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Category: General Motors

  • Hummer launches two special editions

    Hummer launches two special editions

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    Hummer has announced it will launch two special editions of its current models: the H2 Silver Ice Limited Edition and the H3 Championship Edition.

    Like the Victory Red Edition sold last year, the new H2 limited edition is only available with a silver paint scheme. The limited also includes chrome package, which can be seen on the wheels and other exterior trim pieces. The wheels grow in size to 20” while the equipment features a rear vision camera, rear DVD entertainment system and a high-end audio system with Bose 5.1 surround sound. Only 750 units will be built whose 500 of them to be reserved for the American market.

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    The H3 Championship Edition is a tribute to the H3 Alpha that won the Baja 1000 race last year. This limited edition is powered by the Alpha’s V8 and adds to the normal version 33” tyres, a grille guard and fender extensions. The H3 gets a silver painting while its shocks and brake calipers are painted in red.

    The H2 is sold at $65,230/£33,200 and the H3 costs $39,206/£20,000. Both SUVs hit the showrooms in April.

  • GM to build a Mini competitor?

    GM to build a Mini competitor?

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    During a presentation of the Volt’s progress, GM left drawings of what could be a future new Mini competitor sold under the Saab label.

    The car was a three-door hatchback with two different designs and varied colour schemes. One design featured a B-pillar with a rear end similar to the famous Chevrolet Nomad’s while the other didn’t feature any B-pillar but a spoiler at the rear end. One of the car is presented as a future Saab model while the other features the Saturn badge.

    On the renderings realized by Motor Trend, both cars feature large wheel arches and small side windows like the Mini does. The supermini success generates a lot of interests from other car makers. Alfa Romeo will join the fight at the end of the year, while Mercedes will likely launch its competitor in 2011. The recent success encountered by the iconic Fiat 500 showed there was enough room on the segment for new contenders. But, with more actors on the field, there will be a fierce struggle for a share of the pie and GM might once again arrive after everybody and might just sweep up the crumbs.

    Click here to see all the drawings

  • GM to recall 180,000 Chevrolet HHR

    GM to recall 180,000 Chevrolet HHR

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    General Motors has announced the recall of 181,516 units of the HHR model due to a head injury risk. The problem occurs only with vehicles not equipped with the optional head curtain side air bags.

    The concerned vehicles don’t meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, ‘Occupant Protection in Interior Impact.’ Only 2006-2008 model year HHRs seem to have te defect. GM will install an energy-absorbing plastic piece to the headliner trim on all affected models. The recall is expected to start next month.

    The HHR is a retro-styled estate launched in 2006. It is available with a choice of three petrol engines, a 149bhp 2.2-litre unit, a 172bhp 2.4-litre engine and the topping 260bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre unit.

  • GM announced a £19.8 billion loss for 2007

    GM announced a £19.8 billion loss for 2007

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    GM has announced a $38.7/£19.8 billion loss for the 2007 fiscal year. Most of this huge loss is the result of a tax write down realized in the second half of the year.

    Sales were up 3% last year and the company made $181/£90 billion in revenue compared to $206/£103 billion in 2006. GM lost $23 million in 2007, compared to a net income of $2.2 billion in 2006. The company blamed its financial subsidiary, GMAC, for the loss.

    General Motors also announced another round of planned buyouts to all 74,000 U.S. hourly workers represented by the UAW. The new round of buyouts will offer incentives of $45,000 for production employees or $62,500 for skilled trades. Retirement plans will also be offered to employees 50 years or older with at least 10 years of service.

  • GM to build a Nano competitor

    GM to build a Nano competitor

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    GM will enter the cheapest car competition by launching a Tata Nano’s competitor which will be built in China by Wuling.

    Bob Lutz has given its formula to build the Nano’s competitor: “We move a legacy architecture and parts that have been around for a long time,”. “Then we create a vehicle that’s very inexpensive, and it could not be sold in the developed world because it wouldn’t meet regulations.”

    The car would be built by the Chinese car maker Wuling which is partly-owned by GM. However no launch date has been given so far.

  • Hummer and Holden models to be powered by diesel engines

    Hummer and Holden models to be powered by diesel engines

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    The Holden Commodore will soon be powered by a diesel engine as GM as agreed to install the 2.9-litre VMM unit in the saloon. This news doesn’t really come as a surprise. Indeed, the Australian CTS will feature this engine when the car hits the showrooms. The surprise comes from the announcement that the Australian Hummer H3 model will also be available with this engine.

    The 2.9-litre V6 diesel engine has been co-developed with VM Motori which laos provides engines for Chrysler. It has an output of 250bhp and a torque of 406 lb-ft thanks to a turbocharger. The first diesel-powered Commodore will go on sale within 18 months.

    The diesel Commodore and the H3 won’t reach our shores, but the 2.9-litre engine might be featured in the next-generation Saab 9-5 as the Swedish company is part of GM. if there is a more powerful variant of this engine, the next premium saloon might be able to compete with the German clique.

  • Lutz compared tthe Volt to the moon shot

    Lutz compared tthe Volt to the moon shot

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    In an interview with Wired, the tanned straight talker Bob Lutz likened the Chevrolet Volt project to the moon shot that happened almost forty years ago.

    Due to be unveiled in November 2010, the Chevrolet Volt will be the first plug-in hybrid in the world but its development is not without stumbling blocks. Indeed, engineers struggle with aerodynamics and battery technologies. However, GM’s VP for Global Program Management John Lauckner declared that latest battery prototypes were “very encouraging.” Regarding the aerodynamics problems, Bob Lutz said that they had been resolved thanks to the new design.

    Nevertheless, some observers remain sceptical concerning the announced launch date. GM’s engineers have less than three years to solve current problems as well as the likely future difficulties involved in the production of such a new vehicle. The success of the future car also remains in doubt as Bob Lutz has recognized that the announced price of $30,000/£15,200 won’t be achievable. The first Chevrolet Volt may come closer to $40,000/£20,250. Indeed, the usual cost minimization won’t be made due to the close launch date.

  • GM cancels its future V8 program

    GM cancels its future V8 program

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    GM has announced that it has cancelled a $300-million program to build a new V8 engine for its luxury models due to rising gas prices and tighter emission regulations. This is a surprising move for the American group as it shakes up the Cadillac’s roadmap as there is now no successor to the V8 NorthStar expected to cease production in 2010. The company had announced last year that the new engine would be built in the Tonawanda factory by 2009.

    Instead of a V8, the NorthStar will be replaced by turbocharged V6 petrol engines which deliver similar performance to a V8. As Cadillac spokesman Kevin Smith said in an interview with Automotive News, “the V6 become the predominant engine in sales on the (2008) STS because it’s so close in power to the V8”.

    However this news doesn’t mean it’s the beginning of the end for the V8 engines. Indeed, GM still plans to build V8 units and will launch a new V8 4.5-litre petrol engine next year. Due to be featured on the pickup lineup and on the Hummer H2, the new V8 will reduce gas consumption by 25% and CO2 emissions by 13%.

  • GM will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide

    GM will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide

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    GM has announced it will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide to fix a faulty seal on the rear axle pinion. The device in question could leak fluid causing the wheels to seize and lock which would lead to loss of control of the vehicle.

    A total of 275,936 vehicles will be recalled in the US and roughly 38,000 in Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and Asia. The cars concerned are the 2006-2007 model year Pontiac Solstice, 2007 Saturn Sky, and the 2005-2007 model year Cadillac CTS, CTS-V and STS, STS-V saloons and 2005-2007 model year Cadillac SRX crossovers.

  • “I have no plan to retire”, says Bob Lutz

    “I have no plan to retire”, says Bob Lutz

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    If GM cars were as efficient and devoted to their tasks as Bob Lutz is, GM would have no problem to sell them. the czar sent an email to Automotive News saying “Read my lips: I am not thinking retirement. The job is better than ever, and so is GM!!!!“

    He explained that he told the AP that he would not retire before the Volt launches but didn’t imply that he would retire just after. In 2010, Bob Lutz will be 78 year old. If he has the same energy as Kirk Kerkorian, Bob will still make the headlines in 2020. Wow!

    Lutz also said, “Unfortunately, this was misinterpreted as a statement that I would retire at the end of 2010. While this remains a possibility, it is not ‘a plan’! We’ll just take it a year at a time!“