GM Performance Parts To Offer $7,000 Body-In-White New Camaro

Do you want to build your very own Camaro GS Racer featured at this year’s SEMA show? GM Performance Parts has the answer for you with the new $7,000 2010 Chevy Camaro body-in-white.

Starting early next year, GM Performance Parts will begin offering the 2010 Chevy Camaro body-in-white in their catalog. Marketed towards the competition racer set, the 2010 Camaro body-in-white will save both time and money. The package includes an assembled body structure, including front fenders, hood, front fascia, grille, roof, doors, rear quarter panels, trunk lid, rear fascia, complete floorpan and chassis rails. The cost of the package will run you $7,000, a far cry from the up-level SS model that would see the removal of 90% of its original content.

The parts needed to complete the package will include a powertrain, fuel system, suspension, interior components, glass and safety equipment. GM Performance Parts offers many of these parts through its online catalog and with such a large assortment of crate engine options listed on the GM Performance Parts website, it’ll be interesting to see what some of the grassroots racers will shoehorn between the rails of their build-your-own muscle car. Our ideal setup would be either the 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 or the brutal ZZ572/720R drag unit with its 572 cu. in. and 720 HP and 685 lb-ft of brute force.

GM Performance Parts Press Release:

Grand Blanc, Mich. – Racers who want to slip into something more fashionable at the
track next year will find the 2010 Camaro is just their size. GM Performance Parts will offer body in white packages of the new Camaro starting in the first quarter of 2009. The basic package lists for $7,000 and includes an assembled body structure, including the front fenders, hood, front valance/grille header panel, roof, doors, rear quarters, trunk lid and rear valance. The structure also includes the complete floorpans and chassis rails.

Racer must fill out an online application to be eligible to purchase one. The form is available at www.gmperformanceparts.com. Bodies will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is no limit to the number an approved racing team can purchase.

“This is the easiest and most cost-effective way to build a race-ready new Camaro,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, of GM Performance Parts. “We envision racers using these bodies for all types of competition, from Pro Street and Competition drag racing to road racing.” The body in white includes only a painted body shell and no additional components or materials. The bodies do not have vehicle identification numbers, so they may only be used as racing vehicles that will never be licensed for street driving.

Racers will add powertrain, fuel system, suspension, interior components and glass (or sanctioning body-approved alternative), and safety equipment, then go racing.

“For the racers who would strip down the entire car and replace most of the components with racing-spec parts, the body in white saves time and money,” said Dr. Meyer. “Drag racers, for example, won’t have to worry about swapping out for a solid axle – they can just bolt one up and go.”

[via GM Performance Parts]

Transformers 2 Chevy Volt Gets A Name: "Jolt"

When we showed you the first Chevy Volt pictures from the set of the new Transformers movie, we all wondered what character GM’s little earth-saving electric car would be. Well, his name is "Jolt."

It’s been a while since we last gave you a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen update, so today we bring you the newest character in the TF2 lineup. We’ll give you some clues –- gleaned from the toy box these shots came from. He makes a habit of getting into trouble. He is chaotic and impulsive, always out for the next big adventure. If there is danger afoot, he is sure to find his way into the middle of it. Luckily, he’s got the fighting skills to get himself out of any binds he gets himself into. When he’s got his electro whips in his hands, he’s an almost unstoppable whirlwind of crackling energy. That’s right, GM’s halo car for all that is good will transform into an Autobot we've never heard of named Jolt. It just goes to show that the Volt really is out to save the world. We’ve got images of the Transformers 2 movie-line toy below.

[via Seibertron, TF08]

2010 Chevrolet Equinox explained in detail

Over the weekend, GM dropped the official details and images of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox prior to its debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show next month in Detroit.

Today the GM team has released a video of a “walkaround” the 2010 Equinox with commentry from some of the executives that worked on the new Chevy SUV.

Refresher: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox will be offered with a 182-hp 2.4L Ecotec direct-injected I-4 or a 255-hp 3.0L DOHC direct-injected V6.

Corvette ZR1 Braving Snowy Detroit Freeways

An illustrious reader captured this privately owned Corvette ZR1 slopping around Detroit's snowy I-275 just south of the infamous mixing bowl interchange. Considering the ridiculousness of this image, we thought you might enjoy captioning it.

The mixing bowl is the junction of I-275, I-96, I-696 and M5, and under normal conditions is actually a lot of fun to drive on. But combined with any amount of rush hour traffic or foul weather and it turns into a hellbroth of nightmarish traffic stagnation. This guy getting out of the bowl without losing it is a testament to how tame the big bad Vette can be. (Thanks for the picture Mason)

2010 Chevy Camaro LS Shows Off Rallye Style Wheels

Apparently Disney World's Test Track at Epcot of all places took delivery of their 2010 Chevy Camaro LS and a forum-head over at Camaro5 snagged shots which display a sweet, retro-style set of rallye wheels.

The obvious throwback to the old school Camaro warms the car-guy cockles. We actually think this Camaro adds a certain degree of tough-guy attitude missing from the other Camaros. Now if it can be had with a stripe running around the nose, we'll be in hardcore Camaro fanboy heaven. Please Chevy, make it so. [Camaro5]

Hawaiian Chevy Dealer Attempts To Crush Honda With Suburban, Fails

A Hawaiian Chevrolet dealership setup a jacked-up Suburban to crush a vintage Honda Accord to send a message to anyone buying Japanese. The message became somewhat cluttered when the tiny Honda broke the SUV.

James Severtson, the general sales manager of Island Chevrolet in Hilo, Hawaii, hired a Chevrolet Suburban monster truck to drive over a used Honda Accord before a large crowd in order to highlight the importance and strength of American automakers. Instead, Severtson highlighted domestic quality issues when the truck blew a hydraulic hose and started leaking fluid after its first pass over the Accord. A few hours later the truck was repaired and the Accord, which proved to be too tough a competitor, was replaced with a Hyundai Excel.

Chevrolet Bail on The Le Mans 24 Hours

OK, this is a big one, perhaps the biggest so far of all the people who have announced pull outs from this series or that. Chevy has decided to end its factory Corvette racing effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now, unlike Honda pulling out of F1 or Subaru ditching the WRC, Chevy is pulling out of a series that it is WINNING. So far, apart from some serous challenges from the likes of Viper (back when) and Aston Martin for the past couple of go-rounds, the bow-tie boys have pretty much had it their own way as long as they wanted at the Circuit De La Sarthe. And who can argue with that success? Not me.

Le Mans ain’t easy. Ask Ford. It took them a lot longer to win there than you’d expect, given the boxcar loads of money they were shoveling at the place from 1964 to ‘69.

The other way of looking at this goes something like this:

Chevy has already won at Le Mans. A lot. So why keep doing it? We’ve won and we’ve won and we’ve won, what more do we get out of it if we win one more time in June 2009?

OK, I can see that. Makes sense. And it especially makes sense from a business perspective. Especially coming from a business that just went to D.C. for the umpteenth time, hat in hand, groveling for 1% of what Congress handed out to the financial geniuses that thought giving million dollar home loans to Wal Mart employees was a good idea.

Now, Chevy ain’t bailing completely. They’re just leaving the GT 1 category, and will continue to race in the (more stock) GT 2 category.

Steve Wesoloski, road racing boss of Chevrolet’s parent company General Motors, had this to say:

“We are still going ahead with our plans for a reduced programme of Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans. No one has told me otherwise. We are, of course, prepared for all eventualities. It all hinges on what happens in Washington.”

Source: AutoSport

2009 Chevrolet Aveo / Aveo5 - Review

Chevrolet’s entry-level car is available as both a homely looking sedan and an altogether more attractive five-door wagon (the Aveo5). Built by GM’s Daewoo subsidiary in Korea, the Aveo is fitted with a 106-hp, 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine, mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or an optional four-speed automatic, the latter of which is only available on LT models. The Aveo sedan was redesigned in 2007 and sedan models have continued on relatively unchanged since. The Aveo5 receives an interior and exterior styling update for 2009, differentiating it from the sedan considerably. Both body styles are available in LS, 1LT, and 2LT trim levels.

Verdict

The base Aveo LS model foregoes such basic features as air conditioning and power windows to get in at a starting price of $12,625. An Aveo outfitted with power windows, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, and an automatic transmission will cost more than $16,000, for which one can get a Honda Fit—and the Fit is superior in every way, particularly if one enjoys driving. The Aveo is, however, well made and roomy, although the engine is underpowered and becomes coarse as the revs rise. Fuel economy is average for the class, with estimated EPA figures of 27 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway for manual models, but not stellar, considering the Aveo’s size.

2009 Chevrolet Equinox - Review

Although there’s a common perception that General Motors was late to the crossover-utility-vehicle party, it was actually an early adopter with the Equinox, which was styled to look much more like a traditional SUV than its Japanese rivals such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Introduced for 2005, the Equinox shares much of its componentry with the first-generation Saturn Vue. Essentially a front-wheel-drive machine, all versions of the Equinox can be outfitted with all-wheel drive. The 185-hp, 3.4-liter V-6 engine is fitted to the LS, LT, and LTZ models, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The Sport model, introduced for 2008, is fitted with the more sophisticated and powerful 264-hp, 3.6-liter engine and six-speed automatic that’s shared with the Cadillac CTS. Towing capacity is rated at 3500 pounds. The Equinox is available only in two-row, five-passenger form and is due to be replaced for 2010 by a new model.

Verdict

The Equinox was a solid player when it came to market, but has been joined by a veritable stampede of crossover utilities since then. Its interior dates from the days before product czar Bob Lutz cast a critical eye over the lackluster materials and cheesy plastics that dominated GM interiors, although the materials have been upgraded over the vehicle’s lifecycle. The 3.4-liter V-6 feels wheezy at the top end and isn’t really up to the task of pulling along nearly 4000 pounds, although the higher-powered Sport is peppy. The Equinox rides and handles in a carlike fashion, although it isn’t in the same league as the likes of the CR-V.

Innotech Chevy C6 Corvette lets you be more exotic with more power

So you feel that your C6 Corvette doesn’t look as exotic when standing next to a Ferrari at a red light? Well Innotech is here to change all that and starting January 2009 it will build modified versions of the C6 Corvette coupe and convertible .

Innotech’s body redesign for the Corvette C6 includes a new front and rear fascia, rear window side louvres, a choice of stock or louvered hood and other distinctive body parts coming in 2009. Innotech says that a widebody kit will also be available. A wide body kit will also be available for C6 Coupe and Convertible. All body parts from Innotech are made from fiberglass and carbon fiber. Interior upgrades include fine Italian or English leather and the option of carbon fiber seats with a leather upholstery. Wheels include 19-inches in the front and 20-inches in the back.

Innotech will also offer perfromance upgrades including Brembo brakes with 4 or 6 piston calipers and a new exhaust system. Engine upgrades for the LS2 6.0L or LS3 6.2L include 500-hp to 560-hp if naturally aspirated or 600-hp to 1000-hp with a superchargers or twin-turbochargers

GM's Holden to Build New Compact Model Based on Opel Astra & Chevy Cruze

The official teaser sketch you see above gives us our first glimpse of Holden's upcoming, Australian built compact car that will available in late 2010 in both four-door sedan and hatchback versions. The yet unnamed compact model will be based on GM's global Delta small car architecture that underpins the Chevy Cruze as well as the next-generation Opel / Vauxhall / Saturn Astra. It will be GM Holden's first locally produced car beyond the Commodore (sold in the States as the Pontiac G8) since the demise of the Vectra production in 1998.

Local design and engineering work on the Australian vehicle will take place at GM Holden's Port Melbourne headquarters in the State of Victoria. The front-wheel drive model will be offered with an array of 4-cylinder direct injected petrol and diesel engines while Holden said that it is also considering a range of alternative fuel or fuel saving technologies including E85, LPG, CNG and start-stop hybrid capability.

Further details about the compact model including its nameplate, design specifications and pricing will be revealed at a later date.

Production of Holden's second carline at the firm's Elizabeth manufacturing facility in South Australia will start in the third quarter of 2010 with support from the Federal and South Australian Governments. According to GM's Australian subsidiary, the program will require 500 to 600 existing employees at Elizabeth and is estimated to provide 500 to 600 local supplier positions.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss said the announcement provided opportunity to take a leading role in developing alternative fuel and fuel saving technologies in Australia for Australians. Mr Reuss said the program would be a major contributor to the economy, generating an estimated $70 million to $80 million in wages and $30 million in research and development.

"Together with Government, we are extending the scope and consumer appeal of our local manufacturing efforts," Mr Reuss said. "We have been building Holden cars to suit the needs of Australian motorists for 60 years. These plans build on that tradition. We recognise the needs and desires of motorists are evolving with growing concern around environmental factors and shifting consumer sentiment."

"Just as our leading Commodore range will continue to undergo technological development, this new vehicle will cater for growing demand for smaller cars focussed on economy," Mr Reuss added.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox Revealed Ahead of Detroit Show

Having solved some of its problems for the next few months thanks to the emergency loan it received from the Bush Administration, GM is moving ahead with its scheduled debuts that include the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. Due to be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Detroit auto show in mid-January, Chevy's second generation Equinox rides on the same 112.5-inch wheelbase (2,857 mm) as the current model, but is about one inch (25 mm) shorter in length and an inch wider.

As you can see from the pictures, the new Equinox draws its exterior design inspiration from the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and Traverse crossover. Inside, the compact crossover features a large number of storage bins, such as an oversized glove box, a closed storage bin in the instrument panel above the center stack; and closed storage under the center armrest which is big enough to fit a laptop computer.

Like the current model, the 2010 Equinox features a MultiFlex rear seat capability, which allows the seat to be moved fore or aft nearly eight inches (203 mm). With the 60/40-split-back rear seat moved all the way forward, the cargo area offers 31.4 cubic feet (889 liters) of storage.

When the 2010 Equinox goes on sale in mid-2009, it will be available in LS, LT and LTZ trim, with front-wheel or all-wheel-drive options. Two new engines are offered, a 2.4L direct injection 4-cylinder engine delivering 182 HP and an estimated 30 mpg highway / 21 mpg city and a 3.0L direct injected V6 engine with 255 HP which delivers an estimated 25 mpg highway / 18 mpg city. Chevrolet expects that nearly two-thirds of customers will choose the more fuel efficient 2.4L engine.

"At a time when customers are so concerned about the fuel efficiency of their vehicle, the Equinox delivers," said Ed Peper, GM North America vice president, Chevrolet. "It offers the roominess and capability of a crossover with great fuel economy. Equinox will provide customers a vehicle filled with refinement, comfort and great value."