Chevrolet Improves 2012 Cruze’s Fuel Economy by 2MPG and Adds New Standard Features

General Motors is releasing a model year update for its Cruze compact sedan. There are no styling changes as the company focused its attention on improving the car’s fuel economy and equipment features.

Thanks to a lower axle ratio for the 2012 models equipped with a six speed automatic transmission, the standard Cruze with the 138HP 1.4-liter turbocharged engine returns 38 mpg compared with 36 mpg for the current model, while the Cruze Eco with the same powetrain setup delivers 39 mpg instead of 37 mpg.

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2012 Buick Regal GS Officially Rated at 270HP, up from 255HP

The official performance and fuel economy numbers on the 2012 Buick Regal GS are out. When GM revealed the Buick’s sports sedan in production trim at the Detroit Motor Show this past January, the company estimated that the Regal GS was good for 255HP and a 0-60mph time of less than 7 seconds.

Now GM announced that the Regal GS’ 2.0-liter direct-injected turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been SAE-certified to deliver 270 horsepower (201kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400Nm) fat 2,400 rpm or an estimated 0-60 mph performance of 6.7 seconds, or 0.9 seconds slower than the car’s European sibling, the Opel Insignia OPC that features a 325HP V6 and AWD.

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2013 Opel Astra Convertible Spy Photos and Video Outline New Softop Model

Our spies have photographed and filmed the new Opel (Vauxhall in Britain) Astra Convertible on test in Germany. The vehicles caught testing here are early prototype models as the front doors appear to be carried over complete with their frames from the hatchback model.

Nevertheless, we are offered out first look at the open-top version of the new Astra series, which is planned to go on sale by early 2013. The most important change over the previous Astra TwinTop is the replacement of the more complicated, heavier and costly retractable metal roof with a traditional fabric hood.

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Sticker Shock: U.S. Used Car Prices Soar as Nation Tackles Weak Economy and More

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. U.S. used car prices are up 30% over June 2010, in some cases besting Kelly Blue Book values by as much as 25%. Trade-ins are also up by 30% since this time last year.

A variety of factors, including an economy still reeling from the Global Financial Crisis, high gas prices and the Tōhoku earthquake, are thought to be responsible for the massive price rise.

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Pontiac Loans Heart and Body to Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Superleggera Replica

From the creators of the Murcielago LP-640 Roadster wannabe we showed you back in 2009, comes a new Lamborghini doppelganger with fresh looks but the same Pontiac Solstice underpinnings.

This time, the car is supposed to resemble a Gallardo Spyder in a Superleggera outfit. The Lambo replica is finished in the usual for this type of conversions canary yellow and while the builders ditched the scissor door solution, they did add power controlled doors and a hood, which automatically open at the touch of a button – you know, just in case some of your friends weren’t already impressed […].

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Vladimir Antonov Withdraws Proposal to Buy and Leaseback Saab Property

The ink has barely dried on Saab’s latest attempt to form a preliminary deal with China’s Pang Da Automobile and Youngman, and the Swedish company is faced with yet another problem as Russian investor Vladimir Antonov has withdrawn his proposal to buy and leaseback Saab property.

"The property sale is now being discussed with external investors," said Lars Carlstrom, Antonov's representative in Sweden. However, Carlstrom noted that the Russian banker was still interested in becoming a shareholder in Saab’s parent company Spyker Cars NV.

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GM Confirms 6-Speed Automatic for 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1

On the occasion of the Canadian debut of the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 45th Anniversary Special Edition at the Camaro Homecoming event at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, GM confirmed that a 6-speed automatic transmission will be offered alongside the previously announced 6-speed manual gearbox for the top-end ZL1 model.

The Detroit automaker said it will provide “further product and timing details” on the automatic model closer to the ZL1’s launch in the beginning of 2012.

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Report: GM Fed up with Opel, but a Sale isn’t on the Table

They say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and true enough in the case of GM’s relationship with its European subsidiary Opel, there seems to be a lot of smoke piling up lately. Just yesterday, press reports from Auto Bild and Spiegel Online said that GM is looking for a buyer, but the news was quickly dismissed by spokespeople from both Opel and the government of Germany's state of Thuringia, home to one of the brand’s factories.

Today, Reuters came out with a new report saying the Detroit automaker is “frustrated” with its money-losing Opel brand and is “considering options for a turnaround”, noting, however, that a sale of the Opel brand is highly unlikely.

"Akerson is fed up with Opel, and the turnaround isn't gaining traction," a unnamed source who is close to the GM CEO told Reuters. "He is trying to think of all possibilities to improve performance. But a sale is wishful thinking,” the source added.

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GM Recalling 47,401 Cadillac SRX Crossovers Over Airbag Software Issue

A potential issue with an air-curtain air bag that may not deploy during a crash has prompted the U.S. recall of 47,401 Cadillac SRX crossovers from the 2011 model year. For the same reason, 3,099 vehicles are being recalled in Mexico and Canada, with GM stating that the problem is only in North America. Read more »

2012 Chevy Volt Launched in all 50 States, Base Price Drops More than $1,000

This morning, General Motors announced pricing information for the 2012 model year Chevrolet Volt, which is now available for order in all 50 states. The 2011 Volt was offered in just seven states and the District of Columbia. The good news for buyers is that GM has dropped the base price for its extended range electric vehicle by a little over $1,000 to $39,995, which includes an $850 destination freight charge but excludes tax, title and license fees. Those that qualify for a full federal tax credit of $7,500 will see the price dropping to $32,496. Read more »

Cadillac Rolls Out New Design for its Dealerships

While the bigwigs at General Motors are mulling to expand production of Cadillacs outside of North America before the end of 2012, here in the States, the focus is on improving the customer experience at the brand’s dealerships. Today, the Detroit automaker rolled out a new design for Cadillac showrooms that will become the standard across the country.

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VIDEO: 2012 Corvette ZR1 Laps the 'Ring 6-Sec Faster than Previous Model, Beats GT-R by 5-Sec!

And the war on who has the fastest car on Germany’s famed Nurburgring racetrack continues. General Motors wasted no time after the release of its refined for the 2012 model year Corvette ZR1 to take its flagship sports car to the Nurburgring racetrack and try it out.

The 638-horsepower ZR-1 fitted with the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires recorded a lap time of 7:19.63, improving the previous Corvette-best recorded time in 2008 by more than six seconds (7:26.40) and beating the 2012MY Nissan GT-R’s most recent run -allegedly in less than ideal conditions though- by close to five-seconds (7:24.22).

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GM Denies Reports Claiming Plans to Sell its Opel Brand Possibly to the Chinese or VW Group

German car magazine Auto Bild and weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that General Motors is once again considering the sale of its Opel and Vauxhall units. The reports were dismissed as pure speculation by the Detroit automaker as well as a German state with an Opel factory, which called the news “nonsense”.

According to the news reports, GM allegedly was no longer in need of Opel’s know-how in manufacturing small cars as well as low emission and fuel efficient powerplants and that it could replace the German brand with its South Korean GM Chevrolet unit, formerly known as Daewoo.

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Holden Engineers Fine-Tuning 2013 Chevy Malibu for Global Markets

The all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has made its way to Australia landing in the hands of Holden’s engineering team, which was recruited by General Motors to assist in the calibration of the mid-size sedan for both the local and global markets outside of North America.

The Australian team is working on the Malibu at Holden’s Lang Lang Proving Ground in the State of Victoria while also evaluating the car on public roads. GM said Holden will continue development of Malibu until the end of 2012.

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GM Wants to Start Building Cadillacs Abroad by the End of 2012

While speaking to the media, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson revealed plans to expand Cadillac production outside of North America by the end of 2012 as part of the Detroit firm’s efforts to make its premium brand a “true global marque”. According to Akerson, building Cadillacs in other areas of the world would safeguard the company from foreign-currency fluctuations and allow GM to better handle its supply chain.

Currently, the only Cadillac model assembled outside of North America is the China-market SLS, which is a stretched version of the STS sold in the States. Akerson did not reveal where GM plans to build the Cadillac models.

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Chevrolet Prices New Cruze 5d Hatchback from £13,995 in the UK

The new Cruze hatchback will arrive in Chevrolet’s UK dealerships next month with on-the-road prices starting from £13,995 (US$23,000), the automaker announced today. Customers can choose from three engines including two petrol units, a 124HP 1.6-liter and a 141HP 1.8-liter, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel delivering 163-horsepower. All engines can be coupled to either a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission. Read more »

U.S. Government Focusing in on Web Gadgets that Distract Drivers

We are all living in an age of networked information. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, smartphones and public internet access are making the world smaller every day. Unfortunately, in some instances all this information can distract us from the important things, such as focusing on driving. And no one agrees with this more than U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood:

“We know people are hooked on cellphones and texting devices. But there's absolutely no reason for any person to download their Facebook into the car. It's not necessary. "

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GM Shows 2012 Chevy Impala Police Car with 302HP V6, Says its 28% More Fuel Efficient than Ford Crown Vic

In a rather odd move, General Motors has gone ahead and revealed the police patrol version of the 2012 model year Chevrolet Impala before we get to know the full details on the retail model. The Detroit automaker stated that the 2012 Impala for the public will go on sale this month and will get the additional horsepower and fuel economy of the police derivative.

The highlight of the 2012 Impala redesign in both police and retail forms is the adoption of the GM’s new 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. The six-cylinder unit delivers 302-horsepower and according to GM’s engineering tests, it offers the 2012 Impala a very respectable 0-60mph (96 km/h) sprint time of 6.6 seconds.

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Jump Fail: Can You Guess What Happens Next?

Here’s one jump that won’t buff out. For reasons beyond logic, the driver of a fairly new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck decided to impress his buddies (and his….insurer) at a meet on the sand dunes of Silver Lake in Michigan, USA, by performing a high-speed jump stunt. The laws of physics pretty much explain what happens next.

If you're still wondering, follow the jump to watch the video and leave your comments below.

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2012 Chevrolet Impala: First Photos and Details, gets 3.6-liter V6 SIDI

While it may not be the redesign Chevrolet fans were hoping for, nevertheless, five years after the introduction of the current Impala onto the market in 2006, General Motors is updating its full size sedan with some barely noticeable cosmetic changes and a new standard engine for the 2012 model year.

The most significant change is of course the adoption of General Motor’s latest 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology and E85 Flex-fuel capability, linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The preliminary spec-sheet does not refer to performance numbers, but it has been reported that the V6 should be good for around 302-horsepower.

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