Click above for high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt
Though its first official public debut isn't scheduled until early next week, the 2011 Chevy Volt has been introduced to the internet early courtesy of the The Car Connection, which published these apparently official pictures of the revolutionary series hybrid today. In the past few weeks we've seen official teasers shots of the car mixed with spy video taken on the set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, all of which have only served to increase excitement ahead of the car's official debut next week. These pics give up the goods like no others, however, and show various GM execs and engineers directly responsible for its development posing alongside like proud papas. The list includes, in order, Tony Posawatz, Bob Lutz, Bob Boniface, Frank Weber, and Andrew Farah.
What we see is a vehicle about the size of the current Chevy Cobalt or next-gen Cruze with a very aerodynamic front end and high rear decklid. There are some futuristic design elements too, including the LED fog lights, black expanse beneath the windows and Volt badging attached to the sideview mirrors. Perhaps the most poignant pic of all is Lutz himself doing a double-handed lean on the production Volt, as GM's product czar has been the most visible figure during the car's very public development.
Check out all the pics in our gallery below and let us know what you think of the Volt's transfer from concept to production car in the comments.
Click above for high-res images of the Golf BlueMotion concept
Debuting in concept form today is the most fuel efficient and cleanest version of Volkswagen's sixth-generation Golf. Wearing the BlueMotion badge, as is common for VeeDubs with fuel-saving tweaks, the new Golf is able to complete the European driving cycle mileage tests with a rather epic 74 miles per gallon (around 62 mpg in the U.S. if conversions can be trusted). For those who like to keep track of such things, that's just 99g/km of carbon emissions and an excellent score by any measure. In order to achieve such low fuel consumption and emissions, the Golf BlueMotion is bestowed with a miserly 1.6-liter TDI common rail diesel engine that kicks out 105 horses and 184 lbs.-ft. of torque at a low 2,000 rpm. Low rolling resistance tires, aero tweaks and revised gearing all help the cause. Though still just a concept, there is little doubt that this model or one very similar will debut a few months after the the standard Golf in Europe next year. In the U.S.? Don't hold your breath, though a Golf TDI sold in the States may happen eventually.
EPA mileage estimates can be such fuzzy things when you're dealing with hybrid powertrains. We've seen plenty of contention already about real-world results versus EPA numbers for current hybrids, and Chevrolet's upcoming Volt has GM butting heads with the Feds over how the series hybrid eFlex powertrain should be rated. Because the Volt can cover about 40 miles before it needs to fire its range-extending internal combustion engine, it can breeze through the EPA's test cycle with the engine off for 85 percent of the time. With the engine running so little, the Volt could earn an EPA rating above 100 mpg, but the agency is not comfortable with that and wants to change the test for the Volt.
GM argues that altering the test in the way the EPA proposes -- requiring the Volt finish the test with batteries near full charge -- is unfair and won't reflect reality. Moreover, in everyday commuting, the Volt will be an electric car for its first 40 miles, not ever even firing its engine for drivers with commutes short enough or recharging ability at work. The EPA's motivation is to come up with a meaningful mileage rating for the Volt, which will ace the current test. If the Volt gets a rating that is artificially low because the EPA can't figure out a test that correlates to reality, it could also hurt the Volt's case with consumers looking at the $40,000 price tag next to numbers barely better than what a diesel or parallel hybrid can earn.
Need a decent, American-built hybrid sedan? Consider the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid after reading our review. If your tastes run a even further to the alternative side of things, take heart that an all-electric sedan - Tata's Indica - is coming, but to Norway and not for another year. And what's with Harley-Davidson saying "screw fuel mileage"? Seems like an odd choice, what with the gas prices being what they are and all.
Calling your retrofitted little runabout a tender is apparently all the rage these days. The yacht-based theme was recently adopted by BRABUS, which paired a smart fortwo with one of its warp-enabled SLRs. Now, Castagna does the same with Fiat's retro-fied 500. In fact, this isn't the first time that the Milanese coachbuilder has created such a machine, using the MINI Cooper platform just a few years back in the same exact way. In its transformation from sporty little coupe to a larger vessel's dinghy, the roof, tailgate and top are jetisoned in favor of a canvas covering with which to escape the heat. On the inside, the normal guts are removed and replaced with teak wood and wicker trim along with all new seats. As a concession to emissions, the gasoline powerplant is yanked in favor of sails a new electric motor and batteries that are supposedly capable of powering the tender some 80 miles at speeds up to 86 miles per hour. No rowing required.
Vandals who mess with other people's cars are scum -- bottom-feeders who are beneath contempt. It doesn't matter what the vehicle being damaged is. Cars are a major purchase, there's often an emotional connection to them, and most importantly, they generally represent the owner's primary source of mobility -- getting him or her to work, to the store, to pick up the kids, and so on.
SUV owners know the deal, and it sucks. Stories of drivers (and dealers) finding trucks partially or completely trashed in the name of saving Mother Earth are nothing new, and now it seems that Prius owners are getting their own taste of this nonsense. Inside Line reports that a recent Los Angeles case in which one of the Toyotas was burned to the ground has been determined to be the result of arson. In Petaluma, CA, meanwhile, seven Priuses were vandalized over a two-week period in April. One poor woman had her car attacked twice, and then when it was in for repairs, the Prius rental she had also got worked over. The conventional wisdom suggests that the Prius is a juicy target because it's a poster child for the environmental movement. And seriously, is this at all surprising? Some sort of anti-eco blowback like this was probably inevitable. People get fed up, so just as the HUMMER and other SUVs are targeted by greens looking to send a message, it was only a matter of time before the anti-HUMMER started getting the same kind of attention from the other direction.
What's it all prove? Nothing, except that asshats are readily found on both sides of every issue. If you don't like a particular car or truck, feel free to talk as much trash as you want (it's practically a sport in the comments section around here). Think the HUMMER represents some sort of rolling apocalypse? Fine. Ditto if you feel that the Prius is nothing but a snob capsule for tree huggers. Just don't turn those thoughts in to actions, because when you willfully screw with another person's car or truck, you're just another stupid criminal, and whatever message you think you're advancing just falls on deaf (and angry) ears.
Click above for gallery of Subaru's newest diesel-powered models
Subaru debuted its new 2.0L diesel boxer engine earlier this year in the Legacy and Outback, and soon it will also be offered in the Forester and Impreza, though only in Europe. These two latest models to feature the unique horizontally opposed oil-burning engines will debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. The Forester 2.0D will offer 147 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque while returning 44.8 combined mpg in the European cycle, which is class-leading for a small CUV over there, while the Impreza 2.0D offers 148 hp and 258 lb-ft (fuel economy for the Impreza 2.0D was not released for some reason). The diesel Forester will hit showrooms later this month while Euro shoppers will have to wait until January for the diesel Impreza. While we certainly hope Subaru is tweaking its 2.0L diesel boxer engine to meet emissions standards in all 50 U.S. states, we haven't heard one word about it.
The upcoming Paris Motor Show is going to show us some very nice green rides. To wit: the new Honda Insight, aka Prius-fighter (alternate name: the Prius-lookalike), the Mazda Kiyora concept and the Hyundai i20 i-blue. What's your top pick from the City of Lights?
Click above to view gallery of the production Chevy Volt
Excitement around the production version of the Chevy Volt is reaching a fever pitch. Last week we brought you spy video and images of what appeared to be a production Volt on the set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and while General Motors has since revealed that what we saw was not necessarily the series hybrid's final form (and that it was actually a rebodied, gas-powered Malibu), it nonetheless proved that the Volt's design is nearing the end of its gestation. Today GM revealed to Automotive News that the production Volt will, in fact, be unveiled this month as part of the automaker's 100-year anniversary celebration. The main events for the celebration are Monday, Sept. 15th and Tuesday, Sept. 16th, so we expect the car to be unveiled on one of those two days.
Ford Motor Company celebrated its centennial in 2003 and used the occasion to debut an equally exciting yet very different vehicle: the Ford GT. Fast forward five years and the hottest vehicle on everyone's mind is not a supercar, but a series hybrid. Times have certainly changed.
Four-cylinder BMWs are commonplace in Europe, but here in the States you can't buy anything Bavarian with less than six pistons. Inside Line is reporting that the German automaker may change that by adding the direct-injected 2.0L four-pot from Europe to the 3-Series. The 170-hp engine powers the 320i and 120i across the pond. The models are well-received there, and for good reason, too. The ultra-efficient powerplant averages over 38 mpg in the European combined test cycle while still providing the razor-sharp handling that is BMW's trademark.
BMW project director Oliver Friedmann said that a four-cylinder petrol Bimmer would have a "desirable effect" here in the U.S., but didn't commit any concrete plans for a U.S. four-banger. He did say that the U.S. probably isn't ready for a diesel four-cylinder, but we beg to differ. Our friends at AutoblogGreen had a blast in the twin-turbo 123d and managed 37 mpg while thoroughly testing the oil-burner's limits. We think the petrol 2.0L would be well received as well. While four-cylinder luxury cars were taboo just a few years ago, high fuel prices have given Americans plenty of motivation to welcome a 2.0L Bimmer with open arms.
Four-cylinder BMWs are commonplace in Europe, but here in the States you can't buy anything Bavarian with less than six pistons. Inside Line is reporting that the German automaker may change that by adding the direct-injected 2.0L four-pot from Europe to the 3-Series. The 170-hp engine powers the 320i and 120i across the pond. The models are well-received there, and for good reason, too. The ultra-efficient powerplant averages over 38 mpg in the European combined test cycle while still providing the razor-sharp handling that is BMW's trademark. 
BREAKING: 2011 Chevy Volt revealed!
Paris Preview: Officially Official, Honda's new hybrid is the Insight!
Mazda Kiyora city car concept, MX-5 facelift head to Paris
Leaked: Official updated Mazda MX-5 image
Reader Spy: Chevy Volt caught on set of Transformers 2
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