2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco Priced from $25,995, Slightly Undercuts Hybrid Competitors

November 22, 2011 at 4:49pm by Alexander Stoklosa

Chevrolet has announced that the 2013 Malibu Eco will start at $25,995—higher than most non-hybrid mid-size sedans, but lower than mid-size hybrid players such as the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry. The Eco model will spearhead the new global 2013 Chevrolet Malibu’s launch in the U.S. in early 2012—the presumably cheaper gas-only model, powered by a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder, will arrive later.

The Eco’s middle-of-the-road pricing makes sense: it’s a mild hybrid system—essentially the same as Buick’s eAssist—but unlike Toyota’s hybrid system, the electric motor cannot power the car on its own. As a result, fuel-economy estimates are an unexceptional (in the hybrid context) 26 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway; higher than a conventional gas-powered sedan’s, but lower than its hybrid competitors. Furthermore, the Eco’s 2.4-liter four combined with its electric motor/generator is good for 182 hp—less than some competitors’ four-cylinders. For comparison, the 2012 Toyota Camry hybrid LE returns 43 and 39 mpg city/highway, packs 200 hp, and is priced from $26,660. That’s not a whole lot more money for markedly better city fuel economy and comparable highway thrift. On the other end of the spectrum, the $21,455 base 2012 Hyundai Sonata—with a six-speed automatic—makes 198 hp and gets 24 and 35 mpg city/highway. At the moment, it appears the Malibu Eco’s pricing may be slightly out of step with its capabilities, but we will reserve judgment until we drive a production model for ourselves.

Tags: Chevrolet, Chevrolet Malibu Eco |

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Chevrolet Announces $54,995 Price Tag For 580-hp Camaro ZL1

If you ever need an example of poor timing, General Motors just provided a gem. The same day the company announces a $54,995 price for the Camaro ZL1, Ford nukes the collective minds of the automotive world with the news that ZL1's direct competitor, the Mustang GT500, will have 650 horsepower for 2013. The ZL1 has 580.

But hey, cars are about more than just horsepower, right? Handling, braking, steering, and ride are all other crucial aspects of the driving experience, and physical appearance matters quite a bit, too. And nobody knows yet exactly how much of a premium Ford will hang on the GT500. (It’s unlikely that the Shelby will cost much more than the ZL1, though.) To better comprehend the ZL1's standing among 6.2-liter screamers and the Shelby, check out our handy table below.

For 55 large (not counting the probable gas-guzzler tax of $1000 or so), the ZL1 comes well equipped. Leather seats with faux-suede inserts are standard, as are a rear-view camera and a premium audio system. The car comes with General Motors’ latest iteration of Magnetic Ride Control, as well as launch control and coolers for the differential and engine and transmission oil. In terms of options, there are few: A six-speed automatic transmission is an extra $1185, a sunroof commands $900, and a few cosmetic tweaks round out list.

This makes the ZL1 about $10,000 less than the cheapest Cadillac CTS-V, which is powered by a version of the same engine. (The Caddy’s has a mere 556 hp.) And with 580 hp on tap, the ZL1 is sure to offer a ton of performance—although saying how much exactly will have to wait until we get hold of one. It’s just a pity the ZL1 wasn’t quick enough to outrun Ford’s news.

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2012 Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype Race Car Announced

November 15, 2011 at 9:15pm by Alexander Stoklosa

The Daytona Prototype class already hosts the quickest, hottest cars in the Grand-Am series, and Chevrolet’s new 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype looks to amp things up even more when it takes to the track at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. For those unfamiliar, the Daytona Prototype class is comprised of purpose-built, mid-engine racers that are far less related to street cars than, say, the ZR1-based Corvette C6.R, which races in ALMS.

Chevrolet’s DP entry wasn’t an entirely home-grown effort, and the Corvette Prototype was developed with help from chassis specialists Riley, Coyote, and Dallara along with Pratt & Miller, Corvette Designers, and Grand-Am itself. Other than a few Corvette styling cues—including a split rear window!—littered about the carbon-fiber bodywork, the prototype car shares nothing with a roadgoing Corvette. (To the Corvette speculators, the DP car may have that throwback rear window and a mid-engine configuration, but that does not mean the C7 Corvette will, too.) Among the vast array of specifics left out of the release were engine layout and size; a 500-horse, 5.0-liter Chevrolet V-8 was campaigned last year, however, so we have a sneaking suspicion that’s what lives under the Lexan window out back.

Four teams have been announced as running the new Corvette: Spirit of Daytona Racing, SunTrust Racing, GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, and Action Express Racing. Given the Corvette nameplate’s long and storied history in road racing—and its huge pile of trophies—we’re excited to see how the car does next year.

Tags: Chevrolet, Chevrolet Corvette |

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Chevrolet News for ’99: Trucks. Corvette. Bi-Fuel Cavalier! [Chevrolet Centennial, 1990s Edition]

Chevrolet is marking its 100th anniversary this week. To celebrate, we’re republishing two posts per day from our blog archives, each one plucked from a different decade of the marque’s long existence.

Well! It’s been an interesting century, hasn’t it? In a few months, the calendar will tick over to 1999. Everyone and their mother is playing that stupid Prince song, O.J. is still on the search for Nicole’s real killer—that will work out, we have faith—and you might have found our Internet Web Site by searching on something called Goggle Google. And people are saying Apple Computer is going to be relevant again. Riiiight.

So the century ends. Whither the bow tie? Back in the day, Chevrolet tweaked its entire lineup every year. Here, we get half effort. The Corvette line gains a new, lighter and cheaper hardtop coupe; Camaro Z28s and SSs now have a standard Torsen limited-slip. The big focus is on Chevy trucks and SUVs, which are selling so well, you’d think fuel is close to a buck a gallon. (Oh, wait. It is.) An all-new Silverado arrives this fall, along with a new Tracker and TrailBlazer model. The only major change to Chevy’s car lineup is the arrival of the bi-fuel Cavalier sedan, a version of the four-door Cav that can run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas. Thankfully, you can still buy the (aging) F-body Camaro. It’s a good, or at least entertaining, car that makes up for . . . well, that makes up for the Cavalier.

All things considered, the company’s position is interesting. In just over a decade, Chevrolet will be 100 years old. There’s momentum here, but not a lot of interesting product. Word out of Milford is that the next Corvette will be—my kids taught me this—the bomb. Time will tell.

–Samuel Smith, ss7482774901j@hotmail.aol.prodigy.compuserve.net.

Motorola StarTAC Direct-Line: 734-555-3600

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Eurosport is Newspeak for a Rad Chevy Celebrity [Chevrolet Centennial, 1980s Edition]

Chevrolet is marking its 100th anniversary this week. To celebrate, we’re republishing two posts per day from our blog archives, each one plucked from a different decade of the marque’s long existence.

Tell the kids to switch off the Music Television for a minute, because we’ve got news from Chevrolet that they’re gonna want to hear. It’s called Eurosport, a righteous little package for the Celebrity lineup. Once you get a load of the Eurosport, the regular Celebrity will seem like Kiss without the makeup.

These cars don’t just look European, though; those half-Continental badges mean there’s a real-worldly suspension underneath, one that’ll encourage you to take the long way to the video arcade. Pick the big engine, the two-barrel, 2.8-liter V-6—and you will if you’re doing your part to cut this oil glut—and the front wheels will have a stout 130 hp to fight over. Allow us to recommend the Eurosport wagon, with its available third row—the kids will thank you. No dorky minivan for this dad.

Now, some will see the Eurosport as simply a cheaper Pontiac 6000STE. We can tell you that’s nonsense. No one ever accused a Pontiac of being European.

Other Chevy news for 1984: The Caprice Classic coupe is “back by popular demand.” A handsome face lift for the Cavalier. And the bodacious, new fourth-generation Corvette. It’s been on sale since last year, when we learned that—despite persistent rumors—the engine wasn’t migrating to the middle. Which is fine, really, since that would be like Coca-Cola changing its recipe—it might be better, but it wouldn’t be the same. —Dave-O “Bun-Bun” Gluckman, Midsize-Sedan Affairs Desk

Tags: Chevrolet Centennial, Chevrolet Corvette |

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Are We Headed For Dudsville? Ask Chevrolet! [Chevrolet Centennial, 1970s Edition]

Chevrolet is marking its 100th anniversary this week. To celebrate, we’re republishing two posts per day from our blog archives, each one plucked from a different decade of the marque’s long existence.

Man, this switch from gross to net horsepower has really thrown a wet blanket on everybody’s scene. The power’s the same, but not the same? My 365-hp Chevelle only makes 285 now? Jive, man! Jive! And the loss of our high-compression engines? We’re beginning to understand why the Panthers went to Sacramento with guns!

With the harsh realities dealt by the hand of law firmly in place, the House of Louis thinks that going more “European” is the wave of the future — dig that Vega they launched earlier this year. Aluminum block and head, sharp styling. If they can keep that little mill together — we’ve heard some worrying reports about head-gasket failures — the little Chevy really is a sweet little machine in keeping with the times, given the insurance-price Altamont we’ve suffered through these last few years.

We hear the company’s working on a new Monte Carlo that’ll debut in about a year. They’ve apparently figured out a way to work in those hodad-crazy new 5-mph-impact bumpers into the design, and from what we’ve been able to glean from designers over Neapolitan veal and a few bottles of Paul Masson’s finest, the cats are planning to work in an opera window. From square to swinger in a single purchase!

The mainline Chevelles hitting dealerships next fall will also get more of a European look. We hear — straight from Johnny Z. no less — that the new machines will be bigger, lighter and the best handlers of any midsize Chevy to date. Keep your eyes peeled for a rakish coupe version that’s sure to be a hit at Talladega.

During the aforementioned dinner with Bill Mitchell’s boys, the guys mentioned that the new trucks will not be affecting a Continental habit, but will appear even blockier than the current models. They do promise, however, some serious flair in the color choice department. We predict that with the more stringent emissions regulations coming into effect for automobiles over the next five years, the truck and van segment is primed to explode. Expect a heap of wild custom creations as the rodders ply their way-out trades in new areas. Opera window on a Chevy Van — will it stand as the height of working-class opulence in this new decade? Or is there something more? Surely, creative thinkers can outdo Yates’s “Moon Trash II” transcontinental Dodge Custom Sportsman van.

By the way, if you’re into that noise, the fourth Led Zeppelin long-player drops next week. One of our friends at Creem spun us a promo copy. We’re betting we’ll find it jammed in El Camino and Camaro 8-track players for years to come.

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Hot Wheels Chevrolet Camaro Concept: SEMA’s Biggest Toy

It’s a classic case of art imitating life on repeat. This electrochromic green Chevy was jointly designed by GM and Hot Wheels to commemorate the latter’s first die-cast Camaro. And to keep things going, Hot Wheels will offer a special collector’s edition 1:64 version of this one-off.

The drivable toy is based on a manual-transmission Camaro SS and has snagged a few ZL1 parts—namely the grille and spoiler—along with a host of unique pieces. We’re especially fond of the hood’s milled black aluminum extractor vents. And the life-size Hot Wheels track the concept is set on is a nice touch.

Hot Wheels devotees (you know who you are) can go to http://www.hotwheelscollectors.com/ for info about purchasing the scale model.

Tags: 2011 SEMA show, Chevrolet, Chevrolet Camaro, Hot Wheels |

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Camaro to Go Bye-Bye, But EV1 Just Might Stick Around; Could It Lead to Alt-Power Chevys? [Chevrolet Centennial, 2000s Edition]

Chevrolet is marking its 100th anniversary this week. To celebrate, we’re republishing two posts per day from our blog archives, each one plucked from a different decade of the marque’s long existence.

Time and time again, we’ve pitted the Camaro against the Mustang, and the Mustang has walked away lacking. Yet 2002 will be the end of GM’s F-body twins. No more Camaro. No more Firebird. No more Trans-Am. No more wacky specials like Grand National–powered T-top TAs or 427-inch aluminum-block Camaros. Done. Finito. Poof. Fin. Fare-thee-well, Eskimo Charlie. You get it. The platform itself dates back to 1982. The interior design is questionable. The ergonomics can kindly be described as iffy. But the LS1 is such a fantastically great lump that you don’t care that its roots are in the 1955 Chevrolet; indeed, much of the time, you don’t care about the essential badness of your surroundings. It’s a neat trick that never gets old. Except that now, apparently, it has.

So what have we got to look forward to? GM’s EV1 program hasn’t been a roaring success, but it seems as though they’ll stick with it. We don’t foresee an edict taking the small group of cars they’ve leased away from their owners—although we would rather like to watch those vegetable-chewing ninnies squirm and yelp if the big, bad General comes for their toys.

We’ve also heard that the next Corvette, which we should see in three years or so, will feature a smaller 5.4-liter version of Chevrolet’s Gen III small block. It may also be mid-engined. Whatever the case, with things heating up in the Middle East, we’ll see GM get serious about alternative energy sources and smaller powerplants within the next three years. Which also means, as GM’s volume brand, Chevy’s about to buckle down on real automotive efforts, rather than coasting on its truck and SUV profits. We can only hope that in 2005, we’ll see 300-hp V-6–powered Camaro and Firebird siblings and perhaps a Trans Am with the rumored 5.4 from the Vette. After all, if America’s without the Screaming Chicken for long, the terrorists have clearly won.

Tags: Chevrolet, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Centennial |

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First Photos of 2013 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Leak out of Dubai Motor Show Media Preview Event

We recently reported that the Chevrolet had revived the TrailBlazer name and would affix it to a new SUV based off of the new global Colorado mid-size pickup truck. Now we have our first look at the new body-on-frame TrailBlazer courtesy of photos leaked by DriveArabia.com (head over to its Facebook page to see all of the images). The photographs are of GM projection slides and presumably were taken at the TrailBlazer’s media preview event for the Dubai auto show, which kicks off tomorrow.

Chevy’s newest sport-ute is slated to debut at the Dubai show before going on sale globally in 2012, but in what form? Don’t expect the production TrailBlazer to deviate much from the SUV pictured here—different front fascia and headlights, cheaper mirrors, but that should be about it. The production 2013 Colorado pickup on which it is based turned out nearly identical to the concept version. Will this “global” TrailBlazer make it to the U.S.? We’re not sure, but the new Colorado has already been confirmed for our market; we’ll likely find out more after the TrailBlazer’s big reveal tomorrow.

Tags: Chevrolet, Chevrolet TrailBlazer |

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