2006 Chevrolet Conversion Van on 2040-cars

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MotorWeek's 80's GM muscle coupe roundup includes Regal GN and Monte Carlo SS

Even with just four brands in the family, General Motors still represents a performance powerhouse. Between the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Camaro Z/28, Cadillac CTS-V and ATS-V, The General can still deliver plenty of thrills. The 1980s, though, saw the brand go even crazier with performance. While the Camaro and Corvette were still around back in the day, GM had a number of other interesting performance offerings. The Bowtie was complemented by the long-deceased Monte Carlo SS, while the now-defunct Pontiac and Oldsmobile offered the Grand Prix and thumping 442, respectively. And Buick, which isn't short on performance with its Regal GS and Verano Turbo, offered a much more serious vehicle, in the form of the Grand National (not to mention the Darth Vader-spec GNX). MotorWeek, in its hugely entertaining retro flashbacks, looks back on these three long-lost GM performance icons, and it's just as good as you might expect. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Buick Chevrolet GM Pontiac Coupe Performance Classics Videos buick grand national chevy monte carlo oldsmobile 442

Mysterious white powder discovered at GM Orion Assembly

Workers at General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, MI uncovered a mysterious white powder in two different parts of the factory earlier this week, raising concerns about worker safety. "We can confirm that an unknown substance (white powder) was found on the floor outside of Gate 6 at Orion Assembly on Monday, August 29. On Tuesday, August 30, we had a second report of a bottle containing a similar substance found inside the plant," GM spokesperson Dayna Hart told The Oakland Press via email. GM stressed that incident didn't disrupt operations at the plant, and that the company was taking steps to ensure the safety of the sprawling factory's workers. That did include, an anonymous worker told The Oakland Press, closing off parts of the factory for two full days, as drug-sniffing dogs and crews in haz-mat suits descended on the area. "A sample of the substance has been sent to a laboratory for identification and results are expected later this week," Hart said. "All findings and actions have been shared with our employees." Orion Assembly currently builds the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano, and will eventually be responsible for production of the new, all-electric Chevy Bolt early next year. Related Video:

Chevy confirms 2016 Camaro will have wheels, brakes

Good news, everyone! Chevrolet has issued yet another round of teaser images and information about the sixth-generation Camaro, set to debut in Detroit on May 16. This time around, Chevy's teaser images confirm that the new car will not only have wheels and tires (Goodyear Eagle F1s, no less), but brakes as well. On top of that, we now know that the new Camaro will be 28-percent stiffer than the outgoing model. "The more rigid body structure allowed the engineers to more precisely calibrate the steering and suspension systems because they didn't have to compensate for chassis flex. The lighter structure also enabled the size and mass of elements such as the wheels, tires and brakes to be scaled accordingly," GM said in a press release, which you can read below. We've already learned that the new coupe will be 200 pounds lighter than its predecessor, has a bunch of unique parts, and according to GM's Mark Reuss, will outperform the Ford Mustang in every way. Now, it's only a matter of time before we see the sixth-gen Camaro, but surely not before Chevy issues even more teasers and information. Related Video: 2016 Camaro is Stronger, Lighter and More Responsive Computer aided engineering contributes to 28 percent greater structural stiffness DETROIT – The engineering team spent 9 million hours of computational time honing the driving experience of the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro before the first prototype turned a wheel. The structural modeling led to the Gen 6 Camaro being 28 percent stiffer than the current model. "The modeling abilities of computer aided engineering are advancing at incredible rates," said Jim Karlavage, Camaro program engineering manager. "Today, we can accurately model opportunities to add torsional strength without adding unnecessary mass. The result is a lighter, stiffer structure that benefits every aspect of the driving experience." The more rigid body structure allowed the engineers to more precisely calibrate the steering and suspension systems because they didn't have to compensate for chassis flex. The lighter structure also enabled the size and mass of elements such as the wheels, tires and brakes to be scaled accordingly. "The structural weight savings are compounded by opportunities to reduce un-sprung weight," said Karlavage.