Chevrolet Trucks Blog

Chevy just hit the jackpot when it was dubbed the “official vehicle of the 50^th Annual Grammy Awards” and was tapped to provide a throng of eco-friendly vehicles to be used by the different musical celebrities attending e 50^th Annual Grammy Awards which will be held on February 10, 2008 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The company will be providing Hybrid and Flexfuel 85 ethanol SUVs for the awards night. On top of the above-mentioned vehicles, Chevrolet will also be showcasing on the awards night its Chevy Volt Concept car.

As part of the agreement with this prestigious award-giving body, Chevrolet will provide them with a mix of 100 Tahoe Hybrids and Flex Fuel 85 ethanol Tahoe and Suburban SUVs. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrids features the new GM Hybrid System. It has an improved fuel economy thanks in part to the Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT) that was integrated into the car. The vehicle is also equipped with Active Fuel Management complemented with lighter and aerodynamic components that helps the vehicle achieve 21 miles per gallon of fuel economy. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid also has the distinction of being recognized as the Green Car Journal’s 2008 Green Car of the Year thanks to its use of Flex Fuel 85 ethanol, a biofuel that is composed of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent of gasoline. This fuel helps in limiting the production of greenhouse gases during combustion, reduces the use of petroleum and provides enhanced engine performance.

The Chevy Volt Concept, a four-passenger, battery-powered car on the other hand is powered by the E-Flex propulsion system. This system was designed to help limit the motorists from going to a gas station for a refill of gas and limit the production of C02 emissions. The Chevy Volt, once fully-charged, can run without the use of gas and will not emit any exhaust gases. Recharging can be done through the use of a 110-volt electrical outlet. The car primarily makes use of a gas engine to generate electricity. Other sources of electricity that can also be used to help power the Chevy Volt are wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric energies and biofuels.

Source: Auto News 24H

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In Vietnam, there is now a high demand for medium-priced vehicles and so Vidamco or what is also known as GM Daewoo Vietnam Co. is starting to promote Chevrolet’s multi-purpose van (MPV) which is the Chevrolet Vivant.

This vehicle has actually already been introduced in various auto markets such as North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe by General Motors. This vehicle is also part of the globally strategic products of the giant automaker. Thus, Vidamco wants to build on its success after it has successfully launched the in-demand Captiva more than a year ago.

During the product launch in Park Hyatt Hotel in downtown HCMC, Kung In Kim said, “The seven-seat car is an MPV already introduced by GM to many countries such as Australia, mainland China, Sweden, and Korea.” He added that this Chevrolet MPV is a vehicle of sporty, dynamic, and convenient styling and has been designed by non other than a famous deigning firm in Italy, Pininfarina.

The car has a lot of great features that are known of seven-seat MPVs to have such as a fuel efficient 2.0 DOHC engine which meets the Euro 2 European emission standard and for safety, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and air bags.

Price of the Chevrolet Vivant is said to be US$22,300 for a Chevrolet Vivant SE, US$25,300 for a Chevrolet Vivant CDX-AT, and US$23,900 for a Chevrolet Vivant CDX, all inclusive of VAT.

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There seems to be no stopping the Chevrolet Malibu from getting an award as it is already its second consecutive year to receive recognition from the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

It was during the opening of the North American International Auto Show that the announcement of the winners was made and General Motors has once again taken top honors. Its Chevrolet Malibu had been chosen to receive the award from among its competitors which are composed of 15 cars and 13 trucks. General Motors was able to get four out of the six spots for the awards. Just last year, two GM models emerged as winners – the Saturn Aura and the Chevrolet Silverado.

The Vice Chairman of General Motors, Bob Lutz, commented on GM’s receipt of the awards saying, “’This award is the result of our intensive efforts to put a renewed emphasis on design, execution and craftsmanship into our cars and trucks.”

He added, “We’re honored that both automotive journalists and consumers are recognizing our efforts. The fact we had four of the six finalist vehicles is more than we could have hoped for.”

Prominent automotive journalists are the ones who observe and evaluate the vehicles on the following factors – innovation, handling, value for the dollar, safety, driver satisfaction, performance, and safety. These NACTOY awards are given to deserving vehicle models every year, ones which earned the highest scores in the factors the journalists are looking at. The jury which evaluated the cars and picked the winners for this year consisted of 45 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

The reasons that Chevrolet Malibu was named the 2008 North American Car of the Year are because of its having strong performance, and notable fuel economy and refinement.

Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s General Manager, said, “Our goal with the 2008 Malibu was to give customers a stylish, uncompromising package that can challenge even the most formidable competitors in the midsize segment.”

He added, “Customers are getting that message, because the new Malibus are selling faster than we can put them on dealers’ lots.”

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Dubbed as the highest-performance Chevrolet Corvette in the automaker’s history, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has now made its debut in the Motor City. Because it is considered to have the highest performance ever, General Motors expect this model to be the first production Corvette to attain a top speed of 200 miles per hour. This should not be such a difficult thing to achieve considering that Chevrolet is under the great hands of capable people from general Motors.

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has an extroverted exterior. Also, to achieve the high-performance description, Chevy made use of only weight-saving carbon fiber for the model’s hood, front air splitter, roof, and front fenders. The carbon weave has also been made a design element and was elegantly covered in clear-coat paint. And perhaps to impress people, the engine intercooler has been exposed through the hood’s polycarbonate window.

Although the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 made use of the aluminum-intensive chassis similar with the Z06, it has been tuned for higher-performance application. It also makes use of the same front and rear aluminum suspension which had been adjusted so that it can harmoniously work with the large 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels.

For improved safety, the braking system has been equipped with vented and cross-drilled disc brakes which measure about 15 inches front and 15.5 inches rear. These disc brakes have been perfectly place behind the 20-spoke wheels.

To enjoy better handling, the automaker installed and made standard the dynamic shock system which automatically adjusts itself according to driving needs. It can shift quickly from road compliance to track firmness.

As the ZR1 is the same with the Z06 in many aspects, Chevrolet has enhanced the interior to make it distinguishable against the Z06. The ZR1 has stitched logos, sill plates, and a unique instrument panel which have an extra boost gauge and 220-mph speedometer.

So, what really makes this model the highest-performance Chevrolet Corvette ever? Its hand-built 6.2-liters V8 engine is capable of producing at least 620 horsepower and 595 pound-feet of torque. Take not – “at least.” This is then mated to a six-speed manual transmission to give drivers better control over the car.

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According to reports, there will be two Chevrolet Corvettes that will be released on the  92^nd running of the Indianapolis in May 2008. One of these Corvettes will be powered by ethanol while the other one will be an anniversary car. This is because the 2008 event, to be held May 25, is going to mark the 30th anniversary of the first Corvette pace car at Indy. Moreover, Chevrolet also plans to dell a limited edition of 500 signed and numbered replicas of the 30^th anniversary pace car. These will be offered in two versions namely the coupe and the convertible version.

Chevrolet’s representatives, along with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway offially announced the pairing and added that the one who will drive the E85-powered Corvette Z06 concept is two-time Indy 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi will also personally sign all the 500 replica cars at the Bowling Green, Kentucky factory, the same factory where these cars will be built.

This will be the very first time that a car maker sent two pace cars to run the Indy 500. Also, According to Chevrolet, having chosen Fittipaldi is a good decision since he is from Brazil and this is the place where ethanol is a well-developed product and this is also where 70 percent of new cars have flex-fuel capability. Moreover, he is also a stakeholder in a couple of ethanol companies in Brazil.

The Indy pace car Z06 ethanol concept is built with the production Z06 as its basis. According to Chevrolet, it is mechanically stock, except for the adaptation to the ethanol/gasoline blend. The pace car is coated with Gold Rush Green paint which can either be gold or green at different angles depending on the lighting conditions. Also, a subtle checkered flag pattern is also included in the paint job. Also added in the car are items like strobe lights and safety equipment.

The 30th-anniversary pace car, on the other hand, will be available in black with silver graphics. This is in honor of the 1978 Corvette Indy pace car. This car, along with the replicas, will have a two-tone titanium-colored interior and Indianapolis 500 logos embroidered onto the seats. The commemorative Corvette is also equipped with the 436-horsepower LS3 small-block engine, Z51 performance package, choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission, new forged chrome five-spoke aluminum wheels, and Indy 500 logo fender badges and other features. Prices are not yet available.

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