Jump Fail: Can You Guess What Happens Next?

Here’s one jump that won’t buff out. For reasons beyond logic, the driver of a fairly new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck decided to impress his buddies (and his….insurer) at a meet on the sand dunes of Silver Lake in Michigan, USA, by performing a high-speed jump stunt. The laws of physics pretty much explain what happens next.

If you're still wondering, follow the jump to watch the video and leave your comments below.

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2012 Chevrolet Impala: First Photos and Details, gets 3.6-liter V6 SIDI

While it may not be the redesign Chevrolet fans were hoping for, nevertheless, five years after the introduction of the current Impala onto the market in 2006, General Motors is updating its full size sedan with some barely noticeable cosmetic changes and a new standard engine for the 2012 model year.

The most significant change is of course the adoption of General Motor’s latest 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology and E85 Flex-fuel capability, linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The preliminary spec-sheet does not refer to performance numbers, but it has been reported that the V6 should be good for around 302-horsepower.

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Toyota Sales Plunge More than 33% in May, Chrysler Group up by 10%

The numbers for U.S. auto sales for the month of May are out and as expected, Japanese automakers continue to be hit hard by the ongoing production disruptions caused by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in their home market. As a result, Toyota’s sales plunged 33.4% over the year-ago month to 108,387 units, while rivaling Honda saw its sales fall 22.5% to 90,773 vehicles, Nissan recorded a 9.1% drop to 76,148 units and Mazda 17,875 vehicles, down 20.9%.

General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 221,192 vehicles in May posting a decline of 1%, while the Ford Motor Co. said its sales decreased by 0.1% to 192,253 cars, trucks and SUVs.

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SCOOP: Mystery Chevrolet Small Crossover / MPV Spotted in Europe, What is it?

We’re not quite sure what to make of this new Chevrolet prototype that was caught by our scoop photographers on European roads. The test vehicle appears to be a small or compact MPV in a taller, SUV-esque design with short overhangs and an upright fascia reminiscent of the latest Chevy models. Our man with the long-lens told us that the camouflaged prototype was clearly smaller than the Orlando people mover that’s offered in Europe.

It could be that Chevrolet is working on a new small crossover model based on an extended version of General Motors’ Gamma II platform. The same architecture underpins the new Chevy Spark and Aveo / Sonic and will also form the base for the future Opel Corsa and its SUV sibling that is currently under development.

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Big Brother is Watching, Well, All of us: U.S. DoT Seeks to Make Event Data Recorders Mandatory

Australian inventor and all-round genius Dr David Warren is widely considered to be the father of the “black box” Flight Data Recorder (FDR). His invention helped make flying safer by giving investigators valuable insights into the mechanical goings-on of a crashed aircraft. What may surprise you is that for the last twenty years similar devices have been installed in our cars.

Event Data Recorders (EDRs) are the automotive equivalent of an aircraft’s FDR. These devices record acceleration and deceleration forces, engine RPM, temperature, oil pressure and a host of other things. After a crash, the information can be recovered and studied, aiding investigators.

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Vauxhall Insignia gains New 1.4-Liter Turbo Petrol and Improved EcoFlex Diesels

It’s model-year changeover over time for the Vauxhall Insignia with the British company announcing the addition of a low emissions ecoFLEX diesel model and a new-to-the-range 1.4 Turbo petrol engine. Read more »

Rumors: Opel Astra GTC May Come to the U.S. as a Buick

It seems the success of the Buick Regal, which is essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia, has determined GM management to consider bringing another Opel to the U.S., the Astra GTC hatch. Buick will soon have a compact sedan in its range, the Astra-based Verano due to be launched this fall, but it also wants a sporty hatchback with enough power and fine handling to lure young buyers. Read more »

GM’s Opel follows in the Footsteps of Ford, Asks Bloggers to Write About the Astra GTC to Attend the Presentation

Those of you readers that have been with us for a while might remember our revealing post about Ford Motor Company’s shady marketing tactics (via its media agency) to attract attention and web traffic to the brand by asking bloggers to participate in a Ford website-linking contest and win a place in the company’s 2010 Model Year Drive event.

That said, we are no strangers to the mommy-blogger-type approach from marketing companies representing major automotive brands, but we never cease to be amazed. This time we were approached by a social media agency called Knallgrau on behalf of GM’s European Opel unit. When we received the first email, we believed it was a media / press invitation but upon our request for additional information, we discovered that wasn’t the case.

In a similar fashion to the Ford incident, the agency asked if we wanted to write about the new Astra GTC and participate in a type of contest, the winners of which will be invited to the official unveiling of the three-door hatchback at Opel’s headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

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Last Cadillac DTS Heads to Bulgari Collection

It may not be anywhere close to being a historic model for Cadillac, but for some, the outgoing DTS has a special place in their wish list. In fact so special that Nicola Bulgari of the renowned Italian jewelry, perfume and more recently hotel chain family, decided to add the last DTS to roll off the production line to his personal car collection.

“Is it important?” Nicola Bulgari asked. “Is it the number or the quality that matters? It’s the quality. I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan,” said Bulgari. “It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in a DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed – reliable and a performer.”

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Chevrolet Shows How it Tests the 2011 Camaro Convertible’s Top

A new video from General Motors gives us an insight on how its engineers test the durability of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible’s soft-top. The company said that during the development phase, the electrically operated tops of the prototype models were opened and closed more than 22,500 times, which is claimed to be three times more than what an average driver would do in 10 years of use. GM added that some of those tests were performed in extreme weather conditions with temperatures ranging from minus-22° F to 170° F and humidity of up to 95 percent. Read more »

Report: Next Holden Commodore VF to get Aluminium Panels, Electric Power Steering

*Current Holden WM Caprice pictured in the above development sketch

When Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series launches in Australian in 2014, it will be the first locally-produced automobile to incorporate mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. In addition, the new large car, which will also spawn a long-wheelbase Caprice model, will get improved aerodynamics and electric power steering in place of the current-gen’s hydraulic unit. It’s all part of an effort by Holden to lighten up its flagship model and thereby make it more fuel efficient in an effort to remain competitive with the likes of the locally-produced Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Fuel savings are expected to be around the 7% mark, bringing the 9.1lt /100 km (26 mpg) combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more politically-correct 8.4 lt/ 100 km (28 mpg). Similar savings will be experienced with the older 3.6 L Alloytec V6: 9.1 lt / 100 km (26 mpg) down from 9.8 lt / 100 km (24 mpg). The program is part-funded by the Australian federal government, which poured AU$39.8 million in from the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund.

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Q&A with Endora Cars on its Corvette-Based SC-1

Coachbuilt Corvettes are a dime a dozen these days, but only a select few builds manage to stand out from the crowd. The most recent Corvette-based proposal to pop up in the news is the new SC-1 from Endora-Cars, a company based in Karlshuld, a municipality in the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen in Bavaria, Germany.

Now, seeing that the SC-1 captured the attention of you, our readers (albeit in a sort of love-it-or-hate-it kind of way), we came in contact with Endora Cars and asked their spokesman, Björn Marek, a few questions about their Corvette-based build. Follow the jump to read our Q&A session with Marek.

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Endora SC-1: A New Coachbuilt Corvette from Germany

The Corvette is not only a popular sports car among buyers but also among individual coachbuilders. Over the years, we’ve shown you tons of Corvette-based builds ranging from the bad-ass Rossi SixtySix and the Genadi LSR Roadster to the more recent Soleil Anadi. In other words, there’s a Corvette for every taste, however outlandish you can imagine.

The latest company to jump onto the Corvette coachbuilding bandwagon is Endora Cars, which is based in Germany. Their build is called the SC-1 and it’s styling is inspired by the American and European sports cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. Seen here in the first official renderings, the SC-1 blends certain elements of the Corvette such as the Coke-bottle profile and sweeping roof, with a sharp front nose and a unique rear end along with partially covered rear wheel arches.

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So Long and Thanks for all the Fish: The Last of San Francisco’s U.S. Dealerships Closes its Doors for Good

Are you in the market for a new car in San Francisco and are considering a product built by America’s Big 2.5? If so, then I have some bad news: the last U.S. domestic automaker dealership has just shut up shop. San Francisco Ford Lincoln Mercury on Van Ness Avenue closed a few weeks ago, leaving some 50 employees out of a job.

Ford Lincoln Mercury presidente Mel Turner told the San Fransisco Chronicle: “We are proud to have served the San Francisco community and will be focusing over the coming weeks on helping employees through this transition and ensuring our current customer commitments are met.”

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New Opel Zafira Tourer Receives its Video Debut

Across the pond, General Motors is upping the ante in the popular compact MPV sector with the introduction of Opel’s third generation Zafira model that will go on sale in most European countries this autumn. The production version of Opel’s Geneva show concept will also wear Vauxhall’s badges with the first cars to reach UK showrooms by early 2012.

We have already brought you the news and the first batch of photos in our previous post (see here), but now we have also obtained the launch film showing Opel’s people carrier on the move.

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Defunct Brand Owners Shun GM and Ford

There are some three million former Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer customers in the United States, all of whom will unlikely ever have the pleasure of buying a newer model of their current make again. These are some of America’s defunct brands, all gone the same way as Plymouth, DeSoto, Packard and many others. These latest additions were culled following General Motors bankruptcy reorganisation in 2009. And Mercury owners are in the same boat.

Now, Ford and GM are desperately trying to hold onto these “brand-less” customers. Accoriding to a report from the Wall Street Journal, in this year alone, 70% Pontiac owners, 71% of Saturn owners and 65% of Mercury owners who traded in their vehicles left with something other than a Ford or GM product.

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Holden Begins Local Testing of New Cruze Hatchback

Following the Australian market launch of the locally made and subtly refreshed Cruze Series II Sedan in March, GM’s Holden division announced today that it has began testing the five-door hatchback version of the subcompact model to fine tune the car before its introduction later this year. Holden also released two new photos of the Cruze hatch, which was designed by the firm’s Port Melbourne design studio. Read more »

GM Issues Recall for 2011 U.S.-spec Chevrolet Cruze Models

After the initial 2,100 inspections triggered by a detached steering wheel, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze - pretty much all models built for North America since production started in summer 2010.

The reason for this action is related to a steering issue as well, with GM saying it wants to check that the steering shaft was properly installed. The company didn't say whether or not the two recalls are related, but added it will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission. In this case, GM wants to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.

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Sport Truck Redux: New Rumors About the Holden Ute Heading to the U.S.A.

It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland. It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck.

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Chevrolet Begins Taking Orders for Volt in Canada

General Motors is adding Canada to the list of countries that will soon get the Chevrolet Volt as starting from today, the company’s dealers in seven key regions across the country will begin accepting orders for the extended range electric vehicle, with prices starting from at CA$41,545 (equal to US$43,780 at today’s exchange rates). Read more »