Oh Hi: 2012 Buick Regal GS

I’m not going to fall back on the tired cliche of pointing out that Buick’s are generally made and marketed for, um, more seasoned individuals, but I must admit – this new Regal GS is definitely not made for your grandfather.

The regular Regal has been out for a while, and while it’s a fine machine in its own right, it really doesn’t do a whole lot to stir the soul. The Regal GS is here to fix that.

First, the best news. GM has decided to give the Regal GS a manual transmission option! That’s right, a 6-speed manual is actually available in a Buick. So, it has one piece of the performance puzzle down. What else does it have? Well it will get a 2.0 litre turbocharged Ecotech 4 cylinder which will make 255 horsepower and 295 pound feet of torque. Good torque numbers, but let’s hope the turbo doesn’t kick in too late and that the ecotech is actually able to let its hair down every once in a while.

Here’s a bit of bad news though. The Regal GS will be front-wheel drive only. Aww, you were so close to an excellent performance recipe, GM. With that said, it will use the same front-wheel drive system that the 2011 Saab 9-5 gets and from what I read, it can hold its own. GM says they didn’t bother with AWD because they added a high performance strut system which they claim works just as good as an AWD car in hanlding situatutions, plus it keeps cost down.

On top of decent styling, you can get optional 20 inch rims (although hopefully they aren’t chrome like the ones pictured above) and a host of luxury features.

How much will it cost? We’ll have to wait and see. Until then, decent effort GM.

[General Motors]

GM’s Been Lying About Chevy Volt For Years?

GM’s supposed savior, the Chevrolet Volt, is very nearly ready to hit the production lines and dealer lots – as early as next month in the States in fact. But a new revelation has Volt enthusiasts and auto journalists alike fuming.

Since the announcement of the Volt about three year’s ago, GM marketed it as a full on electric vehicle that had a gasoline engine meant to be used as a range extender. In other words, the gas engine did not power the wheels at all, it just generated power for the electric motor in the event it ran out of juice before you were able to plug it in. GM was asked time and time again whether the gas engine powered the wheels at all, and while GM didn’t outright say no, the typical non-answers and PR language for years made it seem like indeed it was just a range extender.

Well, now comes official word that the GM’s gas engine does in fact power the rear wheels. A lot of people feel quite miffed. Why? Well as mentioned, this was supposed to be GM’s halo car – a car that used a unique technology that no one had attempted in any production vehicle for the main purpose of ultimate efficiency. One of the main downsides of electric vehicles (EV’s) after all, is “range anxiety”. Meaning the driver always has a fear of running out of juice before they are able to make it back home or to a charging station. GM made it seems like it came up with a solution to that problem by having the gasoline engine act as a generator of sorts. Since that is no longer true, the Volt is not, by definition, a full electric vehicle anymore. It is a plug-in hybrid. Those interested in the Volt and those reporting on it, understandably, feel led on or lied to even. Chevy’s response is that they couldn’t reveal information about the Volt’s power train for patent publishing reasons, but now that they have it, they revealed the true nature of the power train.

My personal point of view is not quite as animated as other car blogs. Apparently Inside Line feels lied to, frustrated and have strong feelings of disbelief while Jalopnik went and photoshopped the Volt to look like the devil. However, as a fellow car enthusiast and automotive journalist, I must agree, this really is quite the disappointment. It’s not because it’s wrong for the Volt to be a plug-in hybrid, it’s because it has been force fed to us as a full on EV for years. It’s almost like having a friend who brags about working at the White House, but then you find out he’s just the janitor. Not a lie per se, but definitely misleading.

I have defended the Chevy Volt in the past against fools like Rush Limbaugh, but I’ve also been quite critical as well. This new revelation has me feeling a bit let down. I wanted the Chevy Volt to succeed and I wanted it to offer a breakthrough in power train technology. Turns out it’s just using technology that Toyota, Volvo, and Honda have been working on for years. It’s not so much the fact that the Volt isn’t a full on EV with a range extender, it’s the fact that it has apparently come to light that no one is working on such a feat when we thought GM was the whole time. Quite the let down GM. Here’s hoping the Volt will still save you as much as you think it will.

[General Motors]

Sneak Peak: Saab 9-4X

Set to officially debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November, a Saab nut over at Saabs United was actually able to snag a pic of the production version.

Now under the ownership of Spyker, it seemsthings are chugging along quite nicely for Saab after being dangerously close to death. Spyker seems to be respecting the overall Saab design philosophy that makes Saab such quirky loveable cars.

Since this Saab was planned and developped under General Motors, it actually shares the same platform as the Cadillac SRX. It is expected to get possibly the same 2.8 litre turbocharged V6, however the 2.0 litre turbocarged inline four found in the 2010 9-5 is also a possibility, what with efficiency being on the mind of everyone. As the ‘X’ in the name suggests, AWD will be standard.

[Saabs United]

Turns Out ‘E-Tron’ is a Crappy Name, Audi

The all-electric E-tron is expected to make production in the next few years, promising to be an efficient alternative to those who value performance but have a concern for the environment and how much they spend on gas. It is said to have similar performance of the Audi R8 but uses absolutely no gas. Cool idea.

What wasn’t a cool idea though, was naming it E-tron. While the name sounds cool and futuristic, obviously the whole world doesn’t speak English. Which means that different words have different meanings in cultures across the world. Audi is finding that out the hard way.

Turns out in French Etron is slang for feces. Obviously having a car named after excrement is not ideal. It would give way to way too many puns such as “that car is a piece of shit.” This isn’t the first time Audi has screwed up names. Remember when they insensitively created the Green Police? The same guy responsible for that in Audi’s research department must’ve come up with the Etrons name.

This also isn’t the first time a new car’s name meant something hilariously different in another language. GM came to the startling realization that the name of its top selling sedan, the LaCrosee, means rather crudely to masturbate in la Francais Quebecois. Luckily for GM, they came to this realization before the LaCross went on sale and named it the Allure in our market. Since then, GM has decided that LaCrosse will be the name of here and Canada too. They apparently don’t care about Quebec culture or references anymore.

[Green Car Ports]

Another Reason To Hate it: Escalade Top Pick For Thieves

Isn’t it just the best when people get what they have coming to them?

Well the likeliness of that ringing true has just increased for Cadillac Escalade owners because the Highway Data Loss Institute has just released its list of vehicles with the highest and lowest insurance claims or thefts. You guessed it, the Cadillac Escalade took top honours for most stolen. Another reason to hate it!

But wait, you must be asking yourself “how can the Escalade be such a hot item for thieves? What about GM’s infamous Onstar?” Well, car thieves are quite crafty these days. All they do is take a flat bed truck, and load it on. By the time the douchebag owner realizes that their sweet ride has been stolen, the thieves have already deactivated the Onstar system which means the Escalade is now untrackable.

Which car is least likely to be stolen? Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Volvo S80. While that may be good news for S80 owners, wouldn’t that make them wonder why no one even wants to steal their car? Just sayin’.

Hit the jump to see the rest of the top 10 highest stolen and least stolen vehicles. Is your car on the list?

[Highway Data Loss Institute]

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GM Not Above Blatant Publicity Stunts, Uses New Born

Okay, we’re all in agreement that the Chevy Cobalt sucks badly, right? Even GM themselves think it’s horrible. So if you are one of the thousands of suckers that ended up buying one, you’re probably getting what you deserve. However, if you are a Cobalt owner and you are preggers, then perhaps there is one pro to owning own. Free diapers.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Cobalt owner Amanda McBride of Michigan was quite preggers and was out for a drive when her baby decided it was time to leave her womb and there would be no stopping it. McBride had her husband with her, but he was not able to drive her to the hospital because he was on medication which did not allow him to operate a motor vehicle safely. So McBride gave birth to her baby right in the driver’s seat. Apparently it “just slid out”. Gross.

Anyway even though GM themselves hate the Cobalt, that won’t stop them for somehow taking credit for McBride’s easy birth. Since it happened so easily and it was in one of their cars, GM decided it could gain some free press by offering McBride  a year’s supply of baby diapers, a stroller, a baby seat and an unspecified amount of baby toys.

So basically, if you own a GM and you are quite pregnant, make sure you give birth in your car because it will actually be worth your while. And if GM doesn’t give you free diapers, you can call them out on their blatant publicity stunt and ensure they stay in the media for all the wrong reasons.

This isn’t the first time GM has used people and situations to gain press. Remember that stupid MLB Silverado that GM made to take advantage of their own charity work?

[Detroit Free Press]

Karl Strake For President (of GM)

He has already publically said what we all were thinking about the Cobalt and now Karl Strake, the vice president for global engineering of GM has stated publicly what we all are thinking about the Corvette.

The Corvette has quite a loyal following and anyone who tries to criticize it or make fun of it will get quite the lashing. In fact, it appears some within GM are quite sensitive when it comes to Corvette criticisms. Not Strake though. He tells it like it is.

Strake said of the Corvette interior “I want to be at Audi quality. Audi is the benchmark for interiors. I’ve driven the Corvette Grand Sport and I like it a lot, but the interior is not convincing.”

Bang on. Since I’ve never driven a Corvette, I can’t comment on how it drives, but I’ve definitely sat in one and the interior is pretty sub-par for a vehicle of its price.

If Strake gets his way with these GM products, GM will be the ones setting the benchmarks.

Now tell us what you really think of the Aveo, Strake.

[Auto North]

Finally! GM Executive Admits the Chevy Cobalt Is “Horrible”

Karl Strake vice president of global engineering deserves a raise. In fact, make him in charge of any decision making when it comes to new models because he has stated what I and many like me have known for a long long time: The Chevy Cobalt sucks and always has.

While in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Strake took the press on a tour of the new Chevy Cruze which is going to be the replacement for the Cobalt. In fact there was a Cobalt on hand that Strake had the opportunity to drive and he held nothing back when asked how it compared:

“Look at this car, it’s horrible” Strake said of the Cobalt. ” How did it get through so many people?”

I was wondering the same thing, I don’t know how it got passed by everyone at GM but what’s even more astonishing than that is the amount of people that actually bought a Cobalt. I mean, they’re everywhere. My theory is that the Cobalt is substantially better than the Cavalier was so by comparison, people thought they were buying a good car. But that’s a bit like saying Bill O’Reilly isn’t as offensive as Rush Limbaugh, so Bill O’Reilly must be a good commentator. And he really isn’t.

Strake had nothing but good things to say about the Cruze though, so it’s probably a legit car. Let’s just hope that it’s not the same situation where we all think it’s a good car because it’s better than a Cobalt, but years down the road we realize that isn’t true.

FAIL: Chevy Silverado MLB Edition

The thing is, this could have been a WIN for GM, but since GM is GM, they had to go and ruin it and thus, they end up with a FAIL.

You see, GM is apparently the official sponsor for the MLB All-Star game this year. In addition, they have been very involved in sponsoring youth baseball leagues to help youngsters achieve their dream of making it to the majors. That deserves a WIN, right?

Well the problem is, GM went and did what you see in the pic above to a Chevy Silverado in order to brag about it. Bragging about how you help others isn’t very humble, it’s just douchy. And to make sure we know just how douchy it is, they went and douched up a Silverado for us all to make fun of.

We’re betting not even the most hardcore baseball fan would want to be seen in this thing. Subtlety is apparently something GM hasn’t learned yet and for that you get a FAIL, GM.

Oh Hi: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Get used to that face, because you will now have to be on the lookout for Tauruses hiding behind bends and bushes waiting to nab you with their radar gun.

As expected, the Taurus will take over patrolling duties from the Crown Victoria, which can now fully enjoy its retirement. Ford officially stopped selling Crown Vic’s to the public, but continued on producing them for various police forces across the continent.

There are no specific details out yet, but there’s a good chance that a tuned version of the Taurus SHO could make its way under the hood. Ecoboost technology would likely be included as well.

Dodge has been producing interceptor versions of the Charger for a while now, and GM hopes to get a piece of the pie when it introduces a Chevrolet Caprice interceptor in the very near future. The Caprice will essentially be a Pontiac G8 badged as a Chevy, and there are no plans to sell it to the public.

Who knew there was such stiff competition to be the unofficial supplier to the police? To all the police officers that frequent Car Driven, what would be your interceptor of choice? Charger, Caprice or Taurus?

A few more pics after the jump.

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Test Drive: 2010 Hummer H3

By Kevin Harrison

Ever notice how bad timing happens way more often than good timing? For instance, I somehow found myself at a baby shower that was organized by my office for my very pregnant boss. I was roped into helping to organize it. What was even more puzzling than that was I was put in charge of coming up with fun games so that people didn’t gouge their eyes out after the awkwardness set in when they realized that they were indeed at an office baby shower. I’m not sure whose clever idea it was to have a male help out with a baby shower because all I kept coming up with were drinking games and inappropriate jokes during the whole process.

Then someone had an idea to get all the staff to bring in baby pictures of themselves and then our pregnant boss would have to guess who’s who. Still in inappropriate joke mode, I then decided to blurt out “well she’ll be able to get Judy’s picture right away because her’s will be the only picture in black and white”. Right at that moment, Judy, our Executive Director, had walked in the room. The look on her face could only be described as anything but amused. Why did she not come in about 5 minutes earlier when I had actually complimented her for her homemade potato salad she brought in the day before?

Likewise, why did the first ever African American President of the United States have to get elected right after one of the worst President’s in their history? He left the country in the worst possible condition and now President Obama must somehow fix all the problems that someone else created. As a result, Obama’s approval ratings are at an all-time low as people seem to want quick fixes to things that take time. So now because of this bad timing, the next time an African American offers his/her candidacy for President, all people will remember is how Obama didn’t fix things on the double and then said candidate will get no where before even getting started.

And so, the bad timing continues on in life with the latest being this very review. Fresh from Car Driven’s bad timing department comes our test of the Hummer H3. This is bad timing in many ways. Firstly, very few people are now in the market for a gas guzzling SUV so Hummer’s SUV only lineup isn’t exactly on the public’s radar. Secondly, and most importantly, it was announced just a few days ago that Hummer is going to cease to exist.

So why did I even bother?

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See Ya! Hummer Brand to Wind Down

Hummer will be no more.

The sale of the brand to Chinese company Sichuan Tenzhong has apparently fallen through as GM announced “the orderly shutdown of the HUMMER operations”. There is no word on what caused the breakdown of the sale. Maybe there is some involvement of gang related activity again? The Chinese Triads perhaps?

Hummer has long been the whipping boy of environmental groups for its overall excess and has long been the vehicle of choice for rappers, rock stars and even politicians (we’re looking at you, Arnold).

To celebrate pay respects to Hummer shutting down, we figured the embarrassing tastefully modded pink Hummer H3 you see above would be an appropriate homage.

But seriously, as much as we dislike Hummer, any loss of brand in the car industry is painful to take for most petrol heads. In this case, there will be one thousand plant workers now out of a job.

Like Saturn and Pontiac, GM is promising to  honour warranties along with service and parts support to Hummer owners around the world.

Antonov Still Wants In on Saab-Spyker Deal

The sale of Saab to Spyker has been officially been approved by GM thanks for Spyker following certain stipulations, some of which were a bit odd. Case in point, the reported request that chairman Vladamir Antonov be removed from Spyker.

It was originally thought that this request was made so that GM technology wouldn’t fall into Russian hands, but the true nature of the request was due to Antonov’s alleged ties to the Russian mafia.

Antonov agreed to step down, but he is now speaking out as to the reasons surrounding his role in the deal. And he still wants to be a part of it.

Could this cause enough friction to make the deal fall apart?

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Spyker’s Ties to Russian Mafia Prevented Original Saab Deal?

By now you’ve already heard about Saab being saved from certain demise thanks to Dutch supercar company, Spyker.

Spyker originally was rejected on its first bid but won the Swedish brand thanks to a revamped second bid that addressed some of GM’s concerns.

As a part of the new deal, GM made the odd request that Spyker Chairman Vladamir Antonov be removed from the company. Since Antonov is clearly Russian, it was speculated that this request was made so that GM technology wouldn’t fall into Russian hands (apparently there’s still some bad blood between America and Russia…who knew?)

As a result Antonov was asked to step down, and voila – Spyker got themselves a premium car brand for $75 million.

But new reports are surfacing as the the ‘real’ reason for Antonov’s removal. Find out more after the jump.

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GM Kicks Toyota While They’re Down

To say the automotive business is a tough business is quite an understatement. No one knows this better than GM.

Things got so bad that they had to run to the government, with promises of change,to ask for money or else the entire company would go bankrupt. And both American and Canadian governments gave the A-OK to the loan, despite lots of public outrage at the mere notion of a bailout.

But now that GM is semi-back on its feet, and paying back those loans, it seems that they have all but forgotten what it’s like to be down on your luck as they are aiming at taking advantage of Toyota’s misfortune.

GM is offering Toyota owners some incentives if they jump ship. From now until the end of February, if you take in your Toyota and buy a Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet or GMC vehicle you can choose from three different incentives.

Find out what they are after the jump

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