GM’s Orion Plant Pivots From EVs, Will Build Gas Vehicles
GM’s Orion Assembly plant will produce gasoline powered trucks and SUVs for the first time ever as GM announces changes to its electrification strategy.
GM
2024 Acura ZDX A-Spec Review: Teamwork Makes the EV Dream Work
As the saying goes, what’s old is new again. Case in point: the new Acura ZDX A Spec. It’s not that the vehicle itself is old—it’s more that the way this vehicle came to market. 1996 was a year chock-full of optimism, with Americans everywhere doing the Macarena as they poured their life savings into the can’t-miss investment vehicle known as Beanie Babies. Cheap gas allowed sales of the newly defined SUV market to surge. Everyone, everywhere, was scrambling to get into one of these fancy-ish trucks, and perhaps more importantly, OEMs the world over were scrambling to get their …
2025 Cadillac Escalade Pumps Up its Pricing Ladder, Starts at $89,950
Cadillac has released pricing for the 2025 Cadillac Escalade and prices are going up for the new year as the refreshed SUV will now start at $89,950 as it attempts to continue bringing the fight to rivals like the Lincoln Navigator as well as European entries like the Mercedes-Benz GLS and the Land Rover Range Rover. Escalade pricing ladder gets beefed up The $89,950 figure we mentioned earlier is over $5,000 more than the outgoing model and highlights a broader increase in prices across the board. We have provided a full breakdown of the pricing ladder which can be seen …
Texas Sues GM, Claims Company Tricked Buyers To Sharing Data That Was Later Used By Insurers
The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against General Motors claiming that the car giant tricked customers into sharing and providing their personal data which was later used by insurance companies and other entities without their knowledge. A pattern of mistrust According to the state of Texas, new vehicle owners were presented with what the state calls “a confusing and highly misleading process” that was promoted as a way to increase their safety but in reality it “was no more than a deceptively designed sales flow” that surrendered their data for GM to sell. The suit alleges that at …
Is Buick Lost In GM’s EV Masterplan? Comments By GM CEO Mary Barra Paint Mixed Canvas
General Motors is currently moving full speed in its plans to achieve an all-EV future with the company rolling out a growing pool of electric vehicles for Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and the newly revived and rebooted Hummer sub-brand. However, one brand that has been absent from the discussion recently is Buick, with its electrification plans still shrouded in mystery. Has Buick become lost in the proverbial shuffle? Recent comments at an Automotive Press Association (APA) event by GM CEO Mary Barra suggest that while the company still has plans for the brand, the future continues to be very uncertain. …
GM And Honda Confirm EV Plans, First Model Set For Production In 2027
Rumors and borderline confirmations circulated for years about GM and Honda potentially teaming up for an ambitious project aimed at creating an affordable EV model. The two have now made it official with both companies confirming the news earlier today. Honda To Gain Two New SUV Models A key aspect of this partnership is that Honda will be getting two all new EV utility offerings with the Honda side getting the Prologue while Acura gets a currently unnamed model for the luxury market. This announcement though expands on this and confirms that the deal will focus on affordable EVs …
GM Set To Expand Product Portfolio With More EVs, Declines Comment On Deep Sea Nodule Mining
General Motors is preparing to make waves in the industry when it comes to EV vehicles and some of the finer things that go into them. GM CEO Mary Barra recently took part in an Automotive Press Association event in Detroit where she not only provided a deep dive into some of the company’s long-term plans for the EV segment but also new initiatives that aim to help it become a key player in the segment. Barra Declines Comment On Whether Company Is Considering Deep Sea Mining A conversation that’s been gaining steam in recent years is the act …
General Motors Announces Plans To Build New Wallace Battery Innovation Center, Part Of Broader Move To Cut Costs And Enhance EV Range
General Motors Is out to show that it can dominate the EV marketplace. With arch-rival Ford recently announcing plans to build a massive EV-focused complex called “Blue Oval City” to enhance battery cell development. GM has revealed that it will be building a battery cell facility of its own as the General scrambles to shore up its EV operations. Wallace Battery Innovation Center To Be Key Hub For GM EVs Dubbed the Wallace Battery Innovation Center, the facility was named after Bill Wallace a former GM executive who played a key role in developing GM’s battery technology before he …
The genesis of a cult culture icon, the 1999 Pontiac Aztek concept
When it comes to being a true full circle vehicle offering, the Pontiac Aztek would certainly rise through the ranks to be a potent candidate. The Aztek was one of the first CUVs of the period, and was supposed to be Pontiac’s ultimate adventure vehicle. The Aztek shared its platform with the Montana minivan, and it offered all kinds of interesting features. This included a removable center console that could double as a portable cooler, and the ability to turn the entire rear of the Aztek into a tent via an optional accessory. But while the ability to go tenting …
Road Test Review – 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir – By Carl Malek
Buick is in a very interesting state of flux. Once known for having a vibrant car lineup, the brand is in the middle of a rapid transformation into a CUV and SUV focused brand. While new entries like the Encore GX and the refreshed Envision are helping Buick explore new niches in the utility segment, ultimately, the weight of the brand’s sales success rests with the Buick Enclave. This full-size hauler has the size and the luxury needed to be the perfect family truckster, with the model being a sales force for Buick since it first made its appearance back …
GMC Unveils 2019 Sierra, Features CarbonPro Bed and MultiPro Tailgate
Following the debut of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado at the 2018 North American International Auto Show, General Motors has unveiled the second half of its pickup truck equation, the 2019 GMC Sierra which crams even more innovation and technology into its iconic lines for the new model year. Like the Silverado, the front fascia of the Sierra is mainly a love it or hate it affair, but GMC designers did make extra effort into making the truck more upscale than the decidedly more mainstream Silverado. This includes adding a reworked chrome front grille, revised front and rear bumpers, as well …
1961 Chevrolet Corphibian – One and Only Original GM Prototype Heading to Mecum Kissimmee 2016
“Rare” does not do this Corphibian justice. Never will anyone you encounter on water or land know what they are seeing, nor are they likely to see it again! The Corphibian was the single prototype comissioned by General Motors, based on the Corvair 95 Rampside Pickup truck production model. Along with the Corvair Greenbriar van, these two rounded out a now very expansive family of rear-engined, air-cooled models from GM. These were designed largely in response to the booming success of the very-cheap VW Beetle, introduced to the US officially in the mid 1950s but well-known in engineering …
Best of Shanghai – 2015 Chevrolet FNR Concept Is First Self-Driver For Cool People
Finally! Â A high-tech and super-advanced autonomous concept that is not just aimed at super-nerds! Even though Shanghai is only just getting into its swing of new car reveals, we can be sure that the Chevrolet FNR will be one of the most memorable and intriguing vehicles on display. The new Chevrolet FNR Concept just bowed in Shanghai to stunned crowds and camera-phone flashbulbs exploding in a cascade of light. A sinewy mix of glass capsule and integrated chassis materials is a fascinating look at the future of car design. The FNR features some intense dragonfly double doors which side upward …
2016 Chevrolet Spark Brings New Turbo Engine + Lower, Sportier Style and Handling
Chevrolet is not likely to admit this, but the Spark’s success in the US market has been a huge surprise. 2014 Calendar Year sales topped 39,000, making the Spark the best-selling subcompact in the US. It dominates the Mitsubishi Mirage, Mazda2 and Kia Rio easily. Combined with its Sonic big brother, the Spark has made Chevy the main player in minicar sales since its launch in 2012. The latest Spark will continue this trend with a more refined and tech-infused cabin, a new turbo 1.4-liter engine, and a sportier driving position. This lower feel from the drivers seat comes with …
Concept Flashback – 2003 Cadillac Sixteen Hoped to Join $100k+ Limo Segment
The Cadillac Sixteen created a huge, huge stir around the world after its reveal in early 2003. This was shortly after the Rolls-Royce Phantom had been reborn in its ultra-long and cab-backward style, and the world was even more gaga for the Sixteen. Cadillac trotted the car around the world at least thrice to attend every major auto show you could ever name. Fashion and lifestyle agazines wrote about it. Famous photographers snapped it in famous places. All this love came out of left field, to be honest. No one in the $100,000-plus luxury car market of 2003 would ever, …
2015 Silverado HD CNG 6.0L Bi-Fuel V8 is a Natty G Revolution!
This energy revolution will not be televised. It will rarely draw stares or have other drivers following you to ask questions. The 2500HD CNG is all-new from Chevrolet this year and marks the beginning of a potentially game-changing new trend in heavy-duty pickup truck efficiency. As nice as a diesel engine’s extra 25-percent fuel efficiency is, what about a powertrain package that doubles overall range and can be flipped between gasoline and compressed natural gas at the touch of a button? If there are no CNG filler stations on your route, simply run the truck on gasoline and enjoy is …
2015 Chevrolet Trax Arriving in January With Base Price of $21,000
Updated 12.1.14 The Chevy Trax is arriving to Chevy dealers very, very soon! As these latest photos and top 20 features below show, Chevy is eager to make Trax in the compact crossover market sales charts! We were pretty far below the Trax’s actual prices in our ballpark below of $19k to $25k — the Trax will actually start from $21,000 as a front-drive and $22,500 with AWD. Simple trim levels at least mean the LTZ AWD will not be much of a jump up the price ladder – with our new estimate being $27,000 with every available option. Fuel …
Update1 – Exec Shuffle Analysis – Infiniti QQX Rebadge Architech Johan de Nysschen Joins Cadillac
Updated with Infiniti USA sales figures below. Uh oh! All signs indicate that Carlos Ghosn is furious today. Another key executive is gone just 10 months after the wacky Carlos Tavares was booted from Renault. Former Audi and Infiniti executive Johan De Nysschen has just been announced as the new Cadillac global leader. This is an unusually sudden departure from Renault-Nissan – and an odd hire for Cadillac as well. It is not yet clear if De Nysschen was terminated or recruited away from Infiniti, but his efforts there have been a nightmare overall. Cadillac’s global ambitions are well-known, and …
2015 Chevrolet Trax USA Arrival In September To Battle Juke, Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade Mini SUVs
Can you blame Chevrolet for bringing the Trax to the US market? Of course not! There is no bigger growth segment in the car market than the mini SUV. This one shares most of its platform and running gear with the Sonic and other little guys in the Chevy portfolio, but will command a $3,000 premium just for sitting a bit higher up and having some SUV body cladding. This model is required to slot in below the ever-larger and very dated Equinox and very-old-indeed Captiva Sport that is a fleet-only model. Chevrolet and GM have been rightly lambasted for …
Atlanta Dream Cars – 1951 General Motors LeSabre XP-8 Struck Gold With Yank Tank Ethos of 1950s
I usually formulate a rough outline of what I want to say about a car while cropping and straightening out the photos beforehand. In the case of this 1951 LeSabre, I wish you could have seen my face recoil in horror at all the tacky, gaudy details on this car up close. Thus, my theory was initially that the LeSabre showed General Motors the good and the bad of design. The good is that it can excite you in ways that will open wallets and checkbooks by the millions. The bad is that certain elements would need to be explained …
Prediction: Bumblebee Chevrolet Camaro Gone After Transformers 4 RoboTrumble + Info About 1967 Z/28 and Nicola Peltz
Who would have thought that Bumblebee would outlast almost all the other actors, cars, trucks and bots in the Transformers films when the first move debuted the new Camaro to global excitement in 2007? Transformers 4: Age of Extinction is in theaters on June 27th – starring not one Camaro, but two. Both the revised and upgraded 2014 Camaro concept as well as a a 1967 Camaro Z/28 will appear in the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg (catchphrase: ‘huh!? wha? what’s happening?’ or ‘say hi to your mother for me.’) and a new roster of supporting actors that includes neither …
Vision GT Concept Car Teasers – What Is Left? Subaru, Lexus, Honda, Tesla, Aston, Ford, GM…
Oh yes! Were you growing a bit fatigued with the GranTurismo VisionGT concepts? Well, brace yourself! We are only about 20-percent of the way through the major manufacturer releases – only Mercedes-Benz AMG, VW GTI Roadster, Mitsu XR-PHEV and a handful of others have been seen so far. This leaves the vast majority still to come, in a drip feed about once monthly over the next year or more. Why this slow trickle? It is to provide space for each car to be driven by people in the game, and room to breath around the other announcements. Here are …
MEGA Road Test Review – 2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 CrewMax Limited
INTRO Ahh, the joys of moving from a little car to a giant truck. Can they ever truly be overstated? The first few minutes, you are simply in awe at how large a vehicle you are piloting. The steering can feel a bit slow, and the width takes getting used to. But after less than a mile, you start to “get it.” You get the big view forward and to all sides. You get the sense that the roominess of the Tundra’s cabin goes on for miles and miles. And you get the sense, most importantly, that you are …
Op_Ed: Ferrari Formula One 2014 Whine-a-Thon — Actually Just Poor Engineering? But Surplus of Arrogance, Entitlement and Cronyism
INTRO: No kid says, “I want to be one of the angry and out-of-touch old men in charge, long after my prime and causing damage to my sport, or my team.” They say, “I want to be a racecar driver.” Formula One is bringing a bit more drama to all the backstage maneuvers this year — which is at least half the fun of the sport lately. Bogged down by a tome of a rulebook, Bernie Ecclestone’s forced hiatus from running every lockstep in the sport brings with it significant pitfalls for the most legendary team on the grid: Scuderia …
2015 Escalade ESV Standard, Premium and Luxury – Buyers Guide and Pricing from $72k
The 2015 Escalade is easily the hottest full-size truck of the year. Its arrival is still forthcoming, but the first Tahoe’s and Yukon’s are already starting to trickle onto dealer lots. Extra attention to the Escalade’s cabin and driving experience explain why the Cadillac is not shipping first. But better late and perfect than early and unfinished. For most buyers in the market for an Escalade-sized truck, there would be a few solid preference to keep in mind: — ESV length versus the shortie would be a no-brainer for me — the price increase is only $3,000 but the increased …
Op-Ed — Is Motors Liquidation Corp (Old GM)’s Rotten Culture Actually Gone? Refusal To Provide Safe Loaner Cars Is Shameful
I hate politics. Rarely will you catch an article on here about NHTSA’s ridiculous, farcical witch-hunts around recalls. If you think this stuff is not political, think again. Do not get me started on the useless, fleabag vote-mongers in both houses of congress, from both sides of the aisle. Counterpoint: Or the NHTSA’s actual customer assistance in ensuring recall work is fulfilled by manufacturers? “Send them a letter” is not sufficient, @NHTSA — when you are steamrolling billions of company value from the books with these opportunistic investigations. A disgusting disgrace for the agency, and one that will not go …
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray — Animated Evolution in Polo White
Ever since the debut of the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban in September 2013, General Motors seems to — finally — be a far more forward-thinking company. The irony was not lost on anyone during the 1980s and 1990s: the largest and most successful industrial entity of the 20th Century, and perhaps all of American history, was rapidly in decline and risking it all via short-sighted management strategies that equaled awful cars. Part of looking forward is knowing where you came from, of course. Good (but often not-so-good) skeletons of cars in the closet would no longer be swept under the …
Vauxhall Astra Hits 300HP In VXR-topping Extreme Spec — A Production-Ready Front-Drive Z/28?
The latest Astra from Opel in Europe and Vauxhall in England is a really handsome machine. Surprisingly, it pips even the latest Focus on style, even in hum-drum TopGear “Star in a reasonably Priced Car” trim. The LEDs (at night) are far better than anything out of Woking, so far, glowing a bright white around Dunsfold on the rainiest, grayest days of this never-ending winter. The upgrade here adds 30 horsepower, a huge carbon-fiber overhall outside for racing aero, and a very impressive grip setup. I was trying to think of what race series this car seems from — and …
2013 SAAB 9-5 Turbo6 XWD Aero — 48 HQ Photos — The Coolest AWD, Turbo V6 Limo You Cannot Buy
The 9-5 is an exceptional car caught in the wrong place at a disastrous time. The rapid pullout and poison IP pill from General Motors is still causing major delays in all efforts to restart the storied Trollhatten brand. The saddest part of the SAAB downfall were the two models launched as a Hail Mary pass deep downfield in 2011. The 9-6X and 9-5 are both fantastic cars. Ultimately, some time in the 9-5 shows exactly how excellent the core package is at matching SAAB’s brand and design ambition, market priorities with giant rear seat, and even XWD and turbo-diesel …
McLaren Turbo – Secrets of Black Air – 1987 Buick GNX Story
Let’s start at the beginning, my personal vantage on the Buick GNX – before and after watching Black Air: The Buick Grand National Story. Here are three things you may not know about the 1987 Buick Grand National: Engine came first, car second. What sporty body could fit this 500HP boost-monster? Housing the huge McLaren turbocharger and intercooler hardware of the 3.8-liter V6 was the hardest part. It was a very sentimental project for the company, allowing unbridled execution of the super-car engine and total styling black-out. That high-gloss, rich paint was pure fantasy at the time. The GNX was the …
EuroChevy Halted in Favor of Opel / Vauxhall – But What About the ManU Jerseys!?
EuroChevy Runs Out of Gas In what seems like a curious move from General Motors, Chevrolet today reports it will no longer promote or sell Chevy-branded cars in Europe by the end of 2015. This is a very complex decision, but one that has sound business principles at its core. Europeans do not want to buy Chevrolet cars. Period. Most new brands, like Infiniti, face an uphill battle to sway these entrenched buyers with very specific brand loyalties to local marques. But let us say Infiniti started at a brand index of 0, and is working to move that …
2014 Buick LaCrosse Trumps Jaguar XJL AWD In Almost Every Way
2014 Buick LaCrosse – Animated GIF of 80 High-Res Photos This new LaCrosse is a real sweetheart. I closely compare it with the Jaguar XJ – which I also got to sample recently in its new AWD V-6 setup at the low end of the price range. Despite the Jag’s panache, it did not look happy with its extra L length and a perceptible increase in rear ride height versus the ultra-sporty XJR. The Jag and its tall rump. Both fabulous, comfortable limousines. The Buick impressed me quite a bit with its incredible NVH isolation, honestly decent steering and …
KIA Launches All-New Kia.com – With Help Of Brilliant Denuo Digital Brains
KIA Launches All-New Kia.com – With Help Of Brilliant Denuo Ad Agency The race to have the best consumer-facing car manufacturer website is really heating up toward the close of 2013. The combination of new shopping habits among car shoppers, far better graphics and personalization options online, and the old classic – hating any car showroom experience. As GM runs trials with a few all-star dealers on an online ordering process for private shoppers, Kia is also upping its game dramatically. Kia.com is all-new today, with a far more simplified and relaxing layout than any other OEM website we can …