Month: May 2015

Mark Reuss to Pace Detroit Grand Prix in Corvette Z06

GM executive, motorsports fan will lead the pack at the Chevrolet Dual

DETROIT – 05.29.2015 – Mark Reuss, the top product development executive at General Motors and avid motorsports fan, will pace drivers behind the wheel of a Corvette Z06 this weekend for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans.

The two races take place Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31 – only about 2.5 miles from Chevrolet’s Detroit headquarters – as the next events in the Verizon IndyCar series.

“I’m thrilled to drive the Corvette Z06 pace car at this year’s Grand Prix,” Reuss said. “Growing up here and having the opportunity to help bring this great event to racing fans in Detroit has been very exciting, and the privilege of driving the pace car makes it even more special for me.”

Reuss, executive vice president of Global Product Development and Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, is no stranger to racing. He is a certified industry pool test driver on the North Course of the Nürburgring track in Germany. He also created and led the GM Performance Division in 2001, when he was responsible for GM racing vehicles, as well as production versions of Chevrolet SS models and the Cadillac V-Series.

“This race is quintessential to the world of motorsports and Chevrolet,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “Mark has always lived and breathed performance cars, so it’s perfect to have him behind the wheel of the most powerful and capable production car ever made by Chevrolet.”

The Chevy Corvette Z06 pace car is similar to the one driven by NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon at last weekend’s Indianapolis 500, including an Arctic White exterior and Adrenaline Red interior with a special graphics package and safety strobe lights. It boasts 650 supercharged horsepower, a seven-speed manual transmission and a track-capable chassis system.

Lansing Grand River Plant Tools Up for 2016 Camaro

$175 million investment enables production of lighter, more powerful model

LANSING, Mich. – 05.28.2015 – A $175 million investment for new tooling and equipment for the sixth-generation Chevy Camaro, and the return of hundreds of workers to build America’s best-selling performance car for the last five years, was announced today.

The facility improvements include three new paint systems for Camaro-specific colors: Summit White, Bright Yellow, and Red Hot. The investment also includes installation of two robotic framers, which allow better dimensional control to provide a more precise drive experience.

The Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant will resume a second shift of 500 jobs in late summer.

The all-new Chevrolet Camaro was introduced on Detroit’s Belle Isle on May 16. The current generation Camaro has been America’s favorite performance car for five consecutive years, attracting both long-term Camaro fans and new buyers to Chevrolet.

To improve on that success, the sixth-generation Camaro elevates every aspect of Camaro with a suite of new technologies, even higher levels of performance and fuel economy, and a leaner, more athletic design.

“I may be the luckiest mayor in America today,” said Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. “Gearing up for full-scale production of the legendary Chevy Camaro is a new high point in the more than two decades of extraordinary partnership between the City of Lansing, General Motors and the UAW.

“We build the best cars in the world right here in Lansing, and we’re delighted to welcome the 2016 Chevy Camaro to the Lansing-made family of great automobiles.”

Today’s announcement combined with others in the last four weeks accounts for nearly $2.8 billion of the $5.4 billion that GM said April 30 it would invest in U.S. facilities over the next three years.

“With this investment in tooling and equipment, we will continue to do our part to build on the high-quality reputation of this iconic car,” said GM North American Manufacturing Manager Scott Whybrew. “These investments in the Lansing plants are proof of the teams’ quality commitment, to put the customer at the center of everything we do!”

Said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada: “UAW members have proudly built vehicles in Lansing for more than 100 years. As we help prepare for the launch of the all-new Camaro, we are pleased to continue our tradition of producing quality cars that we love to craft and build and our customers love to drive.”

Chevrolet is Global Leader for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay

All-new 2016 Cruze is one of 14 Chevrolet models to offer compatibility

LOS ANGELES – 05.27.2015 – According to Strategy Analytics, there are more than 2.3 billion smartphones in use globally, and that number continues to rise. And on the road, customers are demanding better integration between phones and their vehicles. Whether they have an Apple or Android phone, Chevrolet is committed to providing the smartest, simplest connected driving experience possible to owners across the globe.

For the 2016 model year, Chevrolet will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in more models than any automotive brand. The 14 Chevrolet models include the all-new 2016 Chevy Cruze compact car, which will debut on June 24. Cruze is Chevrolet’s best-selling passenger car, with more than 3 million sold since launch. Additional models are listed in a chart below.

“For most of us, our smartphones are essential,” said Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors. “Partnering with Apple and Google to offer CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility across the widest range of models in the industry is a great example of how Chevy continues to democratize technology that’s important to our customers.”

Chevrolet’s seven-inch MyLink infotainment system gives owners a smart and simple way to access both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The eight-inch version of MyLink will be compatible only with Apple CarPlay at the beginning of the 2016 model year.  While development and testing is not yet complete, Android Auto compatibility may be available on the eight-inch version of MyLink later in the 2016 model year.

Each system builds off of the features smartphone users rely on most. Android Auto is built around Google Maps, Google Now and the ability to talk to Google, as well as a growing audio and messaging app ecosystem that includes WhatsApp, Skype, Google Play Music, Spotify, and podcast players. A full list of supported apps is available at Android.com/auto.

Apple CarPlay takes the iPhone features you’d want to access while driving and puts them on the vehicle’s display in a smart, simple manner. That allows drivers to make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. Apple CarPlay supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and compatible third-party apps. A full list of those apps can be found atApple.com/ios/carplay.

Many features can be controlled via voice commands through a button on the steering wheel, helping drivers spend more time with eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

Chevrolet has a strong track record when it comes to broad availability of customer-centric innovation as the first brand to introduce Siri Eyes Free functionality and the first and only car company to offer available OnStar 4G LTE connectivity across a range of cars, trucks and crossovers in the U.S. and Canada. In less than one year, Chevrolet has connected more than a half-million customers to high-speed 4G LTE Wi-Fi.

Chevrolet customers in markets around the world including Brazil, Mexico and Canada will benefit from this new level of smartphone integration. Specific market availability for Android Auto can be found here. Current Apple CarPlay markets can be found here.

In 2014, the 14 models included in this rollout accounted for more than 2.4 million vehicle sales, or 51 percent of Chevrolet’s total global sales.

Using either application is simple in a compatible 2016 Chevrolet. A “Projection” icon on the MyLink screen is visible when a phone is not connected, then changes to indicate either CarPlay or Android Auto (whichever is applicable) when a compatible phone is connected via USB. Android Auto requires a phone running the Android Lollipop 5.0 operating system or above, while Apple CarPlay requires an iPhone 5 or later.

Compatible apps need to be downloaded to a phone before using. Apple and Google’s privacy statements and terms of use apply.  Data plan rates may also apply.

2016 Model Year Chevrolet Infotainment Systems
7-Inch MyLink Infotainment 8-Inch MyLink Infotainment
Spark Cruze
Cruze Malibu
Malibu Impala
Camaro Volt
Camaro Convertible Camaro
Silverado Camaro Convertible
Silverado HD Corvette
Corvette Convertible
Colorado
Silverado
Silverado HD
Tahoe
Suburban