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.

Senator: GM Repaid Federal Loans With Federal Funds

Ed Whitacre may be really happy about General Motors paying off its federal loans ahead of schedule, but Iowa Senator Charles Grassley (can we call him 5.6 Billion Buck Chuck?) is not impressed.

The senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee is calling BS on GM...alleging a shell game in which GM used TARP funds instead of its own earnings to pay back Uncle Sam.

GM and the Treasury Department are denying it. Full story at Automotive News. 

In fact, Whitacre says when it's all said and done, the US will get back its entire $50 billion investment in GM and may even make a profit. Details at The Detroit Free Press.

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.

GM To Repay Loans Early

General Motors is expected to announce tomorrow that it is repaying $5.8 billion in loans to the U.S. and Canadian governments early. The deadline is in June.

This could pave the way to an Inital Public Offering (IPO) of stock in the "new" GM and the U.S. government getting out of the car business.

Full story at The Detroit Free Press.

Chevrolet Posts Topless Photos To Facebook: 2011 Camaro Convertible

It's just a fact of modern life...drop your top in front of a camera, and it's going to wind up on the internet. But this isn't the work of an ex-boyfriend a disgruntled GM employee...not an invasion of presumed privacy by the long lens of Brenda Priddy.  Nope, Chevrolet has found its inner exhibitionist and outed the 2011 Camaro Convertible with the first official photos (two of them).....on its own Facebook page.

Oh, Chevy, you tease.

Chevy Volt On The Street

The first pre-production Chevrolet Volt electrics (built just last week) are popping up on the street in Detroit.

A crew from ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV caught one parked in the Motor City and has a slideshow here.

2011 Camaro V6 To Mustang: I'll See Your 305 And Raise You 7

A mere two weeks after Ford announced a 305 horsepower rating for the 2011 V6 Mustang, (one more than the 2010 Camaro's 304), the Bowtie Boys are upping the ante by raising the horsepower rating for their six to 312.

Full details (how they did it, new colors, a heads-up display and production date) from the GM press release here....and discussion on the GM Inside News forums here.

More Chevy Volts Roll Off Assembly Line

One week after the first "manufacturing validation" example was built, three more Chevolet Volt electrics have rolled off the assembly line. They are the first of a few hundred preproduction models that will be built this spring and summer.

Full details from The Detroit Free Press.

6 Million GM Light-Duty Trucks Under Fed Investigation: Rusty Brakes

The feds say they've had 110 complaints, 37 confirmed by dealer inspections. Full details from Automotive News (free registration required).

Hummer History: The Wind-Down Begins

It's the end of the trail...or maybe the Starbucks' parking lot...for Hummer. After a couple of brief blips on the EKG, General Motors is saying there's no future and has begun the official wind-down.

Full story from Automotive News.

GM To Add Brake Override Systems To All Automatic-Transmission Vehicles

General Motors says it wants customers to be confident in its vehicles, so it will make brake override systems standard in all of its vehicles with automatic transmissions by the end of 2012.

Toyota plans to do the same next year, and the government is considering making it mandatory for all vehicles with automatics sold in the U.S.

The idea, of course, is to reduce the risk of unintended acceleration...press on the brake and the power to the engine is reduced. But, when data shows that the majority of those cases are actually drivers standing on the wrong pedal, the effect is likely to be minimal.

Full story from The Detroit News.

Lutz: Americans Won't Be Driving In 30 Years

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, an auto show floor and reporters are always a recipe for a good quote. But this is one we could have gone forever without hearing.

"Maximum Bob" told reporters at the New York International Auto Show today that Americans won't be driving themselves 30 years from now...the cars will do it for them. Read it yourself at The Detroit News.

2011 Chevrolet Volt: First One Built

The first "manufacturing validation" example of the Chevrolet Volt electric car went down the assembly line earlier this week.

The Detroit News reports that several hundred more will be built for evaluation and testing before production of for-sale cars begins this fall.

2011 Mustang V6: More HP Than Camaro Six, Cheaper Too

The legendary pony car battles of the 1960s usually centered around the most powerful V8 versions.

Things change in 40 years. The 2011 Mustang V6 hits showroom floors next month with 305 horsepower...exactly one more than the Chevrolet Camaro six.

Not enough to move your needle? Ford figured. So they're pricing the 'Stang six at $22,925...$535 below the Camaro's base price.

Don't expect this to stand, though...GM's already reportedly at work on bumping up the output of their six-cylinder engine, and we could see a price war here as well.

GM To Re-Calibrate Cadillac SRX Turbo Engine After Press Fleet Vehicle Dies On Regular Gas

We've all been there...the owner's manual says 91 octane minimum, but accidentally or to save a few bucks, we pump in some regular gas.

What's the worst that could happen?

Gunnar Heinrich of Automobiles De Luxe found out first-hand, shares it with us and prompts Cadillac to fix all its 2010 SRX Turbos.

Why GM Killed The Cadillac Converj

Despite the unveiling of the EN-V, there are people inside General Motors who envision a world where utter desirability and envirnomental responsibility aren't polar opposites. Case in point: The Cadillac Converj, the sensation of the 2009 North American International Auto Show.

But the Converj is a no-go now, and Motor Trend's Todd Lassa's got the reasons why.

GM EN-V Unlikely To Produce Envy Among Enthusiasts

General Motors says that by 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60% of the world's then 8-billion people. Public transport will have trouble keeping up, GM says, so....

Behold the EN-V, short for Electronic Networked-Vehicle. Seats two, electric powered, 25 mile range and with interactivity that will allow the car to consult GPS, select the best route and take it from there. The design? Evolved from Segway's P.U.M.A prototype.  It's a partnership with SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp) Group.

The EN-V will be on display at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai from May 1 through October 31. Full details in the GM news release here.

Good News For The Dealer Dudes

One minute you're an outcast, the next, you're Mark Reuss' BFF.

Automotive News reports the GM North America president has been letting reinstated GM dealerships know by Facebook...using phrases like "Trust me dude you guys are in!"

Full story here.

Cadillac Recalling 2003-2007 CTS In 20 States And D.C.

The problem? Front brake hose assemblies that can corrode and rupture.

The recall notice? Here.