Chevy’s 2012 Camaro gets more horsepower from the V-6 and adds the eagerly anticipated ZL1 version, complete with a 6.2-liter, 550 horsepower V-8. The SS version remains largely unchanged under the hood, but that’s not a bad thing since the Camaro’s normally aspirated 6.2 liter V-8 is still good for 426 horsepower with a manual transmission (or 400 horsepower with the automatic). That’s not quite enough to outrun a Mustang from zero to sixty (sorry, bowtie fans), but it apparently is fast enough to outrun a Decepticon invasion, at least according to Tim Allen. Until Transformers 3 comes out, you can get a feel for the action in the video below.

Source: Chevrolet YouTube Channel

OK, kids, don't try this at home.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past where American cars didn’t get a whole lot of validation post assembly. I’ve driven nearly new convertibles that leaked like a sieve in the rain, and I’ve had low mileage cars with more creaks and rattles than a haunted house. Fortunately, those days are in the past, and most of todays cars are tested to the point of failure before they even see production. Chevy wants you to know that they go well beyond “reasonable” in testing the top of the new Camaro convertible, running it through over ten years of simulated hard use in testing. Even production cars don’t get loaded for shipment until they’ve been tested under water spray of 900 gallons per minute. Like the video says, don’t try climbing into the trunk of your car at home. From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s not a particularly comfortable ride.

The Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition. Image: © GM Corp.

Louis Chevrolet, the man behind the bow-tie badge, was a race car driver long before he founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. It’s fitting, then, that Chevrolet is honoring it’s 100th birthday with a special edition of the Corvette, the most-campaigned race car in Chevrolet’s long history. The 2012 Centennial Edition package will be available across the entire Corvette range, including the ZR1, and includes both appearance and content upgrades.

Image: © GM Corp.

All Centennial Edition Corvettes wear Carbon Flash Metallic paint, augmented by satin black graphics and wheels. The Centennial Satin Black wheels are made from lightweight cast-spun aluminum, and Z06 models get a thin red stripe on the lip to match the red brake calipers on all Centennial Edition cars. Magnetic Selective Ride Control, previously available on ZR1 and Z06 models only, is also included on all special edition cars.

Image: © GM Corp.

Unique graphics distinguish the cars as well. A logo bearing the image of Louis Chevrolet is featured on the B-pillars, the wheel center caps and the steering wheel airbag cover. Seats get an embossed centennial logo, and even the traditional “crossed flags” Corvette logo gets special treatment on Centennial Edition ‘Vettes, with the fleur-de-lis symbol replaced by a “100” logo. The black theme carries over inside the car as well, with all special edition cars receiving an Ebony leather interior with microfiber suede inserts. Red stitching is used to highlight the steering wheel, seats, console and shifter.

Image: © GM Corp.

Pricing will be announced this summer, prior to the start of availability. The initial car will be a Z06 with the Z07 performance package and the CFZ carbon fiber package, to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson’s West Palm Beach, FL, auction on April 9. Proceeds from the sale of the first available Centennial Edition Corvette will go to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. The car will be the 100th 2012 Corvette built, so it will even carry a VIN ending in 00100.

Source: Chevrolet

Image: © GM Corp.

After months of speculation, the new uber-Camaro was revealed today at the Chicago Auto Show. To the surprise of many, the car didn’t carry the expected Z/28 nameplate; instead, Chevy opted to label the car the Camaro ZL1. Don’t feel bad if you don’t know the significance of that name, since it was used only once, as an internal order code for an aluminum-block racing engine option on the 1969 Camaro. Only 69 were ever built with the ZL1 order code, and their performance and value is the stuff of legend. What better way to honor the name than by building the most powerful and most capable Camaro in Chevrolet’s history?

Image: © GM Corp.

As rumored, the ZL1 gets powered by the LSA, 6.2 liter supercharged V8 from the Cadillac CTS-V. The ZL1 loses a few ponies in the translation, since the CTS-V is a Cadillac and the Camaro is a Chevy. If you want specifics, the ZL1 gets rated at 550 horsepower versus the Caddy’s 556, while torque drops to 550 ft lb from the CTS-V’s 551. It’s academic, really, and I suspect that both cars would put out nearly identical numbers on a dyno. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that the ZL1 has a similar zero to sixty time (3.9 seconds for the Caddy), but Chevy isn’t publishing those numbers just yet.

Unlike Camaros of old, the ZL1 is designed to excel at racetracks other than drag strips. The engineers raided the GM performance parts bin, and pulled the good stuff for use on the ZL1. It gets the Magnetic Ride Control suspension from the Corvette ZR-1 and the Cadillac CTS-V, it borrows the dual stage exhaust system from the Corvette and it swipes the amazing Brembo brakes from the CTS-V, although these are tuned specifically for the Camaro. GM engineers spent a considerable amount of time lapping the Nürburgring, so it’s safe to assume the ZL1 is the best-balanced Camaro in history, not just the most powerful.

Image: © GM Corp.

Inside, Chevy freshened up the interior for ZL1 duty. Gone is the deep dish steering wheel from last year’s Camaro, which fit my oddly-shaped hands perfectly. Seats are black leather with microfiber suede inserts and ZL1 logos embroidered on the headrests. A four pack of gauges sits atop the center console, and ZL1 cars get unique badging, door sills and alloy pedals. Just in case you want to hear something other than the satisfying rumble of a 6.2 liter V8, Chevy also includes a Boston Acoustics audio system.

Image: © GM Corp.

It’s too early to speculate on cost, availability or delivery dates, but I’ll do it anyway. Expect the ZL1 to cost more than a $49,000 Mustang Shelby GT500, but not all that much more. Expect Chevy to build as many as customers want to buy (at least for a year or two), but expect to pay a premium if you want to be the first on your block with a ZL1 in the garage. As for the “when” part, I’d expect deliveries to start in the first quarter of 2012. It’s no secret that the end of the second muscle car era is fast approaching, so here’s some free advice: if you’re a Chevy guy, do whatever you have to do to scrape together the cash for a ZL1. Chevy’s not going to build them forever, and I seriously doubt we’ll see many more cars like the ZL1.

Press Release

ZL1: Chevrolet Camaro Enters The Realm Of Advanced Performance Technology

2011-02-09

* LSA 6.2L supercharged engine will produce an estimated 550 horsepower (410 kW) and is matched with a six-speed manual transmission with a dual-disc clutch system
* Packed with performance technologies, highlighted by Magnetic Ride Control, and advanced materials – including a vented carbon fiber hood insert. Extensive aerodynamic development designed for high-performance driving
* Development ongoing, targeting launch at the beginning of 2012

CHICAGO – The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 debuted today at the Chicago Auto Show. It is the highest-performing Camaro and the most technically advanced car ever developed in its class. The new ZL1 continues the momentum of Camaro, propelling it into an entirely new realm of leading-edge performance technology. It is planned to launch at the beginning of 2012.

Motivated by a supercharged V-8 engine producing an estimated 550 horsepower (410 kW), the Camaro ZL1 will be the fastest Camaro ever offered by Chevrolet. And more than just power, the ZL1 features technologically advanced and highly developed chassis and suspension systems that help it deliver balanced, track-ready handling and braking power to complement its high engine output. Rigorous development of the ZL1 is ongoing, and official estimates of the car’s capabilities will be released later in 2011, as testing nears completion.

“Camaro ZL1 is about high-tech performance and design, and is a type of car no one has ever brought to this segment previously,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “It’s the most technically advanced Camaro ever, so we’ve chosen a name from the most elite and exclusive Camaro in history.”

The ZL1 name is derived from the all-aluminum racing engine of the same name, which was developed in the late 1960s and installed into a handful of regular-production 1969 Camaros. Only 69 were built with the engine, but they’ve achieved mythical status among enthusiasts, as they represented the pinnacle in Camaro performance – until now. The 2012 ZL1 model is designed to be a major leap forward for the Camaro, bringing a new level of performance capability to the segment.

The central goal of the car’s development was creating something new – a Camaro intended to reach optimal lap times on top road-racing circuits and excellent driving dynamics on the street. To achieve that goal, engineers evolved many of the existing Camaro’s systems, as well as incorporated new technologies such as electric power steering and Magnetic Ride Control, the world’s fastest-reacting suspension system.

Camaro ZL1′s design communicates and supports its performance mission. Rather than using decorative elements, ZL1 is visually differentiated from other current Camaro models with elements vital to the car’s elevated capabilities.

“Everything about the ZL1′s design is directly related to its technology and serious performance, especially aerodynamics,” said Ed Welburn, vice president, Global Design. “Our designers’ goal was to execute that function-oriented design with beautifully sculpted forms, creating an imposing, powerful persona. Function becomes the aesthetic. The intent is a car that delivers on the attitude it projects.”

Major elements of the ZL1′s design are a new front fascia and hood with air extractors, designed in tandem to create aerodynamic downforce to aid handling. The car’s hood includes a signature center section constructed of carbon fiber and rendered in satin black finish. New rocker panels, wide tires, 20-inch wheels and exhaust tips portray the car’s handling and power.
The ZL1 badge appears on the grille, hood and the brake calipers, all key areas portraying the technology within.

Tech overview
Supporting the dynamic track and street performance of the ZL1 is the LSA 6.2L supercharged engine, which will produce an estimated 550 horsepower (410kW) and 550 lb.-ft. of torque (677 Nm), with specific features for the Camaro. Built on GM’s legendary all-aluminum, small-block V-8 architecture, the LSA features an intercooled supercharger system, premium heat-resistant aluminum-alloy cylinder heads and other details designed to ensure its exceptional performance is delivered with smoothness and refinement. Components and design elements that contribute to the LSA’s performance include:

* Balanced, lightweight reciprocating assembly
* High-strength hypereutectic pistons
* Sixth-generation Eaton supercharger with four-lobe rotors
* Piston oil squirters.

Because the Camaro ZL1 uses electric power steering, the engine does not incorporate a conventional hydraulic power steering pump on its accessory drive system. This enhances performance, because no engine power is used to turn a steering pump pulley.

Camaro ZL1 is a complete high-performance car, not just a Camaro with more power. Key technical highlights include:

Transmission – The high-performance Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual is matched with the LSA engine. It is the “MG9″ version of the transmission, with a higher torque capacity. It is used with a dual-mass flywheel and twin-disc clutch for easy operation and shift smoothness. A new, shorter-throw shifter actuates the gear changes.

Exhaust – ZL1 is equipped with a dual-mode exhaust system, which alters the sound level and character in response to engine rpm. First used on the legendary Corvette, and specifically tuned for Camaro ZL1, the dual-mode exhaust will give the car a signature sound.

Drivetrain – It is revised with a stronger driveshaft and rear axle system, featuring a larger and stronger cast iron differential housing, stronger axles and heavy-duty limited-slip differential. This patent-pending system is designed to ensure that ZL1′s tremendous power is delivered smoothly to the ground.

Suspension – The suspension features completely revised tuning and the inclusion of segment-exclusive Magnetic Ride Control. ZL1′s Magnetic Ride system will include driver selectable modes (Tour and Sport) tailored for the preferred style of driving. It uses advanced magneto-rheological science to produce shock damping with the highest level of precision, enabling body control optimized for excellent performance in everyday driving as well as track situations. This technology appears on only a small roster of some of the world’s finest performance cars. Other chassis elements are redesigned to support the car’s high-performance limits. Rear stabilizer bars have drop links repositioned outboard of the control arms. This makes the bars more effective in controlling body roll in turns, with crisp response to driver commands.

Brakes and Steering – Camaro ZL1 features an advanced track-capable braking system, developed in conjunction with experts from Brembo. The large 14.6-inch (370 mm) two-piece front rotors have six-piston calipers; the 14.4-inch (365 mm) rear rotors have four-piston calipers. ZL1 marks the entry of a new electric power steering system to Camaro. It is being developed to ensure precise control and feedback to the driver, with greater variability of effort for high-performance driving.

Exterior – ZL1′s signature from the front is the redesigned fascia and aluminum hood with a raised, carbon fiber insert. The fascia includes a front splitter and new vertical fog lamps. The fog lamp area includes air intakes designed for brake cooling. The hood features front-mounted air extractors that direct air precisely over the car. Visually, this center section, in satin black carbon fiber, communicates the car’s high-performance intent as a visual contrast to the car’s exterior color. Functionally, the air extractor is a key in connecting airflow closely to the bodywork, creating aerodynamic downforce. The carbon fiber center section reduces the mass of the hood. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and fog lamps are standard. The rear of the car includes a diffuser and spoiler, also functional elements that enhance the car’s aerodynamics.

Wheels and Tires – New-design, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, which are lighter than the 20-inch wheels used on the Camaro SS, are used with new Goodyear Supercar F2 ties developed specifically for the ZL1.

Interior – ZL1 is tailored for high-performance driving. The front seats feature microfiber suede inserts. Other enhancements include a redesigned steering wheel, alloy pedals, Head-Up Display with unique performance readouts and the “four-pack” auxiliary gauge system featuring a boost readout.

Production details
All of the Camaro exterior colors will be offered with the ZL1, but black is the only interior color. The unique exterior features are complemented with a black center section on the hood. Inside, the Camaro ZL1 has heated leather seats with microfiber inserts and ZL1 logos embroidered on the front headrests. Microfiber suede is repeated as an accent on the instrument panel, adding a richer look to the interior. The ZL1 will include the same content as the current 2SS package and include the following new or unique features:

* Six-way power driver and passenger seats
* Unique instrument panel and door panel inserts; and ZL1-logo sill plates
* Steering wheel audio controls with Bluetooth capability
* Wireless PDIM and USB-port
* Boston Acoustics premium audio system
* Rear parking assist
* Rear camera system (displayed in the inside rearview mirror).

Engineers have already driven Camaro ZL1 prototypes extensively at demanding road courses in the U.S. and Germany, with final testing being completed through the balance of 2011.

About Chevrolet
Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com

A Silverado on the line in Flint. Image: © GM Corp.

It wasn’t too long ago that all the news related to U.S. automakers was negative. Things have changed in recent months, and GM is now the second of the big 3 U.S. automakers to announce significant hiring plans for the immediate future. General Motors announced on Monday that they would be adding a third shift to the Flint Assembly plant, which builds both the GMC Sierra and the Chevy Silverado heavy-duty pickups. The third shift is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2011, with workers arriving for training in the second quarter.

The additional shift is in direct response to customer demand for heavy-duty pickups, which are used for both commercial and recreational purposes. Flint Assembly currently employs nearly 2,100 hourly and salaried workers, and already ramped up production of pickups in 2010. The additional 750 jobs are badly needed in Flint, whose economy is even more decimated that that of Detroit. GM operates an additional four plants in the Flint area, including Flint Engine Operations, Flint Metal Center, Flint Tool & Die and the Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center.

Source: General Motors

[original post date: 02/10/2009] I honestly believe that the new Nissan GT-R has sparked quite an interest and crave for launch control. Many cars way before the Nissan GT-R have had their own system for a launch control either in a SMG transmission in the E46 BMW M3 or the Volkswagen’s early DSG found in the GTI.

The ultimate crave for launch control baffles me but you have to understand that I would take a full manual transmission any day over a, what Jeremy Clarkson calls them, floppy paddle gear box. Even with Nissans woes with grenaded transmissions in the GT-R, launch control is still a big hit. Even Hitler “had to launch it”.

Ever since the introduction of drive-by-wire, auto manufacturers have been toying with new electronics that improve upon the over-all safety of a vehicle. New systems come standard in many vehicles now such as dynamic skid control or also known as vehicle dynamic control or electronic stability control (name varies from each manufacturer). Many of these new systems utilize a combination of computer operated units from the ABS braking, traction control and accelerator control. I am sure if manufacturers thought they could play with these systems and make a car safer then why not develop a precise method for accelerating a vehicle with a computer to make it faster.

It is all a numbers game if you think about it. I am sure many car enthusiasts, including yourself, may have experimented with dropping your clutch at a certain RPM to get the full potential out of a launch from a dead-stop. Even you guys with automatics have almost perfected holding the brake pedal while stomping on the accelerator in preparation for a ‘launch’. What if your car could do this for you? Well, many new exotic and sports cars can but it does take the use of a special transmission or a manual transmission that is controlled by a computer, except in Porsches’ case with their newest launch control system on a full manual transmission.

Where did this idea and technology come from?

If you think about it, F1 cars among other racing cars were already using a type of the technology that we see in today’s cars fitted with dual clutch transmissions and SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) units. Racing is where it begins… most times. From the F1 cars now shifting well under 60 milliseconds to the Nissan GT-R’s dual clutch shifting time of around 200 milliseconds, computers have taken cars to a new level of performance where a human just simply cannot match yielding a much higher level of performance.

Cars with Launch Control

Many of the baby boomers know ‘launch control’ to be something only NASA quotes in the control room during a space shuttle launch. Now we can all experience a ‘horizontal’ launch in many of today’s technologically advanced performance vehicles.

So which cars have launch control? Below is a short list that we have compiled of all vehicles with an available launch control. If we missed any please post a comment below and let us know.

Please note: Some of the vehicles included on the list may only have a staging RPM setting which some may call “launch control” but it is not as involved as a fully automated launch control or uses a sequential shifting transmission (paddle shifter) such as in the Nissan GT-R.

• Audi R8
• Audi TT
• BMW M3
• BMW M5
• BMW M6
• Bugatti Veyron
• Chevrolet Corvette/ZR1
• Ferrari 360cs
• Ferrari 599 GTB/GTO
• Ferrari F430/Scuderia
• Ferrari 458 Italia
• Lamborghini Gallardo/LP560
• Lamborghini Murcielago/LP640
• Lexus LFA
• Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR
• Mercedes Benz SL63 AMG
• Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
• Mitsubishi Evo Lancer Evolution/MR
• Nissan GT-R
• Porsche 911/Carrera/S/GT2
• Volkswagen GTI/Golf/Rabbit/R32

Various videos demonstrating launch control below after the jump…

Let’s keep this simple: if you want to look at gorgeous, semi-naked women or read insightful reporting, go to Playboy.  If you want accurate information on cars and trucks, come to Automotive Addicts.  We don’t do the whole pictures of naked women thing (although we have been known to look at them admiringly), because it’s just not what we do best.  Likewise, when Playboy publishes a list of the “Hottest Rides” of the year, you need to read it with some skepticism.

Here are Playboy’s picks for the hottest cars of 2011, along with our feedback.  Some we agree with, others we don’t, but then again we don’t get big fat advertising checks from automakers.  Read on to find out what made the list.

Playboy’s 2011 Car Of The Year: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Not much to argue with here, and I’m glad to see a publication pick a car other than the Chevy Volt or the Nissan Leaf as car of the year.  I’m not a huge fan of the SLS AMG’s styling, since only the front 55% of the car looks good; the rear looks like the stylists just gave up.  Performance wise, the SLS AMG is the real deal, and its 6.2 liter V8 will run with the big dogs.  Zero to sixty comes up in about 3.7 seconds, and the gullwing coupe tops out at 197 miles per hour.  If you’ve got the coin, the SLS AMG will get you noticed.

Best Hybrid: The Honda CR-Z

This category really should have been titled the “Least Worst Hybrid”, since enthusiast driving and hybrids go together like Ellen Degeneres and Tiger Woods. Yes, the Honda CR-Z is hands-down the best hybrid (if you opt for the six speed manual transmission), much the same way as waterboarding is much better than having your fingernails pulled off with pliers. If I had an option for “C, none of the above”, I’d pick that.

Best Sport Sedan: Aston Martin Rapide

If the category was “sport sedan most likely to get you heels-to-Jesus”, I’d agree. I don’t know too many who can shell out the Rapide’s $200,000 price of admission, and I can’t help but thinking that kind of money would buy three Cadillac CTS-V sedans, or two Hennessey tuned CTS-V sedans. Give me the Caddy, in White Diamond Tricoat with Dark Graphite wheels, and I’ll use the $130,000 I save to pay for gas, tires and speeding tickets.

Best Sports Coupe: Cadillac CTS-V

Don’t get me wrong: I love the looks of the CTS-V coupe, but I can’t live with the concessions it asks you to make. The rear seat, for example, is for midget acrobats only. Full size humans with normal muscles and joints simply don’t fit back there, and the coupe’s added width actually makes it slower than the sedan (courtesy of parasitic drag, if you want some science). My pick? The 2011 Shelby GT500 Mustang. It’s the automotive equivalent of rough sex with a six foot tall Scandinavian blond; it doesn’t work well if you treat it nice, but throw it down, stomp it hard and it just comes back for more. Like the blond, it’ll either kill you or make you stronger, and you won’t care much either way.

Best Convertible: Porsche Boxster Spyder

Maybe I’m not a big fan of the whole “less is more” thing, which is why I have a hard time grasping the logic of paying more for a Porsche Boxster with a Pontiac Solstice folding roof. Yes, it’s fast, but it’s also impractical for the real world; I’ll pass, and opt for the STaSIS-tuned Audi R8 V10 convertible. It’s wretched excess in every way, and it comes with a real top.

Best Bang For The Buck: Mazda 2

This is a tough category, since so many automakers are making good, inexpensive cars these days. The Ford Fiesta is roughly the same as the Mazda 2, and both need a serious infusion of horsepower to be appealing to enthusiasts. The Chevy Cruze has potential, if and when Chevy builds a Cruze SS version. Until they do, sign me up for the Hyundai Sonata Turbo as the best bang for the buck. Where else can you get 274 horsepower for a sticker price in the mid-twenties?

Best SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee

This is another tough call, because the best depends on your expectations. If you use you $40,000 SUV for serious off-roading and plan on tackling the Rubicon Trail just as soon as you have two weeks of vacation saved up, then your best choice is Playboy’s pick. If you live in the real world and spend 90% of your time on-road, with occasional trips to the beach and up to your uncle’s mountain cabin, my pick would be the new Ford Explorer. It’s still capable of going off-road (except for the whole rock-crawling thing), and it’s much better on road. For the vast majority of SUV buyers, it’s simply a better option.

Best Commuter: Nissan Leaf

I’ve never had a job where the Nissan Leaf would have been a sensible choice for commuting. Most of my drives have been 50 miles or so round trip, which may or may not exceed the Leaf’s range, depending on traffic, road conditions, weather and electromagnetic disturbances in the upper atmosphere. I don’t want to spend the last ten miles of my commute wondering if I’ll make it home, so a pure electric car makes no sense to me. Give me a Chevy Volt, and I’ll go as far as I can on batteries every day. When the batteries run down, the generator fires up to ensure I’ll get the rest of the way home. The Volt is comfortable, it’s relatively entertaining to drive and (above all) it’s practical. I can’t say the same for the Nissan Leaf.

Best Plug-In: Chevrolet Volt

I already picked the Volt for “Best Commuter”, so I can’t pick it twice. Instead, I’ll select the Tesla Roadster 2.0 for “Best Plug In”, because it’s currently the only electric car worth drooling over. I still don’t think it’s worth the price, and it’s still too heavy to be a real sports car, but it is a step in the right direction. For now, that’s as good as a plug in car gets.

Most Likely To Succeed: Hyundai Equus

I couldn’t agree more with Playboy’s pick in this category. I’ve driven the Equus, and it’s good, very good. Once you get past the Hyundai name, the Equus will make you wonder why spending $10k to $30k more for the equivalent Lexus, BMW or Mercedes was even a consideration. Hyundai knows what’s riding on this, and they’re going to make every effort to do things right the first time. World class luxury for the price of a well-equipped Lincoln? Sign me up.

[source: Playboy]

‘The 2011 Chevy Volt Is As Good As The Hype’

There appear to be two camps when it comes to the Chevy Volt; on the one hand, detractors cry, “it’s just another hybrid”, while discussing conspiracy theories about government subsidies for electric vehicles.  On the other hand, those who’ve driven it, myself included, come away pretty damn impressed.  How impressed?  Motor Trend just named the 2011 Chevy Volt the “Car of the Year”, and not two hours later Automobile magazine followed up with the “Automobile of the Year” award.  I’ll tell you flat out: the Chevy Volt is perhaps the most significant automobile of the past 50 years, and it’s the launching pad for a whole new generation of high-tech vehicles.  You can love it or you you can hate it, but you certainly can’t ignore it.

Before I tell you about my own experience driving a Volt from NYC to Detroit, here’s a little background on me.  I grew up as the son of a mechanic and garage owner, and learned to spin wrenches at an early age.  I’ve got 10w40 in my veins, and I consider the hybrid and the CVT to be among the worst inventions of mankind.  Really, in my book both rank up there with bubonic plague and telemarketing, since they are diametrically opposed to everything that makes a car fun to drive.  Give me superior handling with reasonable horsepower and light weight, then let me row my own gears.  Don’t give me a power train that combines the worst of a low-power internal combustion engine with the inefficiencies of battery power, and don’t give me a transmission that thinks it’s smarter than I am but sounds like a slipping Powerglide.  When the decline of Western Civilization is said and done, history will mark the rise of the hybrid and CVT as the beginning of the end, I’m sure of it.

Biases aside, I was willing to give the Volt a fair shot at impressing me.  It is, after all, an extended range electric vehicle, a term that I find much more palatable than “serial hybrid”, which is how the Society of Automotive Engineers defines the Volt.  My trip began under less than ideal circumstances, since a breaker had tripped in the hotel parking garage overnight, leaving us with a battery range of just six miles.  Had we been driving an EV from the competition, we would have checked back into the hotel, then gone out drinking for the day.  As it was, we soldiered on through the wet streets of Manhattan, pelted by a wintry mix of rain, sleet and hail.

In traffic, the Volt takes some getting used to.  It’s utterly silent and vibration free until you step on the gas.  Do so, and you’re magically thrust forward (the maximum torque of an electric motor coming at zero RPM), accompanied only by the click of some relays and the hum of the motor.  Braking takes some getting used to, as the Volt uses both regenerative braking and conventional braking.  A light brake pedal effort slows the car, while slightly more effort seems to induce a negative-two-G panic stop.  You get used to it quick enough, but I don’t recommend taking your first Volt test drive with a cup of hot coffee in your hands.

The transition from battery power to gasoline generator power is seamless and transparent to the driver and occupants.  Tax the depleted batteries by climbing a pass or accelerating hard from a standing start, and the Volt’s 1.4 liter gasoline engine will rev to redline.  It’s OK, since it’s supposed to do this to generate sufficient power for the batteries and motors.  It’s an odd sensation to be at a partial throttle setting and hear the engine at redline, and I’m sure Chevy will get a few phone calls from customers concerned with slipping transmissions (relax, since the Volt really doesn’t have a transmission).  You won’t hear the motor unless it’s at full song, which means that the Volt’s normal soundtrack consists of wind noise and tire noise.  Even that is muted, thanks to the Volt’s slippery aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tires.  In fact, the most remarkable thing about the Volt is what you don’t FEEL; since there’s virtually no vibration from the drivetrain, even long days behind the wheel are relatively fatigue free.  I’d equate eight hours behind the wheel of a Volt to about five hours behind the wheel of a conventional car, and that’s no minor achievement.

I was prepared to like to Volt, but I was astonished at how much I wound up liking it.  It’s not a sport sedan, so get that idea out of your head.  With that clarified, the Volt will still run from zero to sixty in under 9 seconds, and will pull reasonably hard up to it’s mechanically limited top speed of 100 miles per hour.  On the road, it feels like a real car, not some science fair experiment, and that’s another major plus.  Steering is nicely weighted, and turn-in at reasonable speeds is crisp.  Push the Volt hard in a corner, and it reminds you that 3,800 pounds worth of motors, engines and electronics on skinny 215/55-17 tires won’t win you any SCCA Solo championships.  Understeer is the order of the day, but it’s easily controlled and I couldn’t get the platform to exhibit any quirky handling traits, though not for lack of trying.  The Volt is no BMW 3 Series, but it’s no worse than any other front drive family sedan on the market.

The Volt is a remarkably comfortable car for long distance travel.  The leather seats are supportive and even feature seat heaters, should you wish to tax the Volt’s battery-only range.  My co-driver was six foot four, and he had no problem getting comfortable as a driver or a passenger.  My five foot, ten inch frame fit just fine in the back seat, which is also all-day-long comfortable.  Drop the twin rear seats (the battery pack splits them and precludes a three passenger bench seat) and cargo room is ample, with a rear hatch allowing easy loading.  The Volt gives you the hauling ability of a small SUV or crossover, adding to its do-it-all versatility.

It’s not perfect, since there are a few things I’d change before taking the Volt to market.  The center stack is poorly designed, and contains controls for the nav, HVAC, audio system and information displays.  There’s no color coding, so figuring out which button controls which function is like learning to fly a 747 without instruction.  Worse, the buttons are touch sensitive; brush the wrong one and you lose the map, change the radio, reset the temperature or call up some obscure display showing the Volts “electrons per furlong” usage.  Another gripe was the interior graphics: unless you’re going for the Fisher Price set, squiggles and random geometric patterns do not make for a peaceful, relaxing cabin.  One of the Volts we drove had a fluorescent green interior, with a graphic pattern reminiscent of the microorganisms that cause dysentery.  I offered to fix this, at my own expense, but the GM engineers wouldn’t let me stop for a roll of masking tape and a rattle can of paint.

After two long days behind the wheel, that was the extent of my complaints, which makes the Volt a huge achievement in my book.  Our fuel economy of 38.8 mpg on batteries and gasoline-fired generator will only serve to give critics another rally point, but you’ve got to remember that we were auto journalists let loose on the highways of America.  It was our moral obligation to test things like acceleration, top speed and whether or not we could beat an Acura TL in a 70 to 85 mile per hour roll on. We did, but that’s beside the point.  The remarkable thing is that three adults drove a Volt some 700 miles in supreme comfort and reasonable style, stopping only for lunch, bio breaks and (occasionally) gas. Had we driven like normal, responsible adults (and had we started both days with fully charged batteries), I’m certain our fuel economy would have been better.

That the Volt is a supreme cross-country vehicle is vaguely ironic, since it was never designed for that purpose.  The Volt is a commuter car, designed to carry the 90% of American workers who live within 20 miles of their office to and from work on battery power alone.  Unlike other EVs, you can hop in a Volt and drive cross country tomorrow without stopping to recharge the batteries at 100 mile intervals, which makes the Volt the first practical electric car to come on the market.  I’d call that revolutionary, not just evolutionary as some critics have claimed.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a damn good first attempt.  You need to drive one when you have a chance, because this is the start of a whole new breed of automobiles.  If the future is as promising as the Chevy Volt, there may be hope yet.