GM Rumored to Offer Chevy Cruze with a 50mpg Diesel

Citing two unnamed people that were briefed earlier this week on GM’s future product plans, the Detroit Free Press reported today that the company is mulling the addition of a diesel engine to the Chevrolet Cruze’s range.

According to the insiders, a diesel version of the Cruze would return a highway fuel economy of around 50mpg rivaling the efficiency of the Toyota Prius hybrid which is rated at 51 mpg (4.6 lt/100 km) in the city and 48mpg (4.9 lt/100 km) on the highway. A diesel Cruze would also help GM meet the more demanding government gas mileage rules.

Since GM has not made any plans official, the company’s spokesman, Tom Wilkinson, declined to make any comment on the issue. There is no word on pricing of course but if it were to be offered in the States, it would likely be more expensive than the $16,525 petrol-powered Cruze, since diesel engines are more expensive to manufacture.

GM has already many modern diesel engines in its portfolio, both from other markets where the Cruze is sold as well as other divisions like Opel.

Until now, GM and most US automakers weren’t convinced that the public would be willing to pay extra for a diesel version of their cars. However, the success of VW’s diesel-engined models like the Golf and Jetta in the US, as well as the higher gas prices, have has made them rethink that approach.

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GM Warns Police, but not Civilians, on Defective Impalas

A class-action suit has been filed against General Motors in Detroit concerning a defect in the suspension rods of more than 400,000 2007-2008MY Chevrolet Impalas that causes premature wear to the rear tires.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a woman from Pennsylvania named Donna Trusky, who wants GM to replace the defective suspension rods on 423,000 Impalas from the 2007-2008MY the company sold over a two-year period.

Trusky said that she bought an Impala in 2008 and the tires wore out in 6,000 miles. Even though the dealer replaced them, he didn’t inform her of the suspension problem. The problem appeared again last November, when Trusky’s Impala wouldn’t pass an annual inspection because of worn tires, even though the car had covered less than 25,000 miles.

The woman is basing her lawsuit on the fact that, in 2008, GM issued a service bulletin for the police version of the Impala concerning the replacement of rear suspension rods, rear-wheel alignment and, if necessary, rear-tires by the dealers. However, civilian owners didn’t get the same notice. If successful, the lawsuit will cost GM millions of dollars.

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GM’s Holden Readies Rebadged Chevys For The Melbourne Auto Show 2011

It’s a global economy we live in and as such, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise when we see the same vehicles launched under different brands and names in various parts of the world.
Of course, it would be somewhat unfair to Holden if we didn’t mention that it has played a key role in the development and design of several GM products including the 5-door Cruze that will be show in pre-production trim at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place in Melbourne from July to 10.
The hatchback body style of the Cruze will be joined by the new Barina (a.k.a the Chevrolet Sonic) and the Colorado 4x4 concept pickup truck, which we’ve already seen with Chevrolet's bowtie.
“The Colorado show car is the biggest and brightest star on the Holden stage this year,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux. “The next generation Colorado will be an important player in light commercial/pickup 4x4 segment which is up 11 per cent this year,” he added.
The new Colorado pickup will be introduced into the Australian market in production form next year.
Holden is also updating its bread-and-butter Commodore series with the presentation of an E85 capable V6 engine option.
“We’ll be adding to the Ecoline model range, extending E85 flex-fuel capability to the popular 3.6 litre SIDI V6 engine and launching a new dedicated LPG Commodore range to take advantage of the CO2 benefits of the locally-abundant fuel,” said Devereux.

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VIDEO: Porsche 911 with GM LS1 V8 Power

By taking a kitbashed GM-sourced LS1 V8 engine and slotting it into an AWD Porsche 996, LS1tech forum member “1dirtyZ” has set out to create something truly unique. Sure, it’s unconventional and perhaps a little sacrilegious...but just look at the Porsche donor car.

It’s a wreck, the victim of a catastrophic engine fire. It has a ruined interior and a body that’s been damaged both by fire and rust. It would have spent the rest its days rotting away in a car wreckers yard if1dirtyZ had not rescued it.

And even though this confabulation of All-American grunt and German precision engineering is not yet finished (it doesn’t have a rear bumper, for one), it certainly runs and can even be driven around a dirt race track. You can check out our gallery of in-progress images below and a handful of videos showing the V8-powered Porsche 911 running.

All it needs now is a name. Wheels dubbed the R35 Nissan GT-R Godzilla so should we maybe call this science-project-gone-wrong “Cloverfield”? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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A Chevy Aveo of the Third Kind: Extra-Terrestrial Vehicle

The Extra-Terrestrial Vehicle or ETV -we're not even kidding, that's the car's official name- is a futuristic-looking custom build created by Mike Vetter and his Florida-based company, 'The Car Factory'. It's hard to believe it just by looking at the ETV, but underneath that sci-fi outfit you'll find a Chevrolet Aveo stripped out of its body but not its heart.

Mike, who also works on Carrera GT replica bodies for the Porsche Boxster, claims on his website that buyers can opt either for an Aveo or a Boxster donor car. Somehow though, we find it hard to believe that anyone would give up a Porsche, no matter how many thousands of time they've seen Captain Kirk and Spock fighting off intruders from other planets.

But even in the case that the Chevy Aveo is the donor car, the ETV will most likely alienate you with its 'out of this world' price. We discovered that the Florida-based company has listed a completed ETV on eBay with a 'Buy it Now' price of just... $86,000. Cool but not $86k cool.

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GM Gonna Bring Compact Opel Back To America

Think οf German autοmakers and you are likely tο conjure up names like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Vοlkswagen, Porsche and Audi. Thοse are the οnes we get on this side οf the Atlantic. In their home market, they are jοined, most nοtably, by Opel.

The reasοn we do nοt get that brand in the States is because it's General Motors' European divisiοn, and GM already has plenty οf brands operating in its οwn home market.

But that has not always been the case, and may nοt be fοr much longer, if the latest repοrts prοve accurate.

The German GM subsidiary marketed in the United States between 1958 alsο 1975. Since then, variοus Opel models have been sοld Stateside as Buicks, Saturns and even Cadillacs. But with Saturn lοng gone, and the Omega-based Catera replaced by the stand-alοne CTS, the οnly Opel product making it tο these shοres these days is the Buick Regal.

Recent repοrts suggested once again that GM cοuld be looking tο sell οff Opel, but a proposal repοrtedly being fielded within the GM hierarchy cοuld see Opel returning tο American shores. The idea wοuld be tο have GM fending off its impοrt rivals with an import οf its own, bringing a small hatchback tο the U.S. market wearing an Opel badge and a nameplate such as Juniοr οr Allegra.

Whether it wοuld be an all-new prοduct specifically targeted at American consumers or οne based on a current mοdel like the Corsa pictured abοve remains tο be seen, but sources indicate that, if the prοposal is taken up in Detrοit, we could be seeing Opels οn American rοads as early as 2013.

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