Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: GM offers sneak peek at mystery crate engine headed for SEMA]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/30/video-gm-offers-sneak-peek-at-new-crate-engine-headed-for-sema/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/30/video-gm-offers-sneak-peek-at-new-crate-engine-headed-for-sema/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/30/video-gm-offers-sneak-peek-at-new-crate-engine-headed-for-sema/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Click above to watch the video after the jump

General Motors is getting ready for SEMA 2009, but the Detroit-based automaker has a little over a week before it can show us anything official in Las Vegas. That isn't stopping the General from teasing us, though, as this 40-second YouTube clip clearly demonstrates. One of GM's new tuner specials comes in a box and figures to be packed with power. It's a crate engine, but unfortunately the company isn't giving us much in the way of details.

Hit the jump to watch a pair of technicians bolt the mystery engine onto an unknown frame that already sports four Corvette-badged wheels. We're no trained eye, but the engine looks an awful lot like GM's 5.3-liter mill, which is made at the General's Canadian St. Catherines engine plant. To make us feel even more strongly about the mystery motor being some variant of the 5.3, there is even a Canada sticker at the belt wheel. And since the end of the video says "A new kind of crate engine is coming," at least one Autoblogger is further hypothesizing that the 5.3-liter could be a flex-fuel variant. But like we said, we're just thinking out loud here, so if you have a better guess, let us know in the post-jump comments section. We'll likely know for sure once SEMA begins on November 3.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: GM offers sneak peek at mystery crate engine headed for SEMA

VIDEO: GM offers sneak peek at mystery crate engine headed for SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5.3l v85.3lV8crate engineCrateEnginegeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgm canadagm crate engineGmCanadaGmCrateEnginesema 2009Sema2009st catherinesStCatherinesFri, 30 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST<![CDATA[CAW concessions could pave way for Canadian GM bailout]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/08/caw-concessions-could-pave-way-for-canadian-gm-bailout/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/08/caw-concessions-could-pave-way-for-canadian-gm-bailout/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/08/caw-concessions-could-pave-way-for-canadian-gm-bailout/#commentsFiled under: ,

Reuters reports that the Canadian Auto Workers leadership and General Motors Canada have agreed on a set of union concessions that, if approved by CAW members, could clear the way for both the Canadian federal and Ontario local governments to furnish the cash-starved automaker with billions more in bailout dollars. According to Reuters, the union has agreed to swallow a wage freeze through 2012, reduced vacation time, and higher co-pays on their benefits plans. These changes would come on top of proposed pay reductions for both executives and regular salaried workers, plus benefits cuts for the latter.

GM hopes that the combined white-and blue-collar savings will be enough to convince Canadian officials to open up the coffers. For its part, the CAW says it'll use the GM negotiations as a model for how it'll deal with the other automakers seeking similar concessions. The Canadian developments come after a week in which the big story was GM's auditors' gloomy outlook on the company's ability to contintinue as a going concern. Stay tuned for another active news cycle this week as President Obama's auto industry task force heads to Detroit for powwows with automaker and union leaders. Everyone is in scramble mode right now because both GM and Chrysler need more money by the end of this month in order to keep the lights on. Thanks to Jarrett for the tip!

[Source: Reuters]

CAW concessions could pave way for Canadian GM bailout originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aidbailoutcanadian auto workersCanadianAutoWorkerscawgm canadaGmCanadaontariorescueSun, 08 Mar 2009 17:33:00 EST<![CDATA[GM pledges to invest $290 million at Ontario plant]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/10/gm-pledges-to-invest-290-million-at-ontario-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/10/gm-pledges-to-invest-290-million-at-ontario-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/10/gm-pledges-to-invest-290-million-at-ontario-plant/#commentsFiled under: ,

Fresh from the news that Ford would be investing cash into its Canadian facilities, our friends north of the border got even more good news, this time from GM. The General is investing $290 million in all, including $245 million at its St. Catharines plant, which will make six-speed transmissions. The move will ensure the employment of the 300 workers at the facility. GM also plans to invest $40 million for environmental research at its Canadian engineering center in Oshawa. GM also announced that it would be building a hybrid vehicle at its Oshawa car plant at an undisclosed future date.

The Canadian government is showing its gratitude by not requiring early payment for $200 million in loans that is owed by the General. The loan was triggered early when GM announced the closure of its Oshawa truck plant, meaning the General wouldn't meet minimal employment targets.

[Source: Tradingmarkets]

GM pledges to invest $290 million at Ontario plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>canadageneral motorsGeneralMotorsGMGM CanadaGmCanadaoshawa carOshawaCarsix speed transmissionSixSpeedTransmissionWed, 10 Sep 2008 08:32:00 EST<![CDATA[2009 Pontiac Wave5 unveiled in Montreal]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/2009-pontiac-wave5-unveiled-in-montreal/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/2009-pontiac-wave5-unveiled-in-montreal/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/2009-pontiac-wave5-unveiled-in-montreal/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



As you may or may not have known, a rebadged version of the Chevy Aveo sedan has been offered to Canadian car shoppers in the form of the Pontiac Wave, and with the arrival of the facelifted Aveo5 comes a new Wave5 for Canada. We exhanged emails on the matter with the gang at CanadianDriver, and they explained that it has everything to do with the GM dealer setups in Canada. For the most part, there are Chevy/Cadillac stores and Pontiac/Buick/GMC outlets. Small cars are critical to sales volumes, so if Chevy dealers get one, the Buick/Pontiac/GMC guys want one. This is how the Pontiac Pursuit (a.k.a. G5) came to be, and is also why the Wave exists.

Getting back to the topic at hand, what you see here is pretty self-explanatory. It's the new Aveo5 with a Poncho twin-grille schnoz. Unlike the Pontiac G5, this won't be coming across our northern border. If you want one, you have to settle for the giant-grilled Chevy. For more on the Wave5, click on the image above to read CanadianDriver.com's coverage from the Montreal Auto Show. GM's press release is also pasted after the jump.

[Sources: GM Canada, CanadianDriver; Photo: CanadianDriver]

Continue reading 2009 Pontiac Wave5 unveiled in Montreal

2009 Pontiac Wave5 unveiled in Montreal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 pontiac wave52009PontiacWave5GM CanadaGmCanadapontiac wave5PontiacWave5Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:03:00 EST