Chevrolet is marking its return to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence with no less than seven ads that will air before, during and after the game. This one is called 'Ms Evelyn' and its GM's second commercial for the Camaro after the Transformers TV spot that we showed you yesterday. The advert will air on TV after the presentation of the MVP Award, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, but you can get a sneak peak in the video after the jump.
Via Camaro5
Next up on our list of automotive-related commercials that will air during the Super Bowl XLV game on Sunday is the Chevrolet Camaro ad from General Motors. Once again, the Detroit carmaker is playing the Transformers card with the Camaro turning into Bumblebee, and well, you can see the rest in the video that follows.
All in all, Chevrolet will air five 30-second commercials during the big game including “Misunderstanding,” featuring the Cruze Eco; “Discovery,” with the Volt; “Tommy,” showcasing the Silverado HD; and “Al’s Chevrolet,” starring the Camaro.
The company will also air a longer-form Chevrolet spot during the “Glee” episode following the Super Bowl as well as a second Camaro ad named "Ms. Evelyn,” which will be shown after the presentation of the MVP Award.
All of Chevrolet's ads at this year’s Super Bowl were created by the Goodby, Silverstein & Partners agency. Chevrolet returns to the Super Bowl after a four-year absence.
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Chevrolet today announced that the production version of the Cruze hatchback will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Considered to be a critical model for Chevrolet in Europe, the 5-door Cruze was first teased at last year’s Paris Motor Show with a pre-production study.
“Hatchbacks play a critical role in many markets. The total compact segment in Europe represents over a quarter of the total market, with hatchbacks representing around 65% of that volume”, said Wayne Brannon, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. “The new Cruze hatchback cements that Chevrolet's claim for a place among the mainstream brands in Europe, and it's a vehicle that will bring new levels of value against some of the more established competition”.
With its sweeping lines, short overhangs and, in our opinion, better looking rear quarter compared to the sedan, the hatchback is said to be “particularly well suited to European driver tastes”. To achieve this, it uses the same body-frame integral system (BFI) chassis complemented by some fine-tuning and the four-door model’s engine range, plus new additions, such as the Orlando MPV’s 163HP 2.0-liter diesel powerplant.
From a practical standpoint, the new model loses 50 liters of cargo space for a total of 400 liters, but the large liftgate and 60/40 split rear seating should compensate in terms of practicality.
The Cruze hatchback is due in Europe in mid 2011 and prices will be announced closer to the launch date. It will also be available as a Holden in Australia.
By Csaba Daradics
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General Motor today celebrated the start of regular production of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at its Oshawa assembly plant in Canada. The drop-top version of the Detroit firm's muscle car will go on sale in the U.S. in February and will be available with two engine options and four trim packages with prices starting from US$30,000 MSRP including an $850 destination fee.
The entry-level 1LT (US$30,000) and 2LT (US$33,500) Camaro Convertible models are powered by a 3.6-liter direct injection V6 motor rated at 312 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. or 370 Nm of torque, and can be equipped with either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic transmission.
Those seeking more power can opt for the 1SS (US$37,500) or the 2SS (US$40,500), which are offered with a choice of two 6.2-liter V8 powertrains, , including the L99 with 400HP and 410 lb-ft of torque on automatic-equipped vehicles and the LS3 with 426HP and 420 lb-ft on manual-equipped models.
Customers can choose from nine production exterior colors with tops offered in black or tan, while all convertible models are fitted with a rear parking assist system as standard.
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Making its way down to Florida for RM Auction's annual Amelia Island event on March 2, is this 1955 Ford "Beatnink" Bubbletop custom concept inspired by futuristic design studies from the 1950s. Despite its name, the Beatnik is a fairly new creation built by Gary “Chopit” Fioto. It is based on the body of a 1955 Ford model but rides on a modifies chassis of a 1988 Lincoln Town Car and is powered by a Chevrolet 350-cubic inch small-block V8 engine.
The brand mixing doesn't stop there as Fioto used a variety of components from Cadillac, Chrysler and Lincoln, including the canted quad headlights. The front bumper was adapted from a '59 Cadillac, while the rear bumper was fashioned from the front bumper of a '58 Cadillac. In addition, the finned taillights are sourced from a 1960 Chrysler. However, the front and rear fenders, the door skins and the entire rear section of the car were all hand formed.
The one-of-a-kind model, which took four years of hard work to create, also features a bespoke interior complete with an aircraft control yoke-inspired steering wheel and a rounded dash pod as a tribute to the late 1950s and early 1960s concept cars from Detroit.
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We’ve seen our share of burnouts ending in fiery fails, but in this case, the flames are a sign of success. We don’t know if the owner of this vintage Chevrolet Impala used some kind of special tires, but he leaves behind him two very cool burning trails, just liked Doc Brown’s time traveling DeLorean did in the Back to the Future movie. Watch the clip after the break.
By Csaba Daradics
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Woe betide the electric car. Outpaced by their petrol-powered cousins in the 1900s, saddled with heavy and potentially dangerous batteries in the 1970s and crushed in the name of the Almighty Dollar in the 1990s, it’s been a rough road from there to here.
And now, on the dawn of a new age where electric cars seem poised to take their rightful place alongside gasoline cars, the electricity companies are about to throw a wrench into the works. If you live in California and intend to buy a plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Volt or an all-electric Nissan Leaf, you could be in for a...shock.
If the energy giants have their way, the Chevy Cobalt, which would have to rate on my list as one of the least desirable cars built by GM, is more economical to own or operate than any of the above. The reason?
Essentially, The California government has approved its energy providers to impose higher rates on customers who exceed, “typical household levels” of energy use all in the name of conservation. So if, for example, you spend eight hours a night recharging your electric car, you’ll find yourself classed as one of these excess customers.
Wham, bam, the electricity companies charge you more than Mr. Joe Public next door who drives a Toyota Sienna and still has to pay for the good oil. And contrary to what you may of heard, it doesn’t matter if you recharge your car at night when the rates are lower; you’re still gonna take a hit to your hip pocket.
And it’s not like the California legislature is rushing to correct this oversight.
Wally Tyner, the James and Lois Ackerman Professor of Agricultural Economics, said that to make the Volt more economical than the Prius or the Cobalt, oil prices would have rise to between $171 and $254 per barrel, depending on which electricity pricing system is being used. Californians for example, pay an average of 14.42 cents per kilowatt hour, which is about 35 percent higher than the national average.
"People who view the Volt as green will pay $10,000 more over the lifetime of the car because it's green," Tyner said. "Most consumers will look at the numbers and won't pay that."
So until you’ve taken a pen and paper and worked out the real cost of owning an EV in California, maybe keep that Geo Metro for a while longer.
By Tristan Hankins
Source: Purdue University
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It's not very often that we come across European tuners doing their thing on good ol' American muscle - and for a very good reason as there are more chances of seeing a snow storm in Florida...in the summer than a Chevrolet Camaro in Europe. That said, Schmidt Revolution's tuning proposal certainly piqued our curiosity.
The German tuning house's tuning program concerns the Camaro SS with the 6.2-liter V8 engine. The addition of a compressor kit from Speed Box (€8,999 or US$12,300) along with a BORLA stainless steel exhaust system (€999 or US$1,370 without the tail pipes) pushes output to 625-horses.
Schmidt Revolution tune continues with H&R coilovers (€1,272 or US$1,740) and stabilizer (€530 or US$725), while the Camaro rides on 22-inch alloy wheels in tires sized 265/30 R22 up front and 295/25 R22 at the back (€3,399 or US$4,650). The program can be complemented by a matte black body finish priced at €3,500 or US$4,800.
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