Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is here at Tom Bell Chevrolet
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Chevrolet Ranks as Top Performance Brand in U.S.
Chevrolet accounted for 37 percent of the sports-car segment last year, selling 88,249 Camaros, which surpassed its nearest competitor, the Ford Mustang, by more than 18,000 units. That lead is expected to increase when the new Camaro ZL1 goes on sale this month.
Chevrolet accounted for 28 percent of the luxury-sports-car segment in 2011, selling 13,164 Corvettes. Currently the only domestic car in the segment, Corvette more than doubled the sales of its nearest competitor, the Porsche 911.
| Top 5 Sports Cars by | Top 5 Luxury Sports Cars by | |||||||
| 1. | Chevrolet Camaro | 88,249 | 37% | 1. | Chevrolet Corvette | 13,164 | 28% | |
| 2. | Ford Mustang | 70,438 | 29% | 2. | Porsche 911 | 6,016 | 13% | |
| 3. | Dodge Challenger | 39,534 | 16% | 3. | BMW 6-Series | 3,903 | 8% | |
| 4. | Honda CR-Z | 11,330 | 5% | 4. | BMW Z4 | 3,479 | 7% | |
| 5. | Hyundai Veloster | 9,284 | 4% | 5. | Mercedes SLK | 3,220 | 7% | |
“With the addition of the Camaro ZL1, there are only a handful of brands in the world with two cars that can match the performance, technology, and excitement of Corvette and Camaro,” said General Motors North America President Mark Reuss. “Unlike many competitors’ performance cars, the Corvette ZR1 and Camaro ZL1 are appropriate for both daily drivers and track use from the factory – with standard coolers for brakes and drivetrain.”
“And we challenge any company to bring two cars to compete with the Corvette ZR1 and Camaro ZL1, dollar for dollar,” Reuss said. “They will discover what enthusiasts already know – that Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette are the world’s best performance cars for the money.”
To demonstrate the capabilities of the Corvette and Camaro, Chevrolet recently tested full-production models with no performance modifications on the “Grand Course” at Virginia International Raceway. The Grand Course configuration is a challenge for production cars because it requires prodigious power, precise handling and tenacious grip to record a fast lap.
In a 2012 Corvette ZR1, equipped with new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, Corvette engineer Jim Mero lapped the Grand Course in 2:45.6 – faster than the published lap time for any production car.
In a 2012 Camaro ZL1, Camaro engineer Aaron Link lapped the Grand Course in 2:52.4 – more than six seconds faster than the published lap time of a 2011 Ford Shelby GT500 on the same track.
Car and Driver Magazine, which conducts the annual Lightning Lap shootout at Virginia International Raceway, called the track “the nearest thing to the Nurburgring’s fabled Nordschleife.”
“The Grand Course at VIR is an excellent test of all-around vehicle performance,” said
Reuss. “Like the Nurburgring, a single lap at VIR tests every aspect of a car, including power, brakes, steering, tire grip and chassis balance. To break a three-minute lap on the four-mile Grand Course is an incredible accomplishment for any car.”
The Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful vehicle Chevrolet has ever produced, with a supercharged, 6.2L, LS9 V-8 delivering 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. Of all mass-production companies, Chevrolet is the leader in carbon fiber use, with the lightweight material used for structural components on the ZR1 including the front fenders, hood, roof, front splitter, rocker panels and floor pans. With a curb weight of 3,353 pounds, the ZR1 features a power-to-weight ratio of just 5.2 pounds per horsepower. As a result, the ZR1 is also the fastest Chevrolet ever produced, capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 205 mph. The Corvette ZR1 starts at $112,575, including destination.
The Camaro ZL1 is the most-powerful Camaro ever produced, with a supercharged, 6.2L, LSA V-8 delivering 580-horsepower, and 556 pound-feet of torque. It is also the most-sophisticated Camaro ever, with exclusive performance technologies including Performance Traction Management and Magnetic Ride suspension. Other standard performance features include six-piston Brembo brakes, and coolers for the rear differential, brakes, and transmission. As a result, the ZL1 is also the most-capable Camaro ever, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, reaching a top speed of 184 mph, and lapping the famed Nurburgring in just 7:41.27. The Camaro ZL1 starts at $54,995, including destination.
Both Corvette and Camaro have also recently been recognized by IntelliChoice as the best overall value in their segments – further evidence that consumers get more performance for their money from Chevrolet.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Visit Tom Bell Chevrolet and enjoy impressive pre-owned vehicles
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon to Debut in Geneva
The station wagon complements the Cruze sedan and hatchback, which together have combined sales of more than 1 million vehicles globally since launch in 2009.
"The Cruze station wagon caters to an important market segment. It ticks all the boxes for European drivers in terms of distinctive design, dynamic driving, space and economy," said Chevrolet Europe President and Managing Director Susan Docherty.
The new station wagon, which is not planned for sale in North America, features generous storage space and a choice of powerful and efficient engines as well as the state-of-the-art Chevrolet MyLink onboard infotainment system.
The new and improved engines will be available on the entire Cruze line-up starting summer 2012. In addition to the current 1.6L and 1.8L gasoline engines, a new 1.4L turbo gasoline, a new 1.7L diesel and an improved 2.0L diesel engine complete the powertrain offer.
The 1.4L gasoline, 1.7L diesel and 2.0L diesel engines come with start-stop technology as standard. All engines are Euro 5-compliant.
The station wagon, at 4,675 mm (184.1 inches), is slightly longer than the hatchback (4,510 mm/ 177.6 inches) and sedan (4,597 mm /181 inches) models. Load space ranges from 500 liters (17.6 cubic feet) up to the window line in the rear to nearly 1,500 liters (52.9 cubic feet) up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.
Refined design and new technologies
The station wagon is immediately recognizable as a new variant of the best-selling Chevrolet Cruze. The exterior design features a tapering single arch roofline and comes with roof racks as standard, providing convenience while maintaining a poised and sporty look.
A number of exterior and interior styling changes are being introduced in 2012 for all Cruze models. These include a remodeled front fascia, modified head-lamp interiors and fog lamps, and new wheel styles on the exterior and refinements to the center console and a greater choice of seat finishes for the interior.
New Cruzes are equipped with keyless entry, allowing access the vehicle with the key safely tucked away in a bag or pocket. Additionally, the system allows the engine to be turned on or off by pressing a button without the need to insert the key into the ignition.
A brand-new Chevrolet infotainment system, called MyLink, is being introduced in higher trim levels in the Cruze line-up and in the Chevrolet Aveo as of summer 2012. It brings owners' smartphone capabilities into the vehicle.
MyLink aggregates content from the smartphone onto the seven-inch diagonal high-resolution full-color touch-screen display. Once the smartphone is connected, personal playlists, photo galleries, phone books, videos and other stored media and data, such as a special navigation app, can be accessed though the infotainment system touch-screen.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco is HERE at Tom Bell Chevrolet
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Grueling Road Stress Fuels Chevy Sonic Success
“Seth miles” are named for Chevrolet Sonic Quality Manager Seth Valentine. Each mile Valentine puts on a test vehicle is called a “Seth mile” by Sonic engineers because of his reputation for extreme testing on long road trips. Valentine’s duty: Make the Sonic the most reliable and durable small car in North America
The efforts are paying off as Sonic more than doubled the sales of its predecessor, the Aveo, in January. Sonic is the only subcompact built in the United States.
Over one six-week period, Valentine drove more than 14,000 miles in the first Sonic to leave the General Motors Orion (Mich.) Assembly Plant. Valentine drove Sonic Vehicle Identification No. 1 from north to south and east to west, across subtropical Florida, the arid deserts of Arizona, the mountains of Colorado, and the South Carolina low country.
In addition to amassing miles with other Sonic team members, Valentine would play typical consumer and pack the Sonic to the hilt for a family vacation.
During work trips, Valentine and his colleagues identified quality issues that needed fixed before Sonics were shipped to Chevrolet dealers. One lengthy journey from the assembly plant outside Detroit to Phoenix revealed an intense wind noise while traveling through a 40 mph crosswind in Texas. The wind noise was not a factor during testing at the GM Proving Ground in Milford, Mich. Valentine called the assembly plant from the road and had the problem fixed before VIN No. 2 left the factory. He took the same approach with other issues found on the road.
“I do test drives because I want to experience everything a customer could: low altitude, high altitude, high temperatures and low temperatures,” said Valentine. “In the course of one week I can go from below sea level at 120 degrees F to below freezing temperatures at 12,000 feet above sea level. We can experience everything the customer might experience.”
The Sonic comes with a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 40,000 miles more than most competing small car powertrain warranties. It is the only small car manufactured in the United States.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Experience great new vehicles at Tom Bell Chevrolet
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Visit Tom Bell Chevrolet and enjoy the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado is simply amazing. Visit us and we'll introduce you to everything this great vehicle has to offer. Don't wait. Stop in and enjoy a test-drive today. http://bit.ly/xP2bhp
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI MVP Takes Home Chevrolet Corvette
A media panel and fan vote on www.superbowl.com determined the MVP Award winner, announced during the Super Bowl Postgame Show on NBC, presented by Chevrolet.
The Corvette Grand Sport Convertible sports car features a 6.2-liter small-block V-8, with 436 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. Capable of accelerating from 0-to-60 mph in less than four seconds, and reaching more than 1g of cornering force, it’s one of the most potent convertibles on the market. For 2012, all Corvettes are available with the black-on-black Chevrolet Centennial edition, commemorating 100 years of Chevrolet history.
The Super Bowl MVP receives the Pete Rozelle Trophy, a silver trophy made by Tiffany & Co., and the Corvette Grand Sport Convertible.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Enjoy the 2011 Chevrolet Volt experience at Tom Bell Chevrolet
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