GM will Drop Daewoo Name and Replace it with Chevrolet in South Korea

var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true}; What started a few years back with the re-branding of Daewoo's portfolio to Chevrolets in select markets including Europe, is now being rolled out globally with the replacement of the nameplate in South Korea. From now on, all of the company’s new product introductions will be under the Chevrolet badge, while GM Daewoo Auto & Technology

2011 Buick Regal 2.0 Turbo Now Able to Run On Ethanol

General Motors has released an update on the 2011 Buick Regal's 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that enables it to run on any blend of gasoline or E85 Ethanol. The Detroit automaker claims the Regal's flex-fuel capability is a first for a direct-injected turbocharged production car. There are no performance differences between the standard 2.0-liter turbo engine and its flex-fuel variant, as

SAAB to Celebrate its own...Independence Day on February 23rd

A little over a year ago, Saab's future was very much in doubt. GM was looking for a buyer for the Swedish brand and even contemplated closing down the Trollhattan plant. On the other hand, investors weren't exactly anxious to put their money on what they thought was a sinking ship. But, on the 23rd of February 2010, Saab's fate took a surprising turn for the better as GM sold the company to

SLP Performance Receives GM's "Blessings" for Tuned 2011 Camaro ZL1

With its 550HP 6.2-liter supercharged V8, the upcoming 2012 Camaro ZL1 is Chevrolet’s wildest pony car yet. However, it won't be available for sale for another year, and here's where SLP Performance steps in. The U.S.-based company is running a ZL1 tuning program for the current 2011 Camaro SS.In regards of the copyright issues for the Z1 nameplate, SLP has shared a press release from GM stating

Chevrolet Plans to Introduce a Limited Edition Camaro Every Six Months

Camaro fans will be happy to know that the bow-tie brand plans to introduce a limited edition version every six months, in an effort to create more hype around its pony car and of course, further increase sales. According to an Automotive News report, Chevrolet will not only revive various nameplates from the past, but will also introduce some brand new ones to the market. “Our plan is to keep

Cadillac's All-Wheel Drive Model Sales on the Rise in the U.S.A.

It was a time when associating Cadillac with all-wheel drive was considered to be a heresy. But mentalities have changed and more American customers are specifying their cars with the AWD option. GM’s luxury brand has registered a combined sales increase of 38% for its 4x4 SRX, CTS and Escalade models in the past two years. Specifically, one-third of the SRX crossovers, almost half of the CTS and

It Came From eBay Hell: The Geo Storm Pickup You Never Knew You Wanted

Few names in automotive history make the average car enthusiast’s skin crawl like, “Geo”. Geo was General Motors response to the growing number of Japanese and South Korean imports that had invaded the U.S. market. Essentially taking the most boring and insipid models from Suzuki, Toyota and Isuzu and building them stateside, Geo embodied the whole, “Who Gives A...” attitude that has made GM so

GM President Says Chevrolet will Debut Two New Models at Chicago Including a Camaro-Based Car

Speaking at a J.D. Power forum in Detroit, General Motors North American President Mark Reuss announced that Chevrolet will unveil two new models at the upcoming 2011 Chicago Auto Show, which kicks off on February 9. Mr. Reuss said one of the models will be a new vehicle based on the Camaro-platform, however, he declined to divulge further details about the car.

"It will be fun," Mr. Reuss told reporters in regards to the Camaro-based model. "I'm not going to give you guys any product information other than what I gave (in the presentation.) I'd ruin the whole show."

Now, the inevitable question that arises is, what are the two models Chevy is planning to introduce in Chicago?

This 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Packs a Big-Block 454 / 7.4-liter Chevy V8

Let us introduce you to our find of the day; a 1980 Toyota Corolla TE71 Coupe retrofitted with a big brawny classic American V8 powerplant. This wolf in sheep's clothing was once powered by a small four-cylinder engine but now comes with a 454 cubic inch (equal to 7.4-liters) big block Chevrolet V8 powerhouse that drives the wheels through GM's Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission.

According to the eBay seller, "with 13 inch tires it only goes about 65 [we'll assume he's talking about mph here] at 4000 rpms, but it gets there in about 4 seconds" and while driveable, the car needs some TLC to be road-worthy. The current bid on eBay is $3,251 but the reserve has not been met yet.

VIDEO: Chevrolet's 'Ms. Evelyn' Super Bowl Ad Starring the Camaro

Chevrolet is marking its return to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence with no less than seven ads that will air before, during and after the game. This one is called 'Ms Evelyn' and its GM's second commercial for the Camaro after the Transformers TV spot that we showed you yesterday. The advert will air on TV after the presentation of the MVP Award, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, but you can get a sneak peak in the video after the jump.

Via Camaro5

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VIDEO: Chevrolet's 'Ms. Evelyn' Super Bowl Ad Starring the Camaro

Chevrolet is marking its return to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence with no less than seven ads that will air before, during and after the game. This one is called 'Ms Evelyn' and its GM's second commercial for the Camaro after the Transformers TV spot that we showed you yesterday. The advert will air on TV after the presentation of the MVP Award, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, but you can get a sneak peak in the video after the jump.

Via Camaro5

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The Upgradeable Car: A Software Influenced Future for the Auto Industry

As an automotive blogger that also works in the IT industry, I feel I have a somewhat unique perspective on in-car technology. Whereas a new car may have a three to five year buffer between upgrades and replacement models, for electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers it's more like six to eighteen months.

This brings up an interesting conundrum: what to do when the sat nav or Bluetooth devices in your car age more quickly than the car itself? Few people this side of Dhiaa Al-Essa can afford to replace their car every six months, so the answer - to automakers at least - is to do the same as software companies: roll out upgrades.

It could be something as simple as the dealership checking your oil and tire pressure remotely to recalibrating the transmission or updating the car's sat nav system. San Francisco based Cisco Systems has even constructed an experimental dashboard out of LCD panels that acts as a giant touch screen: driver's can drag and drop instruments, personalize the look and feel of said instruments and add new functions such as g-force meters.

The Upgradeable Car: A Software Influenced Future for the Auto Industry

As an automotive blogger that also works in the IT industry, I feel I have a somewhat unique perspective on in-car technology. Whereas a new car may have a three to five year buffer between upgrades and replacement models, for electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers it's more like six to eighteen months.

This brings up an interesting conundrum: what to do when the sat nav or Bluetooth devices in your car age more quickly than the car itself? Few people this side of Dhiaa Al-Essa can afford to replace their car every six months, so the answer - to automakers at least - is to do the same as software companies: roll out upgrades.

It could be something as simple as the dealership checking your oil and tire pressure remotely to recalibrating the transmission or updating the car's sat nav system. San Francisco based Cisco Systems has even constructed an experimental dashboard out of LCD panels that acts as a giant touch screen: driver's can drag and drop instruments, personalize the look and feel of said instruments and add new functions such as g-force meters.

The obsolescent of in-car technology is becoming more and more of a concern, especially in the light that market research firm R. L. Polk reveals that many of us are keeping our cars for up to 9 years. Advances in computing technology in our car's ECUs and other systems are also bound to cause headaches for automakers in the future.

As Dirk Schlesinger, a senior director in Cisco’s Internet business solutions group explains, "Complexity is killing the industry. We can’t change the silicon fast enough."

Software updates, a common enough occurrence when your car is taken in for a service in this day and age, may soon be rolled out automatically and via the internet or satellite, like they are for computer software.

In the words of Dave Evans, Cisco’s chief futurist: “The car is becoming the most sophisticated piece of computer equipment you own.”

That's as good as maybe, but with technology such as Ford AppLink giving its drivers access to Pandora or Twitter from behind the wheel or GM / Mercedes-Benz's OnStar and Mbrace systems allowing remote support for driver's and their vehicles, one thing is for sure: the future is closer than we think.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NY Times

The Upgradeable Car: A Software Influenced Future for the Auto Industry

As an automotive blogger that also works in the IT industry, I feel I have a somewhat unique perspective on in-car technology. Whereas a new car may have a three to five year buffer between upgrades and replacement models, for electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers it's more like six to eighteen months.

This brings up an interesting conundrum: what to do when the sat nav or Bluetooth devices in your car age more quickly than the car itself? Few people this side of Dhiaa Al-Essa can afford to replace their car every six months, so the answer - to automakers at least - is to do the same as software companies: roll out upgrades.

It could be something as simple as the dealership checking your oil and tire pressure remotely to recalibrating the transmission or updating the car's sat nav system. San Francisco based Cisco Systems has even constructed an experimental dashboard out of LCD panels that acts as a giant touch screen: driver's can drag and drop instruments, personalize the look and feel of said instruments and add new functions such as g-force meters.

The obsolescent of in-car technology is becoming more and more of a concern, especially in the light that market research firm R. L. Polk reveals that many of us are keeping our cars for up to 9 years. Advances in computing technology in our car's ECUs and other systems are also bound to cause headaches for automakers in the future.

As Dirk Schlesinger, a senior director in Cisco’s Internet business solutions group explains, "Complexity is killing the industry. We can’t change the silicon fast enough."

Software updates, a common enough occurrence when your car is taken in for a service in this day and age, may soon be rolled out automatically and via the internet or satellite, like they are for computer software.

In the words of Dave Evans, Cisco’s chief futurist: “The car is becoming the most sophisticated piece of computer equipment you own.”

That's as good as maybe, but with technology such as Ford AppLink giving its drivers access to Pandora or Twitter from behind the wheel or GM / Mercedes-Benz's OnStar and Mbrace systems allowing remote support for driver's and their vehicles, one thing is for sure: the future is closer than we think.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NY Times

VIDEO: Chevrolet Camaro Transforms into Bumblebee for Super Bowl XLV Ad

Next up on our list of automotive-related commercials that will air during the Super Bowl XLV game on Sunday is the Chevrolet Camaro ad from General Motors. Once again, the Detroit carmaker is playing the Transformers card with the Camaro turning into Bumblebee, and well, you can see the rest in the video that follows.

All in all, Chevrolet will air five 30-second commercials during the big game including “Misunderstanding,” featuring the Cruze Eco; “Discovery,” with the Volt; “Tommy,” showcasing the Silverado HD; and “Al’s Chevrolet,” starring the Camaro.

The company will also air a longer-form Chevrolet spot during the “Glee” episode following the Super Bowl as well as a second Camaro ad named "Ms. Evelyn,” which will be shown after the presentation of the MVP Award.

All of Chevrolet's ads at this year’s Super Bowl were created by the Goodby, Silverstein & Partners agency. Chevrolet returns to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence.

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VIDEO: Chevrolet Camaro Transforms into Bumblebee for Super Bowl XLV Ad

Next up on our list of automotive-related commercials that will air during the Super Bowl XLV game on Sunday is the Chevrolet Camaro ad from General Motors. Once again, the Detroit carmaker is playing the Transformers card with the Camaro turning into Bumblebee, and well, you can see the rest in the video that follows.

All in all, Chevrolet will air five 30-second commercials during the big game including “Misunderstanding,” featuring the Cruze Eco; “Discovery,” with the Volt; “Tommy,” showcasing the Silverado HD; and “Al’s Chevrolet,” starring the Camaro.

The company will also air a longer-form Chevrolet spot during the “Glee” episode following the Super Bowl as well as a second Camaro ad named "Ms. Evelyn,” which will be shown after the presentation of the MVP Award.

All of Chevrolet's ads at this year’s Super Bowl were created by the Goodby, Silverstein & Partners agency. Chevrolet returns to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence.

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GM, Mercedes, BMW and other Automakers Close Down Factories in Egypt

The continuing crisis in Egypt has prompted several automakers including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW to shut down their factories in the country, while other companies like Volkswagen, have been forced to completely stop vehicle deliveries as it was uncertain if the cars would reach their destinations, according to a company spokesman.

“We decided to close our assembly plant in Egypt due to the unstable political situation,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told Bloomberg News on Monday.

GM international operations spokesman, Johan Willems, told Autonews Europe: "All of our employees in Egypt as well as our plant property is safe and secure. Our local team in Cairo is assessing the situation and will decide to commence normal operations once the conditions permit."

As well as bringing production to a stop to ensure the safety of their workers, certain carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes are also evacuating expatriate employees and their families.

At the time being, it remains unclear when automakers will resume production in Egypt.

Source: Autonews Europe [Subscription required]

GM, Mercedes, BMW and other Automakers Close Down Factories in Egypt

The continuing crisis in Egypt has prompted several automakers including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW to shut down their factories in the country, while other companies like Volkswagen, have been forced to completely stop vehicle deliveries as it was uncertain if the cars would reach their destinations, according to a company spokesman.

“We decided to close our assembly plant in Egypt due to the unstable political situation,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told Bloomberg News on Monday.

GM international operations spokesman, Johan Willems, told Autonews Europe: "All of our employees in Egypt as well as our plant property is safe and secure. Our local team in Cairo is assessing the situation and will decide to commence normal operations once the conditions permit."

As well as bringing production to a stop to ensure the safety of their workers, certain carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes are also evacuating expatriate employees and their families.

At the time being, it remains unclear when automakers will resume production in Egypt.

Source: Autonews Europe [Subscription required]

New Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Production Begins, Prices Start from $30,000

General Motor today celebrated the start of regular production of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at its Oshawa assembly plant in Canada. The drop-top version of the Detroit firm's muscle car will go on sale in the U.S. in February and will be available with two engine options and four trim packages with prices starting from US$30,000 MSRP including an $850 destination fee.

The entry-level 1LT (US$30,000) and 2LT (US$33,500) Camaro Convertible models are powered by a 3.6-liter direct injection V6 motor rated at 312 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. or 370 Nm of torque, and can be equipped with either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic transmission.

Those seeking more power can opt for the 1SS (US$37,500) or the 2SS (US$40,500), which are offered with a choice of two 6.2-liter V8 powertrains, , including the L99 with 400HP and 410 lb-ft of torque on automatic-equipped vehicles and the LS3 with 426HP and 420 lb-ft on manual-equipped models.

Customers can choose from nine production exterior colors with tops offered in black or tan, while all convertible models are fitted with a rear parking assist system as standard.

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New Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Production Begins, Prices Start from $30,000

General Motor today celebrated the start of regular production of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at its Oshawa assembly plant in Canada. The drop-top version of the Detroit firm's muscle car will go on sale in the U.S. in February and will be available with two engine options and four trim packages with prices starting from US$30,000 MSRP including an $850 destination fee.

The entry-level 1LT (US$30,000) and 2LT (US$33,500) Camaro Convertible models are powered by a 3.6-liter direct injection V6 motor rated at 312 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. or 370 Nm of torque, and can be equipped with either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic transmission.

Those seeking more power can opt for the 1SS (US$37,500) or the 2SS (US$40,500), which are offered with a choice of two 6.2-liter V8 powertrains, , including the L99 with 400HP and 410 lb-ft of torque on automatic-equipped vehicles and the LS3 with 426HP and 420 lb-ft on manual-equipped models.

Customers can choose from nine production exterior colors with tops offered in black or tan, while all convertible models are fitted with a rear parking assist system as standard.

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