Cadillac to Offer iPad with Special Apps on all 2013 XTS Sedans

General Motors is lifting a page from Hyundai's initiative to replace the traditional owner's manual book with an Apple iPad on the Equus, by offering a standard iPad on the new 2013 Cadillac XTS full-size sedan to assist owners with the CUE infotainment system.

What differentiates Cadillac's move from the Korean automaker is that the XTS's iPad is more interactive as it will come pre-fitted with several special apps including one that replicates many of the controls and features of the CUE center stack along with the MyCadillac App and OnStar RemoteLink.

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Chevrolet Caprice Police and Detective Patrol Cars Appear on eBay

While General Motors never intended to offer the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) to the public, used examples of the Holden-based and built large sedan can be found on eBay.

As a matter of fact, there are three Chevrolet Caprice currently up for grabs on the popular online marketplace including two PPVs, one in white and the other painted in the traditional black and white colors (without any emblems, of course), and a stealthier model with the Detective Package.

All three Caprice models are powered by GM's 6.0-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 384 lb-ft torque, hooked up to a six-speed automatic driving the rear wheels.

The Chevrolet Caprice is based on the Australian market Holden Caprice, without all the bells and whistles. The Caprice itself is a long-wheelbase version of the Commodore and Pontiac G8 models.

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GM Wants Cadillac to Follow in the Successful Footsteps of Buick in China

Last year, Buick sold 177,633 vehicles in the States and 645,537 cars in China, with the Excelle, which is the local version of the Verano sedan, taking the first spot overall in the passenger car segment.

Cadillac, on the other hand, delivered 152,389 vehicles in the U.S. but only about 30,000 in the world's most populous country, despite an increase of 73 percent over 2010.

Given China's thirst for luxury products, it is no wonder that General Motors would like to repeat the success of Buick with its flagship brand.

According to General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, who was speaking on the company's first quarter earnings call for 2012, there is a plan in motion to boost Cadillac's sales in China six-fold in the next few years.

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Opel Reportedly Mulling to End Astra Production in Germany in 2015

General Motors' struggling Opel brand may end production of the popular Astra compact model at its Rüsselsheim plant in Germany after the presentation of the next generation model in 2015, according to a report from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).

Citing unnamed senior labor representatives who are involved in restructuring talks, the German newspaper wrote that GM's top brass in Europe is proposing to transfer production of Opel's second bestselling model after the Corsa to its existing factories in Ellesmere Port, England and Gliwice, Poland.

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GM Sells Record 227,217 Vehicles in China in April, Toyota's Sales up 68 Percent in the Country

April turned out to be a very positive sales month in China for two of the world's largest automakers, General Motors and Toyota.

The Detroit firm and its joint ventures in China set a domestic sales record for April of 227,217 vehicles, up 11.7 percent from the same month last year. In the first four months of 2012, GM's sales totaled 972,369 units, an increase of 9.4 percent on an annual basis.

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2013 Cadillac ATS Compact Sports Sedan Starts at $33,990

Given that the summer launch of the all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS is just around the corner, General Motors decided it was time to reveal initial pricing data on its compact luxury sports sedan, which eyes the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloons.

Cadillac's new entry-level sedan will be offered with a choice of three powerplants, with prices starting at $33,990, including destination charges, for the base rear-wheel drive version propelled by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four producing 200HP and 188 lb-ft (255Nm).

The wreath and crest brand says that the base model's highway fuel economy will be "well over 30 mpg".

Moving up a step in the range will get you GM's new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit rated at 270-horses and 260 lb-ft (353Nm) of torque, with this version priced from $35,795, including destination. Buyers will be able to choose between 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions, as well as rear- or all-wheel drive.

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Runs the Quarter Mile in 11.93 Seconds

General Motors engineers recently took the new 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the drag strip to see how fast it could run the quarter mile (~400m).

A showroom-stock Camaro ZL1 with the six-speed automatic and the factory-issued Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 tires completed the run in 11.93 seconds with an exit speed of 116 mph (187 km/h), while the six-speed manual model ran an 11.96-second ET at 117 mph (188 km/h).

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Spied: New European Market Opel / Vauxhall Astra Sedan

In what seems like ages in the auto industry, Opel and its British sister brand Vauxhall are still developing the Astra sedan more than three years since the introduction of the hatchback model in the fall of 2009, and two years after Buick launched the Chinese market version of the car under the Excelle GT nameplate.

In the meantime, GM also brought a Buick version of the Astra sedan named the Verano to the North American market.

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Eight Global Automakers Including GM, Ford, BMW and the VW Group to Display Universal Fast Charger

The ascent of electric vehicles has posed the question of how they will be charged as each automaker had developed its own technique, but that is the equivalent of having different fuel ports on gasoline-powered models.

One of the answers to this question comes from eight major automakers from the United States and Germany that have agreed upon a common fast-charging technology for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States.

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Opel Builds 500,000th Insignia at its Rüsselsheim Plant

Opel's Rüsselsheim plant reached a new milestone last week with the production of the 500,000th Insignia, less than four years after its market launch in October of 2008.

The vehicle in question was a white Insignia Sports Tourer fitted with Opel's new 192hp (195PS) 2.0 BiTurbo diesel engine which had its debut in February.

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Detroit's Big Three Face Significant Problems and Big Loses in Europe

All in all, the US automotive industry is in a very good shape, especially if you consider that three years ago General Motors and Chrysler were one step before closing shop.

General Motors, helped by a raft of new products and Toyota’s production problems, is once again the world’s number one car manufacturer. The Pentastar has tied up with Fiat – and even though the latter was thought to be the knight in shining armor, now it is Chrysler that is bringing in the profits while its Italian partner is struggling.

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General Motors in Talks with Isuzu on Acquiring a 10% Stake

It has been three years since General Motors sold back its stake in Japanese car and truck manufacturer Isuzu after the Detroit company went into bankruptcy in 2009, though the two automakers never terminated their collaboration as evidenced by the new Chevrolet Colorado and the latest Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks.

Now we learn from Reuters that GM is interested in entering a new capital tie-up with Isuzu, reportedly to launch joint projects for commercial vehicles in Asia as well as Central and South America.

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Simple fix for a severe and self perpetuating catastrophic chain reaction in 67-69 Camaros with V-8 engines

When the driver side mount broke, engine torque made the block lift up, and pull open the accelerator linkage.
This caused an increase in pull on the throttle to the carb, causing increased revs and more torque twist to the engine, and with more upward movement causing more runaway acceleration in a vicious circle.

This runaway sequence would only stop when the engine hit the underside of the hood.

But that wasn't all, the twisting upward engine pulled the power brake booster vacuum hose loose, making it harder to stop the car, and if that wasn't bad enough... the twist also caused a problem with the automatic transmission, which would shift to the right, with a result of the car no longer having a park position and being able to start in reverse.

New motor mounts cost $50 a unit, and so GM fixed the issue with a $1.00 bracket and cable to hold the engine down if/when the motor mount broke.

Consider that the problem caused a 6.68 million car recall, then multiply the number of cars by the cost of the repair part, and you can see why Gm went for the cheap simple fix.

I learned all this from the May 2012 issue of MuscleCar Review, page 24

Chevrolet Prepares Consumers for U.S. Arrival of Diesel-Powered Cruze with Facts and Figures

Ask any European about the benefits of diesel engines in passenger cars and invariably the answer will be about fuel efficiency and increased reliability over gasoline units.

It has taken Americans more than two decades to re-embrace diesel engines after a catastrophic attempt in the 1980s, but thanks to German automakers like Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, and let's not forget, the rising cost of fuel, oil burners are on the menu again.

While das Germans have done most of the job of informing U.S. consumers about the new generation of diesels and how they differ from their sooty and finicky counterparts of the past, GM took a moment to introduce its side of the story as it prepares for the domestic launch of the Cruze Diesel, which arrives next year.

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Would You Believe that Someone is Asking $750,000 for this Car!

Without a doubt, if this car could talk, it would most certainly say, "Kill me, kill me now". What you are looking at in these pictures was found for sale on a Turkish online marketplace called Sahibinden by Carscoop reader 'Ilgin'.

The seller describes the vehicle as a "one-of-a-kind" hand built creation powered by a GM-sourced V8 engine delivering "between 426 and 450 horses", apparently not including the horses featured on the bonnet and the hood...

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Roewe Unwraps New 950 Flagship Sedan Based on the Buick LaCrosse at the Beijing Motor Show

Roewe, the Chinese brand that was formed from the leftovers of Rover after the British company collapsed in 2005 has now turned to General Motors for help in creating its new flagship sedan model.

At the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Roewe celebrated the world premiere of the new 950 that borrows the platform and running gear of the current generation Buick LaCrosse, which is also sold in China.

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Natural Gas Option for Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD Comes at an $11,000 Premium

General Motors has announced pricing for the new bi-fuel option on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500HD trucks that allows them to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline fuel.

Regardless of trim grade or body style, the bi-fuel option will cost $11,000 above the suggested base-vehicle price, which means prices start from $40,100 for both the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD. Buyers will be able to place their orders from Thursday, April 19, 2012.

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GM to Kill Chevrolet Avalanche, Presents One Last Special Edition Named Black Diamond

The Chevrolet Avalanche will soon go the way of the dodo bird as General Motors has decided it's time to end the model series, which was presented back in 2001 and was redesigned in 2007.

To mark the end of production, Chevrolet has introduced a special edition named the 2013 Avalanche Black Diamond, while also offering additional features on the rest of the lineup.

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Chevrolet Collector Wants to Add a Guinness World Records Title to his Collection

Some people collect stamps, others collect coins but for Charlie Mallon it's all about Chevrolet memorabilia.

The 54-year-old auto dealership consultant has been amassing Chevrolet items for the past 40 years with his collection including signs, racing flags, coffee table books, soda cans, hats, belts, shirts, playing cards, drinking glasses, posters, tractor trailers, a biplane and miniature cars – lots of them, 2,181 different pieces to be precise.

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Wiper Problem Leads to the Recall of 50,001 Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia SUVs

General Motors has issued a new recall that affects certain 2011-2012 model year Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia crossovers registered in 28 cold-weather states and Washington, D.C over a problem with the windshield wipers. Read more »