Bad Badging
The Sunburst Orange Chevy Cobalt in our fleet was wearing the two most revered letters in GM performance history, but we weren’t fooled. You see, Chevrolet actually offers two Cobalt SSs and one of them is worthy of the legendary designation and the other is little more than an appearance package. The subject of this review is the poseur. It may have SS badges glued to an attractive coupe body, but this was no Super Sport. Read more…
Aching for an Autobahn
So you want to go fast? You want something that will rule the left lane with an iron fist and fear no competition. If its 0-60 mph time doesn’t start with a 3 then your grandma might be interested but you’re not. You want the latest racing technology and materials so exotic NASA doesn’t even use them. The exhaust note must strike fear into the heart of pedestrians and send enthusiasts’ pulse rates racing. If you expect climate control, a navigation system, change from a $75,000 bill and if you absolutely must blow through the quarter mile in less time than it takes to read this sentence, then there’s really only one choice. You need a Z06. Read more…
Look What Santa Left Me!
Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but really Santa, an automatic? Actually, the more perplexing thing is why would anyone in the GM media relations department decide to loan out a Corvette in Michigan in December? Our only conclusion was that the coordinator was on vacation in sunny California, and well, it’s dry there. Fortunately for you, your faithful AT staff is reluctant to pass up horsepower of large proportions and thus, brought to you its 400 gift-wrapped stallions. Read more…
If you’re the shy type, don’t ever ride in this Chevy.
From the moment you step inside this wild truck — a power-top convertible, no less — you become the center of attention wherever you drive.
People roll down their windows at stoplights to ask what it is; you can’t fill the gas tank without being interrupted at least twice; little kids stare at it with open-mouthed amazement; and cops pull you over for no apparent reason. Read more…
The Handsome Newcomer Proves Talented Too
Before the arrival of the Equinox, Chevrolet was sitting on the sidelines of the Small SUV game. In fact, the sidelines would have been an improvement, considering they never let the Tracker out of the cheap seats. Yes, the Tracker was ugly, underpowered, incapable and uncomfortable. Even so, it couldn’t have been that bad, could it? Actually, it was, and Chevy knew it. A lot of valuable time passed before the bow-tie boys got a replacement in the showroom, but now that the Equinox is available, is it a serious player in the still-hot small SUV field? Luckily, for GM, it is. Read more…
Thinking Green
This truck is greener than just its paint job. Is it an environmentally minded full-size pick-up truck, or a multipurpose workaday vehicle capable of getting you to the work site and powering your tools? How about both? Who has ever heard of such a thing, I can’t imagine. This all sounds appealing to me, but unless the badge on the side says Prius, don’t expect any of your tree-hugging buddies to embrace it. Interested? Read on, I’ll explain. Read more…
Ever Wonder Exactly What Dirt Cheap Means?
Chevrolet marketers knew a few years back that the upcoming Cavalier replacement was going to slide ever so slightly upscale. Sure, a base Cobalt can still be had for just north of 14k, but, nevertheless, Chevy figured there were enough potential customers out there that wanted the benefits of buying a new car but wanted to buy it for next to nothing. So the powers that be put their heads together and realized a rebadged Daewoo would be the best approach. As a result the Aveo is built in a South Korean plant and shipped to the U.S. to sell at rock bottom prices. How low are we talking here? Well, four digits low to be precise. That’s right; Chevrolet sells the cheapest new car in America because the Aveo starts at just $9,995—before any discounts. That’s pretty attractive to be certain and while we can’t say the same about the Aveo’s looks, for people on the strictest of budgets, the Aveo just may offer what they’re looking for. Read more…
American Rice
Hold up on the Teriyaki sauce, this one looks to be red hot already! And by that we mean more than just the color of the rice burner that GM sent us. The Cobalt SS does not play by the muscle car rules of engagement, save one. Lots of power! My apologies up front, as Rice Rockets and the like are not generally welcomed with the kind of open armed, warm and fuzzy feelings that we reserve for cars with, well let’s just say, a few more cubes. Nonetheless, me and my little chilly pepper got along just fine. Read more…
2003 Chevrolet Cheyenne concept at the 2003 NAIAS.
Chevy Finally Gets On The Small Car Radar
It’s news to no one that Chevy’s Cavalier hasn’t been a class leader since, well, never. It’s always been rough, underpowered, uncomfortable and devoid of style. The only way Chevy was able to move so many was to keep its sticker price low and fuel economy high. But times change and now even the most basic new cars offer comfortable seats and decent stereos. Some, like the Mazda3, are even great looking. Bob Lutz and the leadership of Chevrolet knew their next small car had to offer more than the Cavalier ever could if they wanted buyers back in GM showrooms without baiting them with thousands of dollars in incentives. To that end, a new platform, dubbed Delta, was used and lofty goals were set for the Cobalt. We recently spent time in both the sedan and coupe versions and are happy to report that the Cobalt is no Cavalier. Read more…
