Filed under: Chevrolet , GM Forget about more cowbell, for GM it's all about more Chevy -- at least, that's the situation for Chevrolet's new VP Brent Dewar. So far this year the Bowtie has posted more than 60% of GM's North American volume, but Dewar wants that to get to 70%. "As Pontiac goes away, Saturn goes away," Dewar said, "Chevrolet has to step up. The 70 percent target is the right kind of number we need to work on." The real perspective on that challenge is in the numbers: GM's market share was 22.4 percent a year ago and is now 19.7 percent. However, while GM is out to increase overall market share it has half as many brands as it did last year: Pontiac and Saturn are dead, Saab and Hummer have found other homes. For Dewar, the general (if slight) upward trend in sales, as well as the coming Cruze and the Volt, will help Chevy achieve that number. But beyond that we have no idea what he plans to use to breach the 70 percent figure, and we find it interesting that Chevy is trying to make up for more even with Cadillac's and Buick's imminent models. Nor is it clear how GM will maintain its overall numbers globally without Opel, but we look forward to finding out. [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] REPORT: Chevrolet to take larger role at GM, account for 70% of total volume originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:29:00 EST.

Filed under: Convertible , Performance , Auctions , Chevrolet , Specialty 1993 Lister Corvette - Click above for high-res image gallery Back in the early Nineties, Lister North America looked to recapture some of the awesomeness that is the 1959 Lister Corvette, a British car built to compete with the likes of the Jaguar and Aston Martin on the British racing scene. Opinions on whether or not the reborn company was successful are split, and the endeavor resulted in just five 1992 and 1993 Lister-bodied Chevrolet C4 Corvettes being produced. This being the case, finding one of these rare automobiles for sale isn't a particularly common occurrence. Hence today's eBay Find of the Day - a 1993 Lister Corvette dolled up in bright yellow with a black interior. Regardless of what you think of the bespoke bodywork, the guts of the 'Vette are sound. There's certainly nothing wrong with a worked-over Chevrolet LT1 V8 engine stroked to 383 cubic inches and topped with a Vortech supercharger, right? This particular Lister Corvette has traveled just 7,048 miles and has apparently been the subject of a magazine article or two. Bidding is currently at $16,600 (reserve not met) and there's less than a day left on the auction . Check out our gallery of images below and the listing in the link below. Gallery: 1993 Lister Corvette [Source: eBay Motors | Images: Viva Las Vegas Autos - Reproduced with permission] eBay Find of the Day: #1 of 5 1993 Lister Corvette is nothing if not ambitious originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST.

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Performance , Audi , Alternative Fuel Audi e-Tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Even though we knew it was coming, the Audi e-tron concept still caught us by surprise. After all, who would have expected an electric sportscar with over 3,000 lb-ft of torque? But if that wasn't enough of a shock, reports now suggest that Audi is actually preparing to put the green beast into production. Although clearly based on the R8, the e-tron concept unveiled just a couple of weeks ago at the Frankfurt show is actually sized in between the range-topping supercar and its kid brother, the TT. In that frame, however, are packed four electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack pumping out the equivalent of 313 horsepower and an unfathomable 3,319 lb-ft of torque. According to a report from Automotive News , Audi's North American chief Johan de Nysschen says the company is proceeding with plans to put the e-tron into production, and hopes to start testing working prototypes within the next two years. So if you were disappointed that Audi didn't produce the V12 TDI version of the R8 , you've now got something else on which to feast your imagination. Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi e-tron concept [Source: AutoWeek ] REPORT: Audi plans to produce e-tron, begin testing prototypes within two years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Sedan , Chevrolet , GM , Holden , Police/Emergency Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for high-res image gallery. Well, it's official. General Motors has resurrected the Australian-built Zeta sedan for North America, only this time around, it's just for the cops. Set to arrive in your local muni's police fleet in 2011 is the Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle (PPV). First thing's first: it is not the Holden Commodore, a.k.a. Pontiac G8 (rest in peace). It's a left-hand-drive version of the long-wheelbase, Zeta-platform Holden Caprice/Statesman. Many of you already know that this car is also sold in the Middle East as, you guessed it, the Chevy Caprice. Also, as had been rumored - you can't buy one. It's a fleet special only, and we can envision fistfights breaking out over these at police auctions in a few years.

Filed under: Sedan , Chevrolet , GM , Holden , Police/Emergency Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for high-res image gallery. Well, it's official. GM has resurrected the Australian-built Zeta sedan for North America, only this time around, it's just for the cops. Set to arrive in your local muni's police fleet in 2011 is the Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle (PPV). First thing's first: it is not the Holden Commodore, a.k.a. Pontiac G8 (rest in peace). It's a left-hand-drive version of the long-wheelbase, Zeta-platform Holden Caprice/Statesman. Many of you already know that this car is also sold in the Middle East as, you guessed it, the Chevy Caprice. Also, as had been rumored -- you can't buy one. It's a fleet special only, and we can envision fistfights breaking out over these at police auctions in a few years.

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Chevrolet , Reviews 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS - Click above for high-res image gallery The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has taken so long to get to here we wouldn't be surprised if Caravaggio did the original sketches. We wanted the car when we first saw it back in 6 B.C. We drove prototypes sometime around the Norman Conquest. And now it's finally on the streets. It seems like a mighty long time, but a Camaro SS finally found its way into our hands and it was like being delivered a mail-order bride we'd been corresponding with for ages, begging, "Please, just get here." But how long would our honeymoon last? Or would there be one at all? We hit the road to find out . Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS demands to be loved Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS demands to be loved originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Government/Legal , Safety , Lexus , Toyota The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has just issued a safety alert to owners of particular Toyota and Lexus models from 2004-2010 (see list below) that will soon involve a full recall of some 3.8 million vehicles. The issue involves a nagging problem Toyota has had with floor mats in certain models that, in some cases, have caused the accelerator pedal to get stuck in a wide open throttle position (see example above). There are apparently clearance issues with these floor mats and the pedals, as well as issues with the unique steps required to shut off vehicles with keyless ignitions, and Toyota and NHTSA is warning owners to remove the mats immediately and not replace them with mats from Toyota or any other brand. The models affected are: 2007-2010 Camry 2005-2010 Avalon 2004-2009 Prius 2005-2010 Tacoma 2007-2010 Tundra 2007-2010 ES 350 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350 Toyota issued a recall in September 2007 for a similar problem with all-weather floor mats in the 2007-08 Lexus ES350 and Toyota Camry. NHTSA, however, has continued to receive complaints of unintended acceleration in these models and more. Toyota will follow up NHTSA safety alert with its largest ever recall in the U.S. as soon as it has a solution figured out. In the mean time, if you own one of the above vehicles, your government would like you to play it safe and remove the driver-side floor mat. Now we have to wonder, who's going to pay the rather large bill for cleaning the carpet in thousands of vehicles that got their foot wells dirty from having no floor mats? Follow the jump for press releases from both NHTSA and Toyota, the latter of which includes instructions on what to do if you experience unintended acceleration caused by the floor mats in these models.

Review: 2010 Ford Taurus SEL stays big, goes upscale The original Taurus was a midsize pioneer, but the 2010 model is massive departure both in styling and size. We run an SEL model through the paces to see if Ford's latest risk pays off, and come away impressed with its ease of use and cruising demeanor. Tokyo 2009: Mazda previews next-gen SKY clean engines, transmission and Kiyora concept Mazda gets ready for the big bash in Tokyo by showing off an updated version of the Kiyora concept and two all-new engines: one diesel and one direct-injected. But can Green and Zoom live together in harmony? Retro in Red: Mr. Norm builds modern interpretation of L'il Red Express Truck As a tribute to the original performance truck, legendary Mopar hot rodder Norm Kraus, better known as "Mr. Norm," has put together his own aftermarket package that will turn a 2009+ Dodge Ram into the L'il Red Express' bigger, more powerful grandson. Other news of import From the Prancing Horse's Mouth: Montezemolo reportedly confirms Ferrari 458 Spider Risky Business: MV Agusta updates Brutale line for 2010 [w/VIDEO] Rumormill: Nissan to debut exclusive luxury-oriented GT-R SpecM in Tokyo? Aston Martin in jeopardy as parent company Investment Dar in financial turmoil Hyundai develops stretched Equus limo for home market [w/VIDEO] Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 9.29.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Etc. , Safety What do New Jersey and Nebraska have in common? If you said "absolutely nothing," you'd be right - on any other day but today. Turns out that the Garden State and the Cornhusker State share a very curious stat. Both have seen a 54% increase in deer-related automobile accidents over the last two years. That 54% increase is the largest in the nation, which shows that the problem of deer-related car crashes isn't confined to just one location, but rather a national problem. According to a new State Farm study, the number of cars on the road has grown by 7% over the last five years, but the number of deer-related accidents has swelled 18% in that same time period. No reason why is given in the article, but we'd wager it's a combination of 1) more deer and 2) more and more humans living closer to deer populations. The study does, however, provide some pretty eye-opening statistics. For examples, State Farm estimates that between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 there were 2.4 million accidents in the United States involving venison deer.

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , Technology , Ford Ford and Microsoft, sittin' in a tree... right, you know the rest. With the official October 22nd launch of Windows 7 right around the corner, the Blue Oval has reportedly pledged to support the Washington-based software company's new operating system however it can. That support will include upgrading all of Ford's own computers from whatever version of Windows they happen to be running (any bets that Ford never made a wholesale switch to Vista?) to the new release. Also making the switch will be Continental Airlines, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Intel. Further, these selected companies are currently meeting with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to discuss how else they can help promote Windows 7. Ford's tie-in with the house that Bill built stems from the fact that the two companies paired up to launch Ford's excellent SYNC infotainment system back in 2007. [Source: Auto Observer , Bloomberg ] SYNC You Very Much: Ford to help Microsoft promote Windows 7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read