Chevrolet Corvette

Set to be unveiled this weekend, the updated model is outfitted with new seats, a revised steering wheel and a padded center console. Furthermore, new options include a Bose audio system, a technology package (with GPS navigation) and colored brake calipers (in red, yellow, silver or gray).
The mid-level Z06 can be ordered with Performance Traction Management, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, a carbon fiber hood and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires which are "essentially street-legal versions of a racing tire."
Likewise, the ZR1 gains a new PDE performance package with a full-width rear spoiler and new aluminum wheels equipped the aforementioned tires. More notably, the car also has a revised transmission - with taller gearing - which enables it to achieve an additional 2 mpg highway.

Chevrolet Volt garage fire

The cars were a brand-new 2011 Chevrolet Volt with just 2,000 miles on the odometer and a converted all-electric Suzuki Samurai that the homeowner, Storm Connors, converted himself years ago. At this early stage, it is impossible to tell if one or the other vehicles was the cause of the blaze – or if it was one of the charging systems or the garage's electrical system – but firemen who responded to the 911 call said that this is one angle that the investigators will look in to. Local news channel WTNH reports that Connors, "likes his cars too much to think having them charging in the garage started the fire." Another news channel, WFSB, says that, "fire officials suspect an electric hybrid car may have sparked" the blaze.You can watch a video news report of the aftermath after the jump. Interestingly, Connors himself has commented on AutoblogGreen stories in the past, so our thoughts go out to a reader who is dealing with a terrible loss. Hat tip to Pete!

Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro Imagine our disappointment when we sampled the Camaro, in both V6 and V8 guise, and found that it just didn’t work. With a driving position that has you sitting on top of, rather than inside the seat, the visibility of a WWII machine gun nest, nest and a steering system that used Cream Of Wheat as hydraulic fluid, the Camaro Coupe is unpleasant to drive, even with a sweet V8 soundtrack and the ability to make bystanders gawk in wonderment.

On the upside, the chassis isn’t that bad, and the LS3 V8 delivered all of the magic that we expect from a Chevrolet Camaro small-block. But as a closed top sports car, we found ourselves longing for the lighter, less powerful, but more rewarding Ford Mustang GT every single time.
V6 OR V8: IT’S YOUR CHOICE BUT IT WILL COST YOU

On paper, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible isn’t too far off from the coupe. A 3.6L V6 making 312-horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque appears as the base engine and can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox, while the LS3 V8 is available exclusively with the 6-speed manual, and pumps out a brawny 426-horsepower V8 and 420 lb-ft of torque. Automatic V8s get an L99 V8 with 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of twist.

Chevy Cruze 2LT

Chevy Cruze 2LT Rather than take yet another kick at the compact can, GM has effectively abdicated development of their newest small car, the Chevrolet Cruze, to other divisions across the globe, most notably Opel and GM Daewoo Auto Technology Company (yes, that Daewoo). Built in 8 factories (located everywhere from Australia to Kazakhstan) and sold in over 60 countries, the Cruze has to satisfy a dizzying set of demands, serving everyone from affluent North Americans who may buy the car for their adult children, to overtaxed Europeans who will pay incredible sums for what they consider a “family car.”

The North American launch of the Chevy Cruze 2LT was delayed by about a year, but the Cruze ended up arriving here at the best possible time – the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra are all long in the tooth and due for a re-design. The new Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus are only now hitting dealers, and cars like the Suzuki SX4 are on the radar of almost nobody. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Chevy Cruze 2LT has the upper hand in a segment devoid of new product – but that means that GM won’t be able to blame anyone else should the Cruze suddenly stall in the marketplace.