GM releases three sneak-peek videos of upcoming Detroit vehicles

As the 2009 Detroit Auto Show draws near, General Motors continues to prepare for its new-model onslaught. The latest salvo of information on its coming range of 2010 model-year cars comes by way of a trio of 'sneak peek' videos detailing the Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and Buick LaCrosse. Each of the videos features interviews with designers, creators and executives on the design and marketing direction of each vehicle. The interiors of all three cars are also detailed with close-up shots and sweeping pans. The theme of the SRX video boils down to a marriage of what Cadillac calls 'fashion and function'. 2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover

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GM delays Chevrolet Camaro production by one month

General Motors has confirmed that the launch of its 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be delayed by a month, but has refused to give a reason why. The reborn muscle car was originally due to enter production at GM's Oshawa plant in Ontario, Canada, on February 16, but the date has now been pushed back to March 16. The information comes from Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan, who told Automotive News that the decision is due to a number of factors. "We're still going to build every one we can, and we're excited to get them out," he said.

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Corvette ZR-1 rolling chassis to be auctioned from GM Heritage Collection

The fund-raising process of auctioning off much of the contents of General Motors' historic Heritage Collection of cars hits a potential high-note, at least to a do-it-your-selfer's eye, with the sale of a Corvette ZR-1 rolling chassis. Though the exact state of the chassis isn't known, it does appear to be complete with a 6.2L supercharged LS9 engine. Full suspension, wheels and tires and a very minimalist amount of interior elements sum up the remainder of the included equipment, but that won't stop hotrodders and customizers the world over from heading to the Barrett-Jackson auction where the chassis will be sold. The auction materials indicate the car may not be titled or licensed, however, hinting that it may be a pre-production vehicle or even a display-only model built for use at the 2008 Detroit Show as part of a technology showcase. Corvette ZR-1

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Chevy Beat Concept headed to Detroit, U.S. production possible

Despite adamant statements to the contrary, the production verion of the Chevrolet Beat could be made available for sale in the U.S. On this morning's Today Show, General Motors product guru Ed Welburn talked with Matt Lauer about the car, which will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show. Rumors of North American availability have persisted despite GM's statement that the car couldn't be made to meet federal safety standards without significant re-design. The car was always intended as an entry in Asian and other markets, however. 2011 Chevrolet Beat spy shots

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Comparo: Chevrolet HHR SS vs. Dodge Caliber SRT-4

In 1976, Volkswagen introduced the world to the Rabbit GTi. The German pocket rocket defined a whole new class for entry-level lead foots. The DNA was simple; a lightweight, nimble chassis coupled with a high-revving fuel efficient motor, a couple of doors and a lift-gate at the back. The hot-hatch was born. Since then, grace has been replaced by grunt. Two hundred horsepower is the starting line. The Mazdaspeed 3, new GTi, and MINI Cooper S lead the way from across the ponds. Stateside, the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and Chevrolet HHR SS bring more mass and muscle to the party. They may be a two-door stretch to the original definition, but hot and hatched they are. So are either of the latter two worth your money?

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Review: 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Coupe

Many cars are so middle-of-the-road in so many ways that nothing about them, good or bad, is memorable. You know they're out there, somewhere, carrying on in quiet servitude. Some of them even have sport packages and/or sports appearance packages in a failed attempt to lift them above the mundane. And then there's the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, a vehicle from the same school that somehow manages to rise above its station in life. If only just.

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2009 Chevy Traverse vs. 2009 Ford Flex

With the full-size SUV market all but dead, General Motors and Ford are counting on large crossovers (and a few pennies from Washington) to keep them afloat. Sure, small cars are all the rage, but some people need space for six-plus people and their luggage— and will not buy anything with uncool sliding doors. Also, while large crossovers aren't as profitable as large SUVs were in the 1990s, they are far more profitable than a Cobalt or Focus. The Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Flex recently arrived at dealers. Which is more likely to save its maker's bacon?

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2008 Chevrolet Cobalt Review

A couple of weeks ago, grainy images portending GM's bright, small-car-driven future "leaked" onto the Web. "All hail the new Cruze!" shouted the GM Kool-Aid Klub, apparent fans of intentional misspelling. A compact come-to-Jesus from the higher-ups quickly followed, delivered by GM's Design Chief. "In North America, we never did a good small car," Ed Welburn mea culpaed. So things will be different this time, right? Just like they were going to be different three years ago, when the Cobalt was released? The Cobalt I rented this weekend? Bah, humbug, I say.

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2007 Chevrolet Express 3500 Review

I greeted my temporary assignment to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada with joyful anticipation. After numerous hours in an E-3 looking for simulated bogeys over the Mojave Desert, the proximity to Sin City was a welcome reprieve. Stepping down from my jet, Technical Sgt. Peters handed me a set of keys and pointed to the terminal's parking lot. Examining the plate number on the tag, and seeing a Chevy emblem on the key, I expected a minivan. Instead, a ginormous Express 3500 15-Passenger van assaulted my vision. For this I defend my country?

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1990 Corvette LPE ZR-1 Review

Until now, TTAC has only reviewed new cars. Due to popular demand, we've decided to experiment with reviews of pre-loved automobiles. This raises some important questions. Should we compare the used car to its contemporaries, its latter-day incarnation or an equivalent-priced new car? Or should we just review it "as is" and let TTAC's Best and Brightest hash out those issues in the comments section? As the Brits say, we're going to suck it and see, beginning with Sajeev's review of a Lingenfelter-modified 1990 ZR-1 Corvette.

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2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ 4×4 Review

To evaluate the all-new 2008 Toyota Sequoia, I spent some quality time with comparable full-size SUVs from GM and FoMoCo. In back-to-back-to-back tests on the highways and byways of Denton County, Texas, I pitted the new Sequoia Platinum against the 2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition and the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ "White Diamond" edition. Let's not beat around the Texan brush: the Tahoe outshines its competitors as the best all-around full-sized SUV. Here's why...

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2008 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Review

The Chevrolet Corvette is the exception that proves the rule. It's the one GM car that has never, ever been boring. Sure, there've been times when the 'Vette lost the plot-- when comparing its dynamic capabilities to a similarly priced foreign sports car was like pitting Cheese Whiz against Normandie brie. But the 'Vette was never po-faced about it. Besides, those days are gone. As I sampled a 2008 convertible automatic with a few new upgrades, I wondered: what could GM learn from the Chevrolet Corvette?

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Chevrolet Equinox FCEV Review

There is no truth so inconvenient that it can't be fixed with clever marketing. With an eco-parade of automakers making promises both daring and dubious in their race to join the green gravy train, some skepticism is in order. But now I've been to the fuel cell mountaintop and have prayed to the hydrogen altar in an Equinox FCEV. Say Hallelujah! I'm ready to fall to my knees as a true believer in the New Gas. Well, almost.

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Chevrolet Malibu Review

We've all heard GM's party line too many times: "Sure, we're not doing so well with our current products. But we've redesigned the [insert model name]. It's going to bring new car buyers flooding back to [insert brand name]" Each time, the new product has fallen short. Each time, GM has surrendered market share, especially in the midsize sedan segment it once dominated. Does the latest object of GM's hype, the redesigned 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, continue this downwards trend?

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Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 Crew Cab Review

For once, the brochures are right: nobody in their right mind buys a small truck for motoring pleasure. A small pickup is a way to get to and from outside activities, like kayaking, rock climbing, schlepping a DLP TV, fencing in the back forty, running a few bales of marijuana across the Mexican border (closed course, professional driver), etc. While full-size pickups mollycoddle their drivers in the hopes of luring owners who don't actually need them, their smaller siblings have stayed true to the genre's hair-shirt-on-leaf-springs roots. But even at the low end, there is a hierarchy....

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Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Review

Fair disclosure: I wanted to love the Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged (SS-S). My first car was America's Beetle: the Chevette. Watching the transplants take over the U.S. compact car market, I've always hoped The Big 2.8 would raise their game and kick some serious small car butt. To their credit, The General really swung for the fences with the SS-S. Unfortunately, it's game over; the Cobalt SS-S can't meet 2008 emissions regulations. As GM sends the Cobalt SS-S to the big dugout in the sky, is it love's labor lost or no big deal?

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Chevrolet Aveo Review

Chevrolet's Aveo has the makings of comic gold. It's the cheapest car sold in America. It's from GM, ever the stooge to straight men Honda and Toyota. And get this: despite being the first vehicle to feature in Chevy's ubiquitous "An American Revolution" campaign, the Aveo is built in… wait for it… Bupyong, South Korea. Ba-dum ching!

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Chevrolet Impala SS Review

There's a torque steer conspiracy afoot. Apparently, several mainstream manufacturers have decided to boost their front wheel-drive models' fuel efficiency by throwing their drivers at solid objects each and every time they dare to accelerate with authority. Thankfully, not all carmakers have joined the secret scheme; many wrong wheel-drivers maintain manageable directional stability under maximum thrust. Of course, these vehicles aren't powered by a 5.3-liter can of whoop ass, like Chevrolet's latest Impala SS. If ever there was a front wheel-drive car that discourages hoonery, this is it.

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Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Review

Left Coast do-gooders? Take a hike. East Coast intellectuals? On your bike. The Chevy Silverado doesn't give a damn about you and your fancy gas electric cars. GM's new[ish] pickup is a rolling tribute to the working class people who form the backbone of our country-- as defined by the musical stylings of John Cougar Mellencamp. More to the point, a good old Harvard boy named Rick Wagoner says his company's turnaround depends on the Silverado. So are its flat-bedded shoulders strong enough to support the world's America's largest automaker?

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Chevrolet Aveo5 Review

General Motors is at it again. After failing to flog captive imports from Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki, The General's drafted in Daewoo to give Chevy's "American Revolution" something to sell. Considering GM's lack of success with captive imports in the past, and Daewoo's Titanic troubles in the US market, you have to wonder about RenCen's reasoning vis-à-vis the rebadged machine known on this side of the Pacific as the Chevrolet Aveo. Has GM made yet another logistical mistake, or will they have the last laugh as vendors of the only domestic nameplate selling a high-mileage subcompact car in the US?

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