2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE: 1 Less Excuse to Not Buy a Camaro

There are some things about the ’80s that aren’t worthy of nostalgia. The era’s pony cars, by and large, fall under this umbrella. It’s true that Ford has the five-point-oh—a designation fairly soaked in Aqua Net, yet perhaps the only thing about the decade’s Stangs worth revisiting—but when it named its latest track-oriented model, it resurrected “Boss”. First appearing in 1969, Boss is cool, it’s a little intimidating, and it’s also Bruce Springsteen’s nickname. It sounds bad-ass. Chevrolet’s 1LE? For the 17 people who were paying attention in 1988, it conjures memories of an option bundle that only made that year’s Camaro less bad. To the rest of us, it sounds like three randomly selected characters. 

While it still seems as though the designation was plucked from an alphanumeric bingo bucket, 1LE has new significance for 2013 as an option package for manual-transmission Camaro SS models. It brings a host of upgrades either ported from or inspired by the mighty ZL1. The pieces that make the most difference fall into the latter category, however, including the front anti-roll-bar mounting setup, 10x20-inch front wheels and 11x20-inch rears, and beefier half-shafts. The gear pilfered directly from the ZL1 includes wheel bearings, toe links, rear shock mounts, the fuel pump, the flat-bottom steering wheel, the short-throw six-speed manual and its transmission cooler, and 285/35-20 Goodyear Eagle Supercar G: 2 tires all around (the ZL1 gets 305/35-20 rubber at the rear). The beefy wheel/tire combo actually saves a total of 22 pounds of unsprung weight. 

The 1LE package also comes with a shorter final-drive ratio of 3.91:1 versus the 3.45:1 rear end in the SS, and adds monotube rear dampers—instead of the SS’s twin-tubes—and a strut-tower brace. As for externals, Chevy engineers tell us that while the 1LE’s splitter increases downforce in the front, the wider wheels generate enough lift to bring the 1LE right back in line with the SS. Out back, the SS’s lip spoiler carries over to 1LE cars.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE: $37,305

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 376 cu in, 6162 cc
Power: 426 hp @ 5900 rpm
Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.3 in
Length: 190.4 in
Width: 75.5 in Height: 54.2 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3900 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.5 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 13.0 sec
Top speed: 157 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 16/24 mpg

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Chevrolet Buyers Shunning New 2013 Malibu Eco for Incentive-Laden 2012 Malibu

General Motors wanted to get ahead of the competition in the mid-size segment by launching the all-new 2013 Malibu in Eco trim with a 37mpg highway 2.4-liter eAssist engine in March, six months before the arrival of the regular 2.5-liter base engine and the 2.0-liter turbo flagship. 

However, GM's dealers had plenty of 2012 Malibu sedans sitting on their lots and as surprising as it may sound to some, up until now, the older model is heavily outselling its successor. 

According to data obtained by Autonews, from the March launch through June, GM sold about 7,000 examples of the 2013MY Malibu Eco, compared with around 100,000 units of the 2012MY Malibu.

Nevertheless, there's a completely reasonable explanation for this disparity in sales: the 2012 model comes with special incentives that can drop its price to about $6,000 less than the 2013 Malibu Eco, which starts at $22,390 (excluding a $760 destination and handling fee), to around $16,400 (€13,350). 

And as is the case with most mainstream buyers looking for a new ride, money talks… 

Gallery-

2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU

 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU ECO

 

 

 

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New 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible Carries a Base Price of $60,445

The 2013 Camaro 1LE that bridges the gap between the SS and ZL1 coupes wasn't the only new model to receive a price tag, as according to Autoblog.com, General Motors also announced pricing for the 2013 Camaro ZL1 Convertible during an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday. 

The rag-top version of the ZL1 will start at $60,445 (€49,100), which includes a $900 destination charge (*). That's a $5,450 premium over the current, 2012MY Camaro Coupe priced at $54,995. 

 

Like its coupe brethren, the ZL1 Convertible owes its prowess to a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that delivers 580-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 556 lb.-ft. (754 Nm) of peak torque at 4,200 rpm. The ZL1 is offered with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. 

Chevrolet quotes a zero to 60mph (96km/h) sprint time of four seconds, a top speed of 184mph (296km/h), 11-second quarter-mile ETs (11.93 with the automatic / 11.96 with the manual transmission) and a Nürburgring lap time of 7:41.27 - though we know for a fact that the latter was achieved with a Coupe model and not the Convertible ZL1.   

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu 2.5-Liter

Fortune magazine’s Alex Taylor has called the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco “the most disliked car of the year (so far).” Chevy’s roll-out of the eAssist Eco mild hybrid six months ahead of the conventionally powered Malibu is to blame. Like too many new cars and trucks introduced recently, the eAssist promises more than it delivers. It doesn’t give the Eco buyer much, if any, real-world fuel economy gains even if it’s helping the automaker meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy goals. In the past, we promised to wait for the new 2.5-liter four coming with the non-eAssist versions of the Malibu before making final judgment. That day is here. The reverse-flow 2.5-liter is from GM’s revised family of large four-cylinder engines, rationalizing North American-spec with the versions on-sale in Europe for some time. 

In the Malibu, it is rated at a healthy 197 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, 27 horses better than the 2013 Fusion’s base 2.5-liter engine. It is mated to GM’s next-generation six-speed automatic and though not yet EPA rated, Chevrolet predicts 22 mpg city and 34 mpg highway fuel economy, which is in the hunt, but shot of the new Altima’s impressive 27/38 mpg. A 2.0-liter turbo Malibu comes a bit later with an estimated 259 horsepower and 260 pound-feet, topping the 2.0-liter EcoBoost Fusion’s estimated 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet. Chevy estimates a 6.3-second 0-60 mph time for the turbo Malibu. 

It levels out too much, unfortunately, and feels a bit weak in the mid-range. Once in the real world, the streets around Grand Rapids, Michigan, the noises coming from the new engine prove to be its weak point. Geared for fuel economy, if you put your foot into it, the 2.5 whirrs like a Hamilton-Beach appliance and the transmission feels a bit like a CVT. That’s good for smoothness sake, but not very tactile to the driver. The range-topping LTZ trim level, which includes lane depart warning and collision avoidance, offers Buick-overlap interior plushness and quality though some of the chromed plastic parts, especially around the gearshift and power window controls, stand out for the wrong reasons in an otherwise elegant interior. The non-eAssist Malibus are distinguished from the Eco models by the wheels and taillamps. Ecos have rectangular backup lights at the bottom of the taillamp lenses, while the others have square backup lights in the center of the taillamps. 

Handling at Milford felt like a nice compromise between ride and handling, with good body control and moderate understeer. There’s a bit too much front-rear rebound coming off of big road dips, though. In the real world, some sharp bumps in the road made the Malibu’s chassis feel a bit stiff for a midsize family sedan, giving up some comfort for handling. We’ll need a full instrument test to sort this out. Overall, it’s an improvement over the 2008-12 Malibu, which was the first of the model (since it went front-wheel-drive) that we could say is a credible competitor for the creme of the midsize segment, which used to be Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It’s still in the hunt, though this major update doesn’t do enough to make it a surefire contender for the top of its class. 

Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan 2.5L/197-hp*/191 lb-ft* DOHC 16-valve I-4 

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2015 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe Design Study

There is a debate going on right now, as to whether Chevrolet designers should make the next Camaro coupe, expected to be introduced in 2015, look more like a first-generation model (1967-1969) or the second-generation version built from 1970 to 1981. 

But what if GM and Chevrolet were to take a different path and create something with very few, if any, retro touches? 

This is where 22-year-old automotive design graduate from Lawrence Tech in Michigan, Tyler Bame, steps into the picture. 

The young designer, who we first heard about back in April through a conceptual study for a new Ford Taurus sedan, has come up with a futuristic looking concept of the next Chevrolet Camaro coupe. 

We'll let you check the two renderings of the exterior and interior of the car before you hit the comments section to tell us what you think about the design. 

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Chevrolet Reveals 2013 Camaro NASCAR Nationwide Race Car

Today, Chevrolet released the first photos of its 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry rendered in the Camaro’s likeness. The new Camaro race car is not to be confused with the yet-to-be-revealed SS sedan, which will be entered into service in next year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The arrival of the Camaro and the SS marks the end of the Impala’s run as the bow-tie brand’s entrant for both series.

If you’re not familiar with NASCAR’s two racing series, there are two major differences: One, Sprint Cup cars produce around 850 hp, while the Nationwide cars make 650. And two, the series use different sets of cars. For example, Sprint Cup cars include sedans like the Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion, the aforementioned Chevy SS, and the Toyota Camry. Nationwide’s lineup includes sportier two-doors like the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, and now this new Camaro. (The Camry also is part of the Nationwide mix, but that likely has more to do with lack of a production Toyota coupe.)

We say based on looks alone, this new Camaro has what it takes to run with the series-spec Challengers and Mustangs. The race car’s body gets a fairly realistic take on the real Camaro’s scalloped-out grille opening, hood power bulge, and headlight design. You can first see the Camaro in a NASCAR race next year at Daytona International Speedway. 

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2013 Chevrolet Equinox 3.6-Liter V-6

Within the past year, both the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape—two 800-pound gorillas in the compact-crossover segment—have been completely redesigned. (The Toyota RAV4, a multiple comparison-test winner, will get a reboot soon.) But with no full do-over on the docket just yet for its handsome but ho-hum Equinox, Chevy clearly still had to make a move. Honda has never offered a V-6 in the CR-V and the 2013 Escape went exclusively four-cylinder (albeit with two optional turbo’d engines), and Mazda’s CX-5 is packing the least powerful four-banger in the segment, despite being brand new. For Chevy, then, getting rid of the 264-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 would make sense, right? Except it bucked the downsizing trend and replaced the 3.0-liter with a 301-hp, 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6. Wait, what? 

This latest version of the 3.6 sees duty across the GM portfolio, including the Cadillac CTS and 2013 GMC Terrain, among others. The good news for the fuel-conscious is that estimated economy figures for the new V-6 versus the 3.0 are identical—17 mpg city/24 highway with front-wheel drive and 16/23 with AWD (OK, so good news for the sorta-fuel-conscious)—despite the increases in displacement and power. We estimate 0-to-60-mph times of 6.8 seconds for the front-wheel-drive version and 7.2 seconds for all-wheel-drive models. (A four-cylinder model we tested did the deed in 8.7 seconds.)

We had a chance to drive all-wheel-drive Equinoxes with both old and new V-6s back to back, and we found no difference in drivability beyond the extra kick in the pants; the upshift-happy six-speed automatic carries over, as do high output peaks that encourage a heavy right foot and make frugality difficult. (The previous V-6 offered maximum power and twist at 6950 and 5100 rpm, respectively; the new motor churns them up at 6500 and 4800.) From the sliding rear seat, however, we detected a significant difference in engine noise. The 3.6 is considerably louder for those in the second row, who are treated to a slightly buzzy and metallic note.

Along with the new engine comes a revised suspension. The Equinox now features dual-flow dampers—the 2013 Chevy Traverse, the 2013 Buick Enclave, and the Equinox’s equally updated 2013 GMC Terrain platform-mate are among the other vehicles that get them. The result is less bobbing and weaving over undulating surfaces and an incrementally improved perception of grip during cornering.

As for the interior, Chevy MyLink with navigation makes its way to the options list for the first time—in the past, buyers were forced to choose between a navigation system and MyLink—although it will be available only on the mid-level LT and range-topping LTZ trim levels. Those two trims also gain an eight-way power passenger seat (optional on the LT) and a Safety package, which includes forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, and radar-based rear park assist. Also new is an available rear-seat entertainment system that includes monitors in the back of the front headrests, dual wireless headphones, and a dual-player DVD setup—again, available as an option only on LT and LTZ trims. With any luck, it’ll distract the kids from the engine noise.

With the speed at which the segment turns over—and the excellence found within it—Chevy needed to tinker with the Equinox, an entry that has never been fully competitive. But slightly improved handling and more power only go so far, and they do nothing for the poor rear visibility, hefty curb weight, and overall lackluster dynamics that keep this Chevy behind much of its competition. We’d consider hitting the Ford, Mazda, or Honda stores instead.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

BASE PRICE: $27,770

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 217 cu in, 3564 cc
Power: 301 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 272 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode 

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.5 in
Length: 187.8 in
Width: 72.5 in Height: 66.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3950–4200 lb 

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.8–7.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.5–15.9 sec
Top speed: 131 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 16–17/23–24 mpg

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2014 Chevrolet Impala In Depth

Chevrolet Impalas of the 1960s were immensely popular cars, for good reason. They combined youthful design with a graceful elegance that embodied the brand's promise of offering more than you'd expect for "low-priced three" money. The car that preceded the Impala seen here was nothing like the swingin' '60s model, even if it looked old enough to be designed from a rejected drawing discovered in Bill Mitchell's sock drawer. Outside, the new Impala draws on "heritage" for pre-1980s expressiveness, explains Mike Pevovar, GM's global Epsilon design manager for North America. "The Impala has a heritage of its own," he adds, though his team assiduously avoided nostalgia. 

 

My brief first drive was in an early-build engineering-development LTZ with the 3.6, which I followed with a turn at the wheel of a $40,000-plus 2013 Ford Taurus Limited powered by the 288-hp 3.5-liter. Being a handbuilt preproduction car, the '14 Impala doesn't have the body rigidity expected of factory-built autos. So with all such developmental drives, mental adjustments must be made. The 3.6 remains one of GM's best engines, and it doesn't disappoint in the Impala. It feels quicker than the base Taurus, and its six-speed automatic snicks off upshifts smoothly and quietly. The four-banger ought to be more than a curiosity in this car. I drove a 2013 Malibu with the new, 195-hp engine, and it's smooth, quiet, and powerful in that lighter sedan. 

 

 

Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan 2.4L/182-hp/172-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 15-hp/110-lb-ft electric motor; 2.5L/195-hp/190-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4; 3.6L/303-hp/264-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 

 

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New Chevrolet Spin is an MPV Version of the Cobalt

Less than a year after the introduction of the new Chevrolet Cobalt sedan for select markets around the globe, General Motors pulled the sheets off a new compact minivan called the Spin. 

The MPV was designed and developed by GM Brazil with the automaker stating that the car underwent tests in four continents around the world. The Spin is built at GM's factory in São Paulo, Brazil and will be sold across South America and Asia starting from July. 

The Spin shares its platform architecture including its 2,620mm (103.1-inches) long wheelbase, mechanical hardware and design language with the Cobalt. 

If you were not impressed with the Cobalt's styling, then we are going to guess that you will not warm up to the Spin either as it looks awkward, as if someone took the Cobalt and stretched its height on Photoshop…

The interior, which can seat five or seven people, depending on the trim model, also shares many parts with the Cobalt including the partially digital instrument cluster, steering wheel and center console designs. 

Chevrolet says that with seven occupants, the Spin's load capacity is 162 liters, which can be increased to 710 liters in a five-seat configuration and 1,668 liters with the middle row seats folded down. 

There are two available models, the five-seater LT that comes equipped with standard air-conditioning, power steering, ABS, EBD, dual airbags, power windows and locks, plus height adjustable driver's seat and steering wheel. 

The LTZ adds a third row of seats, trip computer, parking sensors and steering wheel controls.

A 1.8-liter four-cylinder Econo.Flex engine delivering 108 horsepower when running ethanol and 106 horsepower on gasoline powers both models. Transmission choices include a five speed manual gearbox and a six-speed automatic transmission. 

GM has not yet announced pricing for the Spin.  

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