Looks like we won’t be seeing any more smiling electrical outlets from General Motors. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Chevrolet Volt was the first car it had ever tested that had managed to achieve triple-digit fuel economy ratings: Under a new testing regimen, the plug-in electric vehicle managed to take the stellar rating of 230 mpg. Inevitably, GM rolled out an advertising campaign touting the unbelievable figures, complete with one very happy 120-volt electrical outlet. That is, until critics began crying foul.  

Time is running out to get a 2011 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500.

More than 3,300 orders have been placed for the instant icon -- arguably the best ‘Stang ever -- and Ford is capping orders for this model year at 5,500.

Do the math: that means 2,200 or less remain. Ford says it will halt orders in a bid to maintain the exclusivity of the GT500, and the initial response has already beat expectations.

“The car continues to be popular with sports car enthusiasts and collectors who are blown away by the increase in horsepower and performance,” said Fritz Wilke, Mustang brand manager. “The limited production of the 2011 should make this year even more desirable.”

 

Chevrolet just released its first television commercial for Corvette in five years, and the response to the space program-related ad has been, from what I've heard... let's say "mixed."

Now, I know it would have been impossible for Chevy to somehow procure seven-and-a-half-minutes of ad time, but this video of the Corvette racing team's struggles, triumphs, and heart break at the 50th anniversary of the team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the best advertisement for the Corvette brand one could want. I won't say more than that, because the inherent drama is what makes the vid great, but if you love racing -- if you love cars -- take the time to watch this start to finish. It's great stuff. 

MINI is hard at work on a new entry-level model--dubbed the MINI Minor or “MINI MINI” -- and it could be revealed in concept form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

The first phase of building the prototype is under way at a BMW site in Munich, Germany. AutoWeek first reported plans for this small car last month (“Mini Minor?” AW June 7, 2010). It would be based on a modified version of an existing front-engine/front-wheel-drive platform boasting a shorter wheelbase. The new small MINI has been conceived as part of BMW's broad-based project “i” mobility initiative, which has also spawned the more high-tech, carbon-fiber-intensive Mega City Vehicle -- a car with which the new MINI shares very little.

 

The last two years have been an economic nightmare for this country, especially the automotive industry. It finally looks, though, like things are on the mend -- or at least that the free fall has been stemmed -- and Americans are once again spending money on cars, although not much.

 

A few weeks back, we reported that the domestic automakers demonstrated higher initial quality than the imports for the first time in the 24-year history of J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study. Today, J.D. Power released its annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which shows that for the first time in more than a decade, domestic auto brands have surpassed import brands as a whole in vehicle appeal.

 

Gentlemen, start your engines. Or, more precisely, start your 100 percent electric, 50 horsepower and 59 lb-ft of torque, water-cooled Brammo Power battery on the new Brammo Empulse sportbike.

The Empulse, which comes in three models, is capable of sustaining speeds of 100 mph and can, in the case of its top-range offering, get up to 100 miles on a single charge from a standard 110-volt outlet.

The Empulse takes a "world's first" on its release -- that is, it's the first production electric motorcycle with a water-cooled motor. The three models reflect the different average ranges per charge from the company's proprietary Digital Drivetrain: The Empulse 6.0 gets 60 miles per charge, the 8.0 gets 80 miles per charge and the 10.0 -- you guessed it -- gets 100 miles per charge. (Of course, you can extend those ranges with somewhat more restrained driving, the company says.)

Prices -- did we mention the Empulse line starts at less than 10 grand? -- more images and a video of the sportbike in action are after the jump. 

According to a report yesterday in The Wall Street Journal, the Transportation Department has found evidence of possible driver error during its examination of dozens of black boxes from Toyota vehicles involved in accidents allegedly attributable to unintended acceleration. The findings have noted that, in many cases, the throttles were wide open and the brakes weren't engaged. However, that doesn't completely rule out manufacturer culpability.

 

According to the source article, while it's certainly true that some of the Lexus and Toyota drivers could have been accidentally flooring the accelerator, instead of the brake as they thought, the notorious one-two punch of "sticky" accelerator pedals that don't return to idle along with floor mats that can keep accelerators depressed, could also lead to that same outcome.

 

As we've said before, the press and hype surrounding the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle makes it seem like the car has been out for ages, but it hasn't even hit dealerships yet. However, when it does, General Motors wants to make it perfectly clear that it's standing behind the vehicle: GM announced today that the lithium-ion batteries in new Volts will be accompanied by an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty. It sets a new standard for electric-vehicle warranties, and is transferable at no cost to other owners.