Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, Holden, Australia, Rumormill

Calling it "Holden's worst kept secret," a report in Australia's Drive indicates that the General Motors antipodean brand will announce "very soon" that it will be exporting "thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013." Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of Chevrolet SS Performance sedans - the Pontiac G8 in a previous life - starting next year.

The report says Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere, including OnStar, as well as trade-publication reports and speculation about GM's 2013 NASCAR entrant, have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.

Drive says our rear-wheel drive Chevrolet will get a revised take on the VF-model Commodore that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number "much fewer than the 50,000-odd" units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.

The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled G8 ST Ute corn tease is that the exports "could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants." Drive didn't, but we will emphasize the word "could," since we've been here before. However, that does jive with a report in Car and Driver indicating the same thing. Holden's announcement could be made as soon as later today right now - see below for update.

*UPDATE: Well that didn't take long. General Motors has officially confirmed that the new Holden-derived sedan sold in the U.S. will be called simply Chevrolet SS. The "limited production" SS will race in NASCAR beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500 and will appear in showrooms in 2014. GM isn't getting into specifics, but says "The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance." As to additional bodystyles like a wagon or pickup, well, GM isn't saying. See more in the official press release added below, and click on the image above to get a look at GM's newest racer all camo'd up.

Continue reading Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE

Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Safety, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Toyota

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crowned two sedans and a hatchback as Top Safety Picks: the 2013 Chevrolet Malibe Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera and 2012 Toyota Prius c. The redesigned 2013 Malibu joins its 2012 model-mate as a Top Pick, and the 2013 earned a good side impact rating even without its optional side airbags.

The Prius c also has siblings that have won the award, the Prius and Prius v. The Azera had been rated in a few earlier tests, but in completing the testing regime with good marks all 'round it earned the accolade. The Top Pick moniker is given to vehicles that score "Good" in the IIHS's front, side, rollover and rear-impact tests.

Have a look below for video of the Malibu and Prius c going through their side-impact exams.

Continue reading IIHS crowns three new Top Safety Picks [w/video]

IIHS crowns three new Top Safety Picks [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest rumblings from Down Under are suggesting that GM subsidiary Holden will soon announce its plan to export the V8 Commodore to the American market as the Chevrolet SS Performance sedan.

If and when that announcement comes, as it’s expected to, it will confirm speculation that the mysterious “SS” badge recently filed with the U.S. Patent Office and then leaked through the OnStar app is, in fact, the next generation Commodore. Another big hint in what’s really more of a sure thing, Holden has been testing left hand-drive versions of the Commodore, presumably in preparation for other-side-of-the-road markets like America.

It also seems the upcoming nameplate might be tied NASCAR. News.com.au speculated in the same article that GM’s decision to scrap the Impala from the sport will leave a slot open to be filled by by the SS Performance.

As we’ve reported before, the upcoming car will almost certainly be a revived Pontiac G8, which was the previous attempt at selling a Holden to U.S. consumers. Financial difficulty brought a swift end to both the car and brand, as GM couldn’t justify maintaining it while floundering.

[Source: News.com.au]

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Celebrities

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives persona Guy Fieri is making more news with garages these days than kitchens. The Food Network host, who recently had his Lamborghini Gallardo stolen and then recovered in a teen's storage container, has been selected to drive the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 pace car at the Indy 500 this year.

Guy's an admitted car fan, and he should feel at home in the ZR1; he owns seven Chevrolet models that span the decades from 1968 to 2011, and a Cadillac Escalade ESV. He'll be pacing the field in the 638-horsepower special edition Arctic White coupe on Sunday, May 27 at noon EST.

Guy Fieri to drive Corvette ZR1 pace car in Indy 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Buick, Luxury

Not long ago, Buick released the behind-the-scenes video of its Enclave commercial with Marisa Miller, and now the supermodel's 30-second spot has begun airing. Note: This is a spot for the current Enclave, not the refreshed 2013 model the debuted during April's New York Auto Show.

The Sports Illustrated staple and lingerie model might just be the first person ever to wear a swimsuit in a Buick ad. We could say more about it, but that would delay you from watching Ms. Miller and the Enclave in action. So just scroll down and check out the video, why don't you.

Continue reading Buick begins airing Marisa Miller Enclave ad

Buick begins airing Marisa Miller Enclave ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warren Buffett must have been a wealthy lemming in a past life, because when he dives from a cliff others follow — often into a pit of money. His latest plunge involved acquiring 10 million shares of General Motors, which could signal future strength for the company.

Only three years ago GM declared bankruptcy, a move that to this day left 32 percent of the company in Federal control. Buffett’s reputation as an investment guru grew out of his shrewd ability to notice undervalued companies early, but those investments usually don’t go to larger companies like GM.

To be fair, it wasn’t actually Buffett that invested money, it was Berkshire Hathaway, his investment firm. The total money put in was $256.6 million, which was enough to make it the automaker’s 20th largest investor. Since that investment, the stock has already jumped 4.3 percent.

In 2010 when GM went public, the shares started at $33, but closed Tuesday at $21.42. This isn’t the only stock GM is currently drawing attention to either. The company also just announced that it plans to pull all its advertising from social media giant Facebook, a decision that pulls $10 million in ad revenue from the site, which is expected to be going public this week. Despite that, Facebook’s current value continues to jump, most recently reaching $16 billion.

GM decided to pull the ads because it said they didn’t effectively reach the target audience. That move in tandem with the Buffett investment could be a good thing for the company as a signal that despite its stock prices being lower than they were two years ago, it is remaining dynamic and working toward improvement.

General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, has confirmed its plan to pull $10 million worth of ads from social media behemoth, Facebook, just days before the site’s IPO. 

The move reflects  a lack of faith on GM’s part that its paid advertising affects the consumers being targeted enough to justify continuing the ads. This isn’t the first time in recent history that the company cut its ad spending. Earlier this year we reported that GM had consolidated most of its ad spending to Aegis Group’s Carat London operation, cutting several smaller companies out of its budget.

With so much speculation surrounding Facebook’s ground-shattering IPO, having the U.S.’ third-largest advertiser pull out can’t be a good sign, but it isn’t clear if, and by how much, the decision will affect the network moving forward.

Greg Martin, A GM spokesperson told the Detroit News, that the company regularly re-evaluates where its advertising dollars go, and that this was a routine move.

“In terms of Facebook specifically, while we currently do not plan to continue with advertising, we remain committed to an aggressive content strategy through all of our products and brands, as it continues to be a very effective tool for engaging with our customers,” he said.

While the higher-ups at Facebook might be sweating a little, most car fans probably couldn’t care less about the ads disappearing — exactly the mentality behind the move.

What they (you) probably do care about are the fan pages, which GM says will remain intact.

[Source: the Detroit News]

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet

Those of you foolish enough to follow the Autoblog Podcast know I have a soft spot for sleepers. There's just something amazing about a beaten old car secreting flawless mechanicals down below. The guys at Big Muscle have managed to track down what may very well be the queen of all sleeperdom in Dru Diesner's 1972 Chevrolet Nova The machine wears its original faded green paint, plenty of dents and dings and a very dated interior, but there's something special under the aged skin. Built with a twin-supercharged LS2, the Bowtie dumps 1,160 horsepower on its ultra-wide rear tires.

That's my kind of magical. Mike Musto takes the machine out for a quick sprint around the back streets of Chicago and eventually talks Diesner into using the car to do what it does best: vaporizing its rear tires. Scroll below to check out the clip for yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have Chevrolet Novas to salivate over.

Continue reading Is this 1972 Chevrolet Nova the world's greatest sleeper?

Is this 1972 Chevrolet Nova the world's greatest sleeper? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the most wonderful sensations come when you command a whole handful of power just with the flexing of your right foot. Horsepower is an intoxicating element when it comes to driving, but that doesn’t mean that it’s saved for the most expensive vehicles out there.

Check out the list of the top ten most affordable vehicles with 300 (or more) horsepower. You might be surprised at the deals here, with our leader having a price-to-pony ratio of $73-per-horsepower.  Most of the vehicles here are coupes, but a trio of sedans squeezed in, proving fun can come in four-doors.

First on our list is the rally-tested Subaru WRX STI. The performance-oriented vehicle is the first of three sedans that made the top 10, and features Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.5-liter Boxer engine, which pumps out 305-hp. The cheapest WRX STI is the four-door model, which also has the STI’s instantly recognizable rear spoiler. With a top speed of 160 mph,  the four-door also has a slightly higher top-speed than its five-door counterpart. The WRX STI can get to 60 mph from a standing start in under 5 seconds, and it’s all-wheel drive helps it gobble up the road as fast as anything else on this list. It starts at $34,095.

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style

If you're wondering why the name Trax sounds familiar, it's because we've heard it before. That's right, General Motors' chunky little crossover concept has blossomed into the production CUV you see here, and might we say, it's quite a handsome little thing.

Details about the new Trax are scarce, but since it looks to be based on the same high-riding platform derived from the Sonic that underpins the Buick Encore and Opel Mokka, so we'd expect the powertrains to simply carry over unchanged.

But know this: General Motors has no plans to offer the Trax in the United States, citing "the strong position of the Equinox" as the reason why it won't be offered Stateside. That's a shame, too. In our opinion, this baby Bowtie certainly makes more sense than the frumpy Buick Encore that doesn't really seem to fit with its brand. We suspect that Chevy dealers won't get this vehicle in part because GM wants to protect the Buick's positioning and price when it heads to U.S. dealers later this year.

The Trax will make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show in late September. For now, click the image above for a high-resolution version and scroll down to read GM's official release.

Continue reading Chevrolet Trax crossover headed to Paris, not bound for U.S.

Chevrolet Trax crossover headed to Paris, not bound for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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