Chevy Bolt EV Is GM's Testbed For Autonomous Driving

As if the Chevrolet Bolt EV wasn’t impressive enough with its 238-mile range, the vehicle is now the testbed for GM’s autonomous-driving technologies.

Earlier this year, the autonomous Bolt EV prototypes began testing on the public streets of San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona. And now, according to a recent announcement made by General Motors, the vehicle will begin testing on the roads of Michigan. The company plans to build this next-generation autonomous Bolt EV at its Orion Assembly Plant.

“Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality,” stated GM CEO Mary Barra. “Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.”

Because safety is a top priority, safety engineers will be behind the wheel of the first autonomous Bolt EV prototypes and ready to take over in the case of an emergency.

The future is looking pretty awesome, if you ask us! Though you can’t quite yet get your hands on the autonomous version, you can stop in and see us at Jim Butler Chevrolet in St. Louis, MO to check out the 2017 Bolt EV all-electric vehicle!

Chevy's All-New Transmission Debuts In 2017 Malibu

Chevrolet recently announced that the first-ever nine-speed automatic transmission has made its debut in the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder 2017 Malibu. This transmission is bringing great things along with it, like an EPA estimated 33 mpg highway and better performance.

“In addition to improved fuel efficiency, the 9T50 offers a strong overall balance of performance and refinement that customers will feel at all driving speeds,” stated Dan Nicholson, vice president of Global Propulsion Systems. “By the end of 2017, Chevrolet will offer four models with the new nine-speed.”

Chevy plans to have the Hydra-Matic 9T50 available in the 2017 Cruze Diesel and 2018 Equinox sometime this year as well. It will support stop/start technology on every model, which adds to the fuel efficiency.

“Everything about the new nine-speed is designed to maximize benefits for the customer,” stated Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet Marketing. “It helps offer greater fuel efficiency in the city and on the highway, all with the world-class refinement that makes the drive quiet and smooth.”

So far this year, the brand has sold about 205,117 Malibus in the United States, putting it on the path to have a record sales year with this vehicle! To try it out for yourself, stop in and see us at Jim Butler Chevy in St. Louis, MO!

New Spy Shots Of The Corvette ZR-1 Give Us The Best Look Yet

Typically sporting heavy camouflage, the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 is now barely covered and, if you ask us, looking like it could be the brand’s best yet.

So far, every look we’ve gotten at the vehicle has featured a great deal of fake body panels so we were unable to grasp the true silhouette of the ZR-1… until now! The new spy shots show a bulging hood and revamped front end, complete with three large intakes and a massive splitter. The rear is equipped with a huge wing and spoiler.

Taking the bigger hood into consideration, it is likely that the supercharger of the ZR-1 will be larger than the current Z06’s 1.7-liter version, leading to more horsepower (and who wouldn’t want that?!). We’re betting this bad boy will be able to bust out more than 700 hp but we’ll have to wait until the Detroit Auto Show rolls around next month to find out for sure.

A St. Louis ‘Vette fanatic or not, you know you’re going to want to check this one out. In the meantime, be sure to stop by and see us at Jim Butler Chevy in Fenton, MO to shop our current lineup!

Chevy Took Home Record Number Of Awards In Just One Week

Chevy hit a record last month when it earned 18 awards in automotive and consumer media rankings in just one week. Five of these awards can be credited to the all-new Bolt EV, the brand’s newest all-electric vehicle.

The Bolt EV, offering an estimated 238 miles of range on a full charge, earned a spot on the 2017 Car and Driver 10Best Cars list. Additionally, it was named Best New Car to Buy by Green Car Reports, Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal and Best EV by Car Connection.

“The Bolt EV is the newest example of how Chevrolet is driving the industry with leading technology matched with great design and the connectivity that makes customers’ lives easier,” stated Alan Batey, president of GM North America and brand chief, Global Chevrolet. “We’re innovating like never before with more choices for every need and these awards affirm the depth, breadth and value offered by Chevrolet’s lineup.”

Also earning spots on Car and Driver’s 10Best Cars List were the Camaro 1LE and Corvette Grand Sport. This is the second year in a row the Camaro has made this list and the third time in four years for the Corvette.

A whopping six Chevrolet vehicles earned Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy Awards and lastly (yep, there’s more), the Impala and Tahoe were named Kelley Blue Book “Best Buys” for two consecutive years.

We’ll call that a successful week for Chevrolet! Ready to check out an award-winning vehicle for yourself? Visit us at Jim Butler Chevrolet in St. Louis, MO! We’d love to help you find your next car!

The Colorado ZR2 Is An Off-Roader's Dream

If you enjoy off-roading, you’re going to want to get behind the wheel of the Colorado ZR2. This performance truck is changing the game for trail-ready trucks with more off-roading technology and than any other midsize pickup in its segment.

The Colorado ZR2 features exclusive technology unknown to the standard Colorado, such as front and rear electronic locking differentials, an available diesel engine and the Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) damper technology. It sits on a wider track and lifted suspension and also sports revamped front and rear bumpers, which lead to better off-road clearance.

“Our engineers have been incredibly successful developing Corvette and Camaro performance variants with broad performance envelopes,” stated Mark Ruess, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “The Colorado ZR2 applies that same philosophy to off-road performance. You can go rock crawling Saturday, desert running on Sunday and comfortably drive to work on Monday. This truck can do it all, and do it all well.”

We don’t know about you but we’re ready to hit the off-road trails of Southern Missouri… Be on the lookout for the Colorado ZR2 at Jim Butler Chevy in St. Louis, MO!

The All-New Bolt EV Named MOTOR TREND Car Of The Year

The all-new and highly anticipated Chevrolet Bolt EV has been recognized as MOTOR TREND’s 2017 Car of the Year. This affordable electric vehicle offers an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range on a full charge.

“Chevrolet is the fastest-growing full-line retail brand in the industry thanks to an exceptional vehicle lineup, which includes ground-breaking products like the Bold EV,” stated Alan Batey, president of GM North America and Global Chevrolet brand chief. “Being recognized once again as MOTOR TREND Car of the Year is a great honor for the Chevrolet team.”

The MOTOR TREND editors base their decision on the vehicle’s performance in six evaluation categories, which includes advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function.

This is the fourth MOTOR TREND award for Chevrolet in three years, as the Camaro was recognized as the 2016 Car of the Year and the Colorado was named the Truck of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.

“Chevrolet is on a roll with new and compelling vehicles that have reset the bar for trucks in 2015, trucks and sports cars in 2016, and for 2017, electric cars,’ said Ed Loh, MOTOR TREND Editor-in-Chief. “The Bolt EV is certainly a game changing vehicle and we look forward to seeing whether we’ll be recognizing another Chevrolet next year in our annual awards.”

Ready to check this groundbreaking electric car out for yourself? It will be making its big arrival to Jim Butler Chevrolet in St. Louis, MO next month!

What You Missed At The 2016 SEMA Show

The 2016 SEMA Show took place in Las Vegas last week and Chevy took it upon themselves to not only show off their concept vehicles, but to also celebrate the beloved Camaro’s 50th anniversary. In case you haven’t checked out the cars for yourself, we thought we’d share a list of some of our favorites…

Camaro Turbo AutoX

In case you didn’t know already, the name of this car refers to the parking-lot motorsport of autocross. This car sports Chevy’s 2.0-liter engine but also features upgrades to the suspension, brakes, air intake and exhaust and the lowering kit drops the height about three-quarters of an inch. Other features include a front tow hook, GoPro camera mount and Euro side markers.

Silverado High Desert 1500

This concept is based off of the existing High Desert Package available for the 2017 Silverado 1500 LT, LTZ and High Country trucks. Additional features for the show include lockable storage boxes on the sides of the bed and cargo dividers that separate loads.



Chevelle Slammer

This is one of our favorites- the Chevelle Slammer. With the same lowered look as the other Camaro’s, this car was designed to imitate the original. “The ‘69 Chevelle is one of the best-looking cars of the muscle-car era, and we didn’t want to mess with its classic cues,” stated designer Humberto Ortiz.

2017 Camaro SS Slammer

This lowered, road-hugging, one-off was introduced by nobody other than Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It was designed to take the Gen 6 Camaro’s proportions to the extreme and was on display all week long. According to Chevy, the gloss-white flakes in the black paint “add depth and sparkle”... and we must say, it certainly did.


 Even though we can’t get behind the wheel of these really cool concepts, we can check out some of the parts in the Chevy Performance catalog! Be sure to keep an eye out. In the meantime, we hope you’ll stop by Jim Butler Chevy in St. Louis, MO to check out our current Chevrolet lineup!