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The unveiling of a Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 pace car is like opening a present. Bowtie enthusiasts clamor to see the memorable designs that distinguish the pace car and can quote the year on site. After all, the image of a purple convertible with bright yellow wheels can be hard to forget, even if you try. The 92nd Indianapolis 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25, 2008. It will be the Corvette’s 10th appearance as the official pace car – a record unmatched by any other vehicle. This year, Chevrolet has treated fans to two pace cars, a customized Corvette Z06 E85 concept and a black-and-silver car that pays tribute to the original black-and-silver 1978 coupe. A true collectible, a ‘78 will be on hand to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Corvette’s pace car heritage leading “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Based on the production Z06, the Corvette Z06 E85 concept pace car has fuel system and powertrain controller revisions required to run E85. The head-turning coupe is coated in Gold Rush Green color-shifting paint with a checkered flag pattern. Besides safety equipment and strobe light, the Z06 concept pace car is mechanically stock. The 30th anniversary commemorative edition...
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This spring, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ sedan will be available with a new four-cylinder drivetrain that promises good performance and fuel efficiency. A 2.4-liter, 169-horsepower Ecotec engine is partnered with a six-speed 6T40 automatic transmission. The result is an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The new Malibu LTZ model has a MSRP of $26,545 (including a $650 destination charge). It joins an already diverse lineup of Malibu models, ranging from the value-driven LS to V-6 LT and LTZ models, as well as the unique, fuel-saving Malibu Hybrid. The Malibu LTZ with this powertrain is distinguished with unique, 17-inch Chrometec wheels and a single, chrome exhaust outlet. Inside is the same uplevel interior as V-6-powered LTZ models. Research the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and hybrid in the buyer’s guide, complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries.
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Chevrolet will over-deliver when the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 goes on sale. When this history-making supercar was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the official output claimed was 620 horsepower, good for 100 horsepower per liter of displacement. Now that the LS9 V-8 has completed SAE certification, the final output is set at 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. Certain to fuel automotive fantasies for decades to come, this supercharged engine stands as the most powerful ever manufactured by General Motors. The Corvette ZR1 goes on sale this summer. Research the Chevrolet Corvette coupe and convertible in the buyer’s guide, complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries.
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Motorists continue to clamor for GPS-based navigation services, as sales of in-car and portable devices soar. GM’s OnStar telematics division has been competing in this space with a “ turn-by-turn ” service, allowing drivers to request directions from a human advisor that are then downloaded to the vehicle and read aloud automatically along the route. OnStar bills it as “the simplest navigation system.” Well, now OnStar is moving to compete more directly with traditional touch-screen systems with two new services. The first is OnStar Destination Download, which enables OnStar subscribers with screen-based infotainment systems to input their destination while on the go at the press of a button. The second service, OnStar eNav, allows subscribers with a “turn-by-turn” capable vehicle to find and save destinations on MapQuest.com and have those destinations sent to their vehicle. Subscribers simply press their vehicle's OnStar phone button to access voice-guided commands through which they can select their route. OnStar eNav will be available retroactively on 2.7 million current “turn-by-turn” capable GM vehicles. Later this year eNav will also combine with OnStar Destination Download...
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All seven family and luxury sedans in the latest crash test group evaluated by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) earned a Good rating for occupant protection in frontal crashes. Only one fell short of the top rating in the side crash test, the Kia Optima. However, results for the rear crash test were quite mixed. In all, this group’s performance shows that indeed cars are getting better with each generation, through structural improvements and increased standard safety equipment. All seven of these vehicles included side and side-curtain airbags. “The side impact results represent a huge change from just four years ago,” says Institute Senior Vice President David Zuby. “In 2004 we tested 10 mid-sized moderately priced cars, and all 10 were rated Poor in their standard configurations without side airbags.” In the 2004 tests, only the previous generations of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Chevrolet Malibu earned Good ratings when tested with side airbags, which then were optional equipment. “A major change is that side airbags are standard in every one of the seven mid-sized cars we tested this time around. Auto manufacturers have been moving quickly to make side airbags...
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The Toyota Prius has been the poster car for the hybrid movement, though the Chevrolet Volt hybrid is fast becoming the high-voltage icon for the next automotive revolution. Since it has made the auto show circuit, General Motors has been unusually forthright in communicating with media and consumers regarding the Volt’s full-throttle race to production in approximately 2010. Here’s the latest update on the Volt: Batteries Developing the right battery technology for the Volt that can go the distance in the wide-array of abusive consumer use was always expected to be the most daunting challenge. Chevrolet is focused on advanced lithium-ion battery technology, and Volt engineers have just developed a new computer algorithm to accelerate battery durability testing. This advanced computer program duplicates real-life vehicle speed and cargo-carrying conditions, and compresses 10 years of comprehensive battery testing into the Volt’s brisk development schedule. The key is around-the-clock testing in both Michigan and Germany. Vehicle engineering With the battery technology determined, the structural engineers are working through fitting a six-foot long battery pack that weighs almost 400...
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General Motors will green up the dirt-loving Hummer brand starting with 2009 H2 and H2 SUT, which will become its first flex-fuel models. The announcement was made at Classic Chevrolet/Hummer in Dallas, Texas, the dealership who sold the most Chevrolet Trucks in 2008 and who has spent $500,000 to install nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel. This grand-opening event marked the first public biofuel pumps in the nation owned by a new car and truck dealership. Given the partnership GM has with Coskata , an innovative firm that is striving to commercialize its unique process for turning biomass into ethanol, this may be just the beginning. Fewer than one percent of filling stations nationwide offer E85 fuel . If GM wants to increase flex-fuel vehicle sales, providing E85 at the dealers could spur sales and potentially create another revenue stream. Elevated gas prices have increased consumer interest in reducing our national dependency on imported oil, helping make E85 a household name. However, many car buyers do not realize that E85 has about 25 percent less fuel economy than gasoline. In other words, a truck that normally gets 20 mpg on gasoline would return 15 mpg on E85....
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Chevrolet has announced the pricing for its 260-horsepower Cobalt SS, a potent compact performance coupe with an estimated 30 mpg in highway driving. The Cobalt SS starts at $22,995, including a $660 destination charge. An extreme amount of performance and style for the money, the Cobalt SS features a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter Ecotec engine and a five-speed manual transmission good for a 0-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds. It wasn’t long ago that 5.7 seconds was considered muscle car territory. Ride and handing are supported by an all-new FE5 Sport suspension, with specific stabilizer bars, spring rates and damper tuning –designed to mitigate afflictions such as torque steer. Driver-selectable modes help maximize performance whether on the street or track. Four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS help ensure the car stops as confidently as it accelerates and corners. The front brakes are from Brembo and have a performance-oriented, fixed-caliper design, which resists fade better than floating caliper designs; the rear discs are vented for better heat dissipation. Large, twin-five-spoke 18-inch forged aluminum wheels and performance tires are standard. They’re mounted on 225/40...
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The Chevrolet enthusiasts embrace the brand’s rich performance history and are drawn to special-edition models, like the current Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car replica. The latest such vehicle resurrects a classic moniker: 427. The 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition Z06 pays homage to the big-block Stingray models of the mid-1960s whose engines match the displacement of the Z06’s 7.0L LS7 small-block V-8. Available this spring, the 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition Z06 will be priced at $84,195 and includes the 3LZ premium equipment package with a custom, leather-wrapped interior. A navigation system is the only option ($1,750). Only 427 will be offered in the United States and Canada, with 78 more exported outside North America. That’s a total of 505 production vehicles – the same number of horsepower produced by the LS7 engine. As with other Corvette models, customer delivery is available at the Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 427 Limited Edition Z06 is distinguished by: Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior paint with stinger-style graphics and 427 hood badges. Exclusive chrome wheels. Body-color rear spoiler and door handles. Exclusive dark titanium custom leather-wrapped interior...
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