Autoblog

The Chevy Volt isn't quite ready to be unleashed on the public, mostly because its powertrain is entirely different than anything General Motors -- or any other automaker -- has ever produced. An extreme amount of testing is required, especially for the batteries, before GM is ready to put its Volt into dealerships. Having this extra time before pushing the car out has its advantages for the design team, which is free to make small, incremental changes to bits of the Volt that may have needed a little tweak here and there. For instance, Bob Boniface and his crew have revised the production car's center stack with an altered LCD screen perched up top with a hood that matches the one over the gauge cluster. The new screen has smoother edges and looks more integrated into the dash. Boniface says that many people thought the old screen design was movable, which it wasn't.

There are also new vents positioned vertically on either side of the iPod-like central cluster that hold all of the Volt's controls. Those buttons now offer a more tactile sensation in the form of "pill-shaped targets" on each control. Also included in the revision are new audible that sound when buttons are activated. While all of these alterations seems rather minor, we appreciate each of them and think this equals a big improvement over an interior that we already liked.


[Source: GM-Volt.com]

It's usually fun to speculate on what the future might hold, but this is one case where we're not so enthused. First of all, nobody in their right mind really wants to see GM fold (at least they shouldn't), regardless of the fact that it has been mismanaged for a good portion of its 100-year run. There have been some seriously cool machines that have rolled out of GM's various divisions, not the least of which is the iconic American sportscar, the Corvette. The 'Vette has succeeded where others have failed in providing a relatively inexpensive way for Americans to enjoy world class performance, and things have recently taken a turn for the better with the Z06 and ZR1 models. But, what would happen to the American classic if the General were to go bankrupt and couldn't recover? Would the Corvette cease to exist?

This exact question is currently being contemplated by forum members at GM Inside News. One inexplicable suggestion is that Toyota would be the best automaker to take the reigns of the Corvette brand -- a theory that's been met with a fair amount of skepticism. After taking just one look at the latest 'Vette wearing a Toyota badge, we nearly shed a tear. The comments are open -- let the debate rage.

[Source GM Inside News]

With the domestic auto industry hurting like never before, most analysts expect budgets for motorsports activities to drop dramatically in the coming few months. This slowdown of funds will surely impact NASCAR, which sees participation from each of the Detroit 3 along with Toyota. Despite being one of the most visible racing organizations in the United States, it's also one of the most expensive for teams to operate, with some estimates pegging a single day's worth of track testing at over $100,000 per car. Large teams can expect to save a few million bucks per year in expenses due to the new policy.

Just a few months back, however, NASCAR teams were pushing for more testing sessions at more tracks, and officials had proposed a new plan that would have increased testing sessions to 24 per year. That tactic would have increased the amount of money that teams and sponsors would need to spend by a substantial figure. Although we're not big NASCAR watchers, we tend to think that the change could actually benefit the series, since it could level the playing field and make for better racing. We'll see if we're right in just a few months.

[Source: NASCAR]

Within 20 minutes of taking delivery of a Pontiac Solstice GXP last year, we were on our way to our local shop to see what mods could be done to the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot. With 260 hp and a claimed 260 lb-ft of torque (our dyno run showed around 250 lb-ft of twist at the wheels), the Solstice is hardly lacking for grunt, and when we finally got around to driving the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, we were sure that the new engine would be embraced by power-hungry tuners in short order.

Scotia, NY-based Synapse Turbo has taken up the task and created a bolt-on kit for the Cobalt SS that puts out 371 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. From what we can gather based on forum postings and the video after the jump, the Stage 3 kit consists of a Garrett GT2871R turbo, stainless steel 4-1 exhaust manifold, three-inch downpipe, three-inch intake, TurboXS BOV, a new intercooler and aluminum plumbing. ECU tweaks were provided by the HP Tuner system and redline has been raised to 6,700 rpm. We're itching to get some time behind the wheel, if for no other reason than to see if our wrists can cope with the torque steer, but until then, the video below the fold will have to do.


[Source: MotiveMag]

We weren't surprised when Chrysler decided to nix plans for a Dodge Challenger convertible. The LX-based coupe wasn't developed with a drop-top variant in mind and it would've taken far too much cash to shore up the chassis with the roof removed. And if you hadn't heard, Chrysler isn't doing too well in the cash department.

Now, MotorTrend is reporting that General Motors is delaying the launch of the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible for the same reason, putting off the introduction for another year as the General attempts to keep its head above these financially troubled waters. Spending on such extravagances is hard to justify for both GM and consumers, and if the Federal bailout goes through, it's safe to assume that legislators and the public us would have hard time seeing our tax dollars being used to sell a niche vehicle.


[Source: MotorTrend]

After months of reviewing only family-oriented transportation, this particular blogger began a streak of judging high-horsepower sports coupes. It's damn near impossible to complain about something with more power than anyone should ever need, but after a while my family got tired of trying to shoehorn five-year-old twins into the cramped back seat of a coupe. That's why we were most relieved to see that the 2009 Chevy Traverse was ready for a run in the Autoblog Garage.

The Traverse is the latest though maybe not last Lambda crossover, and since it dons General Motors' high volume Bow Tie badging, it's likely the most significant, as well. It is GM's least expensive eight-passenger crossover while also carrying the distinction of being the most efficient and most powerful Lambda. Does that make the Traverse the best of GM's Lambda litter? We took on the massive people hauler for a week to find out for ourselves.


Photos copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk/Weblogs, Inc.

Top Gear is widely regarded as the best television show ever produced about cars. The production values are outstanding, the hosts are amusing and their tamed racing driver, "the Stig", is amazing to watch as he improves his mind while hustling cars around the test track. A few months back we all got wind that Jeremy, Richard and James had returned to the U.S. for another road trip. This time around they headed to the West Coast to drive a new Corvette ZR1, Cadillac CTS-V and Dodge Challenger SRT-8 from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Along the way, Jezza decided to stop at some desolate spot somewhere in Nevada or Utah to lay down some black lines on the pavement. Now while we generally love to watch Mr. Clarkson playing with fast cars, he doesn't quite seem to have mastered the art of the burnout. If you start about 9 minutes into the first clip after the jump and continue to the second and third videos, you'll see our favorite limey trio attempting to shred their tires during last night's second episode of Series 12 (Download via bittorrent here). Compared to Clarkson in the ZR1, Hammond and May were utterly hopeless in their Challenger SRT-8 and Cadillac CTS-V, respectively. After that, watch the last video with GM's Chris Berube showing us all how it's done properly in both the ZR1 Vette and Caddy CTS-V.

[Source: YouTube]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Factory Five GTM

Factory Five is one of those companies that you may have heard of but probably don't know where. If you happen to correctly relate them to the car world, you might remember them as a kit car company, one of dozens of Cobra re-creators out there. Well, a few years back they decided to do something a little bit different. They created their own unique design rather than copying someone else's work. The result was the Factory Five GTM.

Some see Ford GT40, others see Corvette and still others think it's an Ascari, Nobel, Rossion or even a Carrera GT. While it may somewhat resemble some of those other great shapes, it is truly something unique. Well, sort of. Like the Anteros we just told you about, there's a bit of Corvette in the mix. It uses a bespoke chassis, but is powered by an LS7 V8. Weighing in at just 2,350 lbs. it has the power-to-weight ratio of a Rolex Grand-Am prototype. It can get to sixty from a standstill in 3 seconds and cover the quarter in 11 flat. We saw one in Vegas at SEMA and when people asked about it in the supercar gallery post, we decided it might need a little extra attention. Enjoy the gallery and if you decide you'd like one, you're in luck. Factory Five is offering $2,000 off the kits.


Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

Less than 2 months ago the headline here was GM ramps up Cobalt production to meet demand. It's amazing how quickly things change in this crazy environment. Just months after adding a third shift at the Lordstown, OH assembly plant where the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 are built, on Friday GM gave 1,100 employees at the facility layoff notices. The company isn't getting rid of the third shift but, it is slowing the build rate in line with current sales demand. Earlier this summer, GM was selling Cobalts as fast as they could build them and now all of a sudden, those sales have dried up. The spike was triggered by $4 gasoline, and even though gas prices have dropped to half that level, you might not expect sales to fall so fast. The real problem is the lack of available credit for financing. Most of the inherent customer base for cars like the Cobalt simply can't afford to pay cash for a new car. With credit increasingly hard to get, car sales have crashed almost across the board in October. Even the Honda Civic that sold 53,000 copies in May got just under 19,800 in October. Expect to hear more about slowdowns at other carmakers, including mighty Toyota and Honda, very soon.

[Source: Vindy.com]

Click either image for a hi-res gallery of the Andros XTM and XTR

Looking at the Andros XTR, we're reminded of the Ferrari California we just drove in Sicily. But while the Ferrari was just unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last month, the Andros actually made its debut in concept form several years ago at SEMA. Prophetic? Maybe, but Andros says they drew inspiration from classic Ferraris, as well as Aston Martins, Jaguars and Maseratis. Either way, it's a compelling design... for a kit car.

Based on the C6 Corvette, the Andros is part of a revival of the time-honored tradition of rebodying Vettes in Italian-style coachwork (check out Pininfarina's take) that has included such recent examples as the Castagna Aznom and Spada Codatronca. In addition to the XTM roadster, the Andros is also available in XTR coupe and XTS targa bodystyles, with panels made from carbon fiber and select steel chassis components replaced by aluminum and magnesium pieces. An available supercharger boosts power from the LS2 pushrod V8 up to 600 horsepower, with optional exhaust, induction and airflow sensor components good for another 15 horses apiece. With Corvette reliability, nearly 650 available horsepower and classic European styling, the Andros presents a compelling package... for a kit car. Check out the images in our gallery below for all the angles.

[Source: autoblog.it]