AUTOMOBILE WORLD – CAR NEWS, CAR REVIEWS, CAR INTRODUCTIONS, ALL ABOUT CARS

The third generation of the Corvette didn’t get a very good reception when it was launched in 1968. The pundits were unimpressed with the new flamboyant styling, inspired by the Marko Shark show car of 1966. With its aggressive pointed noise, flying buttresses flanking the rear window (on the coupe) and the sharply cut off tail featuring pseudo Ferrari round tail lights, it seemingly failed to please. Although Chevrolet advertised the car as ‘all new all over’, in fact the 1968 car was little different from its predecessors, retaining the same separate chassis and a crude but fairly effective, form of independent rear suspension first in 1963. The fact that it drew so heavily from its predecessors was the main strength of the car. It certainly helped to keep it strong with the public in terms of popularity, sales and performance. Disc brakes were at least standard across the board now. The car was also offered with a range of V8 engines that give it the performance to live up to its aggressive look. The basic 5.4 liter small block was good for 300bhp and 0-60mph (96km/h) in 8.4 seconds, even with automatic transmission. If you opted for one of the big block 427 units, you had a truly awesome machine. The tri Carb delivered 435bhp.

If the critics didn’t like the Corvette at first, then the buyers certainly did. That was why the car became the most long lived and successful of the marque, lasting in production until 1984. Basically, the real reason why the critics were holding back on praise for the new Corvette was because it was replacing a generation of Corvette that had won a place in almost everyone’s hearts.

Posted February 14, 2010 Comments(0)

Based on Chevrolet’s basic ‘senior compact’ sedan developed from the Chevy II line of the early 1960s, the Nova SS was a miniature muscle car built for body racers with a restricted budget and a passion for large amounts of power. Although they were big cars by European standards, in their humble six cylinder form the Nova SS provided everyday transport for thousands of American who regarded cars as mere domestic appliances. With the V8 engines fitted, however, the Nova took on a new personality; it became one of the most respected off the shelf hot rods around. The SS package offered small and big block V8s, the latter delivering up to 375 bhp in solid lifter L-38 form. These cars available only by special order and not always officially catalogued could complete a quarter mile (400 m) dash in 14 seconds and top 120 mph (192 km/h). There were three and four speed manual and three speed automatic transmission options. The SS package also included special decals, sports wheels and hood ornaments to let other drivers know what they were dealing with. It has an awesome engine of 5737 cc equipped with Monocoque chassis with independent suspension.

Other options included significantly beefed up suspension and front disc brakes. Power steering was an option the steering was very heavy without it, but despite this the Nova SS was well regarded for its handling. Hot rod like the Nova became less socially acceptable as the 1970s dawned, and after the 1972 no more up rated SS versions were offered. This helped to make it a highly collectable vehicle.

Posted February 13, 2010 Comments(0)

The SS was a new package on Chevrolet’s aggressive looking Impala line for 1961. Although no body knew it at the time, it was really one of the first ‘muscle cars’ produced and this has helped earn it a place in auto history. Presenting a slimmer profile with a large glass area and virtually no rear fins, the Impala was a sub series of the basic Biscayne and Bel Air models that formed the backbone of the Chevrolet range, yet it was a very different type of car. The shape dated back to the sea gull wing 1959 design. The SS, a dealer fitted option package, featured leather grained vinyl upholstery, bucket seats, swirl pattern instrument panel inserts, a silver anodized rear panel and special wheel trims. Power came from a choice of the five V8s, ranging in size from a relatively ‘soft’ hydraulic lifter 283 cu.in. (4639cc) unit 230 bhp, to a wild solid lifter 360 bhp 409 cu.in (6704cc) limp.Thus equipped, the Impala was a real brute, capable of 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 7.8 seconds. SS models came with power brakes and steering, and had their suspension up rated with heavy duty shock absorbers and springs.

The drum brakes came with sintered metallic linings in an attempt to address the problem of fade during high speed use. The Impala spear head a brief American domination of saloon car racing in Europe where, driven by such legendary talents as Graham Hill and Dan Gurney, the Impala showed it could keep up with, and sometimes even beat, the MK II Jaguars who had grown used to having it all their own way in European competitors.

Posted February 12, 2010 Comments(0)

The even out of the all-new Chevrolet Traverse crossover efficacy vehicles is approaching, and the 1st vehicles are now being weathered at General Motors Corp.’s Milford Proving Grounds. Under the Traverse’s lid is a 3.6-liter V-6 with direct fuel injection to accomplish to some extent enhanced power and gas mileage than the engines in the variants Outlook, Acadia and Enclave. 3-row curtain airbags and an electronic solidity system are customary, and all-wheel drive is discretionary. The Traverse goes on trade in early October with an opening price of $28,990 (counting freight) for the base, 2-wheel-drive LS variant. 3 other trim levels will be proffered: 1LT, 2LT and top-of-the-line LTZ.

The Traverse sports the identical stacked grille as the revamped Chevy Malibu. The elevated beltline and soaring roof are archetypal of the majority of the large crossovers, while the taillights evoke Chevy’s Camaro model. A panoramic moon roof is elective. 17-inch steel wheels are customary, while up level variants have 18- or 20-inch alloys. Like practically all crossovers, the Traverse has a 4-wheel-independent suspension that augurs well for on-road soothe, if not off-road capability. Chevrolet reveals the Traverse’s suspension tweaking is the sportiest of its siblings. Frontage, side-impact and elevation curtain airbags are customary. The curtains wrap all 3 rows of seats. All-wheel disc antilock brakes and an electronic solidity system are also customary.

Posted July 17, 2008 Comments(0)

The Chevrolet Malibu nameplate has been hanging around for quiet some time, long time, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Once a full-size car, the Malibu has in modern years been Chevrolet’s bread-and-butter sedan, fitting in the elite spruced up linage placed just below the larger Impala, which is itself a downsized variant of the elderly full-size Impala.

Chevrolet says it has customized the platform with some superfluous strength and additional steel right in the central tunnel area and on the body sides to assist quiet the car and enhance its collided performance. More steel was boosted with amalgamated inner fenders, thicker glass, and sprayed-on sound wadding throughout the body cavity. It’s a larger car inside than the preceding variant, but it’s less significant on the exterior, even further the design speculates that it looks even lengthier than the outgoing car.

We initiate that the Malibu to be a silky, comfy sedan with plethora of power and receptive. It smacks a nice sense of balance between well-controlled behavior and a silky ride. Overall, the novel Malibu feels silky, sophisticated and pleasing to drive. The cabin is adequately designed, gorgeous, and the whole lot is easy to maneuver, and the seats are comfy. In short, we believe that the Chevy Malibu strands up well when competed against the likes of Toyota Camry and Honda Accord gold standards.

Posted April 24, 2008 Comments(0)