Auto blog

GM recalling 8.4M cars, 8.2M related to ignition problems

General Motors today announced a truly massive recall covering some 8.4 million vehicles in North America. Most significantly, 8.2 million examples of the affected vehicles are being called back due to "unintended ignition key rotation," though GM spokesperson Alan Adler tells Autoblog that this issue is not like the infamous Chevy Cobalt ignition switch fiasco.
For the sake of perspective, translated to US population, this total recall figure would equal a car for each resident of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, the District of Columbia, Vermont and Wyoming. Combined. Here's how it all breaks down:
7,610,862 vehicles in North America being recalled for unintended ignition key rotation. 6,805,679 are in the United States.

GMC Hummer EV coming to Extreme E with Chip Ganassi Racing

The electric off-road racing series Extreme E is getting another famous face. This time it's not a person, but rather a vehicle: the GMC Hummer EV. GMC announced that it will be the main sponsor for the Chip Ganassi Racing Extreme E team. With the sponsorship, GMC gets to tweak the Extreme E Odyssey 21 race SUV to look more like the Hummer EV pickup and SUV that starts production late this year. The changes are subtle but effective, with the nose getting a full-width light-bar motif. Of course the race SUV is vastly more rounded than the road-going truck. It also features a standardized chassis from Spark Racing and a battery pack from Williams. The team is able to provide its own electric motor, though, which the series limits to 550 horsepower. The GMC Hummer EV race SUV will make its competition debut alongside several other pedigree teams at the first Extreme E event in Saudi Arabia this April. Three teams are operated by Formula One drivers including Sir Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, the latter of whom will be driving. Andretti United will also field a team, a familiar competitor to Chip Ganassi in other racing series such as IndyCar. As for drivers, two World Rally Championship champions will compete: Carlos Sainz and nine-time consecutive champion Sebastien Loeb. The series will feature five races and with the way the competition is shaping up, they should be very interesting to watch. Related video:

GMC introduces Canyon Nightfall Edition for the steathly and stylish

It may be just now arriving at dealers, but the 2015 GMC Canyon has just received its very first special edition trim, although the stealthy Nightfall Edition is, in the greater scheme of aesthetic upgrades, pretty basic. GMC has blacked out the truck's grille and side steps, added a spray-in bedliner as standard, fitted new 18-inch "Dark Argent" wheels with black inserts, a polished exhaust tip, remote start and automatic climate control. Naturally, the Nightfall Edition is only available with Onyx Black paint. Customers interested in the blacked-out pickup will need to choose between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, although they'll be freed the burden of picking a trim level or body style, as the Nightfall is limited to the mid-grade SLE with the four-door crew cab arrangement. "The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice," GMC's vice president of sales and marketing, Duncan Aldred, said in a statement. "Importantly, customers get the great looks of the Canyon Nightfall Edition and its unique content at a greater value than ordering the features separately." GMC has not released any information about the price of the Nightfall Edition, or when it will arrive in dealerships. Scroll down for the full press release announcing the newest member of the Canyon family. GMC Introduces 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition Special edition model offers sleek, shadowy appearance 2015-01-08 DETROIT – GMC today introduced the 2015 Canyon Nightfall Edition – a stylized, blacked-out edition of the brand's all-new premium midsize truck that blends a dramatic appearance with popular features and accessories. The Canyon Nightfall Edition is offered on SLE crew cab models, either 2WD or 4WD, in Onyx Black and will be available in the first quarter of 2015. In addition to standard equipment on the SLE, the Canyon Nightfall Edition includes: Unique black grille Black assist steps Factory spray-in bedliner 18-inch multi-spoke aluminum wheels with Dark Argent painted inserts Polished exhaust tip Automatic climate control Remote start "The new Canyon Nightfall Edition expands the Canyon lineup and gives style-conscious customers another choice," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing.