1978 Chevy Malibu W/ 350 Gm Crate Motor on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Chevrolet C7 Corvette wastes no time zooming into Jay Leno's Garage

Where else would you expect the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to show up first? Although this time it isn't exactly in Jay Leno's Garage, Leno instead playing an away game at Brown's Classic Auto in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nor does Leno drive the car, instead taking an 11-minute walkaround of the new American sports car with General Motors design head Ed Welburn, the same man who recently brought by a string of classic Corvettes to the talk show host's California compound.
It is, admittedly, a love-fest for the American sports car now featuring 450 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, but one that also features admissions about previous Corvette seats like "they were kinda rough," and the explanation that labeling the coupe "Stingray" means not having to call it "the base Corvette." On top of that, Welburn also explains the proper application of the term "dashboard." You can watch it all in the video below.

U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.

Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo could only work in a video game [w/video]

There's something wondrous about the Vision Gran Turismo series of concepts that has let companies go wild with completely imaginary concepts for Gran Turismo. For Chevrolet's crack at the idea, it has taken a page out of its performance past with the Chaparral Can-Am racers of the '60s and '70s, with its designers having reinterpreted that period look for the future of motorsports as the Chaparral 2X. In real life, the 2X looks even better than in earlier photos. The design takes inspiration from someone in a flying suit with head down and arms outstretched, an influence you can really see that in the vehicle's shape. The driver lies facedown inside with the instruments projected onto a visor. Unfortunately, the powertrain here is a complete flight of fancy and works purely in the video game world. It imagines a laser propelled by lithium-ion batteries and an air-powered generation to make 900 horsepower. The 2X has a theoretical top speed of 240 miles per hour and hits 60 mph in a lightning-quick 1.5 seconds. Scroll down to see the concept on video with Chevrolet designers describing their inspiration and read the company's full announcement. It's also downloadable in Gran Turismo 6. Chevrolet to Show Chaparral Vision Gran Turismo Concept Boundary-pushing, Chevy-powered race cars changed motorsports design DETROIT – When racers Jim Hall and Hap Sharp founded Chaparral Cars in 1962, few could have guessed how they would shake up the conformities of the racing world – and fundamentally change it. Through pioneering applications of aerodynamics and aerospace technology, and a partnership with Chevrolet Research and Development, Chaparral Cars advanced the science of racing cars. It also triumphed on the track over well-established sports car companies from around the world, using Chevrolet horsepower. It was that spirit of innovation that inspired the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X VGT concept race car developed for the Vision Gran Turismo project, which celebrates the 15th anniversary of PlayStation® racing game Gran Turismo by inviting manufacturers to give fans a glimpse into the future of automotive design. It will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Nov. 19, and gamers will be able race the Chaparral 2X VGT following the release of an online update for Gran Turismo 6 during the holiday season.