2011 Archives | Page 37 of 57

2011 Chevy Volt gets 93 mpge (and 37 mpg and 60 mpg) rating from EPA

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

After yesterday’s 99 miles per gallon (equivalent) EPA rating for the Nissan Leaf, General Motors had to be eager to get the numbers for the Chevy Volt from the government – if for no other reason than because these efficiency stickers are the last thing holding up deliveries of the first production vehicles.

Today, GM shared the official numbers with the world, and they range from 37 miles per gallon to 93 mpge (equivalent) combined to 60 mpg “composite.” Sixty mpg composite is a “combined, combined” number, and will be completely different for everyone. You might want to think of it as a lifetime figure, since it accounts for both electricity and gasoline consumed. Oh, and it’s also best in class for compact cars. The Volt’s official electric-only range will be 35 miles, but GM, like Nissan, has been giving a range recently of 25-50 miles. The Volt now has an official total range of 379 miles, with 344 miles of that being extended range (i.e., gas) driving. As Tony DiSalle, Chevrolet product marketing director, said, “If you try to boil it down to a single number, it gets quite difficult.”

Doug Parks, Chevrolet Volt Global Vehicle Line Executive, said he is “quite pleased” with the numbers and understands that it is a complicated story to tell. GM and the EPA worked together to come up with this label to figure in all of the different modes that impact the vehicle’s efficiency. We’ve heard that the 2011 Volt will have a temporary EPA label, but Parks told us that what you see above will likely be what we see in next year, saying “Our intent was not to do something that was a one-year deal. Our hope is that this is very similar to the path that everyone will go down in the future. We tried to make the label look as similar as it can to next year.”

So, what about that “230 mpg” GM touted last year. Well, that was a different way to calculate things. “230 by itself was never intended to be a composite number,” Parks said.

[Source: General Motors]

2011 Chevy Volt gets 93 mpge (and 37 mpg and 60 mpg) rating from EPA originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL

Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Reviews

Teasing The Faithful While Pleasing The Masses

2011 Volkswagen Jetta – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Jetta has always disguised its cost controls beneath a veneer of high quality materials and tidy manners. Interiors have been like Audis in training, with suspensions so supple the world’s largest automakers dissect the bushings to learn their secrets. This long view emphasizes the recent disappointment with this new larger, U.S.-centric Jetta.

Early reports sounded the alarm; the new Jetta is shockingly cheap. That’s a positive statement regarding the $15,995 base price, down from $17,735 for the 2010 model, and Volkswagen is touting it prominently with its “Great for the price of Good” advertising tagline. While some cry foul, sales are up. For its first month on the market, the 2011 Jetta posted 12.6 percent better numbers than the old model managed for the same month a year prior.

To achieve that sub-$16,000 number, things had to go, though good stuff remains. We wanted to give der neue Jetta a chance to wow us, so we spent a week with a Jetta 2.5 SEL to find out if it’s been overwhelmed by a too-intense focus on price.

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Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta: Review

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

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Review: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Bugatti, First Drive

Worth. Every. Penny.

2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport rear 3/4 view

2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

“It is not possible,” was the answer from Jens Schulenburg, Bugatti vehicle engineering chief. He was answering the question as to whether a standard Veyron could be modified to be as fast as the 2011 Super Sport edition. “It is like a domino effect,” he explained, “To get more horsepower, you need more cooling. To get more cooling, you need more airflow through more and bigger radiators. To accomplish this, you need to redesign the front end. When you do that, you change the aerodynamic balance of the car at speed. To rebalance the car, you need to change the roof and rear fascia.” Schulenburg could have kept going. For an hour.

We got the picture: The $2.58 million Super Sport is not a standard Veyron with a chip. Shame on you for even thinking that. Consider the Super Sport a Veyron 2.0 release; a significant re-engineering of the 1001-horsepower, sixteen-cylinder, quad-turbo, all-wheel-drive supercar.

But given the Veyron’s sales success – they’ve sold approximately 260 since the vehicle’s debut in 2005 – why go to all the trouble for a maximum of 40 cars? (Bugatti will cease Veyron coupe production at 300 units.) “Current Veyron owners wanted a more dynamic, exciting driving experience,” said Julius Kruta, Bugatti’s Head of Tradition. “Most of the orders booked for the Super Sport are from current Veyron owners. They asked us for a car that felt more extreme.” Is that even possible? We flew to Spain to find out.

Gallery: 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: First Drive

2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

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First Drive: 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Cadillac, First Drive

Clark Griswold should have waited

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon – Click above for high-res image gallery

Instead of getting suckered into the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, a pea green calamity with excessive wood paneling and eight sealed-beam headlamps, a wiser move for Clark Griswold would have been to hold off until the first wave of high-performance station wagons rolled into showrooms. As it happened, just a few years after Clark traded in his Oldsmobile, sedans like the Volvo 740 and BMW E34 spawned the enthusiast-targeted Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon and BMW M5 Touring. Both five-doors would have given Christy Brinkley a serious run in her red Ferrari 308 GTSi.Those early gussied-up family haulers were the predecessors to the Audi RS6 Avant, Dodge SRT8 Wagon, BMW M5 Touring and Mercedes-Benz E63 Sport Wagon. None were intended to be volume models (in fact, two never made it to the States). Instead, each was fabricated to act as a flagship ambassador, a proof-of-concept to the performance capability of the five-door chassis and to deliver unchallenged bragging rights. Automakers didn’t build fast wagons because they had to – they built them because they could.

Cadillac, a company no longer content with letting others lead segments it once dominated, wanted to get into the frothy action. The luxury automaker felt an obligation to do “the right thing” and push for its own very unique five-door. The vision was clear – Cadillac wanted to build a CTS-V Wagon – and the concept was simple, making it difficult for management to contest (at the time, the organization was functioning inside circled-wagons). Since the platform and powertrain were already in existence, the ceremonial mating would be accomplished at minimal cost and everything could be completed at breakneck speed. Less than one year later, the all-new CTS-V Wagon is here.

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Gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon: First Drive

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

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First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chrysler 300 photos hit the web

Filed under: Sedan, Chrysler

2011 Chrysler 300 teaser – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our friends at Kicking Tires stumbled upon a series of teaser images from Chrysler showing off the revised-for-2011 Chrysler 300 sedan. Yes, our intrepid spy shooters have already offered up some pretty darn good photos of the car as it was being shot for marketing purposes, but it’s always good to focus in on details like the new corporate-style grille, headlamps, taillamps and the sleek new winged Chrysler logo.

From what we can see, the next Chrysler 300 will continue the brand’s march to the top of the upscale American sedan ladder that it first ascended way back in 2004 as a 2005 model. Yes, it’s been that long since the boxy, gangsta-style machine hit the market – “due for an update” would be a serious understatement.

Expect the 2011 300 to come equipped with both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and be available with either standard rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. We’re counting on a full debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in January, but in the meantime, feel free to peruse the image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Chrysler 300 teasers

2011 Chrysler 300 teaser

[Source: Kicking Tires]

2011 Chrysler 300 photos hit the web originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Bentley Continental GT

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Bentley, First Drive, Middle East, Luxury

The Velvet Saber Gets a Comprehensive Sharpening

2011 Bentley Continental GT

2011 Bentley Continental GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

When tasked with creating the 2011 Continental GT, Bentley officials sought the assistance of those who knew the outgoing car best – its owners. Upon querying current and past Continental GT buyers about what they’d like to see in the new model, a surprisingly unified voice came back loud and clear: “Don’t screw up my car, but fix the sat-nav.” As far as owner surveys go, this type of response speaks volumes. Most apparent is that it speaks to the universal inadequacy of the outgoing car’s wayfinding electronics, but more importantly, it serves to underscore just how much of a bull’s-eye Bentley hit with the original model back in 2003. After all, who among us can’t think of a laundry list of improvements for our daily driver? This also goes some way toward explaining how the GT has been on the market for eight years while still selling in respectable numbers.

Of course, given ever-toughening emissions and crash standards to contend with, Bentley couldn’t simply shove a new infotainment system in the Conti’s dashboard and amble off to the pub job-done, so they set about improving the car in a million little ways so that it’s at once clearly new and fresh to the faithful, yet endearingly familiar. Surprisingly, much the same can be said for the Sultanate of Oman where Bentley hosted our first drive…

Gallery: 2011 Bentley Continental GT: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Bentley Continental GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Lotus, Specialty

Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition

2011 Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

The people behind Lotus never cease to amaze. Case in point: Roger Becker. The former vehicle engineer ended his 44-year run with the automaker this past February after being instrumental in some of Lotus’ most influential cars. After proving to be a superior engineer and driver, Lotus founder Colin Chapman plucked Becker from the Elan assembly line in the late 1960s and he went on to help create everything from the Esprit to the Elise. His most recent and final masterpiece was the 2+2(ish) Evora, which Becker described as his “finest hour at Lotus.”

To commemorate Becker’s tenure, the automaker is releasing the 2011 Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition adorned with the engineer’s signature, the required plaque and packing the 257-horsepower supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine from the SC260 – the last time the Toyota-sourced 2ZZ will be used in the Elise and Exige. The RGB will be available in either Elise or Exige guise, with the convertible coming in under $58,000 and the Exige commanding $70,750.

Oh, and if you need another reason to be impressed with Becker: When they were filming the chase scenes in The Spy Who Loved Me, Becker was behind the wheel – he was apparently better at manhandling the Esprit than Bond’s stunt man.

Gallery: LA 2010: Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition

LA 2010: 2011 Lotus Exige SC RGB Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors investing $40 million to offset 2011 carbon footprint [w/video]

Filed under: Technology, Videos, GM

General Motors Carbon Footprint

General Motors invests in green solutions – Click above to watch video after the jump

General Motors is planning to invest $40 million in a host of clean energy efforts in an attempt to offset around 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The company says the investments will come over the next three to five years and will involve everything from solar panels for schools to encouraging wind farms and forestry projects all over the country. GM is hoping that these efforts will offset the amount of carbon dioxide put out by the 1.9 million vehicles that the manufacturer is expected to sell in 2011

GM says that it has reduced its manufacturing emissions by 60 percent since 1990, and that a separate effort has seen water use during production drop by 35 percent between 2005 and 2009 worldwide. Additionally, The General operates 75 landfill-free facilities worldwide with a total of 90 percent of the company’s waste being recycled.

These eco investments will be made via third-party organizations that include the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Hit the jump for a video and the full press release.

[Source: GM]

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General Motors investing $40 million to offset 2011 carbon footprint [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Wagon, Crossover, Scion, Toyota

2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0

LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Just as the sun always sets in the west, we can always count on a limited-edition Scion xB to pop up at a North American auto show. This year, that honor falls on the 2010 LA Auto Show and the Scion in question is the 2011 xB Release Series 8.0. Surprise!

Standing out on the show floor thanks to its brilliant VooDoo Blue paint job, the 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 is the latest in a line of low-run examples of the boxy, compact wagon. Scion is producing just 2,000 units of the xB RS 8.0, and all of them feature an aggressive front fascia, TRD wheels and RS 8.0 logos throughout the interior.

Pricing is set at $18,405 for the manual transmission-equipped xB or $19,355 for the auto gearbox. That price also features a power tilt-and-slide sunroof, which, along with the VooDoo Blue paint, is not available on the standard xB. Check out our high-res image gallery of live shots below and the full set of details after the break.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0

LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0

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LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevy Volt wins Green Car of the Year title in LA

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

Joel Ewanick, VP, U.S. Marketing, General Motors

Joel Ewanick, VP, U.S. Marketing for General Motors, and the Chevy Volt with the Green Car of the Year Award

The Chevrolet Volt drove off with the 2011 Green Car of the Year Award at the LA Auto Show this morning, beating out tough competition from the Nissan Leaf and ending a two-year diesel powertrain reign (at the 2008 show, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI was named the winner; last year, the Audi A3 TDI won). The other finalists for this year’s award, given out by Green Car Journal, included the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid , Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Ford Fiesta.

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s Roland Hwang said during the ceremony that “the environment means business.” To be globally competitive, automakers need highly-efficient vehicles to compete and, “what this means is that green vehicles are going to go mainstream.” The Green Car of the Year award embodies this change. When it was first given out in 2006, it was sort of tacked on at the end of the LA Auto Show. Today, as it was in ’09, the ceremony was a highlight of the show.

Last year, Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan made a point to mention the five vehicles up for consideration were notable because they were mainstream vehicles that were already available. This year, only three of the candidates are currently on dealer lots. With the high tech involved in the Leaf and Volt, though, we’re okay with the slight delay in availability.

If you were rooting for the Leaf, don’t worry too much. Today, that car won the Green Car of the Year title from TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk over in the UK. Still, in the U.S., the Green Car Journal award is the big one, and we want to know if the Volt claiming the first Green Car of the Year award of the electric era – and if there’s one message we’re heard here in LA this year, it’s that we’re really in the electric era now – make sense to you. Let us know in the comments below.

[Source: Green Car of the Year]

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2011 Chevy Volt wins Green Car of the Year title in LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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