Derek77

Pricing Announced for 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, the Industry's Most Flexible Utility Vehicle Avalanche is third all-new Chevrolet utility priced more than $2,000 less than its predecessor in 3 months Dallas, Texas -- Chevrolet, America's number one brand, announced pricing today at the Dallas Auto Show for the all-new 2007 Avalanche, the next generation of the industry's most flexible utility vehicle. The 2007 Avalanche LS begins at $32,490; the starting price for an Avalanche LT is $33,170 and the Avalanche LTZ will start at $39,905. All prices include $875 destination freight charge and apply to two-wheel drive models with a standard 5.3L V8. The 2007 four-wheel drive version of the Avalanche LS has a base price of $35,490, the starting price for the 4WD Avalanche LT is $36,170 and the 4WD Avalanche LTZ starts at $42,905. Vehicle prices include $875 destination freight charge. Delivering on Chevrolet's promise to be the number one value leader in the marketplace, the all-new 2WD and 4WD 2007 Avalanche LS and LT models are priced more than $2,000 below comparably equipped 2006 Avalanche models. The LTZ trim-level was not offered in 2006. Avalanche is the third all-new Chevrolet utility launched during the past three months that is $2,000 less expensive than its predecessor. The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban were also priced more than $2,000 less than the previous model-year. "The Chevrolet Avalanche enjoys one of the highest customer retention ratings in the industry," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager, "We wanted to reward and grow that customer loyalty by exceeding expectations for unparalleled capability and value. Avalanche buyers are practical adventure seekers who are looking for a vehicle to support their active lifestyles with the comfort of an SUV coupled with industry-leading, lockable cargo space they've come to expect from a pick-up truck. " The unique Midgate technology enables the Avalanche to function as an SUV, truck or both. When the Midgate is closed, the lockable cargo bed is 5 ft. 3 in. (1.6 m) long and the passenger compartment can seat up to six passengers comfortably. When the Midgate is open and the rear seat is folded flat, the lockable cargo bed extends to 8 ft. 2in. (2.5 m) - 2 inches (51 mm) longer than previous models. In addition to unparalleled flexibility in its design, the Chevrolet Avalanche's efficient 5.3L V8 engine with Active Fuel Management TechnologyTM seamlessly switches from eight-cylinder to four-cylinder operation to save fuel. Several available engines will allow Avalanche to run on E 85, a renewable fuel source. Pricing Announced for 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche

DETROIT -- Today Dodge will show a face-lifted 2007 Durango that goes on sale in August. Engineers also have prepped the SUV for a hybrid engine that will be offered in the 2008 model year. The reworked 2007 model will be shown at the Dallas Auto Show on Wednesday. The fascia, grille, hood, headlamps, fenders and wheels are redone. Ten features are being added, including an electronic stability program, tire pressure monitoring system, rear park assist and a one-touch lane-change signal, Dodge says. Durango sales are off 39.4 percent to 20,090 units in the first quarter of 2006, compared with the same period a year ago. Continued at Dodge gives Durango a face-lift, preps for hybrid I was never a fan of the "Marshmallow Man" look. This is a step in the right direction, but I still think the roof line is the same as it was which looks too bubbly to me.

Groundbreaking for KIA Plant Delayed (WSB Radio) -- WSB News has learned that the ground breaking for the new KIA plant to be located in Troup County has been delayed. Bert Brantley with the Georgia Department of Economic Development tells WSB's Jeff Dantre' the company asked state officials to postpone the ceremony scheduled for April 26th. The exact cause for the delay is unknown Right now, KIA's parent company, Hyundai, is undergoing a crisis. South Korean regulators raided Hyundai's offices in that country Sunday looking for evidence that company executives bribed government officials in that country related to construction projects. Brantley says the state has been assured that the investigation in South Korea has nothing to do with the proposed Georgia plant. "The construction they're talking about is construction on the expansion of their headquarters in Korea," says Brantley. "When they asked us to delay the groundbreaking, our main concern was to make sure the project was moving forward. They said it was and there was no concern at all with the project." http://wsbradio.com/news/040406kia.html

I like the smaller wing. Move the GXP badge next to the GM badge, a couple inches away. I normally like blacked out headlights, but for some reason this looks funny in this chop. Keep it though. I agree with Decka, use the orginal G6 concept grill's profile. Recessing it would be fine, I think. Nobody said anything about the lowered ride height, so it must be good.

That one looks good too, but it's a sedan.

And it's running hot.

I dare.

I actually like it. The rear wing could be toned down a bit, maybe not so tall. The rear bumper looks good. THe side skirt looks good. The front bumper looks fine to me too. The grill is a little to tall. The interior sucks, especially the radio and HVAC controls suck.

Enhancements hint at possible new offering in growing G6 portfolio DETROIT – Seeking to build on the 25-percent retail sales gain by the G6 so far this year, Pontiac is revealing a new G6 GXP coupe show car at the upcoming New York International Auto Show. Designed to augment the G6’s sleek styling with a more aggressive appearance and stance, the new GXP show car will test both media and public reaction before any final decision on production is made. “Although the GXP performance series has been very successful in the past, we’ve never attempted to introduce a GXP on our largest volume vehicle and we want to be sure we do it right,” said Dennis Maraone, Pontiac product director. “We believe the package of exterior, interior and performance enhancements we’ve put together on the G6 GXP show car should appeal to 2+2 coupe enthusiasts.” Highlighting the exterior styling changes is a redesigned front fascia, featuring an integrated lower air dam and an aggressive chrome treatment of Pontiac’s signature twin-port grille, as well as a twin air scoop hood. Around back, the new rear fascia shows off the dual chrome-tipped exhaust and unique “hammerhead” spoiler. Side rocker panels, 19-inch wheels, vented cross-drilled brake rotors, and a 25-mm reduction in suspension height finish off the GXP’s ground-hugging appearance. Inside, red accents give the GXP a sportier flavor than a standard G6. The red chrome trim on the instrument cluster, center stack and door controls augments the red leather seat and door panel inserts. Under the hood, the G6 GXP uses a modified 3.9-liter V-6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Linking a ram air induction system with K&N air filter to a cat-back free flowing exhaust helps boost engine output to 270 horsepower (202 kw) and 259 lb.-ft. of torque (358 Nm). The GXP performance series was introduced in 2003 with the Bonneville GXP. The Grand Prix GXP joined the line in 2005 and currently accounts for 30 percent of all Grand Prix retail sales. The Solstice GXP launches this fall.

Dang! It took me forever to get the site up this morning. Here are some pictures that were released.

By Dave Lewandowski indycar.com HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Johnny Rutherford eased into the driver’s seat of the Honda Accord Hybrid that will serve as Official Pace Car for the 2006 IndyCar Series season for a get-acquainted time. The three-time Indianapolis 500 champion is, among other duties for the Indy Racing League, the Pace Car driver for IndyCar Series races. He was impressed with the dash layout and creature comforts. After a few laps on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval, he also was impressed with the car’s capability. “It’s quick, responsive and handles well,” said the man who knows a few things about cars. “I think it’s going to do well.” Modifications to the Accord Hybrids required for IndyCar Series Pace Car duty include a safety roll cage and high-performance wheels and tires for race track use. The Accord Hybrids will be used at all domestic races, except the Indianapolis 500. Continued:A first: Hybrid technology paces the field

GM considers the Equinox, Torrent, and VUE as trucks too. THey sure ain't going to call them cars.

Try cleaning it out first with some brake cleaner. Get a new gasket too.

That review kind of sucked. It was a little to vague. Yeah, it's all grown up, yada yada yada. But they didn't get into many details. They didn't say if the comfort level improved in the 3rd row when the 2nd seat was moved. They just said it was cramped. Then they said "the four-cylinder RAV4 is very frugal on fuel. The EPA ratings on our test model were 23 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, which is pretty good for a family vehicle with all that space." It's alright to quote the EPA and all, but why didn't they say what they got? Didn't they do that with there Tahoe or Yukon review?

And I definitely wasn't saying that....

Did you not see where the Nox and the Highlander got pretty much the same mileage, according to CR, in the city and the highway and their 150 mile trip? Does it make sense that they both get relatively the same mileage city and highway but overall got 2 mpg less? A couple hard blips of the throttle in either vehicle and the out come could swing the other way. And just because the Highlander has a DOHC motor doesn't give them the right to say, "because you have a OHV motor, your Mileage is poor, but the DOHC, which get basicly the same mileage, gets a fair rating", which is what you are saying. Shouldn't the Highlander get ragged because, after all, it does have a "way superior and better performing powertrain", DOHC and 5-speed auto, but only match the Nox? It doesn't make sense. You missed the point of testing 17" wheels compared to 16" wheels. Go back and read what I said. With 17" wheels, there is less tire side wall. Which means less tire defection, which increases handle capabilities, maybe not feel from the electric power steering, but that could have been a reason for the difference. With them saying a low point was agility, and the only handling test that I can see they test is the Avoidance maneuver max. speed test, and they are only 1 mph different, something doesn't add up.

Has anyone entered the contest? Did anyone watch the apprentice the other night with the 2007 Tahoe? Create a 2007 Chevy Tahoe Commercial

I find something funny about Consumer Reports overview of the Equinox and the Highlander Limited. They talked about how crapy the gas mileage was for the Equinox, but didn't say that the Highlander's mileage was just as crapy. How can that be the Highlander recieved a FAIR gas mileage rating and the Equinox got a POOR? Mileage for the Highlander Limited was: CU's overall mileage, mpg 19 CU's city/highway, mpg 13/25 CU's 150-mile trip, mpg 22 Mileage for the Equinox was: CU's overall mileage, mpg 17 CU's city/highway, mpg 12/25 CU's 150-mile trip, mpg 22 The agility could be fixed if they tested an Equinox with 17" wheels instead of the 16". That could have increased the Avoidance maneuver max. speed, mph from 47.5 to the Highlanders 48.5mph. Apparently the 1 mph is enough to give the Nox a FAIR emergency handling rating and the Lander gets a GOOD rating. The Lander had 17" wheels in their test just to let you know. Cargo room was another low in their test. They show a 33 cu.ft. and GM shows 35cu.ft. And that is with the cargo system in the back. Would, lets say 37cu.ft. without the cargo system, be enough to not complain? The Highlander has 38cu.ft. The tip up in gov't rollover test could have been fixed with 17" wheels too, I think. Wider wheels and tires would fix that if you think about it. Funny thing is they still gave it a VERY GOOD in their roll over test even with the tip up.

WASHINGTON — General Motors Corp. (GM) said Friday it is recalling about 900,000 pickup trucks worldwide to fix problems with tailgate cables that can corrode and break when loads are placed on them. The recall involves 1999-2000 models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. GM said there have been 84 injuries, most of them minor scrapes and bumps, but no crashes or deaths linked to the problem. GM, the world's No. 1 automaker, said the galvanized, braided-steel support cables that keep the tailgates in place can corrode or fracture over time because of moisture seeping through cracks in the plastic sheathing of the cable or entering between the cable's metal strands. The automaker had recalled about 4 million 2000-2004 pickups worldwide in March 2004 because the tailgates could break without warning. The recall involved a broader range of vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT trucks. Story continued at FOXNEWS

End of this month.

It wouldn't be less than 10hp. It's hard to determine how much hp a ram air setup delivers because it works best when you are moving, "raming" air into your engine. A good CAI would give you nearly the same results. Look into making you own ram air setup using something like dryer hose along with a CAI if you really want one. With the ram air hood along with the cold air box, I'll say you could see, maybe feel up to 15 hp. With the things I said, you would see no less than 25hp and some more torque off the line. Not to mention that you might be able to break the front tires lose from the harder shifts. And still be under $800. Tough decisions, let me know what you decide. Does anyone make an underdrive crank pulley for the w-bodies?

$820 is a lot of money for just a few hp. Most of that hp will be on the top end too. If you want the look of the ram air hood, then go for it. But bang for the buck, it is not worth it. I would look for a good CAI setup. The SLP one looks mighty cheap. Check around with K&N, AEM, or some other ones. Most can be had for less than $150. If you have some skill, try making your own. A good exhaust system is very popular. See how much a local muffler shop will charge to fab up a cat-back setup for you. Go with a good muffler like Dynomax or Magnaflow. Those Cat-backs in a box are something like $500 which is crazy! Check out http://www.pcmforless.com/. They will reflash your PCM to give you more power by getting the most out of the CAI and exhaust. They will also firm up your transmission for you too. And if you have different sized wheels and tires, they can fix your speedo while they have your PCM. Read the forum and call them up to find out all that you need to do and get the most out of you Monte. Good Luck!

Don't know. It was posted on autodeadline.com. I can't imagine any changes that are going to happen. Maybe a color change or two.

Lone Tree, Colo. adds HUMMER H3 SUVs to its police emergency response and patrol fleet. Lone Tree Police Chief Stephen Hasler said the fuel-efficient HUMMER H3 offers the rugged capability necessary for swift emergency response in all types of terrain and weather. A race the H3 might win, an off-road race.