Dreams Brake for No One

Chevrolet Teams Up With DreamWorks For Turbo, Opening July 17, 2013

Coming to theaters this summer, Turbo is the story of a snail who dares to dream big – and fast. After a freak accident infuses him with the power of super-speed, Turbo kicks into overdrive and embarks on an extraordinary journey to achieve the seemingly impossible: competing in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500.

Whatever your family dreams of, the reimagined 2013 Chevrolet Traverse can help you get there. Comfortably. With a rich and refined interior and seating for up to eight,† the Chevrolet Traverse is the perfect family vehicle - for any journey. From multiple storage units to the best-in-class maximum cargo space, the Traverse was designed with your family in mind.

Chevrolet to Donate 2013 Silverado to Help in Oklahoma Tornado Victim Relief Efforts

The General Motors Foundation is pledging $50,000, and Chevrolet is donating a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup to Forgotten Harvest to assist with the organization's "Help 4 Oklahoma" campaign to get supplies to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and help those impacted by this week's devastating tornadoes.

"The GM Foundation's $50,000 donation to Forgotten Harvest for 'Help 4 Oklahoma' is just the first step in our support for those impacted by the tornadoes," said Selim Bingol, GM's global vice president of Communications and Public Policy and the chairman of the GM Foundation. "Our employees want to help and will volunteer locally at Forgotten Harvest, and we will engage our plants and other facilities across the U.S. to collect food to help this effort."

To implement "Help 4 Oklahoma," Forgotten Harvest is partnering with the GM Foundation, Chevrolet, Art Van, WDIV-TV 4, WJR AM 760, and The Detroit Media Partnership.  

"We will be collecting shelf-stable foods, and medical and hygiene products for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma," said Susan Goodell, CEO of Forgotten Harvest. "Vehicles will be instrumental in the implementation of this effort and we thank Chevrolet for this generous donation."

Said GM North America President Mark Reuss, vice chair of the GM Foundation: "Chevrolet continues its support of local organizations and disaster relief efforts with the donation of a Chevrolet Silverado to Forgotten Harvest. GM and the GM Foundation will support 'Help 4 Oklahoma' with the full breadth of our operations."

Since 2004, the GM Foundation has provided more than $7 million to global disaster relief efforts, according to the automaker. The Foundation is also a member of the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program to ensure that the Red Cross has funds on hand to provide immediate relief when disaster strikes.

Anyone interested in donating to "Help 4 Oklahoma" may call 888-332-7140, visit www.forgottenharvest.org, drop off shelf-stable items at any Art Van location, or visit www.redcross.org.

Chevrolet's Hottest Cruze Sedan is the DIESEL!

Chevrolet Cruze diesel, just now on sale, is both quickest, most fuel-efficient of the lot...

Chevrolet says not only will the Cruze diesel be the most fuel-efficient version of the compact sedan, it's also the quickest -- something not normally associated with diesels.

It will accelerate from standstill to 60 miles per hour in 8.6 seconds, says Gary Altman, chief engineer of the car. Gasoline models take longer, the slowest being the Cruze Eco, which burns up 10 seconds reaching 60 mph.

As a practical matter, the diesel will be quicker to accelerate up freeway ramps into fast-moving traffic, and to pass other cars on two-lane roads. That spares the driver the anxiety that sometimes comes with diesels -- which are quite powerful, but can be slow to hit their stride.

The Cruze diesel went on sale this month, starting at $25,695 including shipping. Until now, Volkswagen has had the mainstream diesel car market to itself in the U.S. The Cruze diesel is first to challenge it.

Cruze diesel comes only with a six-speed automatic transmission and is lower-price than the VW Jetta diesel with automatic transmission. The VW so-equipped is $26,325.

We'll give you a full run-down on the Cruze diesel in the next Test Drive column. Meantime, here are some thoughts from a day driving around this area, mostly on rural two-lane roads:

•Cruze diesel benefits from the wide use of direct injection in gasoline engines. That technology, which can boost power and mileage as well as cut emissions, makes gas engines sound like diesels, so the Cruze diesel has no big noise issue. Essentially, everything sounds like a diesel now.

•The diesel borrows some aerodynamic tweaks from the gasoline Cruze Eco, such as low-rolling-resistance tires and air-diverting shutters shutters in the grille. Now, some of those items will find their way into regular gasoline Cruze models in addition to the Eco.

•Finding fuel should be easier than ever. The Diesel Technology Forum says 52% of U.S. stations sell diesel. That includes truck stops.

GM Details 2015 Chevrolet City Express Powertrain and Features

General Motors provided more details on its upcoming 2015 Chevrolet City Express cargo van, which the automaker is sourcing from Nissan. The vehicle will come in two trim levels, LS and LT, according to GM. It will feature a 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder engine matched with a continuously variable transmission. The engine can produce 131 hp and 139 lb. ft. of torque, according to GM. The Chevrolet City Express also provides 122.7 cu. ft. of cargo space. The 2015 Chevrolet City Express will also qualify for the automaker’s Business Choice program, according to GM.

Select features on the LS include four-wheel antilock brakes; 15-inch steel wheels with 185/60R15 tires; 40/60 split rear cargo doors (with a 180-degree max opening); and Electronic stability Control. Others include a gray cloth interior with vinyl bolster wear patches; a fold down passenger seat with a seat back tray table; a center console with storage for file folders, a laptop, and more; an upper dashboard-mounted storage bin; 20 integrated interior reinforced cargo mounting points; six exterior roof rack mounting points; and six standard air bags.

GM said the LT model comes with these additional features: power heated outside mirrors; power door locks with an auto locking feature; remote keyless entry; and cruise control with steering wheel mounted controls.

The automaker plans to provide a number of packages and said the vehicle will be ready for upfit. It features weld nuts for attaching bins, D-Rings affixed to the floor that allow users to secure cargo, and standard dual sliding doors that allow access to the cargo area from either side of the vehicle. It also offers a range of window configuration options, a standard full-size spare tire, two different wheels with three different looks, spotter side mirrors, and two packages, Technology and Appearance.

The Technology package features a navigation radio system, steering wheel audio controls, USB input, a rear view camera, XM Radio, and Bluetooth. The Appearance package features body color bumpers, mirrors, door handles, and a chrome grill with black accents.

Talking to the 2014 Chevrolet Impala: G.M.’s Improved MyLink

Talking to your car can be like trying to reason with a recalcitrant toddler. It often petulantly refuses to obey your commands or, worse, does the opposite of what you want. But in-vehicle voice recognition systems are gradually improving, as demonstrated by the new version of Chevrolet’s MyLink system.

Connected services are expected to continue to be a major selling point, and Chevrolet went to great pains to emphasize the system’s debut on the all-new, front-wheel-drive only 2014 Impala. Standard on the LT and LTZ trim packages, the revamped next generation MyLink was one of the highlights described by Phil Carlisle, product manager for the Impala, at a press briefing in New York last week.

The new system features an 8-inch touch screen that slides up out of the dash to reveal, James Bond-style, a hidden compartment behind the screen where drivers can stash a smartphone. (It can be locked down with a numeric code to put it in valet mode, preventing other drivers from accessing personal information, like your home address on the navigation system.) The touch screen is pressure sensitive, so owners can still operate its built-in navigation (now boasting 3-D graphics), phone, and radio functions while wearing gloves. Alternately, all the controls are duplicated via a traditional set of dials and buttons, as well as steering-wheel mounted controls.

MyLink also supports smartphone-based apps, but only two are included: live weather reports and streaming music from Pandora. While General Motors spokespeople would not reveal what apps might come next, G.M. is heavily promoting development software to outside companies so that new programs can be added.

The highlight of the MyLink system, however, is likely to be its voice recognition system. G.M. has added more sophisticated natural-language speech recognition. It does not rely on a fixed set of commands but instead can interpret full sentences and common phrases. It means owners should not have to read the owner’s manual and memorize commands just to tell MyLink what to do.

Indeed, during an hourlong test drive, the Impala seemed comfortable with my spoken requests. “Play the radio,” elicited a response asking me to specify AM or FM or to simply choose a station. “Play 104.3 please,” I politely requested, and the system confirmed my instructions and Cream’s “Born Under a Bad Sign” came from the Bose stereo system’s speakers.

Delivering navigation instructions proved to be just as easy. Asking the car to change the destination resulted in the system asking me if I wanted to use an address or look for a nearby point of interest. I purposely chose a street name that often flummoxes New York City cabdrivers (77th Street), but MyLink wasn’t stumped – although I failed to mention the city, causing the system’s feminine voice to suggest a Long Island location. Even when it misunderstood, the system suggested backing up and asked me to start with the city name.

To achieve this level of natural vocal agility, G.M. tweaked voice recognition software from Nuance, said Ara Eckel, a connected car specialist at G.M. Furthermore, the recognition software is built into the dash, rather than relying on remote, Internet-based servers like Apple’s Siri, so MyLink’s responses are quick and seamless.

The overall MyLink system is based on the software used in the Cadillac Cue system. As such, this represents G.M.’s effort to standardize on a single in-dash platform that could give owners a consistent look and feel across the company’s various model lines. It means volume controls and on-screen buttons will appear in the same position eventually on all the company’s vehicles, even if the colors and other design elements vary from Cadillac to Chevy to Buick.

Cruising back to the city with the sun in our eyes, the Impala began to warm up. Pressing the voice button, I demanded, “Change temperature!” But the computerized female voice responded that it didn’t understand my request. It turns out heating and air-conditioning can’t yet be controlled by voice. Thankfully, the buttons for that are still there.

Our VERY OWN GM World Class Technicians

Technician Name: Pat Ward

Where are you from: Hackettstown

Where did you learn to work on cars?: Since I was younger, I had been working on cars with my grandfather. He bought a mini-bike when I was 10 and I put it together. Since then I have always had a knack for working on anything with a motor. 

How long have you been working at Chevrolet?: 11 years

Do you have any awards/certifications? GM World Class Technician, Master GM Tech, Master A.S.E Technician, GM Mark of Excellence Award, Certified NJ Inspection License

What’s your favorite car ? 64-65 Mustang it was my second car and I will never forget how much I loved it!

What do you like to do outside of work?: Go to the gym, ride my motorcycles, mountain biking, water skiing.. anything to stay active!

Technician Name: Eddie Kulesa

Where are you from?: Bloomfield, NJ

Where did you learn to work on cars?: Self taught, always loved working and driving them. Over 40 years in the business

How long have you worked at Chevrolet?: 16 years

Do you have any awards/certifications:? Master A.S.E Technician, GM World Class Technician, NJ Motor Vehicle Inspector License, NJ Motor vehicle Emissions Repair License

What do you like to do outside of work?: I enjoy playing with grand kids and umpiring Little League games

Chevy Rolls Out Cowboy-Themed Luxury Silverado PickUp

Chevrolet Silverado High Country comes as automakers race to create more high-end, high-profit pickups.

General Motors is saddling up to become a player in the market for cowboy-themed high-end pick up trucks.

Sunday night at an event in (where else?) Texas, its Chevrolet division rolled out new high-end version of its redesigned 2014 Silverado pickup called the High Country. The new luxury truck takes dead aim at the Ford F-150 King Ranch, Chrysler's Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn and a new ranch-inspired Toyota Tundra 1792 Edition.

To set itself apart from city slickers, the big crew-cab truck pours on the chrome -- from a unique grille to side mouldings, door handles, mirrors and its own 20-inch wheels. The interior is done in saddle-brown leather and features touches meant to conjure images of a life of ropin' and brandin'.

Pickup truck sales are soaring, up 27% alone in April, about three times the overall industry growth. And the high end of the pickup truck business is hot. Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson says 30% of the pickup market is for trucks selling in excess of $40,000. And these buyers are an opportunity to poach sales from rivals -- buyer of these 'luxe trucks aren't as brand loyal as mainstream pickup shoppers.

These high-end trucks are among automakers' most profitable vehicles. A Ford King Ranch lists at $43,805 before destination charges are added, almost twice as much as a base-level F-150. And they aren't as complex to manufacture as cars.

Ford led the charge into high-end cowboy pickups. Ram has been right behind. But other than the near-luxury Denali trim of the GMC Sierra pickup -- a new version will debut in about a month -- GM hasn't attacked the sector as aggressively. The High Country is meant to change that.

"High Country will be the top model in the Silverado lineup, with a higher level of premium features and materials with a rich, Western themed appearance," says Maria Rohrer, Silverado marketing director, in a statement.

Unlike more than a decade ago, when deluxe trucks like the Lincoln Blackwood got off to a poor start, makers are stressing that the fancy trucks are as capable as any of their pickups. They'll haul bales of hay and sacks of concrete mix as easily as golf clubs and weekend luggage.

"High Country is 100% Chevy truck, with the capability and dependability customers have relied on for more than 95 years," Rohrer adds.

The High Country will come with a standard 355-liter 5.3-liter V-8 engine that has a system that saves gas by shutting off four-cylinders when they aren't needed. And it will have so many features built in that, Chevrolet says, there won't be many options. It arrives in showrooms in the fourth quarter at a price to be announced.

High-end truck leader Ford says it's ready for the new competition. "While others are just starting to understand the appeal of Texas innovation and luxury, we're proud to bring twelve years of authenticity and leadership to the segment with our partners at King Ranch," said Ford truck marketing chief Doug Scott.

Check out our Silverado Inventory today!

Chevy Culture: The Chevrolet Bowtie

The Chevrolet Emblem may have been inspired by a piece of wallpaper.

Or maybe not...

The Chevrolet bowtie—introduced by company cofounder William C. Durant in late 1913—is one of the most recognized emblems in the world today. But how it came to be synonymous with the brand is open to wide interpretation.

Inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel?

Durant’s version of how the logo came into existence is well-known. The long-accepted story, confirmed by Durant himself, was that it was inspired by the wallpaper design in a Parisian hotel.

According to The Chevrolet Story of 1961, an official company publication issued in celebration of Chevrolet’s 50th anniversary:

“It originated in Durant’s imagination when, as a world traveler in 1908, he saw the pattern marching off into infinity as a design on wallpaper in a French hotel. He tore off a piece of the wallpaper and kept it to show friends, with the thought that it would make a good nameplate for a car.”

However, conflicting accounts have emerged, each of which is plausible enough to deepen the mystery and suggest it may never be solved. Two of the alternate origins come from within the Durant family itself.

Or was it a dinner-table sketch?

In 1929, Durant’s daughter, Margery, published a book entitled, My Father. In it, she described how Durant sometimes doodled nameplate designs on pieces of paper at the dinner table: “I think it was between the soup and the fried chicken one night that he sketched out the design that is used on the Chevrolet car to this day.”

Was it borrowed from a newspaper ad?

More than half a century later, another bowtie origin story was recounted in a 1986 issue of Chevrolet Pro Management Magazine, based on a 13-year-old interview with Durant’s widow, Catherine. She recalled how she and her husband were on holiday in Hot Springs, Virginia, in 1912. While reading a newspaper in their hotel room, Durant spotted a design and exclaimed, “I think this would be a very good emblem for the Chevrolet.” Unfortunately, at the time, Mrs. Durant didn’t clarify what the motif was or how it was used.

That nugget of information inspired Ken Kaufmann, historian and editor of The Chevrolet Review, to search out its validity. In a November 12, 1911, edition of The Constitution newspaper, published in Atlanta, the Southern Compressed Coal Company placed an ad for “Coalettes,” a refined fuel product for fires. The Coalettes logo, as published in the ad, had a slanted bowtie form, very similar to the shape that would soon become the Chevrolet icon. Did Durant and his wife see the same ad or one that was similar–the following year a few states to the north? The newspaper edition was dated just nine days after the incorporation of the Chevrolet Motor Company.

The Swiss flag theory.

One other explanation attributes the design to a stylized version of the cross of the Swiss flag. Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, to French parents on Christmas Day 1878.

Whichever origin is true, within a few years, the bowtie would emerge as the definitive Chevrolet logo. An October 2, 1913, edition of The Washington Post seems to be the earliest-known example of the symbol being used to advertise the brand. “Look for this nameplate” the ad proclaims above the emblem. Customers the world over have been doing so ever since.

Today’s bowtie: a gold standard.

Many variations in coloring and detail of the Chevrolet bowtie have come and gone over the decades since its introduction in late 1913, but the essential shape has never changed. In 2004, Chevrolet began to phase in the gold bowtie that today serves as the brand identity for all of its cars and trucks marketed globally.

The Route 46 Chevrolet family rocks Chevy Bowtie name badges everyday!