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Vauxhall VXR8 Gets Supercharged Tuesday, September 04, 2007 | Link to Original Article @ Carscoop Funny ain't it; while Americans are still patiently waiting for the 362 Hp Pontiac G8, on the other side of the Atlantic, the Brits are being offered a supped up version of the HSV! As of this October, Vauxhall will offer a supercharger kit on the option list of the Holden Commodore HSV Clubsport R8 based, VXR8. The addition of the supercharger boosts the 6.0L V8’s output from the standard car’s 412 Hp (307 KW) to a massive 540 Hp while maximum torque is also enhanced by around 30 per cent. Vauxhall hasn’t released any performance figures but since the standard 412 Hp version with the manual gearbox sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4,9 seconds we wouldn’t be surprised if it managed a sub 4,5 sec. time. The supercharger can be ordered either as an extra or it can be fitted retrospectively by any of you luck Brits who’ve already parked a VXR8 under your garage. Either way, the cost of the kit is £6995 or $14,100 and it comes with a three-year factory guarantee.

GMC and Chevrolet Clean Up In Middle East Car "Car of The Year Awards" Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Leading UAE based magazine, Middle East Car, has named the GMC Acadia “Best Crossover”, the GMC Suburban “Lifetime Achievement”, the Chevrolet Caprice “Best LWB Executive Car” and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 “Best Muscle Car” for 2007. The award is presented annually by a jury of ten automotive authorities in the Middle East and around the world consisting of leading automotive journalists and other industry experts. According to Publishing Director RMS magazines and Editor-in-Chief Middle East Car, Philip Moore, “The jury found the all-new, comprehensively redesigned GMC Acadia and Suburban and Chevrolet Caprice and Corvette Z06 like no other vehicles in their class, delivering an unprecedented experience,” said Moore. “These vehicles are truly leaders in their category – where buyers no longer need to sacrifice performance and style for utility.” This is the first time the influential Middle East Car magazine has presented Car of the Year Awards. Philip Moore continued, “The publication had been responding to requests from the market and the COTYs would be an annual event from now on”. The all-new 2007 GMC Acadia, winner of the “Best Crossover” award, was designed to add a new dimension to the fastest growing-vehicle segment in the Middle East offering superior levels of comfort, versatility and performance. Sharing familial design cues with GMC’s other all-new full-size SUVs, the Acadia features styling that underscores GMC’s professional grade philosophy. The exterior profile of the Acadia is sporty, sleek and aerodynamic while its interior reflects style and refinement. The GMC Acadia GMC’s first CUV takes the best aspects of the class and melds them together intelligently, and with more style. The all new 2007 GMC Suburban, winner of Middle East Car’s “Lifetime Achievement” award, is the latest generation of the industry’s most versatile and capable full-size SUV. It is based on GM’s new, full-size SUV architecture, featuring sleek exterior styling, a sharper, more precise driving feel, more power with improved, segment-leading fuel economy, increased interior refinement and improved quietness. “GM is a powerhouse in the Middle East, notching record sales on the back of some fine product. This was reflected when the votes were tallied. GM innovates while keeping an eye on auto traditions and traditions of the Middle East, which was clearly evident in our special Lifetime Achievement award for an industry icon, the Suburban. This award will not necessarily be presented each year, only when the situation warrants it.” Terry Johnsson, President, General Motors Middle East Operations, said: “The 2007 Acadia and Suburban reinforce that the GMC brand is all about exceeding expectations. GMC has long been a trusted brand in the Middle East and our customers are drawn to the precision, power and capabilities of what the brand offers. And now, the line-up is expanding to offer more professional grade vehicles to suit everyday demanding lifestyles.” The new 2007 Chevrolet Caprice, winner of Best LWB Executive Car, balances great proportions, world class exterior and interior styling, and creative design elements to give a stately stance on the road. Reinforcing Caprice’s generous heritage, the all-new Caprice makes its own statement about what a large sedan should be. With its advanced technologies and functional, user-friendly features, the 2007 Chevrolet Caprice is stronger and better equipped than ever before. The 2007 Caprice is set to build on the success and tradition of its predecessor as one of the legends of the regional car market, maintaining its pre-eminence as the car of choice among statesmen, government officials, business executives and large families. The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the fastest, most powerful production Corvette ever built, won the “Best Muscle Car” award. It is also the fastest, most powerful production car ever offered by General Motors, making it one of the best performance values on the market – better than many of today’s ‘super-cars’. The Z06’s LS7 7.0 litre engine delivers 505 horsepower in a 1,421 kg package – a combination that delivers 0-100 km/h performance of 3.7 seconds in first gear, quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds at 200 km/h and a top speed of 317 km/h. “Chevrolet’s reputation for reliability and for driveability has ensured that our heritage has developed into the success we see today with our expanded product portfolio,” said Terry Johnsson. “Our strategy is to continue to maximize our global resources to bring great new cars and SUVs to the region and to compete in all-new segments under the Chevrolet brand.” Moore concluded, “The COTY awards have several functions. One is to salute every single person involved in providing vehicles to consumers in the Middle East. We have taken a long time to decide to give awards because we take such a matter very seriously. We salute all finalists and winners. There would always be a modicum of disappointment from some that they might not have won COTY”. The recognition marks another milestone for the GMC and Chevrolet brands in the Middle East, coming at a time when the appeal of the brands and sales are at an all time high. General Motors has been the global automotive sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM markets its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. It marked the third time (2006, 2005 and 1978) GM has sold more than 9 million vehicles in a calendar year. GM has been operating in the Middle East since the 1920s. GM’s vehicle brands sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Opel and Saab supported by a unique set of customer-focused services. GM parts and accessories are sold under the GM Parts and ACDelco brands. The regional office in Dubai covers the company’s operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen. In 2006, GM sold 140,509 vehicles in the Middle East, representing a 24 percent increase over figures recorded in 2005, and the company continues to introduce pioneering programmes in the region. One example is GMs’ unique Nationalisation programme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been officially recognised by the Saudi government as a benchmark for training young nationals.

Volkswagen Moving to D.C. Area Dulles corridor headquarters to be announced Thursday by Paul A. Eisenstein | Link to Original Article @ TCC | (2007-09-03) Barring a last-minute delay, Volkswagen of America will announce plans to move its headquarters to the Washington, D.C. suburbs, during a news conference several well-placed VW sources tell TheCarConnection.com will be held on Thursday. Rumors of the move have been circulating for several months, while company officials were meeting with representatives of several East Coast states in a bid to come up with the best possible incentives to help finance such a move. At various times, reports have suggested, the German automaker considered not only the Washington area, but also North Carolina, and New Jersey, where it was headquartered during its early years in the U.S. "There's a whole laundry list" of reasons behind the move, said one senior insider, confirming that the company now plans to relocate to the Dulles corridor, a fast-growing strip of housing and corporate headquarters near the District's largest airport, Dulles. A wide range of businesses have set up shop in that area in recent years, including numerous high-tech firms, such as AOL. Specifics of the move are being guarded, though it appears that all of VW's U.S. operations, which includes such brands as the flagship VW, high-line Audi and the ultra-luxurious Bentley, will all move from the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills. "This has been brewing for some time," said a second VW source, noting that the German marquee has been extremely unhappy with the performance of its American operations. According to one trade publication, VWoA's various operations lost a combined $1.1 billion in 2005 and $795 million in 2006 in North America. Another put the five year deficit at more than $3.4 billion Euros, about $2.4 billion at the current exchange rate. Of course, the increasingly lopsided exchange rate has certainly been a part of VW's problems, since it continues to import all of its vehicles from Europe, Mexico and other parts of the world. But the maker is convinced that staying based in the Detroit suburbs would make it difficult to turn things around, insiders have told TheCarConnection. The corporate stand is that VW needs to break free from what one executive called the "Big Three mindset," and start connecting with buyers in places, such as the East Coast, that are more import-minded. The loss of VW would be another setback for the Detroit region, which has been slammed by years of cutbacks in the auto industry. The automaker employs more than 1,500 workers in the Motor City and, if past history is any indication, a sizable share of them would decline to relocate. Something close to 70 percent of Nissan's workforce failed to follow the Japanese maker when it moved from suburban Los Angeles to Nashville. TN, last year. But that is apparently part of VW's plans. The automaker hopes to use the move to sharply reduce what it sees as a bloated workforce, including many employees with the wrong sort of mindset needed to shift directions. "I can't really see this working," contends a long-time VW executive who left the company two years ago to pursue "other options." The big problem, he asserted "is not the Detroit mindset, but the German way of thinking. We spent years trying to get (corporate headquarters in) Wolfsburg to understand the very different needs of the American market and they just wouldn't go along." Unless that changes, the one-time executive argued, nothing will change, no matter where VW relocates. As TheCarConnection reported earlier this year, however, VW has begun to acknowledge the need to treat the U.S. market differently than Europe, and is in the midst of developing products for the American consumer. It is unclear whether additional details of that program will also be revealed later this week.

GM to show new E-Flex hybrid concept car at Frankfurt 30th August 2007 | Link to Original Article @ AutoIndustry.uk Image Gallery A concept model which GM will unveil in two weeks at the Frankfurt Motor Show will start two years of durability and quality testing at the beginning of next year, according to GM chief engineer Frank Weber, who says GM has some 600 engineers worldwide dedicated to developing the E-Flex system which will power the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and this new vehicle. The car on show at Frankfurt will be Astra-size and powered directly only by an electric motor, using its 1.3 litre diesel as a generator to recharge the car’s lithium-ion battery when it runs low, and extending the battery’s normal 40 mile range to nearly 500 miles without a fuel fill-up or a battery recharge. Full charge time is three hours. “This has extremely high torque characteristics,” said Mr. Weber of the vehicle, “similar to what you would get from a V6 engine, and it is available from zero revs.” In terms of running costs he said that the E-Flex would work out at €1.50 (£1.07) per 100 km (62 miles) against €6.84 (£4.90) with a conventional diesel-engined car. This is work in progress, however. According to Weber the system works in computer simulations, but the real test will come when the trial vehicles take to the road next year. “We have to see how the battery performs in very hot and very cold conditions and what sort of drain is put on it by other systems such as heating and air conditioning, audio systems, lights and windscreen wipers. “But we are not looking at this essentially as a long distance vehicle. This is for people with daily and relatively short commutes although there is the ability to go longer distances when necessary.” Benoit Schlumberger, GM product planning director for global compact vehicles, said: “Obviously there is a lot of development cost and there will be a price premium on these vehicles, but we are expecting to sell a large number in China, for example. The environmental challenge there is greater than most other areas of the world but it is where interest in the E-Flex system is developing fastest.” GM says its E-Flex powertrain should save some 4.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide p.a. per vehicle.

You all suck.

You're going to make me take a picture of Clearwater Police's Uplander, aren't you?

300hp in a front-wheel drive car is too much for Nissan or Acura or someone else who similarly doesn't know what they're doing, but GM eliminates torque steer to almost nil in high-torque, high-power front drivers.

FIRST GLIMPSE: 2010 Buick LaCrosse Interior Photoshop courtesy of Ted Krygier General Motors has released these four renderings of a future vehicle labeled 'GMX-353', which is the internal designation for the next-generation Buick LaCrosse. Based on the forthcoming Epsilon II mid/large FWD platform, the next LaCrosse is intended on taking the current midsize Buick to the next level in terms of luxury and refinement. If these conceptualizations are even partially telling of the production sedan, then that goal will be readily achieved. The first rendering of the gauge binnicle (above) shows an advanced design with heavy use of metallic textures. A stitched leather dashboard and binnicle upper is apparent. The current Buick theme of moving towards soft, blue hues and ambient lighting is evidenced within the gauges themselves as well as the center-mounted driver's information center. The leather-wrapped gear selector pictured above emphasizes luxury over sportiness by forgoing a seperate selector gate in favor of a clean linear design. Shifting of the 2010 LaCrosse's 6-speed transmission will likely be handled by an integrated button on the gear selector (not pictured). Identified as one of GM's 'NG corporate 4-spokes,' the above wheel combines multiple materials and colors to create a unique and well-appointed look. In a reverse of tradition, woodtones trim dominant metallic elements on the horizontal spoke with neatly-integrated cruise control and redundant audio controls . The overall design itself combines the sporty ambiance of a three-spoke with the ease and class of a four-spoke. The last and most intriguing rendering is of the NG LaX's center stack. As stated in previous interviews, the current black-tie radios are but a stepping stone to full integration. This design showcases integration it in one of its best forms. Navigation, radio, and HVAC functions are combined in a single control unit with gradiants of gray delineating the fuctions. Ambient lighting peaks through again from behind the principle radio function controls and also through the scroll wheel, which serves as the controller for both navigation and radio with different rotaries serving different functions. Though we are still left to guess as to what the entirety of the LaCrosse will look like, we can spectulate that it will more than hold its own in the competitive premium market given the look and design of these interior elements. Buick has always been known for procuring beautifully-luxurious vehicles with upscale designs inside and out. From the looks of it, the LaCrosse will return Buick to that tradition and follow in the wide footsteps left by the Enclave. Additional Info: Buick's LaCrosse (GMX-353) is slated to arrive in winter of 2009 as a 2010 model. It will be the second American car (following the AURA) to use the wider Epsilon II platform. Powertrain selection is unknown but is likely to include a 3.6l direct-injection V6 and use GM's front-wheel drive six-speed automatic transmission. Pricing is likely to increase over the current LaCrosse, but so will power, equipment, and refinement. The 2010 LaCrosse will share much in common with its Chinese market sister. Downloadable High-Resolution Images P.S. Check out other future GM interior conceptual imagery (BRX, Lambda MCE, GMT-900 MCE) here: GM Design Center Conceptual Interior Elements P.P.S. Thanks to member Derek77 for bringing these to our attention!

Another theory: ~4,000 Chevrolet dealers x one $18,000 Accord - $72,000,000 ~4,000 Chevrolet dealers x one $18,000 Camry - $72,000,000 = $144,000,000

And the winners are... 1st Place Gizhost (12pts) 2nd Place MarioBro88 (9pts) 3rd Place MarioBro88 (8pts) 4th - MDM - (3pts) 5th - MDM - (1pts) Congratulations to Gizhost for another first place finish with his subtle but good-looking modifications to the Volt! Special congratulations to MarioBro88 for two high-ranking entries, including a great production-ready version of the Volt design. Hopefully, we'll be seeing alot more of this car in the future! Thanks for entering and please join us again in our next competition! Now its time to use your choppin' skills to save the GMT-360 from death in the Trailblazer CPR competition! Use any GMT-360 vehicle and modify it or update it in some way to keep it from being dropped. The 1st-place winner receives a GM-related prize as well as having their concept featured on the Cheers and Gears homepage and Design Showcase! Check out the Showcase for all out past winners. Congrats and thanks again!

And the winners are... 1st Place SSConceptz (41pts) 2nd Place Scarlett Swordfish (20pts) 3rd Place MarioBro88 (15pts) 4th - Gizhost - (14pts) 5th - Peugoet 206 - (10pts) 6th - JbarraxJr - (8pts) 7th - MRDETROITMETAL - (3pts) Congratulations to SSConceptz for his first top-placing finish in our Sketch Competitions! A SKY hardtop coupe? Sounds like Saturn would have even more of a problem fulfilling demand with that car. Restyling the already great Solstice and SKY is a tough challenge, but these entries show that its possible. Hope to see you (and everyone else) back again next time. Thanks to all who entered! And yes, this was only the first chapter of our Kappa series. Want to enter something other than a Pontiac or Saturn? Do so in our current Kappa Deux, Part II competition, which just started. Chevy Stingray? Buick Bengal? Oldsmobile? SAAB? A HUMMER roadster? Whatever you want! Get you sketch or rendering in before the September 18th deadline! The 1st-place winner receives a GM-related prize as well as having their concept featured on the Cheers and Gears homepage and Design Showcase! Check out the Showcase for all out past winners. Congrats and thanks again!

Buick - Isn't it time for a Real car? (best one EVA)

Heh too funny.

HA. I wouldn't worry about Bob touching. Reg, on the other hand, may be interested in buying a keyboard I have to sell... Oh, and she's quite fetching. Which begs the question...j/k

Nothing foreign.

Welcome to C&G! Wanna share your rumors? I've heard rumors of the NG Astra coming over to join the next Cobalt on Delta II at Lordstown.

I didn't realize GM made so many orange cars and since my girlfriend hates orange cars, I made this for her... Didn't this color actually devalue the car it was on?

Um. Yeah, this is highly unnecessary.

Toyota Tundra. With UltraFlex bed, FJ-derived frame, and InstaWear camshafts, there's no doubt it has the Biggest Breaks in its Class.

I was riding in a Lucerne the other day when the driver panic-braked and my knees hit the lower dash. Now, I fractured my kneecap and have no feeling below them. Wish I would've been in an Avalon.

Epsilon II. Zetas already hold appeal to enthusiasts and the Asians have no comparable vehicles and likely won't for quite some time. But the EpIIs go after the juggular of the market. LaX, NG Malibu, AURA...if these are executed as well as the Lambdas were and incorporating running innovations from here until debut...oh boy...

Think I'd consider getting a job if I were driving a Hyundai or Kia.

An affordable fullsize car that delivers a comfortable, unjarring ride without the pricetag.