2014 Corvette offers 455 HP

Paul A. Eisenstein Detroit Bureau may 29, 2013 at 1:06 PM ET
Chevrolot / the Detroit BureauThe 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is powerful "Base" ' Vette ever.

When it comes to the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette stingray, decided General Motors Soni and Mr.

The manufacturer had originally said it expected a fans than the C7, the new sports car to make already-impressive 450 HP, known as soon as the final numbers were calculated. In fact, the Corvette come in at 455 Horsepower, and the optional high performance exhaust package, will be up to 460 ponies came.

This is the Chevrolet Corvette of the strongest base car make in the long and colorful history of the ' Vette, which debuts six decades ago. But he alone is not the whole story of the new two-seater has completely for 2014 remake and the GM now hopes it helps more directly with the European brands to compete, have dominated the global car market.

The heart of the Stingray is its LT1-6, 2-liter V8. The brand new engine has extensive tests and optimizations approaching production, leading GM engineers originally conservative estimates, who spend their last performance subjected numbers. Other manufacturers, the first over promised and under delivered heavy hits on the market - have and even penalties to pay if their production versions were found, had to to less than as promised to produce.

In base trim, the LT1 makes 455 HP and 460 pound-feet of torque. In comparison to the end of 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 430 Horsepower and 424 lb-ft. New C7 can also be ordered with an optional exhaust package, which improves breathing its engine and ups ante 460 HP and 465 lb-ft.

"The 2014 Corvette Stingray LT1 engine is a triumph of the advanced technology, delivers more power and torque than ever with greater efficiency," Jordan Lee, Chief Engineer on the motor program boasts.

"The LT1 performance complemented the Corvette low mass with a tremendous sense of power, which builds as the RPM climbs", he added. "Drivers experience more power and Acceleration than ever, with the standard motor-in fact, its power and torque exceeding many parent modules from competitors offered."

But that is only part of the story. The new C7 is balanced as the outgoing model easier and better. Engineers has a wide variety of light-weight materials, such as roof and bonnet made of the same carbon-fiber, found in many of the most exotic models from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini - for much more money. Meanwhile, the Powertrain as low as possible to improve, has mounted the new Corvette focus.

With a better ratio of "Weight of power" then the 2014 Corvette Stingray will supply Chevrolet is still better off-the-line starts as raw performance around 4 seconds 0 to 60 could be suspect. Now meet his improved weight and balance in better handling in curves and corners translate, if the new model is expectations.

Chevrolet since certainly builds expectations, especially after it, that it would have to delay the introduction of the C7, which it originally hoped acknowledged in a timely manner to the last year's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the sports car will be launching. TheDetroitBureau.com revealed earlier this year, had the program be stopped in fact twice again in 2009 due to financial problems of GM once in the run-up to and during its bankruptcy. Senior Program Manager have joked that this proved to be as advantage, by them the way the original plans to exceed.

Among other things, this allows them to revise, the adoption of a more radical form as originally adopted the design of the edgy new sports car.

"This version almost does not happen," C7-Design Director Tom Peters, discovered during a private conversation.

Despite more power than all previous versions of the Corvette, get best mileage of 26 mpg on the highway according to EPA testing the 2014 model.

The apparent contradiction highlights the adoption of new drive technologies such as direct injection, variable valve timing and active fuel management, which some of the close the eight cylinders when the new Corvette roll off or cruises.

The new sports car is the "Stingray" designation, previously only the most powerful corvettes is reserved provided the first in the coming decades. But Chevy Insider have on the whole, suggested that even more powerful spin-offs, such as the Corvette Z06 and ZR1 ' Vettes follow over the next few years, as well as the convertible version was during the Geneva Motor Show in March

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe will end this summer for a starting price of $51.995 start. The convertible will follow by the end of the year.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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Honda offers insight into the new small SUV

Bryan Laviolette, the Detroit Bureau

What, did you expect an element redux?

Two years after the end of production of the boxy intentionally ugly duckling element, Honda showed the urban concept SUV, a thinly veiled look at a new small crossover, which will show in the slot below the CR-V in the Honda lineup at the Detroit car. Competitors are the quirky Nissan Juke and the Fiat 500 L, an XXL version of the tiny Fiat 500.

During the Trucklet of profile small crossover is similar to many others - including big brother CR-V - a unique upswept character line, the speed recommended. The as-still-unnamed production version of Honda's global compact series platform, the same as the Honda fit is built. Honda builds also on the same assembly line in Mexico as the fit.

As the industry moves to smaller vehicles with better fuel economy, are probably small transitions into the Urbans multiply class. And Honda will sell a lot of them. "It is expected to help double production worldwide to give urban vehicles on the platform of the global compact series more than 1.5 million units."

No one has more success with small cars as Honda had this urban SUV concept creates a new value in the growing small-SUV segment,"said John Mendel, executive Vice President of sales at American Honda. "With the further expansion of our North American manufacturing operations, we expect more fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive"small"cars play a key role in meeting the needs of our customers in the United States"

The North American International Auto show is expected to be dominated by small cars and compact SUVs and crossovers. Click to discover here, to read about some of the other small Utes break on this year's fair.

Concept measures 169.3 cm long, nine centimeters shorter than the CR-V, Honda says it makes it ideal for "navigation in crowded streets both open roads."

Honda said that its Earth dreams technology urban use for increased fuel efficiency. Inside it is can be similar to a layout function, which is like the fit, including his trick MagicSeat configured for a wide variety of passenger and cargo options. Honda does not show the Interior of the vehicle, but you said it modern and feature the latest telematics technology.

Urban latest North American plant near Celaya, Mexico, is produced along with the fit expected opened Hondas in the spring of 2014. While the new SUV in the US market, it will sell Honda in many other markets around the world.

Copyright © 2009-2012, the Detroit Bureau

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Automaker offers curb drowsy driving

Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau

You've ever even behind the wheel nodded caught? It would be not alone. More than a third of all drivers admit they have done this at some time or another and drowsy driving begins to blame for at least 100,000 crashes and more than 1,500 deaths per year in the United States.

Notes a new study by the Centers for disease control, that while driving at least once during the previous month - tell each 24 adults in the United States, have fallen asleep, and experts believe this number that "Micro sleep." is low, because drivers often do not recognize if she had one or two seconds

Sleep even a moment can be disastrous, when you consider that at only 60 miles per hour, that such a vehicle is 88 ft travel, or about four to five car lengths.

"If I'm on the road, I would be a little worried about the other drivers" after reading the results of the study, said lead author Anne Wheaton of the CDC.

The telephone survey stretched 147.076 adults in 19 States and the District of Columbia, making it the largest survey of its kind. It found that 4 percent of respondents said she've been nodded at least once during the previous month way.

100,000 Crashes a year
Even more cause for concern were carried earlier studies, such as one by the National Sleep Foundation in 2005. The NSF reported that 60 percent of adults sleepy drove driver of a vehicle during at least once during the previous year, while 37 percent, that she are actually out nodded. And those that sleep recognized, 13 percent indicated that that they routinely acts, at least once in the month.

The Foundation's sleep study also showed that 4 per cent recorded the survey pool, either an accident or an accident near because they were drowsy or asleep at the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration an estimated 100,000 crashes a year caused by sleepy drivers - what an estimated 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths each year.

The latest research findings, the CDC found that men tend to doze off behind the wheel, as drivers in the ages between 25 and 34, and those who get regularly less than six hours of sleep per night. An earlier Gallup survey found that men twice as often as women to drive sleepy.

The challenge for researchers is to get accurate results, how all sleepy drive differently defined and have can be from often unaware that she actually nodded for a second or two motorists.

Kfz-Technik
A study by the Virginia Tech transportation Institute used cameras and other sensors in 100 vehicles to see what happens on the road. Although the numbers were small, allowed the one-year study researchers project, the sleepiness to a certain degree, 20 percent of all crashes contributed. You appreciate that a driver is drowsy four to six times more likely to be a collision as involved, which is wide awake.

It may be difficult for the police to identify a drowsy driver in contrast to drunken drivers. But motorists even addressed new technology warnings. A number of vehicles, including products from Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, are programmed on-site sign that sleepy is a driver. Some are looking for specific steering wheel inputs, another system to a camera on the driver's face.

Most of the technologies, just try to identify a driver, if that happens, perhaps through a coffee cup emblem somewhere on the dash blinks or a gong sound.

Ford has added a drowsy driving warning, which it with the optional new lane-keeping assist system on the 2013 has coupled the fusion sedan. It uses a forward-facing camera order for visible road markings, alerting the driver through the steering wheel to vibrate when the system senses the car drift out of its lane to see.

"We found the driver languages we definitely inclined towards characteristics were the real practical benefit of inform them about potentially dangerous situations that they missed," after Billy Mann, Managing Director of the Penn Schoen Berland survey consider a current for Ford, as consumers responded to new security technology.

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Is this safe? Fiat offers to go a jolt of Joe

The Detroit Bureau

It should be no surprise, that Fiat would provide the option taking into Italy intensive attention to a bitter shot espresso.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau
These days, almost every car on the road is likely to offer a few Cup holder. But this means that you still brew your own batch of Java or stop the local coffee shop on your way to work. Not so when the new Fiat 500 L hits the road in October.

The European version is at least what is billing the Italian automaker "the first standard production car in the world." offer a true coffee Espresso machine '

It should probably be no surprise that Fiat would provide the possibility, given Italy intensive attention to a bitter shot espresso. No word whether it cappuccino, as well, but will make.

The manufacturer "integrated perfectly in the center console", which explains the automaker and was developed for the 500 L of Italy's largest coffee chain, Lavazza. Single-shot cartridges, which minimize the effort and the risk of dumping used coffee grounds all over the car.

Several other manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Ford, have developed alarm systems before recently drivers, seems to be sleepy a motorist to signal. You use a coffee cup icon to warn that it is time, pull over. With the Fiat 500 L, a driver would need not apparently looking for a coffee shop.

The Fiat 500 L will join the next model of the manufacturer's American line-up. It seems that there are no plans, the espresso machine to the transatlantic journey, along nevertheless.

The introduction of a full espresso machine in the new 4-door model is a sharp switch in direction for Fiat. European manufacturers long disdained the American demand for Cup holders, you it only if it turned out, that they were losing to American and Japanese brands company Add.

But motorists have looking after more than just a place to store their drinks. A number of new models contain now cooled glove box, where you can cool off a non-alcoholic drink. And the latest version of the 300 C sedan, produced by Fiat's US partner Chrysler, Cup holders that are set to relax or to heat your beverage.

Meanwhile provides for with the resources new Rolls Royce Phantom II rear seat refrigerator to store a bottle of your favorite champagne, as well as a cut Crystal decanters for those that prefer a nice single-malt Scottish. There are matching glasses, as well as you could expect.

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Profits slip, but Toyota offers brighter outlook

Surrounded by reporters, the Japanese car manufacturer answers Toyota (C) Managing Director Takahiko Ichiji to questions during a press conference in Tokyo on 7 February 2012.

By Paul Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau

Toyota's profits slipped another 13.5 percent should reflect ongoing production problems in the last quarter of the manufacturer and the effects of the lopsided exchange rates - but the Japanese giant also pointed out that it has begun a long-awaited recovery, turning profits upward, during the last three months of the fiscal year Japanese started see.

Toyota profits slipped to 80.9 billion, or $1.05 billion for the October-December quarter, down from $93,6 billion yen the year before.  Sales in the quarter rose 4.1 per cent, 4.865 trillion yen or allusions to the manufacturer's slow return to normal production after the hammering it due to the 11 March Japan took $ 63.4 billion earthquake and tsunami and subsequent floods in Thailand.

Toyota Managing Director Takashi Ijichi specified during a Conference that continued during the current quarter back to normal again. Helps in the meantime "company-wide profit improvement efforts" cost trimming of approximately 60 billion yen in the fourth quarter.  As a result, Toyota raised its financial guidance for the full year to 200 billion yen, or $2.6 billion, up from 180 billion yen, or $2.3 billion, in an earlier forecast.

"We are confident that the basis of our business is now stronger," he said.

However, that is still less than half of the profit 408 billion yen in the previous year reported Toyota completed the only a few weeks after the last week Japanese natural disaster.

Toyota refused to a forecast for sales and earnings for the coming financial year but company representatives have recently showed optimistic that global production system of the manufacturer is now back to normal.

A modest rise in the number of vehicles which is expected now to sell Toyota for the whole financial year should reach the 7.410 million, up from a previous forecast of 7.380 million reflects that.  But thats also down heavily on the year of earlier levels.

For the calendar year 2011, Toyota slipped worldwide sales at only 7.9 million, a decrease of 6 percent.  As a result, it lost the global sales Crown, overthrow, fourth behind resurgent General Motors - which saw demand rise on 9,03 million vehicles Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan alliance.

For the first three quarters of fiscal year Toyota reports strong sales in most of its major markets, including Japan from 131,000 units to 1,357 million and North America after below 280,000 to 1,268 million. A notable exception is Europe, where the 4,000 vehicles sales rose to 580.000.

The manufacturer hopes to capture need to catch up with Toyota loyalists that might be made to wait rather than during last year to a different brand of product deficiency now switch to an aggressive catch-up mode.

This very week, announced Toyota ramp-up of production of compact Corolla - the company's all-time successful model - at a new plant in Mississippi.  Add a second layer will increase to 150,000 a year.

But industry analysts warn that Toyota should assume automatically that it can easily regain their previous dynamics.  "I buy back isn't the idea that they come, yell," Aaron Bragman, analyst at IHS automotive shows automotive map.  "they go to to have a fight on their hands."

The corolla is a good example, depending on the Bragman and other analysts.  It is now one of the oldest products in the segment, and with a view to increasing competition from newer models like the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford focus, Hyundai Elantra - the latter have won the coveted North American car of the year brought in last month.

Toyota has, ever, seen an increase in the demand for the new model of the Camry, which it introduced in autumn last year.

The increase in complications of the questions is the value of the yen.  In the last quarter, it traded 77 to the dollar, compared to 83 Yen in the year before.  Few expect Exchange rates in favour of Japan any time soon relocate.  Forces, which both sharp cost reductions and a reconsideration the Toyota manufacturing strategy - the traditional stressed has production in the domestic market.

The increase in output in the corolla work stressed that Toyota is reluctantly from this strategy shift.  Even before the manufacturer recently announced production relocated sold several export models in the United States, including the version of the Sienna minivan in South Korea.

Toyota has its latest result only a few days after rival Honda announced.  Manufacturers have its consolidated operating income for the fiscal third drop 64% to 44.2 billion yen or $578 million - in the worldwide sales of cars fell in the quarter of 830,000.  Honda offered guidelines for the for the full year of the operational forecast a decline in average price % to 200 billion yen, or $2.6 billion.

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GM offers free loaner to worried Volt owners

Bill Pugliano / Getty Images

Chevy Volt electric vehicles come off the line at the General Motors Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Hamtramck, Michigan.

General Motors is offering a free GM vehicle loan to any Chevy Volt owner who is worried about the possibility of a battery fire, the company said in a statement Monday.

"Any Volt owner concerned about safety can contact his or her Volt advisor to arrange for a free GM vehicle loan until resolution of the issue," GM said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that it had begun an investigation to gauge the risk of fire in the electric vehicle in case of a crash. It began the investigation after a Volt battery pack that was being monitored after a government crash test caught fire Thursday. GM was notified of the investigation on Friday.

GM defended the safety of the Volt. It said that it would start a preliminary evaluation of the Volt's battery assemblies after NHTSA test results "caused electrical fires up to three weeks after an initial vehicle New Car Assessment Program side pole crash test."

“The Volt is a five-star safety car.  Even though no customer has experienced in the real world what was identified in this latest testing of post-crash situations, we're taking critical steps to ensure customer satisfaction and safety,” said Mark Reuss, president, GM North America.

Battery fires prompt government probe of Chevy Volt

Statement from General Motors 

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Sales get boost from sweetened offers car

DETROIT - the U.S. auto sales recovery steam picked up last month with all major automotive companies, reporting double-digit gains.

General Motors co. led the way with a whopping 49 percent U.S. sales jump compared to February of last year, closely followed by Toyota Motor Corp. with a gain of 42 percent.

Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. had sales by 28 percent profits by 32% and 22% while Hyundai Motor Company.

Chrysler Group LLC and Ford Motor Co. showed much smaller increases, but Chrysler sales was still going strong with a 13 percent and Ford was at 10 percent.

Help wanted (except for you) your career: companies need hire lists include smoking, unemployed, and you, where, with the haircut. Luxury makes to a comeback for the well-to-do House, which you can get for $350,000, or just can't seem less Toyota, it in gear

The company, said Tuesday that both cars and trucks, worn pointed economy, and the U.S. automakers by a gradual improvement to strong sales of new models sold to consumers. But the sales profits for GM, of sweet financing and lease activities quotes have been juiced. While analysts were unwilling, declare a price war - and GM denied from one – it noted increase the offerings were offered to customers.

The auto-industry site TrueCar.com estimated that the automaker incentives 5 percent from January to February to an average of $2,708 per vehicle caused. Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Toyota all offers of more than 6 percent for the month, sweetened told the website.

And the industry's enthusiasm for a quick start by 2011 is somewhat by a rapid increase in fuel prices, as a result of both increased demand and a jump in oil prices amid unrest in the Middle East.

Gain was impressive while Toyota's, with one bad year on year to a string had reached its peak with embarrassing safety recalls.

Still, the gains for February were so high that Ford top sales analyst reporter the sales rate, if, adjusted to the seasonality of the business and tells of projected for a full year, can the Government be the highest, since money for clunkers juiced sales in the summer of 2009 discounts.

GM said Don Johnson, GM Vice President of U.S. sales, GM incentives strengthened early in the year to get off to a fast start and catch rivals away from the protection.

The automaker $400 per vehicle by December, began the increases in January by increasing the incentives especially with low-interest financing and leasing offers, in the Northeastern States. You stuck in February with the offers, leads to sales of more than 207,000 cars and trucks.

But Johnson predicted that GM would back on incentives this year.

Automakers have tried from incentives, trying to sell cars and trucks, based quality, improved you on how much to wean shorn not how much you the sticker price. Incentives in the average had fallen, as the industry in financial trouble ran in 2009.

Johnson said that GM targeted incentives, especially in the Northeast, in January and February. It offered to buy driver leases and for cash to loyal GM customers for repurchases by.

Still, Johnson vowed, that GM would not return to his old ways offer great incentives only for passenger cars and trucks move, factories run to keep. Only in March 2009, GM's average incentive was spending $4.750 per vehicle, the highest level in a decade, the Web site Edmunds.

Johnson said that GM is not great incentives to keep, because it no longer has to discharge a large inventory due to the overproduction in their factories, as it was entering bankruptcy protection in 2009.

The company has 60-day supply of vehicles, the optimum for a car manufacturer.

"We are very well manage our inventory." We are not out there to drive sales production match ", he said."

He said GM products sales growth was driven by a $400 increase in incentives.

"A $400-rose not these types of share profits and sales drive profits", he said.

Johnson said that GM customers look at small cars ever more frequently since gas prices have increased, but he said that consumers still have changed not your buying habits, has noticed.

Ford, however said that some customers nationwide rose to smaller cars gas well above $3 per gallon because of the turmoil in the Middle East have been moved.

"With oil just before the $100 per barrel, and gasoline prices continue to rise, consumers regard fuel economy takes place again top billing," said Ken Czubay, Ford Vice President, U.S. sales, in a statement.

GM CEO Dan Akerson at the Geneva car show shows show against optimism for the industry, due to the rising oil prices.

"I do not believe that the industry is learnt a lot of lessons from 2008."this time is you, he said the 2008 spike in US gas prices over $4 per gallon.""

Ford sales were of the redesigned Explorer sport utility vehicle, a car-based vehicle led the better gas mileage than its predecessor, truck-based polls. She more than doubled Explorer sales in February.

Chrysler said its sales were led by the RAM truck brand, was up to 81%, and the entire Jeep lineup, which saw a 23 percent increase.

GM said sales of its full-size pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and avalanche and GMC Sierra, 65 percent compared to February of last year, another sign that the company start up, to make purchases again.

Crossover vehicles, the as are sport utilities but more efficiently, since you are car frames, saw large increases, led by the five passenger Chevrolet Equinox, which was up to 98 percent.

Toyota said sales of the Camry, the best-selling car in the United States, rose to 64 percent for the month, while the RAV4 crossover vehicle to 85 percent.

GM said its passenger car sales Cruze rose by 40 percent in February, under the direction of the new Chevrolet small car introduced late last year.

The associated press contributed to this report.

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Toyota offers buyouts employees

DETROIT - Toyota buyout packages offered by U.S. to cut management employees at the headquarters sales in California, the company said on Tuesday.

The announcement is not bound to a flood of safety recalls, which violated Japanese automaker or a small sales drop last year.

Offers were 629 people in Toyota Motor Sales USA customer service and automotive operations groups at Headquarters in Torrance, California, said spokesman Steve Curtis. Toyota Motor Sales USA employs around 6,400 people.

The Buy-Outs are voluntary and the company has to reach a target number, Curtis said.

Toyota was the only major automaker, one U.S. sales targeted just under 1 percent in the previous year. Sales recovered in the last month and were up 17 percent through December of 2009, a month in which the company was forced to temporarily stop selling eight models due to faulty gas pedals.

Toyota once invincible image is by a flood of recalls violated, that late in 2009, began in North America. The callbacks cover more than 12 million cars and trucks globally. Many of the recalls include the defective floor mats and gas pedals that stick, suspected to cause some unintended acceleration.

But Curtis said the buyouts movement due to the decline in sales or the callbacks are not cost reduction.

"We are very optimistic for the year," said Curtis, adding that the company plans to roll out 10 new or new models designed in 2011. "This is the result of an ongoing review of our organizational structure and our staffing needs and how we align the best for our future business prospects and growth," he said.

Movement, first reported Monday by the trade magazine Automotive News, add the remaining managers responsibility and efficiency, Curtis said.

Workers a payment of $20,000, two weeks of pay for each year of service, plus further 10 weeks of salary, are offered Toyota in a statement said.

You have to decide on the package by March 31 and leave the company on April 28.

Curtis said he could not comment, whether buyouts will be offered in other areas of society.

Copyright 2011 associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed are.

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