SAAB to Celebrate its own...Independence Day on February 23rd

A little over a year ago, Saab's future was very much in doubt. GM was looking for a buyer for the Swedish brand and even contemplated closing down the Trollhattan plant. On the other hand, investors weren't exactly anxious to put their money on what they thought was a sinking ship. But, on the 23rd of February 2010, Saab's fate took a surprising turn for the better as GM sold the company to Spyker Cars, saving thousands of jobs and decades of tradition.

To celebrate the first anniversary from the sale, Saab will throw a massive party on February 23, 2011, turning its factory in Trollhattan into an entertainment arena. All 3,800 employees will have the day off and will be joined by dealers, suppliers, VIPs and media in celebrating Saab's rebirth as an independent carmaker.

The highlight of the event will be the unveiling of a special edition model, most likely the “Independence Edition” of the 9-3 Cabriolet. It might also be a good occasion to show the employees the concept car that Saab will premiere at the Geneva Auto Show. This car will be the starting point for the future compact Saab hatchback, which will be positioned beneath the 9-3 model range.

But Saab has other reasons to celebrate as well. “We’ve triggered the biggest new product offensive in Saab’s history with the launch of the 9-5 Sedan and the 9-4X crossover, the introduction of the 9-5 SportCombi later this year, and the arrival of a new generation 9-3 range next year,” said Saab's CEO Jan Ake Jonsson. Who would have dared thinking about that a year ago?

By Dan Mihalascu

SLP Performance Receives GM's "Blessings" for Tuned 2011 Camaro ZL1

With its 550HP 6.2-liter supercharged V8, the upcoming 2012 Camaro ZL1 is Chevrolet’s wildest pony car yet. However, it won't be available for sale for another year, and here's where SLP Performance steps in. The U.S.-based company is running a ZL1 tuning program for the current 2011 Camaro SS.

In regards of the copyright issues for the Z1 nameplate, SLP has shared a press release from GM stating that the Detroit automaker has no objections with the use of the name until production of the tuning project runs out this year.

Here the statement from GM: "Chevrolet is aware that SLP, a past upfitter of Chevrolet's 4th generation (1996-2002) Camaro vehicle, has been marketing its own limited edition (69) ZL1 upfit package for the 2011 Camaro model year only. Chevrolet and SLP have discussed SLP's ZL1 upfit package, an offering honoring the heritage and legacy of Chevrolet's original 1969 Camaro ZL1. Chevrolet has no objection to SLP continuing its marketing and build-out efforts to complete the run of its 2011 ZL1 upfit package."

SLP Performance’s ZL1 take on the Camaro will be available in a limited run of 69 units for 2011.

Using a 2011 Camaro SS as a base, the tuning firm takes the factory recipe and simply throws it out the window, starting with the engine. The massive 7.0-liter V8 is a custom built unit, fitted among other things, with a high capacity radiator, SLP TVS 2300 Supercharger with 10 PSI boost, cold-air induction system and carbon fiber finish engine covers.

Thanks to these modifications, the poweplant churns out 750-horsepower and is capable to catapult the 2011 Camaro ZL1 to an electronically limited top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and, to better cope with the extra oomph, the tuned ZL1 also comes with an SLP adjustable coil-over suspension, complete with new sway bars, and larger Brembo GT brakes.

The exterior upgrades include a carbon fiber hood and trunk lid, new front fascia, grille and splitter, rear spoiler and diffuser with integrated polished aluminum exhaust tips. The car rides on 20-inch SLP alloys, shod in 255/40 front and 295/35 rear Michelin XL Sport PS2 tires.

Inside, a numbered dash plaque announces the limited status of the model, accompanied by carbon fiber finish trim pieces, ZL1 floor mats, Katzkin leather upholstery available in 7 colors, and a number of ZL1 and Chevrolet embroidered logos.

By Csaba Daradics

Link: SLP Performance

SLP Performance Camaro ZL1 [press release]

Includes:

*Redesigned SLP front fascia with heritage-style grille/bowtie emblem and carbon fiber-finish splitter
*ZL1® fender and rear decklid badges
*SLP forged light-weight wheels, Michelin Sport PS2 tires, and Brembo GT front and rear brakes
*Rear 1/4 panel gill insert graphics
*SLP TVS 2300 Supercharger in Red with 10 PSI boost
*SLP all carbon fiber hood with functional scoop
*Carbon fiber-finish dashboard trim, steering wheel trim, and center console accents
*Katzkin® leather interior trim package (w/cloth Hounds Tooth shown) and ZL1 embroidered headrests
*SLP short-throw shifter with leather-wrapped ZL® shift knob
*High-lip rear spoiler with carbon fiber-finish
*SLP carbon fiber-finish rear diffuser with integrated exhaust outlets and polished aluminum tips
2011 ZL1® CONTENT MSRP $80,000 plus cost of a new 1SS or 2SS with manual transmission
Performance Upgrades
ENGINE
* SLP custom built 427 CID engine w/aluminum block and heads, 10.3:1 Compression ratio
* SLP High Capacity Dual Core Aluminum Radiator
* SLP 1.85:1 high-ratio rocker arms
* SLP TVS 2300 Supercharger with 10 PSI boost (E.O.#D-488-15)
* SLP Blackwing® cold-air induction system
* SLP non-adjustable PCM custom tune w/speed limiter increased to 205+ MPH (est. top speed)
* SLP injection molded engine covers with Carbon Fiber finish, 750HP graphics
EXHAUST SYSTEM
* SLP PowerFlo® exhaust system
* SLP long-tube headers w/stock cats
TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH
* GM 6-speed manual
* SLP short throw shifter w/ZL shift knob
* ZR-1 clutch assembly w/SLP flywheel
DRIVELINE
* SLP heavy-duty half shafts
WHEELS
* SLP forged light-weight 9″x20″ front wheels 10.5″ x 20″ rear wheels w/ZL1® center caps.
TIRES
* Michelin 255/40ZR20 XL Sport PS2 front and 295/35ZR20 XL Sport PS2 rear tires
BRAKES
* Brembo GT front and GT rear brakes with 2 piece 16″ front rotors and 6 piston calipers and 15″ rear rotors and 4 piston calipers
SUSPENSION
* SLP adjustable coil-over springs-shocks and sway bars
Exterior Upgrades
* SLP ZL® all carbon fiber hood
* SLP ZL® high lip rear spoiler w/carbon fiber finish that matches the hood
* Trunk lid carbon fiber finish that matches the hood
* SLP front fascia with unique grille assembly
* SLP front splitter with carbon fiber finish
* SLP gill insert graphics
* SLP rear diffuser with carbon fiber finish and unique exhaust tips with polished aluminum tips
* ZL1® fender and rear deck lid badging (heritage styling)
* Factory bowtie badges front and rear with blue inserts (heritage styling)
* Painted Rear Tail Light Black-Out Panel
INTERIOR UPGRADES
* ZL1® sequentially numbered dash plaque and key fobs (1-69)
* ZL1® floor mats
* Katzkin® leather interior trim package for front and rear seats, center console, and arm rests, available in 7 colors that
compliment all available body colors, plus hounds tooth cloth seat
inserts (heritage), with ZL1 embroidered logo in head rests, and bowtie
on seat backs.
Available Katzin Interior Accent Colors
ASH – MEDIUM RED – ORANGE – PACIFIC – VANILLA – SUNRISE RED – HOUNDS TOOTH (CLOTH)
ACCESSORIES
* Faux Leather Bound Portfolio, Owner’s Manual, Window Sticker, Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin
* ZL1® Car Cover
WARRANTY
* One Year/12,000 Mile (19,000 Kilometer) Limited Warranty
* Not legal for sale or use in California

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Chevrolet Plans to Introduce a Limited Edition Camaro Every Six Months

Camaro fans will be happy to know that the bow-tie brand plans to introduce a limited edition version every six months, in an effort to create more hype around its pony car and of course, further increase sales. According to an Automotive News report, Chevrolet will not only revive various nameplates from the past, but will also introduce some brand new ones to the market.

“Our plan is to keep evolving the Camaro,” said Al Oppenheiser, chief engineer for the Camaro. “That is the beauty of the Camaro. It has so much of a rich heritage that we can put together the right combination of content. We have a lot of rich names to choose from.”

According to Oppenheiser, the upcoming models will follow a similar formula to the 2012 Camaro ZL1 that borrows its moniker from the 1969 Camaro ZL1, which at the time was the fastest car Chevrolet ever produced.

The 2012 ZL1 is currently touted as the highest-performing Camaro in the model’s 45-year history, thanks to its 550HP 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, upgraded suspension with Magnetic Ride Control and advanced Brembo brakes.

For the moment, Chevrolet has confirmed that it will be offering 500 replicas of the 2011 Camaro SS convertible pace car and the Camaro Synergy V6 variant, the latter aimed at the enthusiasts on a budget. Both are due this spring.

It’s also rumored that the Detroit automaker is working on a 2012MY Transformers edition as it’s trying to further capitalize on its involvement in the movie franchise, but there’s no official confirmation on the matter.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Autonews [Sub. required]

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Cadillac's All-Wheel Drive Model Sales on the Rise in the U.S.A.

It was a time when associating Cadillac with all-wheel drive was considered to be a heresy. But mentalities have changed and more American customers are specifying their cars with the AWD option. GM’s luxury brand has registered a combined sales increase of 38% for its 4x4 SRX, CTS and Escalade models in the past two years. Specifically, one-third of the SRX crossovers, almost half of the CTS and three-quarters of the Escalade vehicles sold in the U.S. have been equipped with all-wheel drive.

Not surprisingly, the highest demand comes from cold weather and mountainous areas. Besides offering better traction on snow, the Cadillac AWD systems also promises to enhance handling and performance in normal weather conditions.

According to the Detroit automaker, AWD improves the SRX’s passing acceleration compared to the front-wheel drive version by transferring more torque to the rear wheels, while also reduces the over-steer tendencies manifested by the rear-wheel drive CTS during aggressive cornering.

“Cadillac’s investment in advanced AWD systems across the line-up is enhancing the brand’s reputation for performance,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “We’re able to offer luxury buyers exceptional ride, handling and control on a wide range of road conditions.”

By Csaba Daradics

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It Came From eBay Hell: The Geo Storm Pickup You Never Knew You Wanted

Few names in automotive history make the average car enthusiast’s skin crawl like, “Geo”. Geo was General Motors response to the growing number of Japanese and South Korean imports that had invaded the U.S. market. Essentially taking the most boring and insipid models from Suzuki, Toyota and Isuzu and building them stateside, Geo embodied the whole, “Who Gives A...” attitude that has made GM so reviled by some.

The Geo Storm was essentially an Isuzu Impulse stripped off all the things that would have made the latter an appealing proposition to the enthusiast: Lotus tuned suspension, turbocharger and AWD. What was left was essentially a four-cylinder sedan with two less doors and a vaguely sporty body. Still, it was a big seller for Geo and GM, no doubt leaving the corpse of Colin Chapman rolling in his grave.

And so it was, from the depths of eBay Hell, a “1 of a kind” Geo Storm pickup truck. Behold the myriad of features such as a sliding rear window with “WWII Bomber Girl mural”, gullwing T-Tops and custom 17-inch rims. A fourth generation Camaro-style front end, red white and blue “Patriotic paint theme”, a Chevy Chevelle SS hood cowling and a shaved tail gate handle complete the exterior package.

The car retrains Isuzu’s 12-valve engine and 5spd manual transmission, the former of which has recently had a comprehensive tune-up. It’s hard to poke too much fun at the seller: a civilian combat veteran hit by some family health problems. All told it’s a good conversion and the price – US$13,000 – could be a lot worse. Check out the pics (and video) and leave your voice your opinion below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: eBay

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