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Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, Holden, Australia, Rumormill
Calling it "Holden's worst kept secret," a report in Australia's
Drive indicates that the
General Motors antipodean brand will announce "very soon" that it will be exporting "thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013." Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of
Chevrolet SS Performance sedans - the
Pontiac G8 in a previous life - starting next year.
The report says
Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere,
including OnStar, as well as
trade-publication reports and speculation about
GM's 2013 NASCAR entrant, have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.
Drive says our rear-wheel drive
Chevrolet will get a revised take on the
VF-model Commodore that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number "much fewer than the 50,000-odd" units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.
The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled
G8 ST Ute corn tease is that the exports "could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants."
Drive didn't, but we will emphasize the word "could," since we've been here before. However, that does jive with
a report in Car and Driver indicating the same thing. Holden's announcement could be made as soon as
later today right now - see below for update.
*UPDATE: Well that didn't take long. General Motors has
officially confirmed that the new Holden-derived sedan sold in the U.S. will be called simply Chevrolet SS. The "limited production" SS will race in NASCAR beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500 and will appear in showrooms in 2014. GM isn't getting into specifics, but says "The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance." As to additional bodystyles like a wagon or pickup, well, GM isn't saying. See more in the official press release added
below, and click on the image above to get a look at GM's newest racer all camo'd up.
Continue reading Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE
Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 17th, 2012
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Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Chevrolet, Rumormill
We can now add a rendering and a litte more gossip to
General Motors and its recent
patenting of the of the "SS" designation. GM has used the SS designator for more than 50 years but only got around to trademarking it five years ago, and persistent rumors have suggested that a civilian version of the
Chevrolet Caprice PPV will simply be called the SS.
Chevrolet previously confirmed that its next NASCAR entry will be
both a new vehicle and new nameplate, which suggests that the
Malibu and
Impala are disqualified. But a new car called the SS would fit, and the rumormill suggests it will be a derivative of the Zeta-platform
Holden Commodore. The folks at Chris Doane Automotive have opened the rendering account and taken this rather conservative stab at what a reboot of a U.S. Commodore might look like.
Yes, we've been here before, and in fact, we're still here. The now extinct but universally lauded
Pontiac G8 was itself a Americanized Holden Commodore, and the current Caprice law enforcement vehicle is a long-wheelbase version of that Holden that packs either a 3.6-liter, 301-horsepower V6 or a 6.0-liter, 355-hp V8. Resurrecting the G8 would return a vehicle that many loved but was handicapped by Pontiac's zombie status, improve Holden's fortunes and give Chevy a proper rear-wheel drive sedan with teeth. To all of that, we say Yes, Yes and... Yes.
Rendered Speculation: Chevrolet SS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 20th, 2012
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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM
News of an impending automotive debut, especially one as big as the next
Chevrolet Impala, generally come straight from the mouths of the automakers. Interesting, then, that the
New York Auto Show's Facebook page is the first bit of confirmation we've seen that the 2014 Impala will be making its worldwide debut in The Big Apple.
All we have to go along with that confirmation is the teaser image you see above (click on the pic to enlarge), so we can't glean too many details just yet. We can see a Hofmeister-esque kink in the C-pillar, strongly accented in chrome trim, along with the well-known leaping impala emblem.
Past that,
recent spy photos have revealed that the front-wheel-drive Impala will boast plenty of passenger room from its Epsilon-II architecture, the same guts that underpin the
2013 Chevrolet Malibu and
Cadillac XTS. We're also expecting GM's well-regarded 3.6-liter V6 underhood, along with a possible turbocharged four and e-Assist hybrid setup.
This news comes on the heels of
last week's announcement by
General Motors that it plans to replace the
Impala in its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effort with a new nameplate that will also see a production model offshoot, leading to renewed speculation that the automaker will not only sell a new full-size Impala, but potentially a large rear-wheel drive sedan to offer as well, possibly based on the company's Zeta platform that underpins the
Holden Commodore and recently introduced
Chevrolet Caprice PPV law enforcement special.
The
2012 New York Auto Show is slated to kick off on April 4, but in the meantime, feel free to go over the teaser above with a fine-toothed comb, and stay tuned for any more details we find ahead of its debut.
UPDATE: GM has confirmed the Impala with the issuance of a press release and official image. In addition, it has confirmed that a revamped
2013 Traverse crossover will also bow in New York. The Traverse will be available with GM's new front, center-mount airbag first revealed in the updated
Buick Enclave, the Traverse's twin. See the official release after the jump and note the addition of a Traverse interior image above.
Continue reading New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE]
New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 21st, 2012
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A few months before
General Motors killed Pontiac, Pontiac killed our dreams when they announced
the cancellation of plans to bring the Holden Commodore Ute to America in the form of the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck. Almost three years later the sting of being denied access to the ultimate parts hauler after being told the G8 Sport Truck was on its way is still there.
More »
December 24th, 2011
GM will recall 38,400 2008 and 2009 Pontiac G8s in response to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concern regarding the front passenger air bag modules.
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November 6th, 2011
When Chevrolet announced last year it would import the Australian-built
Chevy Caprice sedan as police-only fleet car, enthusiasts begged for a civilian version to no avail. Now one Maryland dealer says it will buck GM and sell 13 Caprices to the public.
UPDATE: It's legit — but not for long.
More »
June 24th, 2011
