2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD LTZ

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD LTZ front view

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD LTZ side view

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD LTZ rear view

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 4WD LTZ engine

2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport front view

2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport side view

2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport rear view

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec front view

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec front view

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec front view

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec front view

2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition

2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition side view

2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition interior

2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition interior

2011 Chevrolet Volt front view

Thanks to the trailblazing efforts of the hybrid fleet, more and more Americans now associate efficiency with electric power, and General Motors has given rise to what could possibly be the perfect evolutionary species to bridge the gap between hybrid and full-electric motivation – the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

2011 Chevrolet Volt front view 2

The concept was downright muscular and served as an excellent counterpoint to the econo-blob styling of the Toyota Prius at the time. Unfortunately, nearly all of the brawny build of the Volt Concept never quite made it to the production world.

2011 Chevrolet Volt side view

The front fascia is appropriately swept into the hood and fenders with wrapped projector headlamps and a shield grille help to give the electrified four-door one of the lowest drag coefficients of any vehicle GM has ever produced.

2011 Chevrolet Volt rear view

Only the low-slung Corvette rivals the 0.287 Cd of the Volt.Jump inside and it’s even clearer that you aren’t driving a run-of-the-mill internal-combustion mule. The center stack is awash in capacitive-touch controls that are simple to navigate if not difficult to read during daylight hours.

2011 Chevrolet Volt interior

For all of the bellyaching that we could work up over how long it takes to fully charge the Volt, GM has done an amazing job of building an EV that drives just like any other vehicle on the road. Acceleration isn’t exactly neck-snapping by any means, but if you get frisky with the accelerator, you will be rewarded with a few quick spins of the low-rolling resistance Goodyear Assurance tires.

2011 Chevrolet Volt engine

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible front

The history of the Camaro is littered with topless wonders that looked like a stack of cool cash while parked, yet most drove like a wet noodle when you stepped on their skinny pedals.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible side view 2

The minds that pull the strings at GM have made it clear that in the coming years, what was once the king of the muscle car heap will turn its attention more toward the sports car crowd, and to that end, they’ve striven to deliver a Camaro Convertible capable of all of the same driving dynamics as the coupe.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible side view

GM has kept the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible nearly identical to its hardtop sibling with a few notable exceptions. The largest of those is, of course, the fact that buyers can now opt for either a black or tan folding soft top in place of the coupe’s tin, though there are a handful of subtler changes as well.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible rear view

The piece is standard on 2LT and 2SS trims and optional on 1LT and 1SS configurations. Unfortunately, as we would find out, installing the tonneau cover is a frustrating process that could be employed as an enhanced interrogation method by sinister law enforcement agencies.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible interior

Head indoors and you’ll notice few changes compared to the coupe, as well. GM has decided to mount the controls for the convertible roof along the top of the windshield frame, and their placement makes it easy to operate the motor control and lock down the top at the same time.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible engine

With the mighty LS3 (or L99 in auto guise) V8 lodged under the hood, the tiller feels a good bit heavier than it does in the hard top, though it’s not enough to be an issue. Switch to the standard V6 and the weight is much less pronounced.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco front view

So it should be no surprise that when General Motors and the EPA announced that the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco would hit 42 miles per gallon on the highway, a stink of disbelief filled our newsroom.Stylistically, there’s very little to distinguish the Cruze Eco from its less fuel-savvy brethren.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco front view 2

You won’t find any gaudy vinyl graphics or strange body cladding slathered over the vehicle’s exterior. Instead, you’ll need a keen eye to spot the tiny green Eco badge on the rear deck and even sharper retinas to pick out the modified grille and active shutter system nestled low in the front fascia.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco side view

In short, this is a green warrior without all of the unnecessary face paint.Otherwise, the only interior hardware on hand to set the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco apart from its less efficient counterpart is the presence of a legitimate row-your own six-speed manual transmission.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco rear view

On the aerodynamic front, GM bolted on a complete underbody tray to reduce wind turbulence, and small plastic spats were installed ahead of each tire to better control airflow around the wheels.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco interior

GM also set about stripping as much weight as possible from the four-door, starting with a set of special Alcoa forged-aluminum 17-inch wheels that are 5.3-pounds lighter per wheel than the stock rollers. In fact, The General’s engineers are fond of saying that no piece of sheetmetal went unweighed in the quest to slim the Cruze Eco’s waistline.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco rear seats

More interesting still is that the Cruze Eco has sacrificed its intermediate driveshaft in favor of two unequal-length half shafts to conserve weight.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco front seats

GM went with the original design to keep torque-steer at bay with both the 1.4-liter four-cylinder and the 1.8-liter four-pot, but the trade-off was deemed worthwhile when it came to the hyper-efficient version of the Cruze.On the interstate, the Cruze Eco proved to be both quiet and comfortable – two things that we didn’t really expect from a super-efficient version of the sedan.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco engine

GM has deleted the Z-link rear suspension in favor of a standard torsion bar to skimp on pounds, though the absence isn’t noticeable during long commutes or in abrupt stop-and-go driving.

A little busy with the six-speed automatic gearbox, the Camaro SS 60 kmh in 4.6 seconds, with quarter-mile in 13.1 at 109 mph arriving in 4.8 seconds, the Camaro with the six – transmission takes 0, 60 to 2 seconds longer to beat, but the car overtaken by the quarter-mile mark, clocking 13 seconds flat at 111 mph (The L99 V-8 engine is connected to the automatic is 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft torque, The LS3 and manual combo is good for 426 hp and 420 unspecified lb-ft.) For comparison: the 315-horsepower 2010 Ford Mustang GT and the 376-hp 5.7-liter Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger R / T do the trick in 5.1 seconds. The better designed but expensive Challenger SRT8 with a 425-horse, 6.1-liter Hemi-hits 60 in 4.8 seconds. So, coming to the Ford Mustang GT in the gym and more power plugs under the hood, Chevy earned bragging segment, where plumpness is perhaps one of the most.