Some Camaro In Your Blazer? The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier AWD

The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier AWD.

The slicing and dicing of the crossover/sport utility vehicle market is a wondrous thing to watch. 

The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer is Chevy’s sixth SUV.  That’s right.  Sixth.   The bowtie boys and girls (check the Chevy logo if that reference escapes you) have found a space of daylight between the compact Equinox and the midsize Traverse and thus we have the Blazer.

Actually, there’s some fair amount of good sense involved here, since the Blazer pretty well goes head-to-head against the Toyota Highlander and that’s a vehicle worth competing with. 

Tantalizingly Close: The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

It has become clear, at least to me, that the time is coming, and soon, when there will be an electric vehicle (EV) with so few compromises in terms of range and charging time that it will tip the scales and the internal combustion engine (ICE) will become merely a segment of the automotive marketplace, one that, from that point on, will be doomed to shrinking market share and an eventual extinction.

In the past two years, two automobiles have arrived that some have said are those cars---the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt.  Another much-anticipated electric, the Hyundai Kona EV, is on its way.  We've yet to drive the Tesla (but until one can actually be bought for anywhere close to the promised $35,000 price---most are rolling out the door well over $50,000---it's not going to be the car that alone turns the tide) or the Hyundai, so that leaves us, for now, to examine the Bolt.

Looks Matter: The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox FWD Premier 2.0T

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Premier 2.0T.

In human beings, beauty is only skin deep.  In cars, that's true to some extent as well, but good looks can help move a lot more units off the dealer lots.  Which could mean the 2018 Chevy Equinox will be seen on a lot more streets and in a lot more driveways.

The last-gen Equinox was, to put it charitably, a bit homely.  Not only that, but a new one looked like it was ten years old in terms of the styling trends it reflected. There's a reason for that.  It was first sold in June of 2009. 

Most Improved Player: The 2016 Chevrolet Volt

The 2016 Chevrolet Volt.

What a difference four years makes.

It was late February, 2012 that I had my last seat time in a Chevrolet Volt.   As tested it cost more than $43,000 before tax breaks, had an interior that, looking back today, tried too hard to scream "tech" , the exterior styling was at best an acquired taste and it largely delivered on its promise of 35 miles from its electric engine before switching over to gasoline operations from its 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine.

At the time, I lived 17.3 miles from my office. A lunch run, an off-site meeting or an after-work detour meant I would dip into the gasoline side of things every single day.

Ready For Battle: The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.

I had just begun my career as a professional TireKicker (automotive journalist) when Chevrolet announced it was bringing back the Malibu. The name, first used in 1964 for the top-of-the-line midsize Chevelle, was retired in 1983 and replaced by the now-unloved, unmissed Corsica.  Needless to say, as a child of the 60s and 70s, I was excited...until I saw the 1997 Malibu.  If ever a car was destined to be seen more often at airport rental car lots than in the driveways of actual car-buying people, the '97 Malibu was it.

Each generation of the Malibu since has been an attempt to crawl out of that hole and make a car that Americans would choose to spend their hard-earned money on instead of a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Mazda 6, Subaru Legacy,  Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion or Chrysler 200.

It appears the fifth time could be a charm.

New Car Review: 2014 Chevrolet Impala

By now, you've no doubt heard that Consumer Reports has gone gaga over the 2014 Chevrolet Impala.  I mean, the Amish have heard.

When CR takes a first-year American sedan and leapfrogs it over everything but the Tesla Model S and the BMW 135i, giving it a rating of 95 out of 100, that's news.  Especially when last year's model got a 63.  That's the difference between "buy now" and "kill it with fire" in Consumer Reports-speak.

But CR also said it considers the Impala competitive with the Audi A6, the Lexus LS460L, the Acura RLX and the Jaguar XF.  Which makes me think that Consumer Reports, long the dullest, dryest read possible when it comes to cars, has found its inner hype machine.  They should schedule a lunch with Motor Trend to talk about the possible long-term effects should the product not live up to all that (Car of the Year 1971: Chevrolet Vega....1974: Ford Mustang II...1976: Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare...1980: Chevrolet Citation...1983: AMC Alliance)

So, here's the rational counterpoint to Consumer Reports.

New Car Review: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo

Can the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo lure drivers back from the imports?

It's been a long, long time since "Malibu" was the cool answer when someone asked what kind of car you drove. As in about 41 years. No question, the past few years have seen Chevrolet take some amazing steps in the right direction with their family sedan. The exterior styling and interior appointments are way better than what they'd been doing and, frankly, better than many thought they could do.

For 2013, both those areas get some more polish and there's a bold step under the hood, too...as the performance model comes with a four-cylinder engine.

New Car Review: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo





The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo.

There are only so many ways to package and design a modern small car. That accounts for there being a bit of a resemblance between the all-new, American-built Chevrolet Sonic and the car it replaced, the unloved Korean import Chevrolet Aveo. The second-gen Aveo was so vastly improved over the first-gen that I gave it a largely favorable review. Two and a half years later, it's become clear that was more of a reflection of how bad the early Aveo was than anything else.

The Chevy Sonic is a completely different story.

New Car Review: 2012 Chevrolet Volt



The 2012 Chevrolet Volt.

Quick. Name a car George Bush (either one) owned before or after the presidency. How about Bill Clinton (okay, an El Camino with Astroturf in the rear bed is kinda hard to forget)? Ronald Reagan? Jimmy Carter? Gerald Ford?

Presidents aren't usually car guys. But President Barack Obama today (2/28/12) said when his term in office is over, he's buying and driving a Chevy Volt.

Obama's previous car choices have sent mixed signals. His last car before becoming Commander In Chief was a Ford Escape Hybrid (also a recent Bill Clinton choice)...but until he announced his candidacy in '07, Senator Obama drove a Chrysler 300C...with a Hemi...leading us to believe he might be lusting in his heart (to borrow a Jimmy Carter-ism) for the new SRT8.

But let's take the Prez at his word. What kind of car is the Volt to live with and drive?

New Car Review: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze ECO



The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze ECO.

Comes now our third test of a Chevrolet Cruze in the past five months. Each one has been a different flavor. We started out with the loaded Chevrolet Cruze LTZ. Loved it, but for $24,000 and change as tested, we'd better have.

Then just about two months ago, it was almost the opposite end of the spectrum...the Chevrolet Cruze 1LT (one level up from the base Cruze).  Also a thumbs-up, and at a more reasonable $18,995.

Now it's the Chevrolet Cruze ECO. What makes an ECO an ECO? Well, mostly it's the 1.4 liter ECOTEC engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission with ECO overdrive. But to tell it apart from the other Cruzes in traffic, you'll probably have to look at the trunklid.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Review

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible. Side effects may include elevated heart rate.

Go ahead, stare. I'll wait.

That, frankly, was the only thing that kept me from jumping in and twisting the key when they dropped off the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible. I had to look. For a long time. The thing was just incredibly gorgeous. A perfect blend of sensuality and menace.

Regular TireKicker readers know we haven't given a bad review to the re-born Camaro. We liked the SS coupe, and found that the 6-cylinder RS coupe was a big-time winner, as well. The only complaint we've ever had about the new Camaro was how dark the interior was...a combination of high doorsills, a low roof, minimal glass area and a sea of black plastic.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible from the rear. No, there is no bad angle.

Problem solved. Not only does the convertible allow light and visibility, with the top down, the Camaro looks slimmer, sleeker...and even more desirable.

My only complaint now? That Chevy remembered to come get it at the end of the week.

The tester was the Camaro 2SS Convertible. That takes the 426-horsepower 6.2 liter V8, 20-inch bright painted aluminum wheels, four-piston Brembo vented front disc brakes, SS front and rear styling treatment, seat embroidery and limited-slip differential and adds leather-appointed seats, a heads-up display, the four-gauge cluster on the console (just like the '67-'69), a Boston Acoustics 8-speaker premium audio system, Bluetooth and a USB port. Starting price: $39,650. Ours had just one option, the RS Package, which swapped out the wheels for 20X8s in the front and 20X9s in the rear, with a midnight silver finish, HID headlamps with a halo ring and RS taillamps. That's $1,200. Fold in $850 for destination charge, and the bottom line is $41.700.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible interior. Ahhh, much better.

So what's it like from behind the wheel? Fast. Like 4.8 to 60 and 13-second quarter miles. Furious...as in the engine note when you leave it in second and tromp on it (it makes great sounds in third and fourth, too). And then there's the other "F" word. Fun. Like little kids waving from inside the minivan in the next lane...teenagers doing 180s on their skateboards to look as you go by...pretty girls giving you looks (yes, it's the car...but you're IN it) you haven't seen in years.

And let's face it. There aren't many cars available today that can make all those things happen. There are some that can't make any of those things happen. And apart from a Mustang GT Convertible, there aren't any others who can make it happen for $41,700 as tested...and get an EPA estimated 16 city/24 highway in the process (the Mustang has 24 horsepower less, but is smaller, lighter and gets 17 city/26 highway).

When the ponycar and muscle car era of the late 60s came to a screeching halt in the early 70s, a lot of people thought the party was over for good. Well, it took a while, but not only are they back...they're better performers than they were 40-plus years ago.

Happy days are here again.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Review

The 2011 Chevrolet Equinox.

The same knee-jerk that put drivers into SUVs last decade is taking a lot of them out, and in a lot of cases that's an over-reaction, too. The answer for many isn't "no SUV", it's a smarter, right-sized SUV, which in most cases means a crossover.

It's been a while since we've done a review of a Chevrolet Equinox, so we borrowed one from Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix for a week.

Chevy's done a great job of covering a wide price range with the Equinox, which is its smallest crossover. The base model (LS) starts at $22,995 in front-wheel drive. There are three trim levels up from there (1LT, 2LT and LTZ) and all four are also available in all-wheel drive.

Ours was the front-wheel drive LTZ. Base price $28,570. That'll get you the 2.4 liter 4-cylinder ECOTEC engine with 182 horsepower hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission and some nice EPA fuel economy estimates: 22 city/32 highway. Also on the standard goodies list: Four wheel anti-lock disc brakes, Stabilitrak, remote keyless entry, OnStar, a rear-view camera, Ultrasonic parking assist, programmable power lifgate, heated power outside mirrors, 17-inch aluminum sheels, fog lamps, projector beam headlamps, and and exterior chrome package.

Inside, the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox is comfortable and, in LTZ trim, loaded.

The standard equipment list for the interior is pretty long, too: Leather appointed seats with heated front buckets, 8-way power memory driver's seat and memory mirrors, sliding and reclining rear seats, automatic climate control, cargo net, cover and cross rails, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, AM/FM/SiriusXM/CD 8-speaker Pioneer audio system, Bluetooth, outside temperature and compass, self-dimming rear view mirror and leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls.

Again, that's all part of the deal at $28,570. Not bad. In fact, very good. Good enough, in fact, that ours added only two options: 19-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels ($1,250) and the 3.0 liter V6 engine ($1,500).

About the engine...it's a big step up in power...to 264 horses. It's great. But it's also never going to get you anywhere near the mileage of the standard four. In fact, in 60% city street and 40% urban freeway driving, we averaged 16.5 miles per gallon (the EPA estimates 17 city/24 highway for the V6). If your driving includes mountain passes, that may be a trade worth making. If, on the other hand, you're mostly doing city-street commuting, seriously consider sticking with the ECOTEC four. 

With the V6, the Equinox's bottom line was $32,130. Stick with the four and stick with the stock 17-inch wheels, and she'd come in at $29,380.

Chevy says the Equinox's prime competition is the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape, all three well into their product cycle. The Equinox is by far the freshest of the four and should be on your  list.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT Review

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. Sleek styling even in one-rung-up-from-base form.

You're looking at the #1 best-selling car in America. Well, one version of it, anyway. It's the Chevrolet Cruze, and it's available in several different trim levels. Back in April, we reviewed (and liked) the Cruze LTZ. But what if you want one for a bit less than $24,415 (the as-tested price of the LTZ we drove)?

Well, you head down the trim levels and hope you don't give up too much good stuff. To find out what is down there, we borrowed a 1LT (one model up from the bottom of the line) from Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix for a week.

The 2011 Chevy Cruze can be equipped with a sunroof. We wouldn't, but you can.

Simply put, we were impressed. The basics that make the Cruze appealing in LTZ trim are all there in the 1LT. It's tight, responsive, fresh, contemporary and gets good mileage.

The base MSRP for the Cruze 1LT is $18,425...$3800 less than the starting price for the LTZ. Standard stuff: The ECOTEC 1.4 liter turbo 4, putting out 138 horsepower and 148 pounds per foot of torque. It's the same engine that was in the LTZ. And the same six-speed automatic transmission is part of the deal.

Ours had the Connectivity Plus Cruise Package (Cruise control, Bluetooth, a USB port, steering wheel controls for the audio system, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob) for $525. And that was it. The one and only option, bringing the bottom line to $18,995 before delivery charges....more than five grand less than the bottom line for the LTZ.

That's a lot of room. You can either bank the difference or explore what's in between. Those are wheel covers you see on the 1LT. Move up to the 2LT and those get traded for alloy wheels, the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob become standard, as do the steering wheel controls for the audio system, plus power-adjustable, heated, leather-appointed front seats and remote start.  But it's a $2,500 jump...to $20,925 And you still have to get the Bluetooth and USB as options on top of that.

The 2011 Chevy Cruze. New GM builds a small car with an interior old GM would never have thought of.

There is no bad choice here, but if it were our dime, we'd take the 1LT just the way Courtesy loaned it to us. The rest can go to insurance, or in the bank. It won't go in the gas tank. The EPA says 24 city/36 highway. We didn't do quite that well, spending virtually the entire week off freeways and on congested surface streets, so our average was only 22.

Still, there's no surprise the Cruze is selling so well, offering basic goodness and a lot of ways to step up. And then there's the Cruze ECO, which we've been promised from Chevy's press fleet next month. The EPA says it'll do 28 in the city and 42 in the highway. 

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

The 2011 Chevy Volt.

It's a picture a lot of us have entertained in our brains...home for the night, having commuted without using a drop of gasoline, our new Chevrolet Volt sitting out front for the neighbors to envy.

But how realistic is that daydream? To find out, we borrowed a Volt from the good folks at Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix for four days, shorter than our usual tests, but enough to give us an overall impression of the car Motor Trend has named Car of the Year. First of all, the Volt isn't a purely electric car. It has a gasoline engine, too. But it's not a hybrid.

Hybrids blend the gas and electric motors in driving, switching between them as conditions warrant. The Volt runs solely on its electric motor, not using a drop of gas...until the battery runs out of power. And at that point, the gasoline engine (a 1.4 liter four) takes over.

Is the 2011 Chevy Volt running on gas or electric? Only the driver knows for sure.

If you can keep the Volt charged, it's possible to drive for days, weeks even, without using a single drop of gas. The range on pure electricity is 35 miles, according to Chevrolet (though we could never get the dashboard display to tell us more than 29 on a full charge). We managed it until day four, when the to-do list required about 55 miles worth of driving, and the car hadn't had enough time on household current to fully charge before the trip.

Still, in 122.9 miles, we only used 1.8 gallons of gasoline...an average of 65.1 miles per gallon. Not too shabby.

The 2011 Chevy Volt interior. Detroit meets Sci-Fi.

What's it like to drive? Very much like a Malibu...roomy, smooth...and, especially on electric power, quiet. There are some "future car" touches...like the gauge clusters (there are two...one which monitors charging, energy use and efficiency that shares the audio/climate control/nav screen, and the one in front of the driver) and the contrasting white center stack that replaces buttons for audio/climate/nav with a touch-sensitive surface. Oh, yeah...and the "whooshzoom" noises that accompany opening the car and starting it. A little too cute. You can turn it down or off (you can also set it to ear-splitting volume and fool the neighbors into thinking a movie with THX is about to start).

The base price is $40,280 and the one we drove had the leather trim package for $1,395, a rear camera and park assist for $695, forged polish 17-inch alloy wheels for $595 and a front license plate bracket for $15. Total price with destination charge: $43,700.  But remember, there's a $7,500 tax credit for buying one...so the real bottom line is $36,200. And that is a fair price for what you get.

But should you get one? Well, the key is how much you drive and how often (and where) you can charge. The car comes with a 120 Volt portable charging cord, so you can plug it into household current...but fully drained, it'll take 12 hours to get to a full charge that way.

It's only 4 hours with a 240-volt charger, and Chevy will sell you one of those for $490. Want it installed? That'll be $2,000.

                                  

Ideally, there'd be a charging station near where you work, too...but they're not everywhere yet.

Still, our first impression is a good one: It's possible to not use gas or to use a lot less than you otherwise would, and if you have to drive farther than your charge allows, you've got a gasoline engine that can take you 344 miles further (again, according to Chevrolet...we couldn't get the gauge to promise more than 231). That's a nice safety net to have and makes the Volt practical as your only car.

A full weeklong test is coming shortly.

2011 Corvette GS Convertible Review

The 2011 Corvette GS Convertible.

Gotta hand it to Chevrolet. They know how to keep things interesting. Even as the current generation Corvette ages and the buff books begin trotting out artists' renderings of what the next one is likely to look like, the bowtie boys find ways to keep you from sitting it out until then.

Case in point: The Corvette GS Convertible.

We'll get right to the stuff that matters. It's the LS3 V8...6.2 liters and 430 horsepower with a six-speed manual transmission. Same basic setup as the standard Corvette Convertible. But instead of 4.2 seconds to 60, the GS gets it done in 3.95 and will pull 1 g on the skidpad. The price? Five grand more than the standard model.

The 2011 Corvette GS Convertible looks good even with the top up.

That, by the way, works out to a base price of $59,045. So what's the difference? Bigger brakes, a dry-sump oiling system, differential cooler and a rear-mounted battery. All of which works together for that fractional improvement in the standing-start run to 60 and the improved handling.

Not a bad package for a shade under $60K. But the option list beckons...and it can bite you big-time. Chevy's press-fleet folks loaded our tester up by clicking just seven little boxes on the order form...and added $16,255 to the bottom line...which wound up reading $76,245.

The (improved through options) 2011 Corvette GS Convertible interior.

What'd they do? Well, there was the 4LT Premium Equipment Group: Custom leather-wrapped interior (which was nice, given that the inside is still the 'Vette's Achilles Heel), a Bose Premium 7-speaker audio system (helpful with the top down), an extra 9 months on the SiriusXM satellite subscription, heads-up display (hmmm...), power telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, a memory package, universal home remote, adjustable sport bucket seats with perforated leather inserts, power passenger seat, a cargo net, Bluetooth and a power convertible top.

That package alone was $9,700 of the damage. If you could do it a la carte, I'd say yes to the interior upgrade (maybe...depending on the price), the audio upgrade, the telescoping wheel, the adjustable seats and Bluetooth.

We could save $1,250 right away because GM made this one a six-speed automatic. I'll shift it myself, thanks. That also eliminates $270 for "automatic transmission pedal covers".

$1,195 for "dual-mode performance exhaust"? What part of the 0.25 second improvement in the 0-60 runs is that responsbile for? Not enough for five bucks shy of 12-hundred. Pass.

That pretty blue is called "Jetstream Blue Metallic Tintcoat". It's $850. I'm sure I can find a no-extra-cost color I like just as much.

$1,795 for a nav system. Regular TireKicker readers know what comes next. Guys: It's 2011. My GPS system is in my pocket (no, I'm not talking dirty)...there's an app (or 20) for that.

And finally, $1,195 for the Grand Sport Heritage Package. Two-tone leather seats, GS logos embroidered into the headrests and the fender stripe hash mark design (applied by the dealer). That one I'd actually go for. This is a special edition...the first GS since the C4 Corvette. That means some level of collectibility is at least possible, and any feature that is exclusive and relevant to the GS is worthwhile.

Unfortunately, true a la carte isn't possible. There's 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT. And what I would want is scattered throughout. Not selecting 4LT loses you the interior upgrade. The better audio system and the telescoping steering wheel are a part of 3LT.

The sport buckets (which I'd like) and Bluetooth (which I think is mandatory) are a part of 2LT...but you have to swallow the power passenger seat (which adds weight), power top (ditto) and cargo net (which I'm okay with).  But it adds $3,190 to the price tag. Cave in and get 3LT for the audio system and scoping steering wheel and it's $6,200 more than the base GS Convertible.

Still, either of those would get the 'Vette in under $70K...and that's a bargain for this level of performance.

EPA estimate: 15 city/25 highway.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Review

It's been 35 years since the famous "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" ad campaign. But the basic principle is evident in the new Chevrolet Cruze.

If you've heard or read that the Cruze is a quantum leap beyond the car it replaces, the Cobalt, you've heard or read right. This is a thoroughly modern, no-apologies small sedan...ready for battle in an intensely competitive segment.

What's fascinating is how, in the same year, both Chevy and Ford get serious about building very good small cars, and yet, come up with very different solutions. The new Focus is Ford acknowledging that they've been building the good stuff for Europe all these years and finally letting us get some...it's essentially a German sedan.

The Cruze is, in its own way, every bit as good as the Focus...but it's all-American. More like a smaller, tigther, more responsive Malibu (click the link to see that we're not damning with faint praise...we like the Malibu a lot).

The Cruze we had for a week was the top of the line LTZ model, loaded at a base price of $21,975 (the Focus Titanium sedan starts at $22,270, so they're competitive) with a 1.4 liter turbo four-cylinder, six speed automatic transmission, sport tuned suspension, a full complement of airbags, Stabilitrak stability and traction control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, power door locks, theft alarm, remote keyless entry, rear parking assist, six months of OnStar, and tire pressure monitoring.  There are also power adjustable heated outside mirrors, variable wipers, a rear defogger (not a given in small sedans) and 18 inch alloy wheels.

Inside, there's an AM/FM/CD 6 speaker audio system with Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, USB interface and auxilary jack, floor mats, a driver's 6-way power seat (8-way manual for the front passenger), acoustic insulation, automatic climate control, leather appointed seats and steering wheel, a driver information center, tilt and telescoping steering column, power windows, cruise control, and heated seats up front.

The Chevy PR folks loaded ours up further with a power sunroof ($850), a Pioneer premium audio system ($445), crystal red metallic tintcoat pain ($325) and a compact spare tire ($100). Add $720 for delivery and the bottom line comes to $24,415.

That's about $1300 more than the Focus we tested, and it was a five-door, which starts about $900 higher than the sedan. The Focus is more of a driver's car, manages better fuel economy despite a bigger engine (28 city/38 highway from a 2.0 liter to the Cruze's 24/36 from the 1.4 liter turbo), and seems a lot more like a driver's car...that European influence, no doubt.

So...a slam-dunk for the Focus? Not necessarily. On a lot of levels, the Cruze was more comfortable and easy to live with...and there's a huge segment of the intended audience that is not about performance...they're looking (especially at prices nudging $25K) for comfort and convenience they're used to from larger cars with small-car fuel economy.  It's really a matter of taste. And if it were me and my money I'd be wrestling with the decision a long time.





 

GM Unveils Chevy Volt MPV5 Crossover At Beijing Auto Show

Chevy's getting this PR momentum thing down cold. Just days after WXYZ-TV in Detroit spotted one of the first pre-production sedan models of the electric Chevy Volt parked on the street, the wraps have come off a crossover Volt.

Full details, including more pix and the GM press release at Autoblog Green.

Chevrolet Camaro RS Review

The wait between thinly disguised show car and production Camaro was so long that a lot of people were predicting the real thing would be a dud...that the public would be bored silly before the first one was sold.

Boy, were they wrong.

No, it's not going to be 1967 all over again, when 220,000 Camaros rolled out of showrooms and into driveways across America...100,000 is probably more like it. But in this day and age, that's an impressive number for a limited-use vehicle (have you tried the back seat?) with two more or less equally attractive direct competitors.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

(UPDATE:  Sharp-eyed TireKicker reader Paul Duca spotted the clues that this is in fact a newer Caprice. We've been able to narrow it down to 1982, '83, '84 or '85. Hit the comments section if you can help us pinpoint it to a single year. We'll change the headline and tags once we've got the right vintage)

It wasn't that long ago that you couldn't drive a city block without seeing three of these.

Oh, wait...it was that long ago. 32 model years since this '78 Chevrolet Caprice Classic rolled off the showroom floor...20 model years since its clean, classic lines were replaced by the dumpy upside-down bathtub models that themselves are becoming (mercifully) scarce.

                          

Hard to believe it now, but this was the downsized full-size Chevrolet...and GM was thought to be taking a big risk when it introduced this body style in the fall of 1976 as a '77 model. 637 pounds lighter than the previous generation, 10 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower.

What nobody realized until they saw the new one was just how badly the Caprice needed a diet. The big Chevy had been packing on the pounds since 1971 (kinda like Elvis at the time).

The new Caprice rapidly became its own benchmark.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1971 Chevrolet El Camino

Now here's a genuine survivor....a 1971 Chevy El Camino that hasn't been jacked up, painted metallic whatever or any other attempts to make it look "bad".

                          

In fact, these delicate paint accents, hand-done and signed by the artist, are the only appearance mods to this 39-year old El Camino. And from the looks of them, they were probably done in the 1970s.