Filed under: , , , ,
Cadillac CTS-V “Competition” commercial – Click above to watch the video
Recently, we showed you a at ’s newest commercial featuring the sedan out on Germany’s hallowed-be-thy-name N
Video: Cadillac CTS-V "Competition" commercial
September 3rd, 2010Chevrolet signs Tim Allen as brand’s new voice
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , , ,
has officially announced that television and movie star Tim Allen will be the new “voice of ,” starting with a series of ads that will begin airing on September 7. These ads will be for the all-new , and while Allen is a big-name with a very recognizable voice, GM’s vice president of marketing, Joel Ewanick, reminds us that “the car will be the star.”
Allen is best known for his starring role on the long-running 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, as well as his roles in The Santa Clause movies and as the voice behind Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story trilogy. In addition, Allen is also a well-known automobile enthusiast and has an extensive car collection. He is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and has a strong love for classic American muscle cars.
Look Listen for Tim Allen in four 30-second GM spots, scheduled to hit your television screen in the coming weeks. GM says that the Cruze’s marketing campaign will ramp up as the cars begin to arrive at dealerships in greater volume. For the full details, hit the jump to read GM’s press release.
[Source: General Motors | Image: Michael Schwartz/WireImage.com]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:29:00 EST.
Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , ,
When murmurings began hitting the web that the man who plays was itching to publish his memoirs, we knew it was only a matter of time before the character met his end on the BBC’s Top Gear. According to The Sun, James May has hinted that White Stig will be dealt with in the same manner as his predecessor, . As you may recall, Black Stig infamously tried to outperform a Harrier jet from behind the wheel of the Top Gear , only to overshoot his mark and wind up at the bottom of the sea.
According to May, White Stig may not be so fortunate. In his interview with The Sun, May said that he and his co-hosts may actually drive to The Stig’s house, beat him silly and reclaim his suit of racing armor. We’re thinking that the show’s writers will likely come up with something a little more grandiose when it comes to sending the disgraced character out to pasture, but you never know. Will the show pit White Stig against the Royal Navy like his predecessor… or will he face some crueler fate? We’ll find out soon enough. Thanks for the tip, Gooner!
[Source: ]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:45:00 EST.
Report: Rattner bio reveals Obama Administration wanted Ghosn to run GM
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , ,
, former automotive adviser to President Barack Obama, has just written a juicy account of last year’s automotive bailout, complete with insights on the coming and goings of CEOs, courting foreign saviors and the plan to abandon its Renaissance Center headquarters. In his book, “Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry,” Rattner says that GM wanted to walk away from its expensive towers in downtown Detroit and move to Warren, MI. While the move would have likely saved the company plenty of money and lent the impression of a hands-on management approach, the Obama administration apparently refused to allow the move, saying that it would cause a double-digit drop in property values in the area.
There’s also the fact that GM pays around $20 million in taxes to Detroit per year.
According to The Detroit News, Rattner also offered the GM CEO position to none other than / head honcho after . Ghosn, who had previously sought a partnership between his empire and The General, politely declined the offer. How’s that for a head job?
Even through all of the turmoil, The Detroit News quotes Rattner as saying that the automotive bailout is one of this administration’s “unambiguous successes.”
[Source: | Image: Neison Barnard/Getty for Fortune Magazine]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST.
Spy Shots: BMW M5 prototype gets towed off the ‘Ring
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , , , , ,
BMW M5 prototype gets towed home – Click above for high-res image gallery
Occasionally, we find ourselves wondering why manufacturers continue to insist on testing their prototype vehicles at the infamous N
Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , , , , ,
Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback – Click above for high-res image gallery
will be expanding of Europe’s lineup by adding a five-door , and while we won’t get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web. Sure to be one of the major draws at the in just a few weeks, the liftback ought to compete nicely with the five-door, but don’t expect GM to offer the more functional Cruze in the United States. “Americans don’t like hatchbacks,” remember?
Much like the and from this year’s , GM calls the Cruze hatchback a “show car,” but in this case, that means that it’s somewhere between the stages of concept and prototype. Don’t expect the body to change, but we can easily see the front LED light bar and larger wheels being scrapped for the sake of cost-cutting.
Chevrolet says it will begin selling the Cruze hatchback across Europe in mid-2011 and pricing will be announced closer to the model’s on-sale date. Follow the jump for the full details in GM’s press release. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
Gallery:
[Source: General Motors]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST.
Report: Former GM CEO Fritz Henderson to lead Sunoco spinoff
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: ,
If you’ve been wondering what former CEO has been up to since getting the boot, The Detroit News has the skinny for you. Henderson is now headed to to fill in as the company’s senior vice president, at least for now. The company is currently planning to spin off its SunCoke Energy arm during the first half of 2011, and when that happens, Henderson will become the subsidiary’s chairman and CEO.
SunCoke produces metallurgical coke used to manufacture steel. The company currently operates plants in Virginia, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, and is currently building a second, high-capacity facility in the Buckeye State. That plant, in Middleton, is slated to produce 550,000 tons of coke while at max capacity.
Coke is formed by super heating coal to bond carbon and ash. The process burns off contaminates like water and coal tar to create an energy-dense fuel. Byproducts of the process are typically used to generate electricity, as in the case with the Middleton plant.
Henderson, a long-time GM man, held the company’s reins for a short time starting in 2009, but was replaced with Ed Whitacre amidst concerns that the company’s turnaround wasn’t moving fast enough.
[Source: | Image: Joe Raedle/Getty]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:58:00 EST.
Ford settles $131m Explorer rollover case
September 3rd, 2010Filed under: , , ,
Ford’s second-generation has just cost the company $131 million. Despite the popularity of the seminal SUV, it’s had more than its fair share of legal scrapes regarding its rollover resistance. And while the Explorer/Firestone tire kerfuffle has long since exited the headlines, the Blue Oval continues to get its pocketbook dinged by the SUV. According to Autoblog sister site AOL Autos, this week, a jury in Jackson, Mississippi was to decide on possible punitive damages in the lawsuit over the death of Brian Cole, a promising baseball player headed for the New York Mets. Ford settled with the family over the matter of the 2001 rollover accident after a jury awarded $131 million in damages. Punitive damages were the next decision the jury was to consider before Ford settled.
apparently disagrees with the blame placed on its vehicle, saying that the 22-year-old Cole was speeding and not wearing a seatbelt. Cole died from injuries sustained after being ejected from his Explorer during a rollover accident on a Florida highway. His cousin, Ryan Cole, survived the accident, which Ford attributes to the use of a seatbelt and the Explorer’s crash performance. While a settlement can be taken as a de facto acknowledgement of the Cole family’s claims that the Explorer is inherently unstable and its safety belts can fail in rollovers, the automaker maintains that it didn’t receive a fair trial, and settled to bring closure to the issue.
[Source: ]
originally appeared on on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:29:00 EST.