
DETROIT (Reuters) - The launch of General Motors Co's redesigned Chevrolet Silverado, the most important since the automaker's bankruptcy and $50 billion taxpayer-funded bailout in 2009, is on track and advertising for its full-size trucks should begin in a few weeks, a top GM executive said on Monday.

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Chevrolet, Specialty When it comes to fleet vehicles, the Chevrolet Impala definitely plays an important role for General Motors, and it looks like GM is hard at work developing the next-gen Impala for bulk-buying businesses. The Motoring Journal recently spotted a handful of Impalas testing in Colorado with minor camouflage, but upon closer inspection, these appear to be test mules for a new compressed natural gas (CNG) model - a powertrain combination far more likely to find favor with fleet buyers than everyday consumers. Aside from the obvious "CNG" stickers affixed to the decklid, these cars also have different exhaust outlets than what we saw on the V6-equipped Impalas during our first drive of the sedan back in March. Images also show under the hood with a different engine cover and plenty of exposed wiring as the CNG system continues testing. There was also an electrical connector poking out of the front fascia, and at least one of the sedans had a receiver-style trailer hitch. During the launch of the 2014 Impala, Chevrolet said that it is looking to flip the current fleet-to-retail from 70:30 to a more profitable and resale-friendly 30:70 ratio, and this new CNG Impala could be a good way to retain some of that 30-percent fleet business. We reached out to GM for word on when a CNG Impala might arrive, and received this response: We do offer a CNG van and a bi-fuel pickup truck, but still studying the demand for CNG powered passenger cars. Infrastructure is a consideration for anyone buying these types of vehicles. Unfortunately, there's nothing to announce today on this front. Our best guess is that it could debut for the 2015 model year, since the ninth-generation model is carrying over for fleet-only sales as the 2014 Impala Limited.Is Chevrolet readying a CNG-powered Impala? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Design/Style It's been a while since Chevrolet offered its Corvette with green paint - well over a decade, in fact. We've known for a while that the new C7 Stingray would be available in Lime Rock Green, but haven't seen it up until now in anything but the antiseptic studio shots offered up on the Corvette's configurator. Well, we can now cross it off the list - at least online - as the first production example has been caught on video at the Lone Star Classic Corvette show by the folks at NCM Insurance. According to CorvetteBlogger, the last production model to feature such verdant paint dates to 2001, when Chevy offered its sports car in Dark Bowling Green Metallic. But when we think of Vettes in this color spectrum, we tend to think of the Polo Green C4, a deep shade this paint reminds us of. This particular Stingray is fitted with the Z51 performance package, along with the 3LT Brownstone interior. As we think Z51-equipped cars tend to look better in darker shades (which better integrate/disguise the package's additional ductwork), this Lime Rock Green looks pretty good to our eyes. We haven't seen new green sports cars in some time - perhaps cars like this C7 and the British Racing Green Metallic 2014 Jaguar F-Type will kickstart a revival. What do you think, does the C7 look good in green? Check out the video below and then have your say in Comments.Continue reading Chevy Corvette Stingray shows off in Lime Rock GreenChevy Corvette Stingray shows off in Lime Rock Green originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Classics, Audi, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche A few weeks ago, we bid a fond happy 40th anniversary to the automotive dark ages of 1973-84 that have come to be known as "The Malaise Era" - the performance ice-age when 160 horsepower was a lot and a 0-60 time of under 10 seconds was remarkable. Like music in the 1980s, everything in automobiledom didn't suck, however. There were a few bright spots. Here are five of our favorites: 1976-79 Porsche 930, aka 911 Turbo Carrera (above) Photo Credit: Dorotheum While Chevrolet beat them by a decade with the turbocharged Corvair Corsa, the Germans more fully developed turbocharging through racing where General Motors couldn't. Early Porsche 930s (known technically as 911 Turbo Carreras) were a bit crude, with turbo lag that could be measured with an egg timer. They lacked an intercooler as well as brakes that were up to the task, but performance was sensational, with the buff books reporting 0-60 times of anywhere from 4.9 to 5.8 seconds and quarter-mile times of under 14 seconds. This was '60s muscle car performance at the height of the Malaise Era. Sadly, the 930 cost about six times as much as your average muscle car did. Rob Sass is the Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars magazine. He is a regular contributor to the automotive section of the New York Times and is the author of "Ran When Parked, Advice and Adventures from the Affordable Underbelly of Car Collecting." Continue reading Malaise Era All-StarsMalaise Era All-Stars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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