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.

A recent study conducted by Max Warburton of Bernstein Research, a market trends and analysis firm, reveals which models sold in the U.S. are the most profitable for automakers.

Despite being blamed for almost anything, from the greenhouse effect to the costly bailout a couple of years ago, the study shows that Detroit’s Big Three light-truck models lead the list of the most profitable vehicles in the U.S.

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.

The rejuvenated wreath and crest brand stresses that all engineers working on the upcoming ATS were "handpicked based on their roles in developing other top Cadillacs" and "how well they can drive and evaluate cars on grueling test tracks".

But that may change soon as during an interview at the LA Auto Show, Don Butler, Cadillac’s marketing vice president, said that GM's luxury division is considering adding diesels to its engine range.

After receiving court protection from its creditors, Swedish Automobile N.V. agreed to sell 100% of Saab to Chinese partners Pang Da and Zeijiang Youngman Lotus Automobile, it had to get approval from its shareholders. General Motors, though, almost immediately raised concerns over the deal

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.

However, Akerson did not elaborate on what GM plans to do about the group’s two European brands, Opel/Vauxhal and Chevrolet.

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.

There's been some confusion about which segment the XTS belongs to since it will replace two models in Cadillac's range, the rear-/all-wheel drive STS and the front-wheel drive only DTS.

While the new XTS is Cadillac's largest sedan and as such, should be the brand's flagship saloon model, it does not target the likes of the BMW 7 Series nor the Mercedes S-Class.

The XTS takes its place as Cadillac's largest model replacing both the DTS and the STS. And large it is at 202-in. (5,131mm) long, 72.9-in. (1,851mm) wide and 59.1-in. (1,501mm) tall.

The XTS rides on a hefty 111.7-in. (2,837mm) wheelbase with Cadillac laying claims to 40 inches (1,016 mm) of rear legroom, which is about four more inches than the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class and about two more inches than the Audi A6. It also gets a capacious boot with 18 cubic feet (509 liters) of space.

The new Cadillac's exterior styling is more adventurous than the DTS/STS models and almost identical to last year's XTS Platinum concept study.

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.

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.