Chevrolet

How I Fell for a Muscle Car

This is the story of how a sensible, middle-aged guy fell from sensible car grace. Have mercy on me. Let me be honest right up front here: I am most assuredly not a “muscle car” fan. I was a nerd/geek/dork in high school (in spite of doing two sports–do you think being in Drama and the Computer Club had something to do with it?), and the guys who had, or wanted to have, muscle cars were the kind of guys would give guys like me wedgies, stuff us in lockers, turn us upside in trash cans, and all that kind…

Vehicles & Gear

GMC Sierra 2500 HD Denali Blends Denim and Diamonds With Leather and Lace

As automakers have pared down corporate structure in recent years due to market demands, economy and even government oversight, consumers have had to say goodbye to nameplates and models they’d become loyal fans and admirers of. So how does a division like GMC survive when brands like Plymouth, Pontiac and Mercury are kicked to the curb? All GMC makes is trucks or SUVs and each of those is on a shared platform with a Chevy counterpart. GMC has been making trucks since 1901 when it was first established at the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and was responsible for developing the…

Vehicles & Gear

Chevy Camaro Convertible Hot As a Firecracker

This is my last Chevy Camaro review this year I promise. Maybe. Arriving just in time for the official launch of summer was this blazing redhot Victory Red Camaro Convertible. And as luck would have it we are celebrating the second hottest June ever right here in North Central Texas. Wonderful. What that means is that either I have to be an early riser or a night owl to enjoy some top-down driving in this gorgeous creature. That or I can just sit on my porch with a cold beverage and stare at her for a while. This vehicle arrived…

Vehicles & Gear

Chevy Volt: A Week in the Life

I have written about the new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle before so I am not going to go into too much technical detail here. This time I am going to delve into the “electric lifestyle” that would surround a consumer who drives one of the new breed of vehicles home. It did not take me long to figure out a week with an electric vehicle was going to require some different thinking. In fact, when the vehicle was delivered, more than half the battery pack was already drained just going from warehouse to carwash to my driveway in the…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Chevrolet Cruze a ‘Sound’ Choice

Last summer we got our first drives in the all-new Chevrolet Cruze. Recently we spent a week behind the wheel of a 2LT RS model with the new turbocharged 1.4-liter inline four-banger. (The base engine for American Cruze models is a 1.8-liter producing the same horsepower – 138 – and both are backed by six speed manual or automatic transmissions.) Our tester had the automatic gearbox connected to front drive underpinnings and we found the turbo 1.4 quite satisfactory in rural and urban driving conditions with minimal noise, vibration or harshness transferred to the passenger compartment. Despite being called a…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Headbangers’ Paradise

A little over a year ago I had written how impressed I was with the new Chevy Camaro RS and its new V-6 with a six-speed manual gearbox. Fast forward and GM sends a V-8-laden SS model of almost the exact same color scheme and, well, perhaps my expectations were a bit too high for their “beast.” For me, the new Camaro still wins out were I only judging styling. Slip behind the wheel and my concerns quickly repeat those of my auto press brethren: Limited sightlines, funky steering wheel and a mismatched dash panel. First though, let’s explore the…

News

Apple ‘Wins’ Product Placement Award for 2010

Tracking Apple products in shows is somewhat of a hobby for many folks, and we even did a number of ‘Apple on TV’ posts here at Gear Diary. Of course, Apple is just one of many companies that spend heavily to get their products featured prominently in TV shows and movies, and keeping in the spirit of awards season the folks at BrandChannel have compiled their annual ‘Product Placement Awards’ … and not surprisingly Apple has come out on top again. Here are some details from the award: Apple products appeared in ten (or 30%) of the 33 films that…

News, Vehicles & Gear

Buick Gets eAssist but Chevy Brings the Thunder

The Chicago Auto Show brought powertrain announcements from General Motors anchoring each end of the economical scale. First, Buick. If we as consumers are not already befuddled by all of the “e” and “i” lower case leading letters for proper names in our world today, GM is going to throw another into the mix. eAssist. eAssist will arrive on a pair of 2012 Buick sedans ¬– LaCrosse and Regal – to up the ante in the fuel economy game. This new technology is a sort of “hybrid lite” if you will as the electric-assist motor and battery pack offer much…

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear

Automotive Technology Déjà Vu

I love new technology when it hits the automotive market, but sometimes I just cannot help wonder if someone else did not think of this first. Two releases I spotted this morning jumped out at me, and I was overcome by a strong sense of déjà vu. First, Ford Motor Company: Ford is aggressively accelerating its commitment to wirelessly connected intelligent vehicles – known as vehicle-to-vehicle communications – becoming the first automaker to build prototype vehicles for demonstrations across the U.S., doubling its intelligent vehicle investment in 2011 and dedicating even more scientists to developing this technology. “Ford believes intelligent…

News, Vehicles & Gear

NAIAS 2011: Day One and Only, Let’s Call it a Day

Winding down this very long day of media introductions inside the Cobo Arena in Detroit, MINI, Jeep, Kia and Chevrolet put a wrap on the day’s events, and Jeep and Chevy each have anniversary parties this year.

News, Vehicles & Gear

NAIAS 2011: Day One and Only, Dawn of a new Detroit Auto Show

Day one of the 2011 North American International Auto Show is going to be a very busy one, mainly because it is the only day that automakers will host press conferences. Given the congested nature of the day’s schedule I will break it down into several parts with a few brands already taking stage before many have had the opportunity to down their first cup of joe. Porsche, Chevy, Ford and Volkswagen lead off the morning.

News, Vehicles & Gear

2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year winners announced

The 2011 Ford Explorer has been named North American Truck of the Year at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this morning. As a finalist it beat out the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango for top honors. In the North American Car of the Year competition, two of the three finalists are electric vehicles, although one does have a range extending gas engine on-board and this is what clinched it to make the Chevrolet Volt as the top car over the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Sonata.

News, Vehicles & Gear

CES Garage, Day Four

Day Four is all about the unveiling of the new Ford Focus Electric, an all-electric version of the next-generation Focus subcompact. The all-new Focus Electric is Ford’s first-ever all-electric passenger car. (OK, maybe its first-ever mass-produced electric car as Mrs. Henry Ford was reported to spin around the Dearborn countryside in an electric car in 1914.) The zero-CO2-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford’s popular small car is the flagship of the company’s growing fleet of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles coming to North America and Europe by 2013.

Editorials, News, Vehicles & Gear

What Would Santa Drive?

I began this annual ditty around the turn of the century and I find that I enjoy revisiting it each year as the world is buried neck-deep in the (commercial) spirit of the season. Looks like Santa’s load will be a bit heavier this year as early numbers indicate a bit more cheer in the air online and at the register. And the big guy will need to remember to bring along much needed accessories as wish lists are undoubtedly a bit tech-heavy this season. Right of the top I am going to disappoint a certain segment. Santa will NOT…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

Chevy Volt: Out of the Box

Buck fifty a day. According to the automaker, that is all it will cost you to operate your new Chevy Volt Extended Range Electric Vehicle when used in EV mode only. The car that GM is calling the “game-changer” is arriving in select markets this month. We spent some quality time with the Volt and its team members on a recent jaunt in the Texas Hill Country north and west of Austin. The event provided a few eye openers, some educational opportunities and at least one typical situation faced by drivers in semi-rural areas. Much has been written about Volt…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: 2011 HD trucks from General Motors

This past winter we got our first experience with the new Heavy Duty trucks from Ram. Spring brought a new Super Duty from Ford (along with more HD Rams) and finally, summer 2010 put us in the driver seat of the newest big rigs from General Motors, wearing Silverado and Sierra badging. Along the way I noticed one thing different about the way marketing folks presented information from their colleagues pitching cars and SUVs – customer conquests. It seems truck buyers, especially heavy duty truck buyers, remain very brand loyal. Three-quarter- and one-ton pickups account for about 30 percent of…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze

I was invited down to San Antonio, Texas recently to get my first experience with this new compact vehicle from Chevrolet that is replacing the Cobalt model. The new vehicle, set to arrive in dealerships in September, is called Cruze. One of my first questions during a marketing presentation was “What is the origin of the name Cruze?” Seems I stumped the panel. No one could give me an answer. Here in front of my computer I search the interwebs and discover that Cruze has been used by GM since 2001 and this “all-new” vehicle is actually the second-generation of…

Reviews, Vehicles & Gear

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

Well, I did it. I drove the new Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle that will be available later this year. What is it? In many ways it is similar to the current Toyota Prius hybrid. It features a battery pack that powers an electric motor that turns the wheels to make the thing go. It also has a combustion engine powered by gasoline that charges the battery pack when voltage drops too low. Where it differs from the current breed of hybrid electric vehicle is that the combustion engine does not propel the Volt at all – it is…

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear

Chevy vs. Chevrolet: Social media schools GM

Call it a simple misunderstanding or an experiment in the power of the new social media, but General Motors quickly found out yesterday just how fast and wide a wildfire of emotion can spread electronically. No sooner did word come out from the General that anyone with corporate connections needs to shy away from using the nickname “Chevy” than the interwebs heated up to a frenzy level calling this decision anywhere from a bad choice to downright un-American. Wow, Chrysler did not get this much guff when they told everyone last year they had to start calling their pickup a…

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear

OnStar Googles Volt

Photo courtesy GM While I don’t mean this as negative criticism of a recent press release, I do find the meat behind the message a bit premature for the masses and limited in range and use. And I thank them (sort of) for the revelation it led to. OnStar is announcing they will be at the Google I/O conference this week to debut and demonstrate new functionalities planned for an app that works with the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Version 1.0 of the app will be released alongside the Volt this fall. And the app will apparently only work on Android…

Events, Vehicles & Gear

Chevrolet celebrates diamond anniversary of Suburban

I attended an event today at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Arlington, Texas, that gave me cause for deeper reflection. Chevy is celebrating the 75th year of the Suburban model. A single product with three-quarters of a century lineage – now that is something. It got me to wondering: In this modern era of “here today, gone tomorrow” and disposable lifestyles what new products would be able to survive 75 years. Sure, brands can live long lives, and of course basic concepts, but what about the individual nameplate, the singular moniker. Probably few things within our reach at this…

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