1955 Chevrolet 210 4 Door With A Rebuilt 235 Engine. on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Opel's version of the Chevy Bolt will confuse people at Paris Motor Show

Two things are now official. First, Opel will reveal the Ampera-e, or the European version of the Chevrolet Bolt, at the Paris Motor Show in October. Second, General Motors has outdone itself in brand confusion, topping the Bolt/Volt ridiculousness. Opel isn't giving a single-charge range for the Ampera-e but the company is promising a "significantly longer range" than other electric vehicles. The Bolt is estimated to have a 200-mile range on the EPA scale, so whatever the Opel achieves on the European cycle will be done with the same batteries and motor as the Chevy. Opel is also looking to appeal to the auto enthusiasts with other factoids, which are basically just Bolt stats translated into metric. For instance, the Ampera-e will be able to go 0 to 50 kilometers per hour (which is 31 miles per hour to us Americans, but we're talking Europe here) in just 3.2 seconds. And for those looking to stay connected, as many as seven mobile devices can attached to the car's wireless hot spot. GM said in February that the European of the Bolt would be available across the pond next year, so the most recent bit of news isn't shocking. Still, General Motors continues to create confusion between all-electric Bolt and the extended-range plug-in Volt. It's already been reported that the Korean symbol and pronunciation of what is "B" in English is identical to the English "V," meaning that there is no difference between "Bolt" and "Volt" in that country (though there are no plans to sell the Bolt in South Korea as of yet). Now, in Europe, they're taking the name they used to use for the European of the Volt — Ampera — and merely adding an "-e" at the end of it. For those looking to be less confused, take a look at Opel's press release here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Opel Ampera-e: Paris 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: Opel via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Green Paris Motor Show Chevrolet GM Opel Electric Chevy Bolt volt ampera opel ampera-e ampera-e

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.