Chevrolet Corvette Roars Into Its 60th Year

"On June 30, 1953, the first of a new kind of Chevrolet – indeed, a new kind of American car – rolled off an assembly line in Flint, Mich.

The car had only two seats. There were no roll-up windows, or exterior door handles, for that matter. Its body wasn’t stamped from steel but, rather, molded from reinforced fiberglass.

While the postwar Baby Boom was in full swing, this was definitely not a family car. This was a very personal vehicle, one that promised a driver and a passenger all of the thrills of the open road.

Skeptics gave the car little chance of lasting beyond an initial run of a few dozen units. However, 60 years later the Chevrolet Corvette survives – and thrives – as an American automotive and cultural icon.

“Through the years, Corvette certainly offered state-of-the-art features, designs, technologies and performance,” said Tadge Juechter, vehicle chief engineer for Corvette. “However, I think what has made the Corvette such an enduring concept is the exciting experience of driving one.

“No matter what your station in life, when you’re behind the wheel of a Corvette, you’re an Olympic athlete – able to go faster, stop quicker, and turn better than everyone else,” Juechter continued. “Very few cars can match that experience. And no other car has delivered that experience as well, or to more people, than the Corvette.”

Barely five months before Tony Kleiber, a Flint plant body assembler, drove that first Chevrolet Corvette off the line and into automotive history, the icon in the making was little more than a designer’s dream." [Read more]

Chevrolet's V-8 Module

Happy Volt Owners: VIN Number

More Content, Value for Base Malibu; Lower Price for LTZ

 

"When the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan goes on sale this summer with an all-new 2.5L Ecotec engine and 10 standard air bags, it will carry a suggested retail price of $23,150, including a $760 destination charge.

The midsize segment’s longest-running nameplate, the 2013 Malibu is available in LS, Eco, LT and LTZ models. Malibu Eco went on sale earlier this year, to be followed by the LS, LT and LTZ models. An all-new turbocharged Malibu LTZ will be available this fall – the first-ever turbocharged Malibu.

The base prices for all Malibu models – with a $760 destination charge – are: [Read more]"

Corvette ZR1 at Nürburgring

Chevrolet Malibu Eco Achieves Double Safety Honors

"The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco is the first and only all-new 2013 midsize car to receive double honors for safety including a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Both are the highest ratings possible.

The IIHS tests vehicles to determine how well they protect occupants in front and side crash tests, in rollovers via a roof strength test, and simulated rear impacts to evaluate seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries. The Malibu Eco achieved a “good” score in all four types of tests performed and has standard electronic stability control, which the IIHS requires for Top Safety Pick designation.

In achieving the 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the Malibu Eco was tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment Program.  The overall score is based on frontal and side crash tests in addition to evaluation for rollover resistance. Under the rating system, performances in three test segments are combined mathematically into an “Overall Vehicle Score.”

"With the Malibu Eco, Chevrolet has earned seven 2012 TOP SAFETY PICK awards," said IIHS President Adrian Lund.  "The IIHS and NHTSA results demonstrate GM's commitment to state-of-the-art crash protection."

Under this methodology, the Chevy Malibu Eco achieved an Overall Vehicle Score of five stars – the highest rating possible - even though some individual ratings, such as rollover, resulted in four stars." [Read more]

What to do if Your Engine Overheats

Chevy Brings ‘Hands On’ Experiences to Country Music Fest

 

" Chevrolet, the Official Ride of Country Music, continues its partnership with the Country Music Association by bringing multiple 'hands on' experiences to the 2012 CMA Music Festival.  Continuing a well-established tradition, Chevrolet also will sponsor several Country Music acts - some new, some global, some rising stars so fans have plenty to do, much to discover and a lot to enjoy throughout the CMA Festival week.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. " [Read more]

2013 Chevrolet Volt Boosts EV Range to 38 Miles

 

" The all-electric vehicle range of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be 38 miles on a single charge, providing owners with a three-mile EV range increase from the 2012 model. The miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) will increase from 94 miles to 98 miles and the total range, including extended range operation, will be 380 miles.

Based on real-world experience by Volt owners since the vehicle launched in late 2010, engineers made minor changes to the material composition of the battery cell chemistry, resulting in improved performance and durability. Manganese spinel chemistry remains the foundation for the Volt’s battery system, but the amount of each material has been slightly modified to provide better life performance.

“The best way to explain what we’ve done at the cell level is to compare it to a cake batter recipe.  Sometimes if you use more sugar and less vanilla you get a better tasting cake. We’ve done some work at the cell level to modify the ‘ingredients’ to make a better end result,” said Bill Wallace, GM director of Global Battery Systems Engineering. “This attention to detail will allow our customers to experience more pure EV range, which is the true benefit of owning a Volt.”

In addition, the total storage capacity of the Volt battery has been increased from 16 kWh of energy to 16.5 kWh, and engineers have expanded the state-of-charge window to use 10.8 kWh of the total battery energy – up from 10.3 kWh used in the 2012 model.  The battery system maintains a buffer to ensure battery life, but that buffer has been reduced.

The improved EV range capability will result in slight increases to the Volt’s charge times. A full recharge using a 120V could take 10.5 hours and 4.25 hours using a 240V charging unit." [Read more]

Facebook Fan Questions with Tony Stewart

Chevrolet Kick-Starts Global Commitment to International Football

"Chevrolet’s five-year agreement to become the Official Automotive Partner of Barclays Premier League giant Manchester United includes the creation of the Chevrolet China Cup as part of the Manchester United 2012 Tour, delivered to the world by DHL.

Taking place in July, the Chevrolet China Cup will feature matches in Shanghai and another Chinese city. Chevrolet’s first global football sponsorship in the brand’s 101-year history centers on a commitment focused on enhancing the experience for supporters of the game.

Chevrolet also announced a partnership with the One World Futbol Project, an organization focused on sustaining play for youth in impoverished regions through a revolutionary, virtually indestructible football. Chevrolet’s support includes a pledge to donate 1.5 million One World Futbols over the next three years to organizations working with youth living in war-stricken zones, refugee camps, disaster areas and other disadvantaged communities. Chevrolet is the first corporate sponsor of the One World Futbol Project, which has positively affected more than 525,000 lives in 137 countries." [Read more]