Diesel Power sets land speed towing record at 141.998 mph

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Videos, GMC

There are more land speed record categories than we care to count, but the minds at Diesel Power recently tackled one of the more interesting and obscure titles in the realm: the record for the fastest vehicle towing a trailer. That meant the team would need to exceed the 139.11 mph barrier set by the previous record holder. To do that, they whipped up a GMC 2500 HD with over 1,000 horsepower and a two-stage nitrous set up. The trailer itself also required a bit of tweaking, and the crew ditched the standard wheel and tire combination for some V-rated rubber.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should never exceed the posted speed limit, especially when towing a load behind your vehicle. Diesel Power took to the sands of the El Mirage dry lake bed for this stunt, complete with plenty of emergency personnel on hand. The result was 141.998 mph through the traps, which was good enough to take the title. Check out the video below to see the insanity for yourself.

Continue reading Diesel Power sets land speed towing record at 141.998 mph

Diesel Power sets land speed towing record at 141.998 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain twins hit 1M units

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chevrolet, GMC

The GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox twins have been hot sellers since they went on sale in 2009, but even with strong sales, it's still somewhat surprising to hear that the millionth crossover underpinned by the latest Theta platform has already rolled off the assembly line. According to General Motors, a silver 2013 GMC Terrain has just become the milestone model at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Both Chevrolet and GMC models are still selling well. Through September of this year, each line has seen double-digit percentage increases over 2011, and a new, more powerful V6 added to the lineup should help to sell a few more units each month. On their current pace, the Equinox is likely to sell just over 200,000 units in 2012 (compared to 149,979 units just two years ago) while the Terrain should have no problem topping 90,000 units for the year (up from 60,519 units in 2010).

Demand has been so high for the platform mates over the last several years that production capacity has been added in Oshawa, Ontario and more recently, Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Continue reading Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain twins hit 1M units

Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain twins hit 1M units originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM lawsuit over Einstein image use dismissed

Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, GM, GMC

Albert Einstein's image has been used to sell everything from computer software to life insurance. In 2009, General Motors used the legendary physicist's face it in an ad for the 2010 GMC Terrain. It ran only once in a single issue of People Magazine.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem sued the automaker in 2010, arguing Einstein's will gave the school all rights to the use of his image. This week, however, a Los Angeles court said those rights expired 55 years after the scientist's death.

"Now, nearly 60 years after his death, that persona should be freely available to those who seek to appropriate it as part of their own expression, even in tasteless ads," ruled US District Judge Howard Matz. "The obviously humorous ad for the 2010 Terrain having been published 55 years or more after Einstein's death, it is unlikely that any viewer of it could reasonably infer that Einstein... was endorsing the GMC Terrain."

GM lawsuit over Einstein image use dismissed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford, GM win Breakthrough Product awards from Popular Mechanics

Filed under: Europe, Safety, Technology, Ford, GM, GMC

Tucked between an avalanche airbag and a 3D desktop printer, a Ford engine and General Motors' crash avoidance system were named two of Popular Mechanics top 10 breakthrough technology award winners for 2012.

Ford's three-cylinder 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine collected one of Pop Mech's honors by providing power through turbocharging and fuel efficiency through its tiny displacement. While the internal combustion engine has been around for more than 100 years, it's not often that it undergoes such a dramatic improvement.

"We placed the bar incredibly high when we set out to design this engine," said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president, Global Powertrain, in a news release. "We wanted to deliver eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance, quietness and refinement - and all from a very small three-cylinder engine.

GM's crash avoidance system is a big step toward creating self-driving cars. The system, which debuted in the GMC Terrain, uses a camera mounted near the rearview mirror. It follows the lines on the road to ensure the Terrain stays between them and can detect objects that might be in the way.

While many carmakers are introducing similar systems, Popular Mechanics notes that GM's is "the first practical and cost-effective single-camera vision system for crash avoidance in passenger cars."

Ford, GM win Breakthrough Product awards from Popular Mechanics originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: www.autoblog.com

GM promises new Buick Regal and LaCrosse along with new GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon in next 12 months

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Truck, Crossover, Buick, GM, GMC, Luxury

While Chevrolet and Cadillac are the defining brands for General Motors, Buick and GMC seem to be the middle siblings of the auto giant and, therefore, are often overlooked and underappreciated. This might be changing over the next 12 months, though, as these brands are set to receive nine new or refreshed models in this timeframe.

The sole new model to join the lineup is the sub-$25,000 Buick Encore crossover, but the Regal and LaCrosse are all getting mid-cycle updates at some point over the next year, not to mention the refreshed Enclave that we've already seen. Not to be left out, the Buick Verano will be getting a little more pep under the hood courtesy of a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine.

As for GMC, its full-size truck lineup is being completely overhauled. We've already seen spy photos of the new Chevrolet Silverado testing, and GMC confirmed that the Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra and Sierra HD will all be introduced by next fall. All four GMC models will continue to be offered with the added luxury of the Denali trim level as well.

Perhaps the biggest news that came from this announcement was that the GMC Canyon is confirmed for a next-generation model, and it will be built alongside the all-new Chevrolet Colorado at GM's Wentzville, Missouri assembly plant.

Continue reading GM promises new Buick Regal and LaCrosse along with new GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon in next 12 months

GM promises new Buick Regal and LaCrosse along with new GMC Canyon, Sierra and Yukon in next 12 months originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: www.autoblog.com

2013 GMC Acadia priced from $34,875*

Filed under: Car Buying, Technology, Crossover, GMC, Saturn

For those who are interested in the reworked 2013 GMC Acadia, we now know how much you can look forward to forking over. Base MSRP for the 2013 version of the full-size, three-row crossover has been set at $34,875 (*not including a $825 destination charge). If you are interested in the range-topping Denali trim, be prepared to pay $46,770.

The 2013 Acadia will come standard with a backup camera, leather-wrapped steering wheel, USB port and recycled visuals from the now-dead Saturn Outlook.

Upping to the Denali trim gets you a head-up display, blind spot monitoring system and GMC's new Rear Cross Traffic Alert system. According to GMC, most trims will also receive IntelliLink connectivity as standard equipment. The Acadia will also get the industry's first front-center airbag, an innovation it shares with other Lambda-based crossovers like the refreshed 2013 Buick Enclave. The idea behind the new tube-shaped airbag is that it can provide a buffer between driver and front seat passenger in the event of an impact, or better hold the driver in place if he or she is alone.

The Acadia will continue to be powered by GM's ubiquitous direct-injected 3.6-liter V6, making 288 horsepower and 279 pound feet of torque. With standard front-wheel drive, the Acadia returns 17 miles per gallon city and 24 highway. Opting for all-wheel-drive docks just one mile per gallon from both ratings. For more information on the updated 2013 Acadia, check out the press release below.

Continue reading 2013 GMC Acadia priced from $34,875*

2013 GMC Acadia priced from $34,875* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: www.autoblog.com

OnStar bug forces GM to halt deliveries on 60,000 vehicles

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

General Motors stopped the sale of certain 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox and Volt models as well as 2013 Buick Verano units, GMC Terrain crossovers and 2012 Cadillac SRX, XTS and ATS vehicles due to a problem with the onboard OnStar crash notification system. According to Automtotive News, the affected units would not notify emergency responders of an accident in any collision that did not actuate the vehicle's airbags. That could include rear-end impacts. GM says the software glitch won't take long to address and doesn't impact the crash notification system in accidents that involve deployed airbags. The trouble doesn't prevent the airbags from deploying, either.

All told, the stop-sale covers around 60,000 vehicles already on dealer lots. GM has already cleared some of those for sale thanks to a remote reflash sent through the OnStar system. Automotive News reports that unfortunately, the fix hasn't worked on every vehicle, and dealers are having to manually install the fix on the remainder of the impacted units. GM expects the repair to be completed by the end of September.

OnStar bug forces GM to halt deliveries on 60,000 vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: www.autoblog.com