Check out Motor Trend's Truck of the Year! 2011 Chevy Silverado HD

Dec. 11, 2010 - The Chevrolet Silverado HD is the 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, completing a rare same-year sweep of the prestigious car and truck awards. Chevrolet also earned the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

The truck award was presented to GM CEO Dan Akerson before the 111th Army-Navy Game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Chevrolet is the Official Vehicle of the Army-Navy Game.

"On the outside the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD appears to have been given a subtle makeover, but it's what's under the skin that makes this truck a winner," said Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie. "Chevy engineers focused on three key areas – powertrain, frame, and suspension – to deliver a truck with significantly improved capability and more refinement."

The new 2011 Silverado HD built in Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind., was introduced this summer, featuring new frame and suspension designs, and a more powerful Duramax diesel engine with 397 horsepower, 765 lb.-ft. of torque, and 11 percent better fuel-economy. As a result, the 2011 Silverado HD is capable of towing up to 21,700 pounds, or carrying 6,635 pounds of payload. The new Silverado HD also offers available confidence- and control-related features specifically for towing including electronic trailer sway control, hill start assist and smart exhaust brake system.

"With more capability and technology than ever before, we believe the Chevrolet Silverado HD sets the bar for heavy-duty trucks," said Akerson. "It's a great honor to have such a respected authority as Motor Trend agree."

The full report from Motor Trend appears in the February issue of the magazine (on newsstands in early January) and online at www.motortrend.com. Chevrolet also earned the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award for the Volt, the industry's first electric car with extended-range capability.

It is the first time since 2006 that one brand has won both Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year awards in the same year. Chevrolet and Buick won both awards in 1979.

www.JimButlerChevrolet.com Silverado HD inventory!

[Source: Motor Trend, GM News]

2011 Chevrolet Volt is awarded "Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year"!

"I expected a science fair experiment. But this is a moonshot."
Chris Theodore is a wily veteran of the auto business, a seasoned development engineer whose impressive resume includes vehicles as thoughtfully executed as the Chrysler minivan and as tightly focused as the Ford GT.

As one of the consultant judges on this year's COTY panel, Chris brought the deep insight and professional skepticism you'd expect of someone who's spent his entire working life making cars. But our 2011 Car of the Year, Chevrolet's ground-breaking Volt, has blown him away.
"This is a fully developed vehicle with seamlessly integrated systems and software, a real car that provides a unique driving experience. And commuters may never need to buy gas!"
Like all of us on the staff at Motor Trend, Chris is an enthusiast, a man who'll keep a thundering high-performance V-8 in his garage no matter how high gas prices go. But he nailed the Volt's place in automotive history: "If this is the brave new world, then it's an acceptable definition."

In the 61-year history of the Car of the Year award, there have been few contenders as hyped -- or as controversial -- as the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt started life an Old GM project, then arrived fully formed as a symbol of New GM, carrying all the emotional and political baggage of that profound and painful transition. As a result, a lot of the sound and fury that has surrounded the Volt's launchhas tended to obscure a simple truth: This automobile is a game-changer.

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
The Volt boasts some of the most advanced engineering ever seen in a mainstream American automobile. The powertrain allows the car to run as an EV, a series hybrid, or a parallel hybrid, depending on how far you drive and how you drive. The secret sauce is how GM controls the powerflow between the 149-horse electricmotor, the generator, and the 84-horse,1.4-liter naturally aspirated internal-combustion engine. It's fundamentally different from the way Toyota handles things in the Prius.

Attention to detail is impressive. The Volt's wheels, for example, are forged aluminum to reduce weight, shod with specially developed low-rolling-resistance tires. While some consumers may never need to regularly put gas in the car, the internal combustion engine will fire automatically from time to time to ensure the integrity of the fueling system, and to prevent the vehicle being stuck with a tank full of stale gas. And finally, the Volt is built on GM's highly flexible Global Compact Vehicle Architecture (other GCVA vehicles include the Chevy Cruze, the Opel Astra, and the forthcoming Opel Zafira minivan), which means its advanced powertrain can be easily adapted to other vehicle formats.

ADVANCEMENT IN DESIGN
As Toyota discovered with the Camry Hybrid, people who want to buy a vehicle with a highly efficient powertrain want everyone else to know they're driving a car with a highly efficient powertrain. Chevy clearly has watched and learned. The Volt's exterior design brings a unique look to the Chevy lineup. It's a compact that's clearly different from other small Chevys, yet clearly still one of the family. The front end graphic is outstanding -- strong, confident, and tastefully upscale.

Much of the exterior design obviously has been driven by the pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency. The sharp rear corners and high decklid with integrated spoiler are all about managing the airflow at the rear of the car. But the black graphic under the side windows and the heat-soaking black roof-both artifacts designed to link the car with the fundamentally different Volt Concept-seem somewhat gratuitous.

The interior is relatively conventional, save for the impressive high-resolution-and highly interactive-instrument and center stack LCD screens, and the center stack itself, whose shiny, white surfacing and slightly hard-to-see, touch-sensitive switchgear seems like an obvious homage to Apple's iPod. (If you can't stand Steve Jobs, the center stack can also be finished in dark gray.) Plastic panels in the front doors allow an effective, low-cost means of changing the Volt's interior colorway.

EFFICIENCY
The Volt's unique powertrain not only defies established labels; it also defies established methods of determining fuel economy. After all, this is a vehicle that will complete the standard EPA fuel economy test in full EV mode, making conventional mileage calculations impossible.

While it is entirely possible that a consumer able to use the Volt in pure EV mode most of the time could use no more than a tank of gas-9.3 gallons-a year (because as noted earlier the car will automatically start the internal-combustion engine at regular intervals to keep the fuel system functional and the gas fresh), it is not a perpetual-motion machine. It requires energy to move. Our testing showed that, in EV mode, the Volt uses energy at the rate 32.0 kW-hr/100 miles or a notional 105 mpg (based on the EPA calculation that a gallon of gas contains 33.7 kW-hr of energy). The internal-combustion engine sips gas at the rate of about 40 mpg.

In a multiday, 299-mile test that involved a mixture of normal freeway and stop/start city driving (no hypermiling) -- and recharging the car overnight, as most consumers would -- we used a total of 58.6 kW-hr of electrical energy, and 2.36 gallons of gas. Just counting the gas, the Volt returned 126.7 mpg. Converting the gas used to energy used (79.5 kW-hr) and adding that figure to the electrical energy used gave us a notional 72.9 mpg. That's impressive.

SAFETY
The Volt's standard passive safety equipment starts with a complement of eight airbags, including dual-stage front bags, kneebags, and side-impact bags for the driver and front passenger and roof-rail mounted head curtain bags that protect all four passengers. Active safety features include anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control.

The Volt chassis is nimble and responsive, and the low-rolling-resistance tires deliver better than average grip for this type of rubber. The Volt is not a sports car, but the acceleration (0-60 mph in 8.8 seconds in pure EV mode, and 8.7 in combined gas/electric mode) is competitive with conventional compacts, and more than adequate for safely merging onto fast-moving freeways.

VALUE
All of that technology is expensive, which accounts for the Volt's $41,000 price tag. Engineering the Volt required considerable investment by GM in vehicle systems integration that would normally be handed off to outside suppliers and contractors. But the cost of the Volt's powertrain and associated systems will come down as GM perfects lower cost components and is able to amortize the development across a larger number of vehicles. Meanwhile, consumers can apply for a $7500 federal tax grant, plus state grants, where available, to offset the Volt's relatively high purchase price. And our testing suggests that even if drivers regularly went 80 miles between charges, the Volt is significantly cheaper to run than regular hybrids.
Using EPA average figures of 12¢ per kW-hr for electricity, and $2.80 for a gallon of gas, the Volt costs just 3.8¢ a mile to run in EV mode, and 7¢ a mile with the gas engine running.

PERFORMANCE OF INTENDED FUNCTION
The Volt absolutely delivers on the promise of the vehicle concept as originally outlined by GM, combining the smooth, silent, efficient, low-emissions capability of an electric motor with the range and flexibility of an internal combustion engine.

It is a fully functional, no-compromise compact automobile that offers consumers real benefits in terms of lower running costs.

The more we think about the Volt, the more convinced we are this vehicle represents a real breakthrough. The genius of the Volt's powertrain is that it is actually capable of operating as a pure EV, a series hybrid, or as a parallel hybrid to deliver the best possible efficiency, depending on your duty cycle. For want of a better technical descriptor, this is world's first intelligent hybrid. And the investment in the technology that drives this car is also an investment in the long-term future of automaking in America.

Moonshot. Game-changer. A car of the future that you can drive today, and every day. So what should we call Chevrolet's astonishing Volt? How about, simply, Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year.




Contact Jim Butler Chevrolet TODAY for availability!

Source: Motortrend.com

Chevrolet beats Ford in heavy-duty pickup "Rumble in the Rockies"

Checkout the results of the Chevy vs. Ford "Rumble in the Rockies" shootout by Pickuptrucks.com

Which automaker has the most "heavy-duty" pickup?
Pickuptrucks.com decided to torture test Chevy and Ford to see which would come out ahead in towing impossibly heavy loads up impossibly difficult hills. They called it the "Rumble in the Rockies."

The result was no surprise to us at Jim Butler Chevrolet: Chevy won.

Chevy challenged Ford to a Rocky Mountain tow test. Ford said no. Chevy moved forward and invited PickupTrucks.com and Diesel Power magazine to oversee the test with trucks bought off the lot from Ford and Chevy dealers.

Pickuptrucks.com compared a 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500 LT (397 horsepower, 765 pounds-feet of torque, 6.6-liter Duramax V-8) and a 2011 Ford F-350 XLT (400 hp, 800 pounds-feet, 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8) and tested them pulling an 18,920 pound trailer up and down a 7.6 mile stretch of I-70 from Dillon, Colo., to the Eisenhower Tunnels, the highest vehicular tunnels in the U.S. at 11,000 feet elevation.
Pickuptrucks.com editor Mike Levine says the trucks were probably the most evenly matched heavy duties that they had tested. Besides the same rear axle ratios, the $54,805 8,440-pound Ford was just $65 and 220 pounds more than the $54,740 8,220-pound Silverado.

Gross combined weight rating for the Chevy was 27,140 pounds before four adult males jumped in and added another 800 pounds, for a grand total of 27,940 pounds, or 96% of the Silverado's maximum gross combined weight rating. The total for the Ford F-350 was 28,160 pounds, or 94% of the Super Duty's maximum GCWR.

The trucks were tested for towing time up the hill and exhaust brake effectiveness going down.
The fastest time up the grade for the Ford was 10 minutes, 46.8 seconds at an average speed of 42.41 mph.

The Chevy Silverado was significantly faster:
It finished more than two minutes ahead of the F-350, in 8 minutes, 38.2 seconds. Average speed cruising up to 11,000 feet was 53.63 mph, 11.22 mph faster on average than the Ford.

Going downhill with exhaust brakes on in both trucks, we had to apply the wheel brakes 10 to 11 times in the Ford to keep its speed below 60 mph. We had to hit the wheel brakes 1 to 2 times in the Chevy to keep its speed under 60 mph.

View Jim Butler Chevy's Silverado Inventory

[Source: GM Media, USA Today, PickupTrucks.com]

New Chevy Cruze Eco achieves 42mpg! That's Class Leading!!

NEW CHEVROLET CRUZE ECO ACHIEVES SEGMENT-LEADING 42 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY

Hybrid-Like Fuel Economy Starts at $18,895; Goes on Sale in January 

DETROIT – The official fuel economy numbers for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco are in and they’re good. Segment-leading good. It delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway (manual transmission models), with equally impressive city fuel economy of 28 mpg.

Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats non-hybrid segment competitors – including 23 percent greater highway fuel economy than the Honda Civic – as well as the Ford Fiesta subcompact and many hybrid models. In fact, it’s better than Ford Fusion Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

“Chevrolet Cruze continues to redefine the compact segment, offering class-leading standard safety features, upscale amenities – as well as hybrid-like fuel economy without the price,” said Chuck Russell, vehicle line director. “The Cruze Eco is in a league of its own and will challenge perceptions of the efficiency available in a more affordable non-hybrid.”

The Cruze Eco carries an MSRP of $18,895 (including destination charge). It goes on sale in January.

To achieve its segment-leading fuel economy, Cruze’s engineers focused on aerodynamic performance, mass optimization and powertrain enhancements. The refinements in each area paid big dividends towards the car’s overall efficiency, while providing engineers with valuable information to help enhance the efficiency of future Chevrolet models.

“We left no stone unturned or piece of sheet metal un-weighed,” said Russell. “Our engineers were comprehensive and thorough when it came to evaluating and modifying the aspects of the car’s performance that contribute to fuel economy.”

Aero enhancements
Aerodynamic improvements over non-Eco manual-transmission models contributed approximately 6 mpg to the Cruze’s EPA-estimated 42 mpg highway fuel economy. Many were developed and refined in more than 500 hours of wind-tunnel testing of the Chevy Volt, which shares a core architecture with the Cruze. Examples include the upper grille, which has more “closeouts” to improve aerodynamics, a lower front air dam extension, a rear spoiler, a lowered ride height and underbody panels that smooth airflow beneath the car.

The Eco model also features an all-new technology in the compact segment: a lower front grille air shutter that closes at higher speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag and opens at lower speeds to optimize engine-cooling airflow. Another contributor to reduced drag is the use of ultra-low rolling resistance 17-inch Goodyear tires (used with lightweight wheels), which are also used on the Volt.

As a result of the aero enhancements, aerodynamic drag was reduced by 10 percent over a non-Eco model, with a coefficient of drag of 0.298. That places Cruze at the top of the class for mainstream compact cars.

Mass optimization
More than 42 changes were made on the Eco to reduce weight. It weighs in at 3,009 pounds (1,365 kg), compared to the 3,223 pounds (1,462 kg) of the Cruze 1LT. The diet program for the Cruze challenged engineers to look at all aspects of the vehicle’s construction, including hundreds of weld flanges on the vehicle. They were reduced 1 mm to 2 mm in length, which saved several pounds, while the sheet metal gauge thickness was reduced by about 0.1 mm in select components. This saved weight while preserving structural integrity.

Lighter wheels and tires are used on the Eco. They’re stylish, polished 17-inch alloy units with Goodyear tires that weigh only 36.5 pounds (16.6 kg) apiece. That’s 5.3 pounds (2.4 kg) less than the 16-inch wheel/tires of the Cruze 1LT for a complete savings to the vehicle of 21.2 pounds (9.6 kg).

Efficient powertrain
Cruze Eco is powered by power-dense Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine and a standard six-speed manual transmission. The transmission’s gearing is optimized for the model’s specific 17-inch wheel/tire combination and includes aggressive ratios for first and second gear coupled with a highly efficient, “taller” sixth-gear ratio for highway driving. That means engine rpm is reduced on the highway, which in turn reduces fuel consumption. A six-speed automatic transmission is available, with EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 26 city and 37 highway.

The Ecotec 1.4L turbo’s power ratings are 138 horsepower (103 kW) and 148 lb.-ft. of torque (200 Nm) between 1,850 rpm and 4,900 rpm. The wide rpm range for the maximum torque – a specific trait of turbocharged engines – helps the engine deliver a better driving experience and performance. The turbocharger is integrated within the exhaust manifold, for reduced weight and greater packaging flexibility.

The engine also features premium design elements that give it world-class smoothness and durability while also contributing to the Cruze Eco’s lower curb weight. They include a cast iron block with a hollow frame structure, hollow-cast camshafts and a plastic intake manifold.

Comparing the competitors
As a result of aerodynamic improvements, mass reduction and powertrain optimizaton, the Cruze Eco offers the best fuel economy in the compact segment, while delivering hybrid-like fuel economy without the hybrid price. The following charts show how it compares with primary competitors and popular hybrids.

Cruze Eco vs. segment competitors
Model EPA City Fuel Economy EPA Highway Fuel Economy
Chevrolet Cruze Eco 28 mpg 42 mpg
Toyota Corolla 26 mpg 35 mpg
Honda Civic 26 mpg 34 mpg
Ford Focus 25 mpg 35 mpg
Hyundai Elantra 26 mpg 35 mpg

Cruze Eco vs. hybrids
Model EPA City Fuel Economy EPA Highway Fuel Economy Price
Chevrolet Cruze Eco 28 mpg 42 mpg $18,895
Ford Fusion Hybrid 41 mpg 36 mpg $27,950
Nissan Altima Hybrid 35 mpg 33 mpg $26,780
Toyota Camry Hybrid 33 mpg 34 mpg $26,150


VISIT OUR INVENTORY! 


[Source: GM]

SEMA show debut-T-top Camaro Custom! Remember the days?

Half of our sales staff were at other dealerships, and the other half were still riding on their big wheels, attending high school or college but we all can remember the classic 80's and 90's T-top Camaros. There is nothing like the open air of a convertible with the rigid structure of a hardtop. Share with us your memories of the T-top Camaro that you drove, your best friend drove or maybe it was one of their parents. We'd love to hear it, and we'd love for Chevrolet to add the T-tops as an option for the Camaro in the near future.

[Source: Autoblog]

2011 Neiman Marcus Edition Camaro Convertible-Only 100 made & 100 sold

Chevrolet had planned on selling 100 Neiman Marcus Special Edition 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertibles, they didn't know that all of them would have owners after 3 minutes of opening the phone lines for orders. Check out the Official Press Release below. 

Jim Butler Chevrolet is taking orders on the 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertible NOW! 

Call us today at 636-349-3222

DETROIT – In just three minutes earlier today, customers claimed all 100 of the special edition 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertibles prepared exclusively for the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. These new owners claimed their Neiman Marcus Edition cars via a special telephone reservation process, a few hours after the car appeared on NBC's Today Show.

Only 100 special edition convertibles will be built, each offering luxury appointments inspired by Neiman Marcus combined with the legendary performance of the Camaro SS. The new owners will take delivery of their special edition cars in the spring of 2011, shortly after the new 2011 Chevrolet Camaro arrives in dealerships.

The Neiman Marcus Edition is defined by its exclusive Deep Bordeaux exterior color, accented by subtle, "ghosted" rally stripes. The exterior color is complimented by a matching fabric top and windshield frame finished in matte silver, both also exclusive to the Neiman Marcus edition.

The Neiman Marcus Camaro Convertible has a retail price of $75,000. For more information on the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, please visit: www.neimanmarcus.com/christmasbook.

All Neiman Marcus Edition Camaro Convertibles will be SS models with a 6.2-liter, V-8 engine. The 100 future owners who made reservations today chose between the 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

2011 Camaro Convertible-Coming to the Butler Powerhouse soon!

Opening Soon: 2011 Camaro Convertible

DETROIT – The 21st century rebirth of the Chevrolet Camaro opens a new chapter when the 2011 Camaro Convertible premieres at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on Nov. 17. 

The Camaro Convertible will arrive in Chevrolet showrooms in February 2011. Starting price will be $30,000, including $850 destination. (Full details will be released later this year.) 

"The Convertible will make the all-new Camaro, already a smash-hit, even more desirable to a greater range of drivers," says Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing.

The Convertible model will be available in the same basic model offering as the Camaro Coupe. The standard model will have a 312-hp Direct Injection V6 engine featuring 29 miles per gallon on the highway. The SS model will feature the 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 426 hp. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard, with an optional six-speed automatic.

Camaro is America's most popular sports car, seizing leadership in U.S. sales with the coupe model that launched in spring of 2009 as a 2010 model. The right to purchase one of the first Convertibles was recently sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $205,000, with all proceeds donated to charity.

www.STLCamaro.com


[Source:General Motors]

Follow up: 1st 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Auctioned off for $205,000

We knew that the 1st 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible would bring a premium price for auction bidders at Barrett-Jackson, but didn't know it would be $205,000! WOW, congratulations to the lucky owner of the 1st 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertible sold to the public. Congratulations to the YMCA of Southern Nevada for the generous donation of the entire $205,000!

Maybe we can talk the boss into auctioning off our first 2011 Camaro Convertible?

www.jimbutlerchevrolet.com

[Source: Autoblog.com]

1st 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible; Barrett-Jackson Auction

Yep, one of the first 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertible will not be delivered to Jim Butler Chevrolet in St. Louis. Instead the guys at Chevy are sending the first 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible to the infamous Barret-Jackson Auction in Las Vegas. This unique 2011 Chevy Camaro will be auctioned off to the highest bidder with the entire winning bidding going to the YMCA of Southern Nevada (see official press release from GM below).


On the brighter side, this means that the 2011 Camaro Convertible will be here before you know it. So drop on in and put a deposit down or just ask one of our sales representatives to send you more information.


www.jimbutlerchevrolet.com
[Source: Chevy]

Camaro Convertible Auction to Benefit Nevada Charity

LAS VEGAS – Car collectors on Friday will vie to become one of the first owners of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, several months ahead of its arrival in dealerships and even before the production car is shown to the public.

The winning bidder will receive the second 2011 Camaro Convertible produced for consumer sale. The car on the auction block in Las Vegas will be the Camaro Convertible Concept that has traveled the world's auto shows. The first production model will be used for historical purposes.

The production version will make its debut later this fall, prior to start of production in early 2011.

Chevrolet is partnering with Greg Heinrich, owner of Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas, to offer one of the first Camaro convertibles at the Barrett-Jackson Auction on Friday (Sept. 24) at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Proceeds from the winning bid will go to the YMCA of Southern Nevada.

LAS VEGAS – Car collectors on Friday will vie to become one of the first owners of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, several months ahead of its arrival in dealerships and even before the production car is shown to the public.

The winning bidder will receive the second 2011 Camaro Convertible produced for consumer sale. The car on the auction block in Las Vegas will be the Camaro Convertible Concept that has traveled the world's auto shows. The first production model will be used for historical purposes.

The production version will make its debut later this fall, prior to start of production in early 2011.

Chevrolet is partnering with Greg Heinrich, owner of Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas, to offer one of the first Camaro convertibles at the Barrett-Jackson Auction on Friday (Sept. 24) at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Proceeds from the winning bid will go to the YMCA of Southern Nevada
LAS VEGAS – Car collectors on Friday will vie to become one of the first owners of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, several months ahead of its arrival in dealerships and even before the production car is shown to the public.

The winning bidder will receive the second 2011 Camaro Convertible produced for consumer sale. The car on the auction block in Las Vegas will be the Camaro Convertible Concept that has traveled the world's auto shows. The first production model will be used for historical purposes.

The production version will make its debut later this fall, prior to start of production in early 2011.

Chevrolet is partnering with Greg Heinrich, owner of Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas, to offer one of the first Camaro convertibles at the Barrett-Jackson Auction on Friday (Sept. 24) at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Proceeds from the winning bid will go to the YMCA of Southern Nevada

The 2011 Chevy CRUZE is already making itself heard! Coming to Butler Chevy Soon!

Before the 2011 Chevy Cruze has even hit our showroom there are already reviews and comparisons being made with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Guess what? We are winning! The Mobile Electronics Competition Association (MECA) did their own little review of all three of the vehicles........

For the competition, MECA judges used three evaluations: a sound-pressure test to measure sound volume, real-time analysis to measure audio fidelity, and the judges’ evaluations of the listening experience.

“Audiophiles believe that rating audio performance requires critical listening as well as measuring output,” said Steve Stern, MECA president. “Sound provides a baseline rating of the potential of a sound system, but does not necessarily equate to a great-sounding system. Only the human ear can gauge how natural and believable the listening experience is.”

The competition included three, comparably equipped cars with factory-installed audio systems, including:

• 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT with the Pioneer nine-speaker sound system available as a $445 option on Cruze LT and LTZ models  
• 2010 Toyota Corolla LE, with a six-speaker sound system available starting at $490 on Corolla LE models
• 2010 Honda Civic EX, with a six-speaker, 160-watt sound system included on EX models and above

For the tests, all three sound systems were set to the factory presets.

For the sound-pressure test, judges used a decibel meter to measure sound volume. The Cruze took first place, delivering 112.9 dB of pressure without distortion, compared to 105.6 dB for Corolla and 105.2 dB for Civic. That seven decibel advantage represents nearly double the volume of competitors’ systems.

The real-time analyzer gauged audio fidelity by measuring how accurately the systems recreated preset frequency tones. The Cruze finished third, with 14 points out of a possible 40, compared to 22 points for Civic and 24 points for Corolla.

For the subjective evaluation, judges listened to the same music selections in each car for consistency, and awarded points based on system noise, tonality, realism, staging, and placement. The Cruze took first place, with an average of 74.83 points out of a possible 100, compared to 69.75 for Corolla, and 58.83 for Civic.

““The most important measure of an audio system is how well it recreates the experience of listening to a live performance,” said Stern. “From that perspective, the Cruze was clearly the best of the group, delivering more presence, more realistic sub-bass, and silky smooth midrange.

“In our competitions, stock systems typically score between 55 and 65 points,” Stern said. “With nearly 75 points, the Cruze delivers the performance we would expect in a luxury car – not an $18,000 car.”

That evaluation is music to the ears of Matt Kirsch, lead audio engineer for the Cruze.

“We set out to deliver a far better audio experience than a typical compact car,” said Kirsch. “As such, we used more speakers and more power to fill the Cruze with sound. We also spent a great deal of time tuning the sound system for ambiance and clarity, so sitting in the Cruze sounds like sitting in the front row at a concert hall.”

[Source: Media.GM.com]

Chevy Suburban celebrates 75th Anniversary! Jim Butler Chevy-Saint Louis

CHICAGO – In 1935, the United States’ population was a little more than 127 million. A first-class stamp cost 3 cents, Technicolor was introduced to motion pictures and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Chicago Cubs in a tough World Series. It was also the year Chevrolet introduced the Suburban.

In the seven and a half decades since its introduction, the Suburban became an icon and the industry’s longest-running model. In fact, Suburban is the first vehicle to reach 75 years of production and Chevrolet is commemorating the milestone with a new 2010 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition model.

“Times have changed, but the Suburban remains a fixture in the industry for private and professional customers who need truck-like towing capability with maximum passenger and cargo space,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “The Suburban’s core capabilities and dependability have remained constant for more than seven decades and generations of people know that a Suburban will haul people and their gear.”

The original Suburban could seat eight, while easily removable seats provided a large, 75-inch-long by 77-inch-high (1,905 x 1,956 mm) cargo area. The 2010 Suburban seats up to nine, but offers up to 137.4 cubic feet (3,891 L) of cargo space when the second-row seats are folded and third-row seats are removed.

History of an icon

The idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

Bodywork for these early vehicles often consisted of wood sides and canvas tops; and while they were versatile, their car-based chassis and damage-prone bodies were compromises. Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was launched in 1935.

Car-based commercial vehicles, including sedan deliveries, remained in production, but the heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers. In the post-World War II years, its popularity with private customers who appreciated its uncompromising capabilities increased steadily.

The Chevrolet Suburban hit the mainstream in the early 1990s, with the overall popularity of sport-utility vehicles. But while many customers were new to the Suburban then, it had garnered a legion of longtime owners who had purchased multiple examples over the years – using them to haul Little League teams and their equipment, tow a horse trailer or seat a work crew on the way to a job site.Here’s a timeline of significant moments in the Suburban’s first 75 years:

1935: Suburban Carryall introduced with a signature two-door body style that would last through 1967. Power came from Chevrolet’s stalwart “Stovebolt” inline-six that produced 60 horsepower (45 kW) for the half-ton chassis.

1937: New, streamlined exterior styling carried Art Deco cues, and horsepower from the Stovebolt six increased to 79 (59 kW).

1942: Production of almost all civilian cars and trucks halted during America’s involvement in World War II, although many Chevy trucks – including the Suburban’s body style – were pressed into military duty.

1947: The first significant redesign of the Chevrolet’s truck line – including Suburban – since before the war. Torque from the inline-six engine was 174 lb.-ft. (217 Nm) at only 1,200 rpm, giving the Suburban excellent towing capability.

1950: Suburban models are offered with either a tailgate/top-opening rear window configuration or conventional “barn doors” at the rear.

1955: Revolutionary new styling is introduced midway through the model year. Known as the “second series” design, it features a wraparound windshield and the elimination of running boards – the body is flush with the fenders for the first time. The second series model also introduces the ubiquitous small-block V-8.

1957: Factory-installed four-wheel drive is offered for the first time, with the famous NAPCO-supplied “Powr-Pak” system.

1960: Chevrolet institutes the C/K designations to denote models with 2WD (C) and 4WD (K). Front-end styling is also new.

1967: All-new styling of Chevy’s half-ton trucks is introduced, including Suburban. It carries a unique three-door arrangement with a single door on the driver’s side and front and rear doors on the passenger side. This configuration makes the Suburban popular with ambulance companies.

1973: A new generation of Chevy trucks is launched, with Suburban offered in a conventional four-door body style introduced for the first time. Its 129.5-inch (3,289 mm) wheelbase was only 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) shorter than the 2010 model’s. Also debuting is the Suburban three-quarter-ton model, which could be had with a 454 big-block engine that delivered 335 lb.-ft. of torque (455 Nm).

1975: Increased focus on interior comfort and amenities in the 1973 models bring more customers to Suburban for use as a personal vehicle. Chevrolet responds with more comfortable seats and greater amenities, including simulated buffalo hide vinyl upholstery, wood grain dash inserts, fully trimmed door panels and more.

1981: Updated styling brings stacked rectangular headlamps for the 1980s. The 4WD system adds automatic locking hubs and the 454 big-block is still offered, giving customers great towing capability.

1987: Electronically controlled fuel injection and a four-speed overdrive transmission bring greater efficiency.

1992: An all-new Suburban features sleek styling with flush glass and composite headlamps. The 5.7L small-block V-8 powers 1500 models, while the 454 (7.4L) engine is still available in the 2500 series. Other updates include four-wheel anti-lock brakes, Insta-Trac on four-wheel-drive models and a suspension system designed to provide a more carlike ride.

1998: OnStar and the full-time AutoTrac all-wheel-drive system are added. In Australia, right-hand-drive versions of the Suburban are offered through GM’s Holden brand.

2000: Launched in 1999 as a 2000 model, the next-generation Suburban brings new styling, new interiors and new powertrains. The engines include the Vortec 5.3L and 6.0L V-8s that were from the same Gen III V-8 “LS” family that debuted a couple of years earlier as the LS1 in the Corvette. Other new features include four-wheel disc brakes and a load-leveling suspension system.

2007: The latest generation of the Suburban is introduced, featuring a wind tunnel-shaped exterior and the elimination of traditional chrome front and rear bumpers. More efficient, comfortable and capable than ever, the Suburban continues to offer customers of all walks of life uncompromising capability and versatility.

2010: The 75th anniversary is marked with a limited-edition model, the 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban.

[source: GM News]