Automotive World

Fittingly, the landmark small block is a hand-built, 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 that will find its way under the hood of a Corvette ZR1. The force-fed LS9 is the most powerful engine ever to be installed in a regular-production Chevrolet or GM vehicle.

The problem first arose in May when a Chevy Volt's lithium-ion batteries caught fire while the car was parked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's [NHTSA] Winsconsin facilities, three weeks after it had been subjected to a side-impact crash test.

Alerted by the incident, General Motors and NHTSA repeated the test in June, but failed to replicate the fire. GM spokesman Greg Martin had said at the time that the fire was most likely caused because the agency staff had not followed the proper safety procedures mandated by the company for handling the Volt and its battery after an accident

Nevertheless, NHTSA joined forces with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, as well as General Motors, to determine the safety levels of the Volt’s lithium-ion batteries.

This video tells the bitter story of a Chevrolet Corvette owner that was doing just fine during an autocross event at a parking lot up until the moment he thought that he got the hang of it and pushed the car beyond his experience.

The result? A very nasty and ultimately, very expensive encounter with the curb…

NASCAR, on the other hand, despite being much more low-tech, is the series to watch in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Michelle Obama booing Brave. But it remains solely an American thing.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense for China to be one of the first overseas markets to receive the Chevrolet Volt. GM’s extended-range hybrid will be available in eight cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan, through 13 Shanghai GM Chevrolet dealerships.

Billed as the most fuel-efficient Malibu ever, the Eco is the first Chevy to feature GM's eAssist mild-hybrid tech that utilizes a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking, electric assist and start-stop functionality.

"HOV lane access is a coveted perk in California,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Global Chevrolet Marketing. Despite being an extended-range hybrid, the Volt didn’t qualify for one of the 40,000 HOV stickers that are only available California Enhanced, Advanced Technology – Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles."

Roadster Shop, which is based in Mundelein, Illinois, specializes on classic American cars - and we're not talking about a simple paint job or even a full blown restoration, but a complete transformation of the entire vehicle.

One of their latest and more publicized designs is a 1967 Chevrolet Nova coupe named Innovator. As you can see from the comprehensive photo gallery, every single component and panel of the original Nova was either replaced or upgraded to create a high-tech street racer.

At the heart of the build beats a GM-sourced 454 cubic-inch LSX V8 pushing out some 700-horsepower to the rear wheels through a Tremec T56 six-speed manual gearbox.

The host of “The Tonight Show” says he has covered more than 10,000 miles without ever visiting a gas station. Yes, you read that correctly: Leno is still driving on the same tank of fuel his Volt had 11 months ago.

Herb Younger is one of those people that love their cars. He owned a 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS and kept it until the 1980s, when he was forced to sell it to pay for his two sons’ tuition which, naturally, was his top priority at the time.

Herb didn’t know it then but two decades later, his sons, Jared and Derek, would spent five years searching in several states with the Impala’s VIN in hand, for their dad’s old car.

The racing model takes advantage of the GRAND-AM serie’s new regulations that gives more freedom to manufacturers to showcase their brand's design.

The purpose built Corvette Daytona Prototype borrows several styling cues from the production ZR1, mainly up front, and to a lesser extent, certain elements of the greenhouse and the rear end.

“The IMSA GTP Corvette Prototype campaigned by Hendrick Motorsports in the '80s was the inspiration for this new Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype," said Mark Kent, GM Racing director. "And, like the GTP Corvettes, the new Corvette Daytona Prototype contains numerous styling cues from the street version of the Chevrolet Corvette.”

Packing a 580-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (96km/h) in 3.9 seconds and can reach a top speed of 184 mph (296 km/h) while completing the quarter mile in 12.0 seconds when equipped with a 6sp automatic transmission.

The safety agency said it is also looking to see if the same problem exists in at least two more GM models equipped with similar cable installations used on four-speed automatic transmissions, the 2004-2008MY Chevrolet Malibu and 2005-2008MY Pontiac G6.

The five-door, four-seat subcompact hatchback will be available in the U.S. and Canada with a single engine option, a 1.2-liter four-cylinder with an output of 85HP that turns the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox or, optionally, a four-speed automatic transmission.

An agency official said that the incident took place three weeks after the Chevrolet Volt went through a side-impact crash test on May 12.

The Volt incident has forced authorities to ask automakers that sell cars equipped with lithium-ion batteries in the U.S., including GM, Nissan and Ford, about the potential fire risks, according to agency officials familiar with the matter.

Lithium-ion batteries, such as the ones powering the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, are considered more efficient than nickel-metal units used in other vehicles like Toyota’s Prius hybrid.

We shared the first pictures of GM's near-production midsize sport utility vehicle on Wednesday night, but we now have more details as well as a bunch of new photos and videos including one from the presentation in Dubai.

The study previews the production model that will be sold around the globe, beginning with Thailand in early 2012. GM has not said if it will be offered in North America, but being that it is based on the Chevy's new Colorado, which will be built and sold in the States, we can't see why not.

The 580HP Camaro ZL1, which goes on sale in spring 2012, has of course tackled the famous track. Chevrolet didn’t expect it to outperform the top contenders, exotic supercars costing many times more than the Camaro. Nevertheless, it recorded a 7:41.27 lap time, reaching a top speed of 273 km/h (170 mph).

Today, we have the first official photos of the pre-production study that will grace the floors of this week's 2011 Dubai International Motor Show.

In a similar fashion to the pre-production concept of the new Chevy Colorado midsize pickup truck upon which the Trailblazer is based, there are only a few elements that are purely show material such as the lights, bumper and alloy wheel designs along with certain trim pieces inside.