1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4 Wheel Drive Wiyh Mag Wheels And Bed Cover on 2040-cars

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With only 246 Volts sold in Australia, Holden not getting next-gen model

The Chevrolet Volt has not been the resounding success General Motors hoped for here in the United States. But it's fortunes in Chevy's home country are nothing compared to how poorly it's done down under. Only 246 Volts have been sold in Australia, where the car is branded as a Holden, since its debut in 2012. That's not just a bad showing – it's an absolute disaster. According to Motoring.com.au, it was the Volt's astonishing $60,000 price tag, combined with a lack of interest from Aussie drivers, that killed the car's chances. What's fascinating about this development, though, is that it doesn't necessarily seem to be Holden that's pulling the plug. Instead, it's the Volt's Hamtramck, MI factory, which is preparing to shift into production of the second-generation model that seems to be taking the blame. According to Motoring, the plant confirmed that it will only build the Gen 2 plug-in in left-hand-drive form, basically ruling out a model for Australia. "Electric and hybrid vehicles haven't taken off in Australia," Holden's director of communications, Sean Poppitt, told Motoring. "Considering the lack of infrastructure, the lack of government incentives, the large distances between cities, it's a tough sell." The death of the right-hand drive Volt won't be the only loss of business in Hamtramck. Opel has already confirmed that it will drop the plug-in's European fraternal twin, the Ampera, while the next-gen Chevy won't make the trip across the pond either. Related Video:

Corvette Z06. Nissan GT-R Nismo. Motor Trend Head 2 Head. 'Nuff said.

Here is a video we've been waiting for, one that will get broadband fiber optic cables glowing like Hooker headers on a dyno. For Episode 62 of Head 2 Head, Motor Trend throws the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 into the bear pit with the latest Nissan GT-R Nismo. What comes out of that is seventeen minutes of don't-look-away video. We're only going to give you the specs. The 3,527-pound Z06 gets on with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, applied to the wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission. With the Z07 performance package appended it has a front splitter and winglets, and a three-section rear spoiler among its aero aids. The tested model also wore carbon ceramic brakes, which helped push its $89,985 MSRP out to $105,210. The 3,881-pound GT-R Nismo plays the underdog – again – with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 spitting out 600 hp and 481 lb-ft, yoked to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The GT-R left its 'performance bargain' days behind years ago, and this top-shelf version starts at $151,585 but has almost everything it can get, so the as-tested price was only a skosh more at $151,880. We're not going to tell you any more than that. Click on the video and let Carlos Lago and his two mean minions tell you a story you won't soon forget. Related Video: News Source: Motor Trend Channel via YouTube Chevrolet Nissan Coupe Luxury Performance Videos motor trend nissan gt-r nismo head 2 head

Chevy to offer new Cruze as a hatchback in the US

Chevrolet plans to offer a five-door hatchback version of the new Cruze in the United States, according to the latest intel from Automotive News. In addition to the sedan form we're familiar with, the outgoing Cruze was offered as a hatchback in some markets overseas, but not in America – a decision which Mark Reuss, GM's EVP in charge of product development, characterized as "a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake." The new Chevy Cruze is set to debut later this week. Although the American automaker has yet to confirm which bodystyles will be offered where, AN reports that a five-door model was already shown to dealers at their national meeting in Las Vegas last week. AN points out that the Ford Focus with which the new Cruze will be contending is offered as both a sedan and hatchback in America, with the latter accounting for some 40 percent of sales.