Spy Shots: AB reader spots Chevrolet Beat
Click above for image gallery of the Chevy Beat prototype
AB reader Kyle Swift just sent us a few cellphone pics he took of a Chevrolet Beat prototype lounging around at New York's Rochester Institute of Technology. The camouflaged runabout was spotted in a parking lot on the university's grounds, possibly visiting from nearby Delphi.
As you may recall, the Chevy Beat was the most popular of a trio of concepts Chevy showed to the world at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Based on General Motors' new global mini-car platform, the Beat was designed as the sportiest of the triplets with a 1.2L turbocharged gas engine mated to an automatic transmission.
At the 2007 L.A. Auto Show, Bob Lutz announced that the Beat will go into global production outside of North America in mid-2009. Production is set to begin in South Korea where the car was originally created at GM's design studio in Bupyeong. Since its concept unveiling, the Beat has grown an extra set of doors to ease rear-seat ingress and egress, and sadly, word is that it has also dropped its turbocharger. The production 1.2L 16-valve DOHC inline-four will be mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox, however.
The Beat is expected to make its production debut sometime in 2010 and will go on sale in Europe in early 2011. As previously reported, the Beat won't be coming to the U.S. until it meets federal crash-test standards, which means we probably won't see it until at least 2012. A big hat tip to Kyle.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rafer 12:48PM (12/18/2008)
OMG i go to RIT too was this taken last night? Is it still around. I must go find it.
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Concerned Citizen 12:55PM (12/18/2008)
REALLY?
hypermiler 12:51PM (12/18/2008)
GM surely has lots of Daewoos driven around in the US; Beat, Cruze, Volt(which was stock Lacetti that Rick Wagoner drove to Senate). What's next, Winstorm to replace Vue and Equinox?
Is this the future of GM? A distributor of import cars?
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Epyx 1:23PM (12/18/2008)
GM is Daewoo. The Cruze will be built in Ohio. It is a world car.
skant 12:52PM (12/18/2008)
how much for the chick?
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hypermiler 12:54PM (12/18/2008)
Beat will launch for $7,000 in Korea next year(Weak currency). If imported into the US, I would assume it would start at $9,999
jv2k 2:05PM (12/18/2008)
So are you saying the chick should be cheap too?
Mehul 12:53PM (12/18/2008)
The girl in pic 6 is the hottest girl I've seen on Autoblog for a while....
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happy_penguin 2:33PM (12/18/2008)
+ + and a HELL YEAH!
That One Person 4:36PM (12/18/2008)
I was like "what sixth picture?" Then I saw it and definitely have to agree.
Mobius_1 12:59PM (12/18/2008)
When I first saw this pic, I thought Jeremy Clarkson has had his way with a supermini and a chainsaw again... lol.
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MUSASHI66 1:05PM (12/18/2008)
They asked the public which one was the best - public did find a good looking car. Then GM takes away the turbo, and I can almost guarantee that it will be missing all the cool elements from the concept when it comes out. This is Aveo like, just worse.
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Torrent 1:56PM (12/18/2008)
I actually think the Groove was the best. Like a Mini-HHR. Something I would have bought.
BUT NO!!!!
They had pick a hot hatch that was destined to look bland come the day of production.
Jj 1:09PM (12/18/2008)
The Cruze is NOT a Daewoo. It is built on GM's Delta II platform. The new Deawoo Lacetti is an example of the platform sharing going in the opposite direction.
As for the Volt, there is absolutly no link to Daewoo except that the Volt is also Delta II based.
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hypermiler 1:22PM (12/18/2008)
> The Cruze is NOT a Daewoo.
Then why is Daewoo the only one selling it, and why all Euro Cruze are built by Daewoo.
> It is built on GM's Delta II platform.
Daewoo Delta II has nothing to do with Opel Delta I; Delta II is a mid-sizer.
> As for the Volt, there is absolutly no link to Daewoo except that the Volt is also Delta II based.
Well, the Volt mule that Wagoner drove to the US Senate looked stock Lacetti, complete with stock grill(a Daewoo grill, not a Chevy grill), bumper and door handle.
Jj 1:35PM (12/18/2008)
Daewoo is the FIRST to sell it.
Delta II is not midsize. It was originally called "Global compact car architecture" within GM. The platform will also be used by Opel for the next gen Astra.
The most likey reason that the Volt mule in DC used Daewoo bodywork is availibility of the parts.
few 5:20AM (12/22/2008)
chevrolet cruze, aka daewoo lacetti premium, is engineered and designed by daewoo, with its engine and platform coming from opel. so it is a daewoo. But then, daewoo is GM, so it is GM as well..
Volt on the other hand, has no ties to daewoo i think...
Will 1:17PM (12/18/2008)
Please be good.
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pc800 1:22PM (12/18/2008)
Will GM itself even make it to 2012?
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Torrent 3:25PM (12/18/2008)
I am SO tired of these questions.