Detroit 2011: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car opens the show
General Motors is showing its CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show today, and we dutifully pointed our camera lenses in its general direction. Naturally, it sits just a few millimeters off the ground, is painted up in an eye-catching paint scheme and covered in a serious set of ducts, flares and massive wings. Par for the course, really, but pretty glorious all the same.
If there were an awards category here in Detroit for the vehicle most likely to be turned into a radio-controlled parking lot racer – and really, why isn’t there? – the CTS-V Coupe racer would be at the very top of that list. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below, and feel free to review the official press release after the break.
Categories: Cadillac, coupe, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show Tags:
2012 Chevy Sonic shown off as sedan and hatchback
General Motors has officially yanked back the sheets on the newest sub-compact from Chevrolet, the 2012 Sonic. Just don’t call it the Aveo. The five-door hatch and four-door sedan are set to be officially unveiled later today at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but the Bow Tie brand has been kind enough to share the skinny on this vehicle that’s supposed to tango with the likes of the new Hyundai Elantra and the Ford Fiesta. The Sonic will be available with a standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, though buyers can opt up for a turbocharged 1.4-liter producing 138 horsepower, which GM underscores is 18 ponies more than the Fiesta. Shifting duties are handled by either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic gearbox.
In fact, it’s clear that The General had its sights locked on the Fiesta from the get go. The Sonic hatchback packs more back seat room than its Blue Oval competitor and, with the rear bench folded flat, delivers more cargo room, as well.
Categories: Chevrolet, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Hatchback, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Confirmed: Volkswagen NMS will be named Passat
We’re less than 24 hours away from Volkswagen’s big reveal at the Detroit Auto Show and while our man Paukert was staked out at a media gathering at VW’s corporate headquarters in Herndon, VA he learned that the NMS will carry the Passat badge when it goes on sale later this year.
Up until now, there was some question whether V-Dub would continue to use Passat for its new mid-size sedan, but after the NCS (New Compact Sedan) debuted with the Jetta badge, it was all but assumed that the Passat nameplate would carry on. We’ll have all the details on the 2012 Passat later tonight and live shots from the floor when the wraps come off tomorrow.
Categories: Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Sedans/Saloons, Volkswagen Tags: Detroit Auto Show
2011 Detroit Auto Show Preview: Fiat 500, Chrysler 200 to get Mopar treatment
Chrysler loves to show off its Mopar-accessorized vehicles, and the 2011 Detroit Auto Show provides the perfect stage to reveal some new ones. Two vehicles slated to make an appearance are the 2011 Chrysler 200 Super S and 2012 Fiat 500.
The Chrysler 200 Super S is dropped three inches and sports a black and tungsten paint scheme. The bodywork gets updated with a slew of parts including lower chin and rear decklid spoilers. Riding on a set of 19-inch wheels, the 200 Super S gets a major shot in the style department… for better of for worse.
Mopar is also turning to its new Italian cousin, the 2012 Fiat 500, and offering styling treatments in the same vein as the 200 Super S. Chrome trim sets off the blacked-out exterior while the black and blue leather interior features various carbon fiber accents. Underneath the skin sits a Mopar strut tower brace to add a bit of stiffness.
Categories: Chrysler, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Report: BYD to unveil Lexus RX-influenced S6 hybrid in Detroit
Whenever we hear that a Chinese automaker is working on a vehicle that’s “influenced” by some other successful model from an established global company, we wince a little. After all, we’ve seen quite a few less-than-convincing attempts to go along with a few couldn’t-tell-the-difference carbon copies. And neither of those options are acceptable.
From what we can tell, BYD’s S6 (shh – don’t tell Audi) DM crossover could be considered a little of both. From the profile, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a couple-year-old Lexus RX. From the front, we see clear influence from General Motors’ European arm, Opel. That said, it appears to be a passable effort on the styling front, and it’s what’s underneath that derivative skin that’s what really counts.
Categories: Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Hybrid Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Pics Aplenty: GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept is ready to play dirty
Cars are cool, but we certainly love ourselves some big, bad, hardcore pickups – you know, like the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. General Motors’ conceptual answer to Ford’s desert-blasting pickup is this, the Sierra All Terrain HD concept, which we’ll be seeing for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show next week.
GMC’s brutish pickup relies on The General’s 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 for power – 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque, to be exact – and higher ground clearance, a wider stance and serious suspension upgrades make the All Terrain concept capable of storming through, well, all types of terrain.
Categories: Auto Show, Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, GM Tags: Detroit Auto Show
2010 Detroit Auto Show Preview: 2011 BMW 740 brings six-cylinder power back to the 7
When the latest generation of BMW‘s big 7 Series went on sale in the U.S. early this year, buyers had a choice of either the marvelous twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 400-hp 4.4-liter V8 or the supremely impressive twin-turbo, 535-hp V12. A hybrid version of the 7 also goes on sale here in a few months, still mated to the V8. Since day one, European drivers have also had a pair of six-cylinder options fueled by either gasoline or diesel. BMW still hasn’t committed to a 7 Series diesel for the U.S., but today has confirmed will be getting the sweet gas-powered I-6.
The 740i and 740LI both come to the U.S. market in spring 2010 powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six. In 740 trim, the six cranks out 315 hp and 330 pound-feet, up a bit from the 300/300 ratings in the smaller 335i. The 740 engine does retain the direct injection and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust. This new model also marks the U.S. debut of brake energy regeneration on a non-hybrid BMW. Interestingly, BMW has opted to retain the 7′s 6-speed automatic transmission rather than upgrading to the new 8-speed found in the hybrid and the new 5 Series.
Categories: Auto Show, BMW, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
