There has been a significant amount of controversy surrounding the Chevrolet Volt the past few days.  You see, the Volt is a highly anticipated vehicle both by the public and General Motors.  The controversy is centered on the fact that the Volt has always been advertised as an extended range electric vehicle.  If you ask this blogger, that is exactly what it still is.  Over the past few days it has been revealed that the Volt, at speeds at or over 70 mph, the generator (ICE engine) is coupled directly to the electric motors and the vehicle carries on driving.  This was done in the name of efficiency which is the Volt’s game.  The rest of the time the Volt is exactly how it was penned in the first place.  Also as far as the over 70 mph is concerned the Volt still drives just like the electric vehicle it is.  Please check out Motor Trend’s article here to see what they say.  It is a well written article that truely shows where the Volt shines and why in real world conditions. 

Source: Motor Trend

 If The World Is Listening… by Chad Mackey2010 (12 tracks, 45:27)rock … Read More

via New Music Releases

 This blogger went to college with the above artist.  This may seem like I have some sort of bias regarding his artistic ability.  I assure you that I do not.  Chad Mackey is an excellent artist whose songs evoke a feeling that no matter what is going on in your life everything becomes better.  His songs have been called “feel good” music and those words could not be more true.  “Miles on my car” is one of this blogger’s personal favorites. Not just because it has the word “car” in it, although I would forgive you if that is what you thought.  That song brings new meaning to relationships as well as the windows down, radio up feeling that you get when you are listening to such a great song. 

Check out Chad Mackey at http://www.chadmackey.com/ and be sure to listent to his new album “If The World is Listening” as well as other great songs from his first album. 

Today marks the day that will end your dependence on dealership brochures!! Sure you can go to the manufacturer website directly and get most of the information you need, however, with Gaye Chevrolet’s intuitive “Brochures” page you can now shop for a new vehicle and see the in showroom brochures directly from home! See photos, specs, available options, fuel economy and much more! Click through to Gaye Chevrolet’s webpage and see what kind of things we have in store for you.  Words of note: You must have Adobe Reader to view these files.  Most computers come with this software, however it may be downloaded for free here.

Way back in the dark ages of the automotive industry (the 80′s) when fuel economy took precedence over power the only way you would have been caught in a V6 powered Camaro was if you were wearing the appropriate jean jacket and a mullet.  V6 Camaro’s of yore were slow, underpowered, uninspired, and generally just boring cars that were there to satisfy a need (government?) In fact right up until the early 2000′s when the Camaro was discontinued this trend continued.  Sluggish power, horrible manual transmissions you needed a longer arm to throw and so much body roll that anything you may have had in your cup holder better have a lid on it or it was going to be in your lap.  

Fast forward a few decades to the year 2010 where just a few short years ago the new Camaro was just a “concept.”  Show of hands of people who actually thought it was just a concept?  I didn’t think so.  Moving right along.  The new Camaro came with a promise of a great many things from the ailing General.  More power, more fuel efficiency and a world-class platform and interior.  Alright, so we got 3 out of 4.  Not too bad.  You see, the new Camaro couldn’t just be good, it had to be great.  It wasn’t going to save GM but it already had strong competition from the Ford Mustang which ran unrivaled for years with a strong following.  

Now that I have bored you with history, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the latest gen Camaro.  While designing the new Camaro, GM had a great many engine and transmissions that it could choose from in its stable.  Rumored for many months was the most excellent 2.0 litre four pot that sits in the Cobalt SS, Saturn Sky Red Line, Pontiac Solstice GXP and so on.  This would have made sense except for the fact that it was a 4 cylinder.  However powerful it may be, a four-cylinder does not belong in a vehicle of this size and scope.  

The obligatory V8′s from down under (Camaro was designed and engineered almost completely by GM’s Holden division in Australia using the Zeta platform) were included as well as an LS3 power plant from the Corvette.  So we are doing ok so far.  Fire-breathing V8? Check.  Big muscle looks and good handling? Check.  What about the V6 with promised fuel efficiency?  GM wisely chose to port over the 3.6 litre, direct injected motor from the Cadillac CTS.  This motor has been well received in the past for its smooth running and fuel sipping nature.  Also? It comes with 304 horsepower.  

This blogger has test driven a great range of Camaro’s.  Working at a car dealership will do that for you.  What I have sample thus far though was only the V6 paired with an automatic slushbox.  Boring.  Any gearhead worth his salt knows, just like blondes, manuals are more fun.  The V6 slushbox is a perfectly fine car, however, the automatic is tuned and programmed for fuel economy.  That is nice if you are a middle aged woman who just wants a “fun” car to tool around in but not for the enthusiast that resides in all of us.  Enter the V6 manual. 

Seat of the pants feeling is everything for me as a driver.  When I press the go pedal in the Camaro auto I get the sense that it is waiting for me to do something else.  Push it down the rest of the way.  Ok so I do that and the car responds by leaping into action.  Awesome.  So all I have to do is jam it down to the floor? That’s exciting.  However, there is still some lag in the response from the engine.  Again, this vehicle is designed for efficiency.  

The manual is a totally different story.  Getting into gear is simple and care free.  The shifter feel is good and dampened without being overly marshmallowy.  The shift patter is precise and all the gears (there are 6) are where you expect them to be.  The throws are relatively short compared to the major players in this field and the throttle response is excellent.  Blame it on a torque converter or the gearing in the slushbox but the point is the seat of the pants, off the line feeling in the manual is much better than in the automatic.  As it should be.  Shifts are smooth and clutch feel is good.  The clutch releases about halfway up which is more than sufficient.  The manual uses every bit of power the V6 has in its arsenal.  This is not your jean jacket wearing, mullet sporting Camaro folks.  That is perhaps the best thing about this car. 

The curse of the anemic V6 is over. Finally and entertaining, engaging, fun to drive V6 that is also good on fuel.  This Camaro is rated at 28 highway however, your mileage will vary depending on how fat your right foot is.  The weight savings over the V8 and the automatic is noticeable in cornering the Camaro.  The Camaro’s movements are well controlled for such a large car and the seats are bolstered well enough to not need to hang onto the steering wheel/arm rest/door to stay put.  

Best 3/4 right? The interior still leaves something to be desired.  It is a well crafted, quality build for an interior but it has acres of black or great hard plastic that after a time can be yawn inducing and uninspired.  Also, unless you have a child that is misbehaving or someone you just don’t care for, I wouldn’t put them in the back seat.  It is a big car that is taken up by a big engine and a tiny back seat.  

Bottom line? This Camaro V6 is miles and decades ahead of its predecessor and I look forward to driving one again.  If you are looking for a budget vehicle that is also sporty, comfortable, and gets reasonable mileage this may be the car for you.  Notice I did not say sports car.  It is not.  But it does come pretty darn close.  The V8 may have more power but this V6 manual has a better seat of the pants performance feeling that cannot be ignored.  Hat tip to GM for building a V6 Camaro that doesn’t live up to its reputation. 

Being a first responder myself (just one of the many hats I wear) it is extremely important to me to keep up on the going’s on in the rescue world.  Whether that be whats new in rescue technology for saving lives, stabilizing patients, stabilizing cars or any number of things that may be used to aid the public when things go wrong.  Regularly my department and I go out and set up scenario’s that depict a scene of a crash.  We change things up to stay fresh.  What happens then when an all electric (for the most part the only thing that drives the Volt is electricity!) vehicle is involved in a wreck and the patient is pinned in?  

Chevrolet paired with OnStar have developed a training program for first responders and rescue tech’s to aid in this problem.  The Volt isn’t just an electric vehicle, however.  The Volt, built on GM’s Delta II platform is consistent of high strength steel, laminated steel (Quiet Steel) and lots of foam insulation to keep out the pesky NVH much like its Cruze brethren.  These new programs that GM is offering will spread knowledge to those who need it most on where to cut, how to cut and what to avoid.  This is very important as the last thing you want at a scene is to have an injured rescue person.  It adds to the problem rather than helping it.  Safety is a firefighter’s number one concern.  Their safety comes first and it is nice to see that GM is taking steps to help ensure their safety.

Follow Gaye Chevrolet and get the latest industry news regarding Chevrolet as well as GM at the Gaye Chevrolet Facebook fan page!!!  Click the above image to become a fan of Gaye Chevrolet today!

GM has announced that it will hold a press conference on Wednesday April 21 to announce that the money that must be repaid to the government will be repaid in full.  This does not include the full 50 or so billion but it does include the several billion dollars that the corporation is responsible for repaying.  The government is said to be getting the rest back by having a 61% “silent” ownership stake in the company.  

This basically translates to the government getting their money back from the “sale” of GM to the American people.  This means and IPO or an initial public offering of stock.  With the sale of the stock the Gov. should be able to recoup the cost associated with bailing out GM.  This is great news for them as well as GM.  

GM will not longer be saddled with that extraneous debt (nor will it be under the rule of a “benevolent” dictatorship).  I say that because there have been several decisions made at GM that were seemingly more than influenced by big brother.  Salaries have been capped, wages capped, and future product plans have drastically changed.  Things that may or may not have happened if GM was not owned by the Gov.  One thing is sure, the next few months at GM will certainly be interesting to watch and we will be there with a front seat to watch it all unfold.

Today is the Straight Diesel Truck and Tractor pull on HWY 218 just north of Polkton NC.  Only about an hour east of Charlotte (hwy 218 can be taken the entire way from 485) this family oriented event features many great trucks that have been “modified” to pull the heaviest of loads.  For your enjoyment there will be vendors, food, events and sponsors there.  Gaye Chevrolet will be represented, however, the real even here is the truck pull!  Come on, come all!

Gate opens @6pm.  4753 NC 218