still constrained by supply, given the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year as well as the strong yen. Leaf production in the UK and U.S. that will start in the near future (later this year for Tennessee, early 2013 for Sunderland) will make the car more available to more people. “I don’t want you to take a one-month or two-month sales result in one particular market to try to make your opinion about the evolution of a very important technology for the industry,” he said. “I think the electric car will hold its promises. All the stars are lining up to make it a very important segment. … I am not at all changing my bullish approach.”

Ghosn has reason to be bullish. Nissan has sold 27,000 Leafs worldwide since introducing the car in late 2010, and 11,000 of those sales were in the U.S. And, he added, “The Nissan Leaf has had no quality problems.”

Looking forward, Ghosn also said that the challenge is to reduce the cost, size and weight of the battery and “we have to do it fast” because government incentives will not last forever. Luckily, the industry has changed enough in the last half-decade to make this possible. He said:

One of the biggest evolutions we are seeing in our industry is the battery. As you know, when we started our electric car goals, it was in 2006, there were not a lot of battery makers in the world. Fortunately, with our drive and with the drive of other carmakers, the number of battery makers and companies investing in batteries has really been impressive. Today, you can find very good batteries, extremely competitive, in Korea, in Japan, in the United States. The Chinese are investing in batteries. … The life of the battery is going to be longer than the life of the car.

Carlos Ghosn: Still bullish on battery electric vehicles

General Motors has just unveiled its facelifted 2013 Chevrolet Traverse at the New York Auto Show today. The big crossover has abandoned the company’s corporate grille in favor of a new design that’s expected to eventually make its way to the rest of the Chevrolet utility vehicle stable. With three chrome-finish bars across the upper grille inlet, more expressive headlamp arrays and a new foglight design, the 2013 Traverse looks a bit more conservative and polished than it did before, at least from up front. Move past the A-pillar, however, and the vehicle looks plenty familiar. Even with a new hatch, redesigned taillamps and a modestly massaged rear valance, the 2013 Traverse hasn’t strayed too far from its family-minded original recipe.

Likewise, the 2013 model’s drivetrain remains untouched as well. The same 3.6-liter V6 puts down 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque through either the front wheels or an all-wheel drive system and the six-speed automatic has been reworked for quicker shifting.

Buyers will be able to opt for Chevrolet’s new MyLink system, complete with Internet-based applications like Stitcher and Pandora as well as Bluetooth voice and audio capability. Like its fellow Lambda-platform sibling, the reworked Buick Enclave, the Traverse will also be available with a new center airbag that bisects driver and front-seat passenger. Hit the jump for the full press release and peruse our live shots for more views of this Chevy staple.

Continue reading 2013 Chevrolet Traverse loses the family nose

2013 Chevrolet Traverse loses the family nose

To hear Chevrolet tell the story, the Impala is super popular with the public. True, it was one of the ten best-selling cars the U.S. last year, but take away sales to rental, government and commercial fleets, and we’d bet our last dollar that the Impala is no more popular than its competitors, probably less so considering its age. That’s why Chevrolet is hoping its all-new Impala for 2013 will do what the last model couldn’t: attract folks who don’t buy their large sedans in bulk.

The 2013 Chevrolet Impala clearly looks considerably better and more modern than the car it replaces, which hadn’t received a thorough redesign since 2005. The face up front is the Bowtie brand’s new corporate visage, which can also be seen on the refreshed 2013 Traverse. It’s an attractive mug with clean lines, little-to-no clutter and a full suite of high-tech HID and LED lighting elements. At least in pictures, the rest of the new Impala looks brawny and muscular compared to the last model’s antiseptic lines. Its wheels, meanwhile, will range in size from a large 18 inches in diameter to a super-sized 20 inches.

We also universally approve of the Impala’s new interior design, which sports a dual-cockpit concept, as well as a 4.2-inch information screen between the gauges and an eight-inch screen atop the center stack. However, we’re having a hard time with that steering wheel, which doesn’t live up to the rest of the cabin’s aesthetic standards.

Power for the new Impala will come from a range of three engines, all featuring direct injection: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with eAssist producing 182 horsepower/172 pound-feet and achieving an estimated 35 mpg highway, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 195 hp/187 lb-ft and a 3.6-liter V6 producing 303 hp/264 lb-ft. All will mate to a six-speed automatic and drive the front wheels only.

The Impala has also received a slew of new available active and passive safety systems, including Full-Speed-Range Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

We’ve included the official press release from Chevrolet below and will update the gallery will more official images as soon as they’re available. And later today we’ll show you what the Impala looks like in person from the floor of the New York Auto Show.

Continue reading 2014 Chevrolet Impala debuts all-new design

2014 Chevrolet Impala debuts all-new design

New York Auto Show, Chevrolet Camaro 1LE, 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

Episode #276 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Chris, Zach and Dan cover the known knowns so far at the New York Auto Show, the Chevrolet Camaro 1LE, and the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #276:

• New York Auto Show kicks off this week
• Chevrolet Camaro 1LE
• 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Toyota Prius V Five
2012 Subaru Impreza
2012 Mini Cooper Countryman S

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

Review the show in iTunes

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #276

Autoblog Podcast #276

We’re almost ready to record Episode #276 of the Autoblog Podcast, and you can check out the topics below, add your own to the Q&A and join us live via UStream, as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player after the jump. Thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #276

• • New York Auto Show
  • Chevrolet Camaro 1LE
  • 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #276 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

Autoblog Podcast #276 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

We record Episode #276 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and 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 in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #276

• New York Auto Show kicks off this week
• Chevrolet Camaro 1LE
• 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

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Voices Heard Media

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #276 LIVE

Automotive News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun two separate investigations following reports of engine fires in both 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and 2010 Jeep Wrangler models. The government agency received two complaints about fires in Cruze sedans and eight in Wrangler models, with some reporting their vehicles were completely destroyed. In both Cruze cases, the compact sedans were being driven when the fires occurred. One Cruze Eco owner reported seeing smoke emanating from the engine bay, and the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames five minutes after coming to a stop.

In seven of the Wrangler cases, the engine was running when the fires started. One owner reported seeing burning liquid pouring onto the ground that couldn’t be extinguished with water. In 2010, Chrysler recalled certain Wrangler models to address automatic transmission fluid that could overheat and expel onto hot surfaces, causing fires.

Both General Motors and Chrysler are cooperating with their respective NHTSA investigations and say they are unaware of any injuries or fatalities stemming from the fires.

NHTSA investigating Chevy Cruze, Jeep Wrangler over engine fires

It appears the right-wing wall against the Chevrolet Volt is starting to crumble. Following months of beating on the Volt, Fox News aired a puff piece on how great the Volt is earlier this week. Now we hear that former president George H.W. Bush has purchased a Volt for his son Neil as a birthday present. As our friend Chelsea Sexton said on Twitter, “Can’t wait to see what Fox News makes of that!”

In a sense, the Bush family should be among the first to buy one of GM’s plug-in hybrids, since the $7,500 federal tax credit that the car qualifies for was put into place during President George W. Bush’s second term. Since President Obama has also promised to buy a Volt when he gets out of office, that makes the Volt a vehicle that presidents from both major American parties can agree on.

Happy Birthday! President George H.W. Bush buys son Neil a Chevy Volt

We pity the fool who don’t think this is cool. Put aside the celebrity provenance of this “authentic replica,” allegedly “certified” by George Barris, for now and just take a look at the thing. It appears to be a spot-on knock-off of B.A. Baracus’ bad attitude van, the perfect midlife-crisis toy for anyone who grew up watching The A-Team. Imagine how cool it would be to drop the kids off at school in this?

Okay, the traffic snarl during drop-off time won’t clear out any faster, but when it comes to “manly vans,” you can’t top this custom 1983 Chevrolet G10. Wait, what’s that you say? B.A. drove a GMC? Of course he did. But this is a replica, and one that seems to have been built from a nearly identical Chevy donor.

The seller claims the van was built for none other than Mike Myers, he of Wayne’s World and Austin Powers fame. We’d like to see some documentation of this celebrity provenance, though it’s not the sort of thing that we’d see too much value in, regardless. We’re also curious about the last line of the sale ad: “Movie coming out in June!” It was back in June 2010 that the A-Team feature film debuted, which makes us think the seller might be willing to deal on his $20,000 price.

Find of the Day: “Authentic” A-Team van replica commissioned by Mike Myers

Congratulations are in order for Buick after its new Verano earned top scores in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. This now means that every new Buick model is on the Institute’s Top Safety Pick list.

The Verano’s safety credentials weren’t really in question though, since the Chevy Cruze with which it shares a platform also made the Top Safety Pick list.

“When we started the vehicle development of Buick Verano, we had a comprehensive safety strategy that enabled us to achieve the highest safety rating and to be among the best safety performers in the segment,” said Sigit Santosa, General Motors’ Engineering Group Manager of Vehicle Safety Performance Integration.

Scroll down to read GM’s official press releas on the Verano’s ratings. There’s a video of the new Buick compact being smashed up, as well.

Continue reading Verano completes Buick sweep of IIHS Top Safety Pick awards [w/video]

Verano completes Buick sweep of IIHS Top Safety Pick awards [w/video]

Just as mysteriously as it began, Chevrolet has removed the production hold it had placed on the 2012 Camaro ZL1. For those keeping track, the delay has lasted roughly three weeks, and we still don’t know what the “quality assessment issue” was.

According to Motor Authority, a letter has been sent to those who have placed orders on Chevy’s hottest muscle car, letting them know when they can expect their machines to arrive at the dealership.

Cars that had already been produced and had been held back from the waiting garages of buyers will begin trickling to owners in two to three weeks, while orders placed but not yet built will take a little longer. That said, Camaro ZL1 models built in the foreseeable future will very likely continue on with a 2012 model-year designation before the Oshawa plant switches production to the 2013 cars. Just how many 2012 ZL1s will be built remains to b seen.

We also can’t help but mention the newly announced Camaro 1LE, which gets some of the track-ready features of the ZL1 with a 426-horsepower V8 in place of the killer 580-horse supercharged engine, along with what’s sure to be a much lighter price tag. With choices like these, we’d say it’s a good time to be shopping for a Camaro.

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 back on sale, production hold removed

Car companies worldwide have had a terrible track record creating cars that attract hip, young buyers. Despite all their best efforts to cater to the cool cats, the 18-24 demographic prefers to defy categorization.

But now it seems car companies have a new, more vexing problem. The 18-24 crowd doesn’t want cars at all.

General Motors knows all too well about its aging demographics and has turned to a creative new marketing firm to have a shot at bringing down the age of their average buyer. The firm is called Scratch and is part of MTV (owned by Viacom). Ross Martin, 37, is executive VP of Scratch and says 20-somethings really don’t even want a car.

“They think of a car as a giant bummer,” Martin tells the New York Times. “Think about your dashboard. It’s filled with nothing but bad news.”

Research showed 60% of 18-24 year-old drivers would choose Internet access over owning a car. To the Autoblog staff, that’s like asking them to choose between air and water. And if your dashboard is all bad news, you’re doing it wrong!

The New York Times story is full of tidbits about how GM and MTV are chasing the cool crowd, like how they’re trying to “General Motors with the same insights that made MTV reality shows like ‘Jersey Shore’ and ‘Teen Mom’ breakout hits.” Hmmm. Yeah, that oughta make recent college grads want to buy a Volt.

Whatdya think? MTV still got enough cool cred to help transform the old gray General?

GM turns to MTV to sell cars to younger generations

We’re already familiar with the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system that’s slowly making its way across the brand’s entire portfolio, but today, we were able to get our first look at the next big feature being added to General Motors‘ Bowtie tech. First available on the 2013 Chevrolet Spark and Sonic, GogoLink is a smartphone-based app that works with the car’s touch-screen display to provide a fully functional navigation feature to the MyLink system.

We spent some time with Sara LeBlanc, GM’s program manager for global infotainment systems, who showed us exactly how the GogoLink app works. When your smartphone is tethered to the car, the app can be launched from the MyLink interface and works just like any other high-quality navigation system. GogoLink includes things like points of interest, 3D mapping, emergency information (police, fire, etc.), local search via Google and live traffic details. Disconnect your phone from the car, and your maps and routes are available right on your phone. (Note: Even though that last part doesn’t show up in the video, trust us, it works.)

Pricing for the GogoLink app has not been announced as of this writing, and will be confirmed closer to the system’s on-sale date this fall. The 2013 Spark will go on sale before the GogoLink app is available, so the first round of Sparks will require a simple MyLink upgrade that can be installed for free at Chevy dealers.

Now, take a closer look at the MyLink head unit in the video below – there’s no CD player. LeBlanc provided this explanation for us:

We talked to our Sonic and Spark customers and we asked them about the features they were looking for. They wanted connectivity. They said, “We have all that music on our smartphone, can’t you just find a way to transfer it? We don’t want CDs. We don’t use that.”

Of course, LeBlanc assures us that this is only for the Sonic and Spark MyLink system right now. The rest of the Chevrolet products will continue to be offered with CD players.

The MyLink system with GogoLink arrives this fall, and pricing has yet to be announced as of this writing. Follow the jump for a tour of the new system, as well as the official release from GM.

Continue reading Chevy adding navigation to Sonic, Spark with GogoLink smartphone app

Chevy adding navigation to Sonic, Spark with GogoLink smartphone app

Not to be outdone today by Ford’s debut of a twin-turbo Explorer Sport model, Chevrolet has taken the wraps off its redesigned 2013 Traverse.

The big news is all up front, where the 2013 Traverse features what Chevy is calling the new face of its crossover utility vehicles. It includes a three-bar upper and two-bar lower grille design, as well as a “powerdome” hood, though no changes have been made to the direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 underneath. Though everything was redesigned ahead of the A-pillars, the rest of the body was left alone until you reach the D-pillars. Aft of those you’ll find a redesigned rear end with new taillights and liftgate and a relocated license plate pocket.

Chevy has tinkered with the interior too, but not much. The Traverse’s biggest selling point has always been its voluminous interior passenger and cargo space, and that hasn’t changed. The most noteworthy addition inside is that of MyLink, GM’s branded infotainment system that supports Bluetooth voice and audio, as well as apps like Pandora and Stitcher.

Minor suspension adjustments round out the rather short list of changes for this mid-cycle refresh. The segment’s current leader is the aforementioned Explorer, which sold around 135,000 units last year. The Traverse wasn’t too far behind with sales surpassing 107,000 units. Our guess is that these 2013 model year changes probably aren’t enough to unseat the Explorer, but should be enough to keep the Traverse selling well in this quickly growing segment.

Continue reading 2013 Chevy Traverse debuts with new face, minor tweaks

2013 Chevy Traverse debuts with new face, minor tweaks