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Weekly Recap: Racing legend Jim Hall explains Chevy's futuristic Chaparral concept

"I said our cars are built to be winners." – Jim Hall Racing legend Jim Hall never thought he'd be a video game consultant, but when Chevrolet asked for his advice to create a futuristic Chaparral for the Vision Gran Turismo series, he was eager to help. He reviewed early sketches and suggested some changes that made it onto the concept, including the addition of a camera that's mounted onto a mast over the cabin to aid the driver. The Chevy Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept was revealed this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will be part of a downloadable update for PlayStation 3's Gran Turismo 6 in December. Theoretically, at least, it uses a laser-beam propulsion system and an air-powered generator to produce 900 horsepower in the video game. It's capable of sprinting to 60 miles per hour in 1.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 240 mph. Those gaudy performance specs – even in the virtual world – came at Hall's urging. "I said our cars are built to be winners," Hall told Autoblog on the floor of the Los Angeles show. The 79-year-old drove Lotus racecars in Formula One before launching the successful Chaparral Cars in the 1960s. Like his innovative Can-Am racers, the Vision Gran Turismo project has an eye toward the future. It also introduces the iconic Chaparral name to a new generation of fans, and hopefully, Hall says, gets them excited about engineering and design. "It emulates what we did in the '60s," he said. And what they did back then still resonates. Chaparral Racing and Chevy partnered more than 45 years ago for development work on the composite monocoque chassis, lightweight alloy powertrains, automatic gearboxes and active aerodynamics. "He [Hall] walked right back into this and was able to apply thinkings and learnings," said Clay Dean, General Motors executive director of advanced design. The Chevy Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept was created at GM's North Hollywood advanced design studio, and it will be on display at the show through November. Other News and Views Sebastian Vettel joins Ferrari team in 2015 Ferrari confirmed that four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel will join the Scuderia for the 2015 season, jettisoning Ferrari's current ace, two-time champ Fernando Alonso. Vettel has been F1's most successful driver since Michael Schumacher, though he's struggled to match his previous accomplishments in 2014.

German police Corvette promotes safe aftermarket tuning

The German organization Tune It! Safe! promotes safe, legal vehicle tuning in the country, and it probably doesn't have to worry about anyone breaking the law when this Polizei-themed Chevrolet Corvette is on the scene. The Vette is on display at the Essen Motor Show and is the group's latest police-wrapped tuner car, following models like the Brabus Rocket, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and AC Schnitzer-tuned BMW 123d in years past. Tikt Performance did the tuning this time, and the German company added a full carbon-fiber body kit for the Vette, including a front lip, side sills, rear spoiler, and relatively understated wheel flares. It also installed forged wheels that measure 19-inches in front and 20-inches in back and wrapped them with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires. To really let the coupe look the part of a proper Polizei car, the tuners included police lights from Hella and the appropriate blue-and-white wrap. Tikt left the 6.2-liter V8 alone to produce 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet, and the power routes through a seven-speed manual. Even with the stock performance, this police-themed 'Vette would still look fantastic blasting down the Autobahn with the lights flashing. World premiere at the Essen Motor Show: initiative for safe tuning starts the new campaign year with TIKT Performance Corvette A powerful look for a powerful campaign: TUNE IT! SAFE! presents innovative design and maximum precision Innovative design, maximum precision and unique performance – with an enhanced Corvette, TUNE IT! SAFE! shows that attractive, creative tuning in no way has to conflict with legal requirements. In the new campaign year, the seventh generation of a sports car icon stands as a symbol and shining example of safe automobile tuning and 100 per cent driving fun. The campaign car of the initiative for safe tuning, sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Association of Automobile Tuners (VDAT) as well as numerous other organisations and institutions, sees its premiere at the Essen Motor Show (Hall 10, Stand F104). TUNE IT! SAFE! also continues its partnership with premium tyre manufacturer Hankook. Tuning specialist TIKT Performance based in Upper Bavaria is responsible for the innovative conversion of the new TUNE IT! SAFE! police car.

2016 Green Truck of the Year, Commercial Green Car of the Year finalists

Not only are commercial-grade haulers getting more green love lately, they're getting more different kinds of green love. The 2016 Green Truck of the Year, the second time the award has been handed out, is being decided by judges from Green Car Journal and the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show. This year the award is joined by the new 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year, which crowns one of the little vans increasingly used by small business as cargo and delivery vehicles. The Green Truck of the Year finalists are the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax (pictured), Ford F-150, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. The first three of those were on last year's list, but since they are completely new or upgraded for 2016 - Ford with its all-aluminum body, the General Motors twins with the new diesel Duramax engine - they qualify for entry again. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel won last year. The Commercial Green Car finalists are the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, Nissan NV200, and Ram ProMaster City. You can read more details in the presser below, and the awards will be announced in San Antonio sometime during the show from November 19-22. San Antonio Auto & Truck Show Announces 2016 Green Truck of the Year and Commercial Green Car of the Year Finalists SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal and the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show have announced finalists for the 2016 Green Truck of the Year™ and 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ awards. The Green Truck of the Year™ nominees are the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax, Ford F-150, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. Vying for the all-new 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ award are the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, Nissan NV200, and Ram ProMaster City. "Over the past few decades, new car models have benefitted from design and technology improvements that have brought higher fuel efficiency and greater levels of environmental compatibility," said Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com Editor and Publisher Ron Cogan. "With models like these ten deserving finalists, we're witnessing the pickup and light commercial vehicle field enjoying the same attention." The new Commercial Green Car of the Year™ award is part of an expanded awards program presented at this year's 2015 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show.