2008 Saturn Astra
Saturn has announced the addition of the new Astra to their lineup for 2008. The car is basically a rebadged version of the Open Astra (not sold in the US).
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February 9, 2007
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
Pontiac's new 2008 G8 sports sedan has been revealed. The car is based on (rebadged) the Holden Commodore, which is sold in Australia.
February 15, 2007
GM and Chrysler working on Large SUV
Chrysler and General Motors are currently discussing the possibility of collaborating on a large suv for Chrysler. The SUV would be about the same size as the Suburban, something that Chrysler is currently missing from their lineup.
February 16, 2007
Is GM Really Thinking about Buying Chrysler?
Rumors have been circling after DaimlerChrysler said that they were looking at every option necessary after the huge $1.3 billion loss last year (Chrysler Division). A possible de-merger could be on the horizon.
Continue reading "Is GM Really Thinking about Buying Chrysler?" »
February 28, 2007
The End of the Line for the Chevy Monte Carlo
The editors over at Autoblog have discovered that Chevy is quietly ending production of the Chevy Monte Carlo. May 4th is the last day that you can order the car and production will end on June 20th at the Oshawa plant in Canada. Apparently Chevy has high hopes for the new 2008 Chevy Malibu, which is going to take up the extra capacity left by the Monte Carlo. Sales in Jan 07' were down 64.2%.
Continue reading "The End of the Line for the Chevy Monte Carlo" »
March 7, 2007
GM Targets 2010 for Production of the Electric Chevy Volt
GM has set 2010 as their goal for the release of a production version of the Chevrolet Volt electric concept car. The concept car has a range of 640 miles on a single tank of gas. The main difference between this car and the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic hybrids is that the gas motor in the Volt does not directly drive the wheels. Instead, the gas motor simply powers the electric motors. GM's main goal is to make the car run for 40 miles on pure electric power. This means that most commuters can go a whole day without using a single gallon of gas. The car also has plug in capabilities, so the batteries can be charged at night. A running prototype of the car is expected by the end of this year.
Continue reading "GM Targets 2010 for Production of the Electric Chevy Volt" »
March 19, 2007
2007 Saturn Aura Green Line Takes the Award for the Cheapest Hybrid!
Saturn has announced today that the 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid will be the lowest-priced hybrid on the market, starting at $22,695. The car also qualifies for a $1,300 tax credit from the IRS.
Continue reading "2007 Saturn Aura Green Line Takes the Award for the Cheapest Hybrid!" »
March 27, 2007
2008 HUMMER H3 Gets More Power....Finally!
HUMMER has finally addressed a major problem with the H3, a lack of power. Since its intro the SUV has only had a 5-cylinder engine that was borrowed from the GMC Canyon/ Chevy Colorado trucks.
Continue reading "2008 HUMMER H3 Gets More Power....Finally!" »
April 3, 2007
Toyota and Honda Sales Rose in March while Domestic Automakers Continue to Suffer
Toyota's sales increased 9% last month compared to March 2006. This was largely driven by sales of the new Camry, the RAV4 and the Prius.
April 4, 2007
According to GM, New Fuel Standards Could Raise Car Prices by $5,000?!
According to GM Vice President Bob Lutz, President Bush's proposed fuel efficiency increases could raise car prices by as much as $5,000.
Continue reading "According to GM, New Fuel Standards Could Raise Car Prices by $5,000?!" »
April 10, 2007
General Motors puts Rear-Wheel-Drive Models on Hold!
Following the announcements made by President Bush to raise corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, Vice Chairman of GM, Bob Lutz has announced that the company is going to have to put their RWD cars on hold.
Continue reading "General Motors puts Rear-Wheel-Drive Models on Hold!" »
April 11, 2007
Texting While Driving Could Soon be Against the Law
Everyone already knows the apparent risks of driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone. Lawmakers also know about the percentage of deaths and accidents that are caused each year by drivers who were not paying attention because they were talking on their phones. That is why a number of states in the U.S. have made it illegal to drive while using a hand-held cell phone.
Now, according to the Wall Street Journal lawmakers are proposing legislation that would make it illegal to send text messages from your phone while driving.
Continue reading "Texting While Driving Could Soon be Against the Law" »
April 14, 2007
U.S. Automakers Continue to Lose Market Share
In the first quarter of this year, fewer than 50% of Americans that bought new cars, bought from domestic brands. 48.9% of Americans bought cars and trucks from Ford, GM or Chrysler. This is down from last year and represents a continued downward slide for the domestic automakers.
Continue reading "U.S. Automakers Continue to Lose Market Share" »
April 23, 2007
Nearly Half of all Chrysler and Pontiac Sales Come from Fleet Sales
According to a report by the Automotive News, between September 2006 and February 2007, 48.5% of Chrysler brand sales were to fleets. That is an increase of 10% from the same period a year ago. 44.9% of Pontiac sales go to fleets, which is slightly lower than the 46.2% from the year earlier.
Continue reading "Nearly Half of all Chrysler and Pontiac Sales Come from Fleet Sales" »
HUMMER Confirms that the H4 will be Released in 2010
Hummer's general manager, Martin Walsh has confirmed that the smaller than an H3, H4 will be released in 2010. "Our growth will be downwards in terms of size." There could also be a smaller model than the H4, if there is demand for it.
Continue reading "HUMMER Confirms that the H4 will be Released in 2010" »
Bob Lutz Blames the Housing Mortgage Meltdown for Weak GM Sales
Everyone has heard about the housing crisis in the U.S. that is being caused by the mortgage industry meltdown. Well now Vice Chairman of GM Bob Lutz, says that it is effecting the auto industry as well.
Continue reading "Bob Lutz Blames the Housing Mortgage Meltdown for Weak GM Sales" »
April 24, 2007
Toyota is Number 1 for the First-Time Ever!
For the first time ever, Toyota has sold more cars and trucks worldwide than GM, in the first three months of this year. Toyota's sales for the first quarter rose 9% to a record 2.35 million compared to GM which only rose 3% to 2.26 million vehicles.
Continue reading "Toyota is Number 1 for the First-Time Ever!" »
Saturn is Finally Back on the Radar
The once long-neglected GM division, Saturn is finally starting to make a comeback . Thanks to an influx of new models that have been supplied by Opel, the division is starting to finally see a surge in sales. Sales increased 20.5 percent during the first quarter of this year, which is a stark contrast to the other domestic automakers.
April 26, 2007
Should GM Kill off Hummer, Buick and Pontiac?
Now that GM is the Number Two automaker in the world, many analysts are discussing what the automaker needs to do in order to get back on top. Alex Taylor at Fortune wrote an article on what he suggests the automaker do to gain back their title.
Continue reading "Should GM Kill off Hummer, Buick and Pontiac?" »
April 29, 2007
2009 Chevy Camaro Exposed and Possibly Another Future Chevy?
GM has released a pic of GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz and Fritz Henderson standing in front of a production clay model of the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. As you can tell the clay model that is being chiseled in the picture is very close to the concept version of the new Camaro. It is almost identical.
Continue reading "2009 Chevy Camaro Exposed and Possibly Another Future Chevy?" »
April 30, 2007
2008 Chrysler Aspen Two-Mode Hybrid Will be the Automaker's First Hybrid
Chrysler has announced that there will be a hybrid version of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango on the market in 2008. The SUVs will feature a Two-Mode hybrid system that was developed with GM and BMW, coupled with a 5.7L V8 HEMI engine with cylinder deactivation.
Continue reading "2008 Chrysler Aspen Two-Mode Hybrid Will be the Automaker's First Hybrid" »
The 2008 Saturn Vue Costs $3,300 More than its Predecessor
Saturn has released the pricing of its all-new 2008 Saturn Vue. The new SUV will start $3,295 higher than the model it is replacing. That means that the new Vue will start at $21,395, which is right in the price range of its main competitors.
Continue reading "The 2008 Saturn Vue Costs $3,300 More than its Predecessor" »
May 1, 2007
The New GM Trucks Aren't Selling as Well as GM Expected
According to recent reports by Edmunds and the Detroit News, the new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks are not selling as well as the automaker projected. The automaker was hoping that the all-new trucks would speed their recovery, but that may not be the case.
Continue reading "The New GM Trucks Aren't Selling as Well as GM Expected" »
What are the Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles in the U.S.?
Automakers have just released their April 2007 U.S. sales figures. Here is the list of the top 10 best selling vehicles last month (in order by number of sales). The bottom of the list may surprise you.
Continue reading "What are the Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles in the U.S.?" »
May 2, 2007
Auto Sales Dip Due to a Slowing Economy
April's auto sales numbers have just been posted and almost every major automaker had a sales decrease last month. Even the Asian automakers that have been making headlines for their sales gains, took a hit.
Continue reading "Auto Sales Dip Due to a Slowing Economy" »
May 3, 2007
ZF Announces Plans for an 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
Transmission maker ZF has announced plans to produce an 8-speed automatic transmission that will likely be used in future Ford, BMW and VW vehicles. The transmission called the "8HP" will be used in the new 2009 BMW 7-Series that will debut in late 2008.
Continue reading "ZF Announces Plans for an 8-Speed Automatic Transmission" »
May 4, 2007
2008 Saab 9-3 Receives a New Front End...Will Anyone Care?
There have been numerous postings lately of spy photos of the upcoming 2008 Saab 9-3. This latest photo shows the front end of the sedan with very little (if any) camouflage.
Continue reading "2008 Saab 9-3 Receives a New Front End...Will Anyone Care?" »
What are the Most Wanted Cars in the U.S. for 2007?
Edmunds.com has posted a list of the most wanted cars in 2007 based on reader feedback. Out of the 32 categories you may be surprised which automaker took home the most awards....
Continue reading "What are the Most Wanted Cars in the U.S. for 2007?" »
May 7, 2007
The Chevy Volt Hybrid Could Take on the Prius in 2010
Since the concept version of the Chevrolet Volt was unveiled earlier this year, GM has been working hard on the production model. The project which is going to cost the automaker at least $500 million is as top of a priority as the new 2008 Chevy Malibu.
Continue reading "The Chevy Volt Hybrid Could Take on the Prius in 2010" »
Should GM Discontinue Their Mid-Size SUVs?
According to The Car Connection, GM is rethinking the future of their mid-size SUVs. The site has received insider reports that it is very possible that the automaker may decide to discontinue future development on their GMT-360 SUVs such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Continue reading "Should GM Discontinue Their Mid-Size SUVs?" »
May 9, 2007
Slow Sales Prompt GM to Offer Rebates on Their Full-Size Trucks
In the past month GM has announced that their sales were down due to the slowing housing market and increasing gas prices. The automaker also stated that the sales of their new full-size pickups are not doing as well as they had hoped. Now comes word that the automaker is offering incentives to move the large trucks, since sales dropped 7% last month.
Continue reading "Slow Sales Prompt GM to Offer Rebates on Their Full-Size Trucks" »
May 11, 2007
The 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi Pics Have Been Released
GM has released the first official photos of the new 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi (the wagon version of the 9-3). In addition to the new sheetmetal, the 9-3 line will get a new 255hp in the Aero version, new sound system, leather and new Xenon cornering headlights.
Continue reading "The 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi Pics Have Been Released" »
2008 Honda FCX Sedan...We Are Finally Going to Get a Hydrogen Powered Car!
Honda has announced that it will put its new fuel-cell vehicle into production next year. The automaker is also working on another hybrid vehicle that will be cheaper and smaller than the current Civic Hybrid.
Continue reading "2008 Honda FCX Sedan...We Are Finally Going to Get a Hydrogen Powered Car!" »
May 14, 2007
Camry vs Malibu...Chevy Dealers Put Toyota Camrys in Their Showrooms to Sell Malibus
According to a report by the Automotive News, GM is going to try to convince buyers that its new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is better than the Toyota Camry by having the Camry in their showrooms.
Should the Government Bail Out the U.S. Automakers?
According to California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the federal government may need to bail out U.S. automakers in order to keep them in business. The bail out could amount to several billion dollars.
Continue reading "Should the Government Bail Out the U.S. Automakers?" »
May 16, 2007
Pontiac Looks to Hip Hop to Sell its Vehicles
It seems as if General Motors is continuing their "alternative" marketing approach that they started with the upcoming "Transformers" movie, which features GM vehicles. The latest effort is in the upcoming music video for rapper 50 Cent.
Continue reading "Pontiac Looks to Hip Hop to Sell its Vehicles" »
May 29, 2007
A New Chevy Crossover is Finally on the Way, But Why Did Buick Get it First?
It seems like everyday an automaker announces plans for a new crossover vehicle. Well now we can add Chevrolet to the list. Due to slipping Trailblazer sales, Chevy is hard at work on a crossover replacement for its aging SUV. The new vehicle, will be built