Chevrolet Rules: Double Lacetti Victory Paves Way For Cruze in 2009

Alain Menu and Rob Huff successfully closed the four-season Lacetti-chapter for Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship by scoring two wins in the streets of Macau, the jewel in the crown of the WTCC. While Menu dominated race 1 from start to finish, Huff was lucky to steer clear of the last-lap mayhem in race 2 and move up from fourth to first in the matter of a few …

Chevy Cruze WTCC Racer Fully Revealed [Racing News]

Not happy with just taunting us with the new 2010 Chevy Cruze going on sale a year earlier in Europe than in the US, GM has now fully unveiled the World Touring Car Championship Chevy Cruze, all dolled up for serious action. The racing Cruze replaces the Chevrolet Lacetti as GM's WTCC corporate racer and will be driven by a 2.0 liter four cylinder and piloted by Brit racer Rob Huff, Swizerlander Alain Menu and Italian Nicola Larini. The rough part of this whole story is the pun-tastic headline GM uses in their press release. An audible groaner below.

CRUZE-ING TO VICTORY?

* Chevrolet unveils new WTCC contender
* 2009 car based on new Cruze global car
* British driver Rob Huff continues Chevrolet involvement

With a new global car on the way for 2009, the World Touring Car Championship is the perfect platform for Chevrolet to put its latest model in the public eye.

This is the new Cruze WTCC car, which replaces the successful Lacetti as Chevrolet’s contender in the 2009 series.

Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine, the WTCC Cruze has a hard act to follow, as the Lacetti won its final two outings for Chevrolet in Macau.

But Chevrolet’s drivers are confident that the new car will be a top performer in the series, which has gained global recognition as one of the most exciting tin-top series since its inception in 2005.

British driver Rob Huff (28) from Newmarket, Suffolk, who has been with Chevrolet since it debuted in World Touring Cars said: “The Cruze is a great car and feels fast straight out of the box. We are obviously still at the very early stages of development but already I can feel how much better it handles and what an advantage the car’s wider track will be in a race environment.’

Rob will be joined in 2009 by Swiss racer Alain Menu and Italian Nicola Larini. All three drivers also drove for Chevrolet in 2008.

The cars will be prepared for Chevrolet once again by RML Motorsport. The Wellingborough, Northants, based company has a history of motorsport involvement with Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, and has looked after Chevrolet’s WTCC involvement since 2005.

The Chevrolet Cruze, on which the 2009 WTCC car is based, will go on sale in the UK during the first half of next year, and will be sold in over 130 countries worldwide. It is one of Chevrolet’s most important new models ever, as it clearly illustrates a new level of styling and quality for the brand, both in Europe and in the USA. The car made its public debut to much acclaim at the Paris Motor Show in October.

[Source: GM]

2011 Chevrolet Cruze - Video

GM is investing in its Lordstown, Ohio, plant to build the Cobalt replacement.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze - Video

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.

New Chevrolet Cruze Starts Winter Tests In Portugal

Chevrolet’s 2009 WTCC contender, the Cruze, continued its extensive test and development programme with a first public test at the Portuguese Estoril track yesterday and today. The test follows on the initial private tests at the MIRA proving grounds in the UK and at Guadix in Spain. The test and development programme will continue throughout the winter months at different tracks across southern Europe.

Today’s test at Estoril also marked the very last time the current model, the Chevrolet Lacetti, was used in a testing capacity. The successful Lacetti will bow out at the season’s final races in Macau in two weeks’ time, after which the team will only concentrate on developing and building the new Cruze. At Estoril, both cars were driven by Alain Menu and Rob Huff; the back-to-back test being used to set a baseline for the Cruze.

 

QUOTES

Rob Huff: “The Cruze is a great car and feels fast straight out of the box. We obviously still are at the very early stages of development but already now you can feel how much better it handles and what an advantage the wider track will be in the races.”

Alain Menu: “It was the first time I drove the Cruze and I can already tell the car feels good. The wider track makes it easier to drive in certain portions of the circuit, while lap times show promise but also indicate the amount of work still needed. The car responds well to all set-up changes which should make it easier for us to make progress throughout the winter months.”

Eric Nève:

“It is always a special moment to see a new race car out on a real race track for the first time. The Cruze is Chevrolet Europe’s new core model and the launch of the new road car in the showrooms blends in perfectly with the start of the 2009 season, so the WTCC car will once again have an important role to play for the market place. With the success and experience we have gained in the past four seasons incorporated in this new race car, I am convinced that the Cruze can achieve new ambitions for Chevrolet in the WTCC.”