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Posts tagged general motors
Report: 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray horsepower and torque figures leaked?
May 25th
Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM
Despite the fact that General Motors has already pulled the wraps off of the highly anticipated Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray – in both coupe and convertible forms – there’s still a lot we don’t know about The General’s new halo car. When it first launched, GM stated that the ‘Vette’s new 6.2-liter LT1 V8 would put out an estimated 450 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. But some PDF scans found by the folks at the Corvette7 forum site show that the Stingray coupe might actually throw down 455 hp and 460 lb-ft – increases of 5 hp and 10 lb-ft over the original numbers, and gains of 25 hp and 36 lb-ft versus the current car’s 6.2-liter LS3 V8.
If these PDF scans are to be believed, it looks like only the coupe will benefit from this slightly more powerful setup, as a similar spec list for the Corvette Stingray Convertible states that the droptop will make 450 hp and 450 lb-ft – spot on with the original estimates. Official fuel economy numbers are still unknown, though GM has previously stated that the ‘Vette is “expected to improve” upon the current car’s EPA highway rating of 26 miles per gallon.
We expect the officially official numbers to be revealed later this year, closer to the Corvette’s launch. Head over to Corvette7 to read more, and check out the PDF scans for yourself in the gallery below.
2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray horsepower and torque figures leaked? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 May 2013 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First Drive: 2013 Ram 3500 HD
May 22nd
Filed under: Truck, Work, First Drives, Luxury, Ram
Tow It All
There are no shiftier sands than those that underlie the heavy duty truck market. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have been locked in the same interminable sniping match for years, each delighting in picking their competitors off with new, more powerful drivelines and ever loftier tow ratings. Right now, Ram sits at the top of the heap with its 2013 3500 HD. With the optional Max Tow package, the truck is rated to pull an astonishing 30,000 pounds. That’s ludicrous weight – the kind of heft typically left to the semi world.
In fact, most states require you to have a commercial driver’s license just to pull that much ballast around behind you, and for good reason: All that tonnage comes to bear on every aspect of a vehicle’s driving dynamics. Every maneuver takes longer, requires more forethought and exacts a larger toll on the vehicle’s hardware. Of course, as is often the case, there can be a gulf between what it says on a machine’s label and what the rig can actually muster in terms of performance. We hitched a full 30,000 lbs behind the 2013 Ram 3500 HD to find out exactly how well the truck lives up to its reputation.
Continue reading 2013 Ram 3500 HD
2013 Ram 3500 HD originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: 2014 Cadillac XTS gets 410-hp twin-turbo V6
May 14th
Filed under: Sedan, Cadillac, Luxury
General Motors told us so back in March, but it is now official: The twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 announced for the 2014 Cadillac CTS will also join the options list for the 2014 Cadillac XTS. The LF3 engine puts out 410 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque in the XTS, however, which is 10 hp and 61 lb-ft down from its application in the CTS. It will be identifiable from the outside by a specific grille treatment and a badge on the decklid. The 3.6-liter V6 with 304 hp and 264 lb-ft holds steady as the standard engine, and both will be yoked to a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Also new for the front-wheel drive model for 2014 are updates that include electric power steering and optional Automatic Parking Assist that can maneuver the sedan into parallel parking spots. The three trims above standard – Luxury, Premium and Platinum – get Intellibeam headlights that automatically switch between high- and low-beam,
The four current trim levels remain but the list of optional extras for the higher specs grows with a rear-seat entertainment system equipped with DVD screens in the front seatbacks, memory settings for the front passenger seat and an armrest in the back seat fitted with radio and sunshade controls. The press release below has more info on all of the changes.
Continue reading 2014 Cadillac XTS gets 410-hp twin-turbo V6
2014 Cadillac XTS gets 410-hp twin-turbo V6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 22:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: GM to go coastal on dealer improvements
May 14th
Filed under: Car Buying, GM
According to a report from The Detroit News citing “sources familiar with the company’s plan,” General Motors will spend $200 million to revamp dealerships on the East and West Coasts, specifically in California, New York and New Jersey. Many dealerships will be restyled, some will be relocated and some will be closed entirely.
Car buyers in coastal regions of the US, particularly in California, tend to prefer import brands, but GM’s market share falls short even when compared to crosstown rivals Ford and Chrysler. Naturally, GM senses a prime opportunity to attract a larger share in these locations and has reportedly seen improvements already in some metropolitan areas in California where it has focused on making inroads.
In addition to restyling its East Coast dealerships, GM will reportedly move some of their service departments to offsite locations to free up space for better facilities.
GM to go coastal on dealer improvements originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: GM ‘thanked’ by biodiesel groups for making the Cruze Diesel B20-ready
May 12th
Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Chevrolet, GM
As if one of the world’s largest automakers needed additional advertisement, General Motors now is getting big-time support from biodiesel advocates for being the first US automaker to make have one of its light-duty models be able to run on diesel with a 20 percent biodiesel mix, i.e. B20. The National Biodiesel Board calls GM “proactive and progressive” for making its 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel B20-ready. Biodiesel Magazine even goes so far as to instruct its readers to “tell GM thanks.”
Marking a long-awaited return to diesel powertrains for its cars, GM said last month that the Chevy Cruze Diesel would get an EPA-rated 46 miles per gallon highway, the best of “any non-hybrid passenger car in America.” GM says the car will be able to go as far as 700 miles on a tank. Another way to look at that number is up to 140 biodiesel miles per tank.
GM ‘thanked’ by biodiesel groups for making the Cruze Diesel B20-ready originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 12 May 2013 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Would you allow advertisements on your infotainment system? [w/poll]
May 11th
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Infotainment
As consumers find new ways to avoid commercials and advertisements, companies are constantly trying to find new ways of marketing to them. Other than radio commercials, it’s hard to think of a way for ads to show up in our cars, but Reuters is reporting that General Motors is considering selling ads show inside its in-car infotainment systems.
In the article, GM CEO Dan Akerson talked about the possibility of in-car ads with the example being a “brought to you by Alltstate” message showing up on the infotainment screen. Of course, this doesn’t even begin to factor in what sort of ads we’ll start seeing in GM cars once it launches its widespread 4G LTE Internet access for most vehicles starting with the 2015 model year.
Does this kind of advertising creep strike you as being par for the future course, or insidious beyond your wildest dreams? Make your voice heard, in our poll below.
Would you allow advertisements on your infotainment system? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 May 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: 2014 Chevy Silverado gets Texas Edition package
May 8th
Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet
According to General Motors, the Lone Star State is responsible for one sixth of all truck sales in the United States, and to draw even more buyers to its showrooms, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado is being offered in a special Texas Edition package. For buyers not in Texas, though, a similar package called Custom Sport will be offered at the same price premium – $2,165 for LT and $1,895 for LTZ models.
Both packages add 20-inch wheels, a locking rear differential and the Trailering Equipment package, and while the LT trim levels will get body colored mirrors and door handles, the LTZ models will get a whole smattering of chrome, along with a Bose audio system. The Texas Edition will get unique badges to differentiate it from the Custom Sport models. Scroll down for more information on these new packages, and check out our galleries of the 2014 Silverado and the more luxurious Silverado High Country.
Continue reading 2014 Chevy Silverado gets Texas Edition package
2014 Chevy Silverado gets Texas Edition package originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: ‘Birthplace of GM’ now back in company hands [w/video]
May 5th
Filed under: Classics, Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, GM
General Motors has signed a purchase agreement for the Durant-Dort Carriage Company factory in Flint, Michigan for an undisclosed sum. Calling the location “Factory One,” GM CEO Mark Reuss said he isn’t sure what will be done with the site yet, but when it’s “reborn” it will “be great and it’s going to be something we can all be proud of – GM and Flint.”
According to Wikipedia, William Durant co-founded the Durant-Dort Carriage Co. with Josiah Dallas Dort in 1886. They leased a factory to build carriages from the Flint Woolen Mills, and the office building across the street is where Durant dreamed up the idea for General Motors – coincidentally, both David Dunbar Buick and Charles Nash, who would open their own respective car companies, worked for the carriage company.
GM will also take over the upkeep of the carriage company’s office building. It has been suggested that the boardroom there could become a museum, but publicly all we know is that Reuss says, “We’re going to make that area a really special area.” Scroll down to watch a video offering a bit of history on the venture, as well as an announcement message from GM’s Reuss.
Continue reading ‘Birthplace of GM’ now back in company hands [w/video]
‘Birthplace of GM’ now back in company hands [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 May 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Couple found guilty of trying to sell GM hybrid tech to China sentenced to year in prison
May 4th
Filed under: Government/Legal, GM
Five months ago, former General Motors engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin were convicted of stealing hybrid technology trade secrets, in attempts to sell the information to Chinese competitors.
US District Judge Marianne Battani sentenced Du to serve one year and one day in prison, a relatively lightweight sentence compared with the minimum six and a half years called for by Federal guidelines. (The minimum sentence is not mandatory, in this instance.) Qin meanwhile, who was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice, in addition to the conspiracy and possessing trade secrets convictions he shared with his wife, was sentenced to three years in prison. Both will remain free until late this summer.
The Associated Press and ABC News report that Judge Battani took Du’s health problems, as well as threat to the public, into account with the sentencing. Said Battani, “I don’t think the public needs to be protected from you, but it needs to be protected from others like you,” according to the AP story.
Du and Qin both admitted to being guilty of and remorseful for their crimes, claiming they made “wrong decisions.”
Couple found guilty of trying to sell GM hybrid tech to China sentenced to year in prison originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Couple found guilty of trying to sell GM hybrid tech to China sentenced to year in prison
May 4th
Filed under: Government/Legal, GM
Five months ago, former General Motors engineer Shanshan Du and her husband, Yu Qin were convicted of stealing hybrid technology trade secrets, in attempts to sell the information to Chinese competitors.
US District Judge Marianne Battani sentenced Du to serve one year and one day in prison, a relatively lightweight sentence compared with the minimum six and a half years called for by Federal guidelines. (The minimum sentence is not mandatory, in this instance.) Qin meanwhile, who was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice, in addition to the conspiracy and possessing trade secrets convictions he shared with his wife, was sentenced to three years in prison. Both will remain free until late this summer.
The Associated Press and ABC News report that Judge Battani took Du’s health problems, as well as threat to the public, into account with the sentencing. Said Battani, “I don’t think the public needs to be protected from you, but it needs to be protected from others like you,” according to the AP story.
Du and Qin both admitted to being guilty of and remorseful for their crimes, claiming they made “wrong decisions.”
Couple found guilty of trying to sell GM hybrid tech to China sentenced to year in prison originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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