New Transformers Movie Spawns Chevrolet Camaro 2012 Special Edition

General Motors is trying to squeeze every ounce of publicity out its association with the makers of the third Transformers movie, called Dark of the Moon, which opens exclusively in 3D Tuesday and worldwide Wednesday.
Aside from having an army of cars featured in the film, the Detroit automaker is also launching yet another limited edition Camaromodel based on theAutobot “Bumblebee” character.
The 2012 Camaro Transformers Special Edition will be offered as a $3,000 package on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint. Along with the content provided in the RS package, the Transformers edition adds bespoke black rally stripes that cover the hood, roof, decklid and the unique rear spoiler.
A set of 20-inch alloy wheels finished in black and wrapped in high-performance summer tires along with some cheesy Autobot Shield logos on the center caps and front quarter panels, complete the exterior changes.
As an option, GM will offer 21-inch, black-painted wheels and a black ground-effects package.
Inside, the Transformers edition Camaro’s interior is trimmed in black leather with yellow stitching on the instrument panel, center console, armrests and seats, while Autobot Shield logos are embroidered on the front headrests, as well as the center console lid.
GM believes the linkage with Transformers has helped boost sales and build the Camaro brand, especially with young buyers.
“The Transformers franchise has helped introduce Camaro – and Chevrolet – to a whole new generation of fans,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Its role in the films helped make the Camaro the best-selling sports car in America, and one of the best-known cars of any kind around the world.”
GM will open the order books on the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro in July, with vehicles arriving at U.S. and Canadian showrooms in September.

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A Chevy Aveo of the Third Kind: Extra-Terrestrial Vehicle

The Extra-Terrestrial Vehicle or ETV -we're not even kidding, that's the car's official name- is a futuristic-looking custom build created by Mike Vetter and his Florida-based company, 'The Car Factory'. It's hard to believe it just by looking at the ETV, but underneath that sci-fi outfit you'll find a Chevrolet Aveo stripped out of its body but not its heart.

Mike, who also works on Carrera GT replica bodies for the Porsche Boxster, claims on his website that buyers can opt either for an Aveo or a Boxster donor car. Somehow though, we find it hard to believe that anyone would give up a Porsche, no matter how many thousands of time they've seen Captain Kirk and Spock fighting off intruders from other planets.

But even in the case that the Chevy Aveo is the donor car, the ETV will most likely alienate you with its 'out of this world' price. We discovered that the Florida-based company has listed a completed ETV on eBay with a 'Buy it Now' price of just... $86,000. Cool but not $86k cool.

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GM Rumored to Debut New Plug-in Hybrid at 2012 Detroit Motor Show

At a recent event called “Charged 2011 – EV Symposium Silicon Valley”, General Motors’ western region group manager for environment and energy communications, Dave Barthmuss, told Brad Berman from Plugincars that the company may surprise us at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with a new model, hinting at a plug-in hybrid crossover.
One of GM’s brands, Chevrolet, has already shown a similar concept with the Volt MPV5, so it is quite possible that the car we will see it the production version of the study.
The Volt MPV5 Concept uses a 152 PS (150 HP) electric motor that is charged by a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery, along with a 1.4-liter gasoline unit. The combustion engine’s purpose is to act purely as a generator, extending the hybrid’s range from a stingy 51.5 km (32 miles) on battery power alone to up to 482 km (300 miles).
GM claims that consumers cannot yet be satisfied with the range of a pure EV like the Nissan’s LEAF, hence the need for a range extender in the standard Volt. However, Barthmuss did not rule out the possibility of an EV in the near future, powered either by a modified version of the Volt’s powertrain without the range extender, or an entirely new system.
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The 2012 Camaro ZL1 Automatic Option With Offer ZR1 Traction System

The 2012 Chevrοlet Camaro ZL1 will gο intο production in the first quarter οf next year, and nοw, Al Oppenheiser, General Motors' chief engineer οn the Camaro, has cοnfirmed a few details abοut what we can expect with the range-topping muscle cοupe.

During the Camaro hοmecoming at GM's Oshawa pant, Oppenheiser stated that in additiοn tο an automatic transmission οption, the ZL1 will be available with the same Perfοrmance Traction Management system fοund οn the Corvette ZR1.

In the Corvette, PTM incοrporates launch cοntrol, as well as the nοrmal traction contrοl, active handling and selective ride contrοl systems.

What's mοre, Oppenheiser stated that the ZL1's οutput numbers will be higher than the originally estimated 550 hοrsepower. The ZL1 is pοwered by the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 as the Cadillac CTS-V.

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Chevrolet Improves 2012 Cruze’s Fuel Economy by 2MPG

General Motors is releasing a model year update for its Cruze compact sedan. There are no styling changes as the company focused its attention on improving the car’s fuel economy and equipment features.
Thanks to a lower axle ratio for the 2012 models equipped with a six speed automatic transmission, the standard Cruze with the 138HP 1.4-liter turbocharged engine returns 38 mpg compared with 36 mpg for the current model, while the Cruze Eco with the same powetrain setup delivers 39 mpg instead of 37 mpg.
The Cruze Eco with the standard six-speed manual gearbox remains unchanged for 2012 returning 42 mpg on the highway.
Other than that, GM has enhanced the standard features across the range with the addition of Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB port, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a leather-wrapped shift knob. These features were part of the $525 Connectivity Plus Cruise option package on 2011 models. According to the Detroit automaker, the option was ordered by 90 percent of American customers.
“Chevrolet is committed to responding to what customers want and making it easier for them,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Adding these previously optional features streamlines the ordering process and answers the call of what our customers told us should be standard.”

Additional standard equipment on the 2012 Cruze includes:

• Remote keyless entry
• Air conditioning
• Audio system with AM/FM/CD and MP3 playback
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with three-month trial service
• Driver information center with average and instant fuel economy feedback, tire pressure readout, oil life remaining and more
• Rear defogger
• Power windows
• Fuel-saving rack mounted electric power steering.

New equipment on the 2012 Cruze includes:

• Keyless entry and keyless start available on 2LT and standard on LTZ
• Touch screen navigation system with 7” color display available on Eco, 2LT and LTZ
• 16-inch five-spoke machined-face alloy wheels are standard on 1LT
• 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with four-wheel disc brakes are standard on 2LT
• Compact spare tire and wheel standard on all models except Eco with manual transmission and 1FL (fleet)
• Fog lamps are standard on LTZ
• Exterior colors: Blue Granite Metallic, Blue Topaz Metallic and Victory Red (with RS appearance package only)

Cruze’s standard safety features include:

• Ten standard air bags – the most in the segment – including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and knee air bags
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes
• Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries
• OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.

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