GM Europe - Social Media Newsroom

New Opel Astra chassis boosts dynamics, handling and comfort

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:05:00 +0200

· New chassis system sports long wheel base and wide tracks
· Clever rear axle design layout uses Watts link
· FlexRide adaptive suspension offers driver-selected settings

For the next generation Opel Astra, engineers designed a new chassis layout with a long wheelbase and wide track to give drivers improved agility, stability and comfort.

Driving dynamics on the new Astra are improved by wider front and rear tracks, increased by 56 mm and 70 mm respectively, in addition to the increased wheelbase of 71 mm longer. The proportionately greater increase in track gives the car a wide footprint, improving stability and handling while allowing ample passenger space inside the cabin and a muscular appearance on the outside.

The FlexRide adaptive damping system first seen on the Insignia now debuts in the compact class when the new Opel Astra five-door hatchback premieres September 17 at the IAA Frankfurt Auto Show. The FlexRide system adjusts the suspension character automatically to suit the drivers’ needs.

Keeping the advantages of size, weight and overall efficiency of the compound crank rear axle layout design, Opel engineers added a cleverly positioned Watts link, which supports lateral forces while cornering on the suspension. It also makes the car dynamic and agile without compromising on stability and comfort.

Finally, a core body structure stiffer than that of its predecessor provides a firm base for optimizing the new Astra’s handling and ride capabilities. In addition, this helps reduce noise and vibration inside the cabin. Read more ...

gmeurope

The New General Motors Company Launches Today

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:42:49 +0200

New GM to Focus on Customers, Cars and Culture

· GM gets back to the business of building great cars and trucks, serving customer needs
· New company created from GM’s strongest assets
· Four core brands backed by the nation’s largest and strongest dealer network
· Streamlined organization on a global basis for faster decisions, sharper focus on the customer
· Commitment to open communications

The new General Motors Company began operations today with a new corporate structure, a stronger balance sheet, and a renewed commitment to make the customer the center of everything the new GM does.

“Today marks a new beginning for General Motors, one that will allow every employee, including me, to get back to the business of designing, building and selling great cars and trucks and serving the needs of our customers,” said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO. “We are deeply appreciative for the support we have received during this historic transformation, and we will work hard to repay this trust by building a successful new General Motors.”

Created from the old GM’s strongest operations in an asset sale approved by the bankruptcy court on July 5, the new GM is built on:

· Four core brands in the U.S. and the largest, strongest dealer network in the country,
· A fresh lineup of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC cars, trucks and crossovers, each with leading-edge designs and technologies that matter to both consumers and the environment,
· A competitive cost structure, a cleaner balance sheet, and a stronger liquidity position that will enable GM to invest in new products, key technologies, and its future,
· A winning culture focused on customers and products.

“One thing we have learned from the last 100 days is that GM can move quickly and decisively,” said Henderson. “Today, we take the intensity, decisiveness and speed of the past several months and transfer it from the triage of the bankruptcy process to the creation and operation of a new General Motors.

“Business as usual is over at GM,” said Henderson. “Today starts a new era for General Motors and everyone associated with the company. Going forward, the new General Motors is fully committed to listening to customers, responding to consumer and market trends, and empowering the people closest to the customer to make the decisions. Our goal is to build more of the cars, trucks, and crossovers that customers want, and to get them to market faster than ever before.” Read more ...

gmeurope

MEDIA ADVISORY: GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson to Provide Business Updates

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:16:31 +0200

General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson will host a press conference on Friday, July 10, to update the media on GM business activities. This will be followed later in the day by web and Twitter chats.

Press conference:

The press conference will run from 3 to 4 p.m. CEST in the Renaissance Conference Center located in Tower 300, Level 2, of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.

Henderson will be joined by Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., who will serve as chairman of the board of the new GM.

The satellite feed for the press conference is:
· Satellite: AMC 15
· Transponder: 4
· Downlink: 11780 Horizontal
· Audios: 6.2/6.8
· Analog, Ku Band

A listen and Q&A line will be available for media:
· 800 230-1093 (U.S.)
· +1- 612 332-0107 (international/caller-paid)
· No access code is required

Following the press conference, at approximately 4 p.m., Henderson, Whitacre and other GM leaders will be available for a brief photo and video op with new GM products at the Jefferson Avenue entrance of the Renaissance Center.

The press conference will also be webcast at http://media.gm.com. The webcast will be archived at the site for replay after 7 p.m. CEST on July 10.

Web chat:

Henderson will also host a web chat from 10 to 10:30 p.m. on July 10 at fastlane.gmblogs.com and gmreinvention.com. The chat will be open to the media and general public.

Twitter chat:

Following the web chat, Henderson will host a Twitter chat from 10:30 to 11 p.m. As with the web chat, this chat will be open to the media and general public.
• Location: Twitter
• Account : @gmblogs
Please use the hashtag #Fritz to ensure questions are received.

Please note: These chats are subject to change. Please follow GM Blogs on Twitter - @GMblogs for up to the minute information.

gmeurope

Cruze Ship Arrives In Docks!

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:33:25 +0200

· Biggest ever batch of Chevrolets arrives in UK
· Ship includes first customer-ordered Cruzes
· Over half of cars on ship are pre-sold orders

The biggest ever delivery of brand new Chevrolets has arrived in Britain, following a massive surge in demand for the company’s great value cars.

Operated by Swedish-Norwegian carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the ‘Tijuca’ docked at Portbury, Bristol, with 2,133 Chevrolets on board. They included the first customer-ordered Cruzes in readiness for the car’s showroom debut this month.

What’s more, over half of the Chevrolets on board were cars already sold to customers – 1,000 of the cars on board were to ensure stock levels keep up with current levels of demand, but 1,133 are already on their way to their new owners.

“We’re thrilled to see such a large batch of cars arriving here,” said Chevrolet Managing Director, Mark Terry.”We’ve seen demand grow massively with three successive months of sales increases, and our stock levels were lower than normal as a result.

“The fact that over half of the cars on the ship were factory-ordered vehicles, already sold to customers, shows just how popular the Chevrolet brand has become in the UK. And as these cars become more visible on the roads, we should expect that popularity to grow further.”

The ‘Tijuca’, which entered service earlier this year, is the biggest ship ever to bring Chevrolet cars to the UK. It has five separate loading decks and has an unladen weight of more than 30,000 metric tons.

gmeurope

GM sells 471,823 vehicles in Europe in second quarter 2009

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:05:00 +0200

· Opel sales in Germany up 45 percent, Chevrolet up 43 percent
· Stimulus/scrappage programs help offset economic crisis
· Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, European Car of the Year 2009, continues to excel
· Opel and Chevrolet maintain market share in difficult times

General Motors (GM) sales in Europe reached a volume of 471,823* vehicles in the second quarter of 2009, with a market share of 9.2 percent. Due to the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression, which strongly impacted the automotive business, GM sales were down 20 percent in the region, compared to a decline of 18 percent for the industry.

Opel/Vauxhall sales reached a volume of 347,330 vehicles from April to June 2009, with a share of 6.8 percent. Opel sales in Germany were up 45 percent, making Q2 the best sales quarter since 2000 for Opel, leveraged also by the country’s governmental scrappage program. The Opel Corsa was the segment leader in Germany in the second quarter.

Chevrolet sold 115,526 cars in Europe in the second quarter, with a record market share of 2.3 percent. Chevrolet recorded impressive sales results in Germany (up 43 percent), France (up 102 percent) and Turkey (up 120 percent).

In the first half of 2009, GM sold 878,641 vehicles in Europe and had a market share of 9.1 percent. In Germany, Opel sales were up 27 percent and Chevrolet sales were up 41 percent for the first six months of 2009, leading to the highest GM group sales in Germany since 2001 of 210,828 vehicles. The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, European Car of the Year 2009, continues to excel: with sales of 86,350 units in the first half of 2009, the Insignia is the second best-selling car in the mid-size car segment in Europe. The Opel/Vauxhall Meriva was also leading sales in its segment.

In June, GM Europe sold a total of 166,824 vehicles. Opel in Germany achieved its highest June sales since 1999, with sales up 52 percent and a market share of 9.2 percent. Chevrolet recorded the highest monthly sales volume in its history in Germany, with sales up 61 percent in June. “These registrations seem to indicate that we might have seen the bottom in certain markets. Stimulus programs, like the scrappage program in Germany, are good examples, where strong public policy is helping to offset the impact of the global economic crisis,” said Brent Dewar, GM Europe vice president, sales, marketing and aftersales.

“While it will probably take some years for the industry to return to 2007 levels, as we are facing an unprecedented set of economic challenges due to the global economic crisis, we are working intensively with our retail network to fight for every sale and to successfully manage the business during this challenging period,” said Dewar. “We have a host of new products – including the Opel Insignia, the European Car of the Year 2009, and the Chevrolet Cruze. We will keep managing our production and costs as tightly as possible, while communicating our strong product message in the marketplace.”

*all figures are preliminary registration figures

gmeurope

2009 Young? Creative? Chevrolet! competition winner Britt Raes' work on prominent display at WTCC races in Porto

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:19:38 +0200

• Chevrolet driver Alain Menu's race car sported 2009 "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" winning design in World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) races in Porto, Portugal this past weekend
• 22-year-old Belgian student spent exciting weekend on the racetrack with Chevrolet racing team

Britt Raes, the 22-year-old student of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent, Belgium, who won 1st prize in the Visual Arts discipline of the 2009 edition of the Young? Creative? Chevrolet! applied arts contest, saw her work on prominent display this past weekend: As part of her reward for winning 1st place, she was invited to spend two full days with the Chevrolet World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) race team and witness her design featured on driver Alain Menu's Chevrolet Cruze at the WTCC races in Porto, Portugal.

On Saturday, Britt was welcomed in the paddock by Alain Menu who introduced her to the team and showed her the car decorated with the livery she had designed. Britt was then able to watch the qualifying, in which Alain Menu reached 5th place. In the evening, Alain also took Britt on a hot lap each with the WTCC car and a Corvette.

"This was my first time at a race ever. The size of the event and the race track were stunning. I was so excited to see the car with my design for real and not just on paper. What a unique experience! I really enjoyed meeting Alain and the whole racing team who all made me feel very welcome and also showed great interest in my project. The hot laps with Alain were great. I was scared in the Corvette at first, but then I had a blast," Britt said.

At the races on Sunday, Alain unfortunately had a hard time: He was kicked out of race 1 by Augusto Farfus. The team did manage to get the car back in shape for race two and Alain had been able to get from 21st to 13th place when he was involved in an accident with Franz Engstler and was out. Overall, however, the Chevrolet team can be satisfied with the result achieved in Porto, with one podium finish by Rob Huff and 15 points in total for the Cruze.

"I was very proud to drive the car with the "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" design again. I really like this creative project and it certainly would have deserved a podium finish. Unfortunately, it was not a very good racing weekend for me. I hope Britt was not too disappointed and enjoyed her weekend with the team all the same," Alain Menu said after the races.

"I was very impressed to see how the mechanics were able to repair the car for race 2. You could not tell the vehicle had been damaged at all. Seeing Alain regain 8 places in race two was so exciting. He really did all he could. Of course, I was a bit sad about his accidents but this weekend was nevertheless unforgettable," Britt said.

Launched by Chevrolet Europe in 2007, the pan-European "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" art contest is conducted annually in cooperation with applied arts schools across Europe. It supports upcoming young talent, encouraging students to look at Chevrolet from their own creative perspective. In the competition's 2009 edition, some 530 projects were submitted by 120 schools in 19 European countries in the disciplines of Fashion, Photography, Visual Arts, Video, and Music.

The brief for the Visual Arts discipline had been to design a unique livery for the Chevrolet Cruze WTCC car and on May 29, 2009, an international panel of judges selected Britt's work as the European winner in this discipline. "The graphic reflects the speed. It is an excellent combination of creativity and elegance and offers a very interesting design and interpretation of the logo," the jury said about the project.

"Speed is the key element for racing and winning. With the logos virtually flying off the car, I wanted to express this speed visually in my design. The logo itself is, of course, an important element representing the brand. The work we do in school is usually just on paper and only rarely on a big scale. I am thus very proud my graphic was chosen for the race car," Britt Raes said about her design. Read more ...

gmeurope

Opel Insignia OPC: High Tech Spices up Passionate Driving

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:14:53 +0200

• Bold design features accelerate the heartbeat
• 239 kW/325 hp 2.8 V6 Turbo propels Opel’s strongest production car ever
• FlexRide chassis with adaptive 4x4 heralds efficiency and fun

Dynamic and passionate driving has a new name at Opel: Insignia OPC. Its 2.8 V6 Turbo powerhouse with 239 kW/325 hp and a massive 435 Nm of torque makes it Opel’s most powerful production car of all time. The high performance Insignia sedans reach a top speed of 250 km/h (restricted) and race from zero to 100 km/h in a mere six seconds. The OPC variants of the Car of the Year 2009 will be available this fall in all three body styles – notchback, hatchback and Sports Tourer.

To mark the tenth anniversary of its successful OPC range, Opel has packed the Insignia with extra high tech features. It is the first OPC variant to offer adaptive all-wheel drive and an electronic rear limited slip differential as standard. Its FlexRide damping system is specially tuned to give OPC drivers a more active driving experience. And, the Recaro front seats with four-way lumbar support and cushion extension are the first high performance seats in the industry to receive the most coveted seal of excellence from the independent orthopedic experts from Aktion Gesunder Rücken (Action for Healthy Backs).

The car looks as hot as it performs, with tiger tooth-shaped air intakes in the front bumper, rocker panels, an integrated rear spoiler and specially designed 19” OPC wheels. Satin chrome finishes and expressive dual exhaust pipes integrated into the rear bumper add to the appeal.

Inside, designers created a sporty dressing, with a dark headliner, a special shifter and a flat-bottomed, performance steering wheel. The instrument panel illuminates red when drivers press the OPC button on their FlexRide system, putting the car in its feistiest mood.

“While the ecoFLEX version shows our commitment to outstanding environmentally friendly cars, the OPC instills some hot chili flavor into the Insignia family. It spices up the driving experience,” says Hans Demant, Managing Director, Adam Opel GmbH. “It opens a new generation of OPC cars, offering mature power, refined efficiency and a lot of fun.” Read more ...

gmeurope

Chevrolet Bucks Trend in Western Europe

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:05:00 +0200

· Year-on-year Chevrolet sales growth in France, Germany and Italy
· Share gains in Spanish and UK markets
· Overall European market share stable despite sales slump in Russia

With sales up in Western Europe and down in line with reduced markets in Central and Eastern Europe, Chevrolet held its position with a stable share of 2.2 percent of the total European market in the first six months of 2009. Total sales reached 214,520 versus 269,319 in the January to June period a year earlier.

Chevrolet sold 85,800 cars in Western Europe in the first six months of 2009, 1.6 percent more than in the same period last year. “In these tough economic times, customers want good-looking, well-equipped cars at exceptionally fair prices,” said Wayne Brannon, head of Chevrolet’s European operations. “Value for money has become more important than ever and, with the Matiz, Aveo and Cruze, the Chevy line-up is exactly right for European customers’ needs.”

Chevrolet showed particularly strong sales growth in France and Germany in the first half of the year, with registrations up over 4000 units in each country, increases of 95 and 35 percent respectively. In Italy, Chevrolet’s largest market in Western Europe, sales were up over 2,000 units or 8.3 percent in the January to June period. Chevrolet also took a significantly larger share of the shrinking Spanish and UK markets, moving up 0.8 and 0.3 percentage points respectively.

In Russia, where the market was halved versus the first six months of last year, Chevrolet held its position as the number one non-domestic brand with a stable market share of 8 percent. Read more ...

gmeurope

GM 363 Asset Sale Approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:15:04 +0200

Approval marks another step toward the launch of an independent new GM

General Motors achieved another milestone in its reinvention last night when Judge Robert E. Gerber of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved the sale of substantially all of General Motors Corporation’s assets to NGMCO, Inc., an entity funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In connection with the closing of the sale transaction, NGMCO, Inc. will change its name to General Motors Company and continue to operate under GM’s historic corporate and sub brands. The approval marks another step toward the launch of an independent new GM.

The new company will acquire GM’s strongest operations and will have a competitive operating cost structure, partly as a result of recent agreements with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Canadian Auto Workers (CAW).

The new GM will have lower leverage and a stronger balance sheet, which when combined with a lower break-even point, will allow it to reduce its risk, operate profitably at much lower volume levels, and to reinvest in the business in the key areas of advanced technology and product development. GM’s subsidiaries outside the United States will be acquired by the new company and are expected to continue to operate without interruption.

The new GM will be headquartered in Detroit and will be led by Fritz Henderson as president and chief executive officer and Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. as chairman of the board of directors.

“A healthy domestic auto industry remains vital to the global economy and we deeply appreciate the support the U.S., Canadian and Ontario governments and taxpayers have given GM, and the sacrifices that have been made by so many. This has been an especially challenging period, and we’ve had to make very difficult decisions to address some of the issues that have plagued our business for decades. Now it’s our responsibility to fix this business and place the company on a clear path to success without delay,” said Henderson.

The new GM’s common stock will be owned by:

• U.S. Department of the Treasury: 60.8 percent
• UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust: 17.5 percent
• Canada and Ontario governments: 11.7 percent
• The old GM: 10 percent

Additionally, the old GM and the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust will hold warrants that are exercisable for 15 percent and 2.5 percent of the interests in the new GM, respectively.

The UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and the Canadian government each may nominate one member to serve on the board of the new GM. The retiree benefits trust has selected seasoned auto industry analyst Stephen Girsky. Also selected to serve on the board of directors of the new GM are six current members of the General Motors Corporation board, including Erroll Davis, Neville Isdell, Kent Kresa, Philip Laskawy, Kathryn Marinello and Fritz Henderson. The Canadian government representative and four additional board members to be identified by the U.S. Treasury will be announced at a later date.

Judge Gerber's order includes a four-day stay before closing of the sale can occur. However, GM expects the sale to close in the near future. The new GM’s business is expected to be immediately operational and fully competitive, with an exciting line of new products, a smaller, more focused brand portfolio and the rationalization of its dealer network well underway. Current GM employees will be offered positions by the new company.

In connection with the closing, the current General Motors Corporation will change its name to Motors Liquidation Company. Retained assets will be wound down or sold. A new board of directors will oversee that process and the liquidation of the company under the supervision of the Bankruptcy Court.

gmeurope

World’s Fastest Man To Drive Hot Insignia At Festival Of Speed

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:47:22 +0200

World Land Speed Record holder, Andy Green, will be experiencing a different type of thrust this weekend when he drives the all-new, 325hp Vauxhall Insignia VXR up Goodwood’s hillclimb course at the Festival of Speed.

Andy, who achieved 763mph with the Thrust SSC in 1997, setting a record which has yet to be broken, will be driving the Insignia in two of the Festival’s Supercar demonstration runs at 9.00am on both Saturday and Sunday.

The VXR, Vauxhall’s most powerful Insignia model, will make its UK debut at the Festival, featuring a highly-modified Adaptive 4X4 chassis and turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 engine.

“The Festival of Speed is one of the highlights of my year,” said Andy. “So when I was offered the chance to drive Vauxhall’s new high-performance Insignia up the Hill, it was just the icing on the cake! Fast road cars are the essence of the Festival and I am really looking forward to giving the Insignia a good run up the Hill this weekend.”

In addition to driving the Insignia VXR, Andy will be busy promoting the Bloodhound SSC, the new Richard Noble-designed LSR challenger, boasting a 1050mph top speed. A full-sized Bloodhound show car – all 42 feet of it – will be on display at the Festival, which runs from July 3-5.

gmeurope

Vauxhall Skate: Bringing you even more fun on wheels this summer

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:03:34 +0200

29^th July 2009 – 8.00pm til late
Village Underground, Shoreditch, London, EC2

Roll up, Roll up – London’s ultimate roller disco is finally here. With Carl Barat, Remi Nicole, Alfie Allen & Smash and Grab’s very own DJ duo Queens of Noize providing the soundtrack of the evening and none other than ‘Shoreditch’s ringmaster’ Jonny Woo hosting a car-aoke - complete with dress-up props galore - time to get your skates on to bag yourself the hottest ticket in town.

Vauxhall Skate is a FREE invite-only event – visit http://tiny.cc/vauxhallskate for more information on how to join in.

Vauxhall Motors has teamed up with a hand-picked selection of the hottest musical, design and style talents of the moment to drive some serious excitement into London’s Shoreditch. Journeying through space and time, guests will be transported to a road that belongs to a late 20th Century vision of the future, 70’s disco meets Knight Rider on roller skates. Extra treats include specially commissioned Vauxhall Corsa roller boots and an in-car pit-stop hair salon with free styling from a huge name in celebrity hairdressing.

DJ’s providing Vauxhall Skate’s hugely road-worthy tracks:
· Sophie Ellis Bextor & Richard Jones
· Remi Nicole
· Alfie Allen
· Queens of Noize with the help of their special dj guest Florence (Florence and the Machine)
· Carl Barat

Combine all the above with a rotating mirror-ball car, hot dogs, cup cakes and four-wheeled art commission by none other than legendary illustrator Kate Moross, Vauxhall Skate is sure to provide the rock and the roll. Read more ...

gmeurope

The Vauxhall Collective: The UK’s most talented and exciting creatives exhibit their commissions

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:29:43 +0200

Idea Generation Gallery
22nd – 25^th July 2009
Private View 22^nd July
6.30 – 8.30pm

Vauxhall Collective members showcase Great British Road Trip commissions

Photographs of the Scottish landscape inspired by Daguerre’s dioramas , a film that visits the self-declared King of the British Eccentrics, an art exhibition inspired by Funhouses, a 1950s tea party followed by a 1980s wedding reception, a glamorous, metallic leather driving set and a collection of design objects based on lost British craft techniques; these are the results of the six commissions from the Vauxhall Collective, and arts initiative from Vauxhall Motors, based on the theme of the Great British Road Trip.

The Vauxhall Collective members who have created these commissions, and now show them together for the first time, are; the innovative product designer Simon Hasan for craft & design, the much-admired shoe designer Jonathan Kelsey for fashion, artist and independent film maker Ben Rivers for film, hotly anticipated artist Matthew Darbyshire for fine art, experimental photographer and artist Gayle Chong Kwan for photography and Gideon Reeling, purveyor of bespoke interactive experiences, enlisted for the theatre category. Read more ...

gmeurope

Movano In The Front-Line With West Midlands Ambulance Service

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:17:31 +0200

Good performance by the Vauxhall Movano in a front-line accident and emergency ambulance role, has led West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust to order a further 64 vehicles.

The new ambulances are currently in build and will enter into service alongside 60 Movanos already operated by the Trust since last year. Once deliveries are complete the model will make up to half of their fleet of 275 emergency ambulances.

They will operate out of all the Regional ambulance stations from which over 720,000 emergency calls are responded to each year. During their five years in service the ambulances will be worked hard with each covering at least 250,000 miles.

Following its enlargement in 2006 and again in 2007, West Midlands Ambulance Service now covers an area of 5,000 square miles encompassing five counties with a total population of 5.3 million people.

Graham Cann, Regional Head of Fleet at West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “The Vauxhall Movano performs well for us in the front-line ambulance role. It has the right specification for the job, including ample power to get to incidents quickly and transfer patients to hospital. Our crews find it a driver-friendly vehicle, which is comfortable both for them and their patients.

“Movano has also proved to be a practical vehicle, with good parts availability and which our fitters find easy to work on. It represents good value for money, which is important with today’s pressures on budgets. I’ve also been impressed by the after-sales support we receive from the fleet sales team at Vauxhall, who always respond speedily to any issues we raise.”

The model on which the ambulances are based is the Movano 3500 long wheelbase maxi roof panel van built to an ambulance vehicle specification. The specification includes air suspension on the rear axle, fully adjustable driver and passenger seats, and an electric pack. It’s also delivered to the conversion company factory-painted in Ambulance Euro Yellow.

The WMAS vehicles have the powerful 2.5 CDTi 16 valve engine for good performance in the emergency role.

Yorkshire company UV Modular are currently converting the Movanos for their ambulance role to their Cura design, which meets the CEN 1789/2007 standard. They fit side windows, all the internal fittings and lights, and an electrically powered ramp. Blue flashing emergency lights are also fitted and the addition of Battenberg striping and WMAS Trust logos leaves only the installation of equipment and a radio to make the vehicles immediately ready to enter service.

gmeurope

Opel Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer: All This and Eco-credentials, Too

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:05:00 +0200

· Environmentally friendly station wagon emits just 139 g CO₂/km
· Eco car flexes its muscles with 160 hp and up to 380 Nm torque

Green shoots continue to sprout on the Opel model line-up: Starting this fall, the especially environmentally friendly Insignia ecoFLEX will be available as a Sports Tourer. The elegant station wagon version of Europe’s 2009 Car of the Year sips in the combined cycle just 5.3 liters of diesel per 100 km and emits only 139 g CO₂/km. (ecoFLEX sedan: 5.2 l/100 km, 136 g CO₂/km). – while offering a load capacity of up to 1530 liters.

All Insignia ecoFLEX models combine economy with driving fun. The 2.0 CDTI engine with the Clean Tech System delivers 118 kW/160 hp and has maximum torque of 380 Nm. The Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer accelerates to a top speed of 215 km/h – three km/h faster than the normal version – and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds.

The Opel Insignia ecoFLEX Sports Tourer can be ordered now, with prices starting at 28,690 euros (RRP incl. VAT) in Germany. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission, a longer final drive ratio, a range of aerodynamic optimizations and specially developed, 225/55 R 17” low-resistance Michelin tires. “The Insignia ecoFLEX is more than just a green car. It offers the same package of high driving performance, innovative technologies and comfort as the other Insignia models. And for this price, it has no serious competition – this is true for both the Sports Tourer and the sedans,” says Hans Demant, Managing Director, Adam Opel GmbH.

Just how parsimonious the new Opel Insignia ecoFLEX is, was highlighted at the sedans’ press launch in June. European journalists driving the Insignia ecoFLEX for two weeks in the region south of Frankfurt confirmed that the official factory figure of 5.2 liters of diesel per 100 km is very realistic. On the first part of the test circuit, consisting mainly of country roads from the Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg, most of the cars needed less than five liters of diesel. Some of the journalists really concentrated on their gas pedal behavior; one reporter from Croatia hit a record of 3.6 liters per 100 kilometers.

gmeurope

Chevrolet WTCC car to dress up for milestone race in Porto

http://www.gmeurope.info (gmeurope) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:05:00 +0200

· Chevrolet driver Alain Menu's race car to sport 2009 "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" 2009 winning design in World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) races in Porto, Portugal, on July 5
· Special livery created by 22-year-old Belgian student
· WTCC celebrates 100th race in Porto

Alain Menu's Chevrolet Cruze race car will clearly stand out from the crowd at the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) races in Porto, Portugal, this coming weekend, as it will sport a unique livery.

The new and original decoration is the 2009 winning design in the Visual Arts discipline of the pan-European "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" competition conducted by Chevrolet in cooperation with
applied arts schools across Europe.

Launched in 2007, the "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" art contest supports upcoming young talent, encouraging students to look at Chevrolet from their own creative perspective. In the competition's 2009 edition, some 530 projects were submitted by 120 schools in 19 European countries in the disciplines of Fashion, Photography, Visual Arts, Video, and Music.

The brief for the Visual Arts discipline was to design a unique livery for the Chevrolet Cruze WTCC car and on May 29, 2009, an international panel of judges selected the work of Britt Raes, a 22-year-old student of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent, Belgium, as the European winner in this discipline. "The graphic reflects the speed. It is an excellent combination of creativity and elegance and offers a very interesting design and interpretation of the logo," the jury said about the project.

In a addition to a monetary prize, Britt's reward for winning 1st place is an exclusive witness trip to the races in Porto, where she will be able to witness her design featured on Alain Menu's Chevrolet Cruze WTCC car in the races. Britt will also be taken on a tour of the race track in a Chevrolet Corvette by one of the three Chevrolet drivers on Saturday. Read more ...

gmeurope