‘Tis the Season to be Customizing

December 20, 2012

With the Holiday just around the corner, many of our Corvette and Camaro engineers will get a well-deserved break. Yet many will relax only to find visions of pistons thumping and engines rumbling on their minds. Nowhere is this truer than inside the Chevrolet Performance team where engineers design parts and accessories to turn already capable GM vehicles into forces to be reckoned with. We have a feeling they are not alone and there other “gearheads” out there who have the same ambitions for their cars and trucks.

At SEMA 2012, this year the Chevrolet Performance team released a new parts catalog showcasing new performance parts, engines, and accessories available to surprise and delight any Santa interested in tuning up his sleigh. To help show off some of the parts available in the new catalog, we had Jamie Meyer, Chevrolet performance marketing manager, create a wish lists for our Camaro owners and enthusiasts who may have been good enough to receive an extra special visit from Performance Parts Santa.

Chevrolet Camaro Performance Wish List

Customers who buy the factory equipped Camaro already show an inclination toward the faster side of life. Here are some parts from the catalogue you’ll want to on your Camaro wish list:

Camaro 1LE Track Pack (231023311)
Looking for greater capability in curves as you dodge runaway shopping carts in parking lots during your last minute holiday shopping – or hugging curves on the track? Search no more! The Camaro 1LE Track Pack will make sure your 2010+ Camaro SS or Camaro V6 keeps you in control with all “4 on the floor” in tight turns using similar components as the 1LE performance package.

Camaro 1LE Track Pack - 231023311

Camaro ZL1 Brembo Front and Rear Brake Kits (22959672/22989384)
As you’re out and about dashing through the snow with all that new power, having the ability stop when you need to is important! Upgrade the front brakes on your 2010-and-later Camaro SS or V-6 model with the larger brakes from the supercharged Camaro ZL1 – including racing-style front two-piece, 14.6-inch front rotors and six-piston Brembo calipers with aluminum housings and rear 14-inch rotors paired with four-piston aluminum calipers – all with the ZL1 logo.

Camaro ZL1 Brembo Front and Rear Brake Kits - 22959672/22989384
Camaro ZL1 HD Driveline Kit (22959394/22959395)
Because Uncle Larry is going to eat your favorite dessert first if you don’t arrive to Grandma’s on time, we know how important it is to have the “giddy up and go” when you need it. The Camaro ZL1 HD Driveline Kit will help 2010-and-later Camaros deliver the strength required to put big power to the pavement. There are kits for both manual and automatic transmissions available.

Camaro ZL1 HD Driveline Kit - 22959394/22959395
New LS3 head & LS7 cam kit (19300535)
Who needs reindeer when you can have more horsepower? Chevrolet Performance has engineered a new cylinder head and camshaft package for LS3-powered Camaros and Corvettes that pumps up the engine output an additional 40 horsepower! That’s a 9% gain over stock!

New LS3 head & LS7 cam kit - 19300535
Performance Exhaust Upgrade Package
Make sure they hear you coming in style (that’s a safety feature, right?) with an upgraded look and sound from the tuned, emissions-legal bolt-on exhaust kits. Not only do these kits deliver great performance sound, they also help reduce restriction which can help increase performance – especially when paired up with other powertrain performance parts.

Camaro Performance Exhaust Upgrade Package
Exterior strip packages
Performance is not only about being fast, but also looking fast and great while you’re doing it. That’s why we have several different performance graphic packages available to add gill, heritage, rally stripes, and other decals to your Camaro.

Camaro Rally Stripes

To see more info on the parts above or all the upgrades available from the Chevrolet Performance Catalog for 2013, head over to ChevroletPerformance.com

GM Uses Concepts to Tap into Next-Gen Buying

December 6, 2012

Chevrolet CODE 130RS Concept

Concept cars have been integral in gauging potential customer interest of new designs and technology. Harley Earl, a GM engineer, is said to be the pioneer of the concept car back in 1938, when he lead the design of the Buick Y-Job (see pic below). Concept cars typically don’t go into production, but many of the technological innovations have ended up in production vehicles. General Motors has produced more concept cars than any other car manufacturer and designed two popular concept cars, the Chevrolet Code 130R and Tru 140S LAAS, aimed at the upcoming generation Y.

The 1938 Buick Y-Job Concept Car

Chevrolet first introduced the Code 130R and Tru 140S LAAS Concept Cars at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, engaging and inspiring next-generation buyers for their input in the future car market. By conversing with young consumers across the United States, Chevrolet is able to explore the style and functionality of the future new buyers by focusing on personalization and interior connectivity. With the vast buying power that young American consumers hold over the auto market, it only makes sense to include their input into future models. On the Code 130r and Tru140s, engineers combined technologies found in luxury cars with a possible production price range in the low $20,000s – making it an ideal vehicle for the next-gen consumers.

Chevrolet Tru140S Concept

Since the two concept cars’ introduction at the 2012 NAIA, they have made their way to many national and international auto shows, and most recently, at the L.A. auto show where they were they were on display in two new colors: grey and yellow. With the 2013 North American International Auto Show kicking off the 2013 auto show season in a few weeks, make sure you stay tuned to see what new vehicles GM will be releasing!

Chevrolet Code 130R Concept

For more information on the more than 85 years of GM Design history, see the video below.

Chevrolet and General Motors Announce Exciting New MyLink Updates at the LA Auto Show

December 3, 2012

Chevrolet has announced some exciting additions to the MyLink Infotainment systems in upcoming models including a number of firsts for the company, voice recognition, and industry firsts like bringing an intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking.

Not only will the next versions of MyLink come with more features and improved usability, General Motors is taking customer service a step further to ensure that owners understand how to get the most out of their infotainment systems.

Chevrolet Impala’s MyLink offers industry first technologies

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will be the first vehicle equipped with Chevrolet’s next-generation MyLink infotainment system. The new MyLink is designed to be easy to use, highly customizable and capable of linking up to 10 devices.

The system represents Chevrolet’s first use of natural language voice recognition that allows customers to safely place calls, enter destinations, browse media, play music and control other functions simply by telling the vehicle what to do. There are no key phrases to remember and no need to look at a screen.

Another first for Chevrolet is that the system can store up to 60 favorites including radio stations (AM/FM/XM), contacts, destinations, music and other media, making it convenient for those who travel to the same destination regularly to save their favorite places.

In addition to voice activated technology and other technical features the MyLink system in the Impala will allow owners to get personal and customize the system to fit one of four distinct personalities, depending on who’s behind the wheel – Contemporary, Edge, Velocity and Main Street. Owners can also change their home screen icons for easy access to features they use the most.

“There is such a high level of attention, consistency and level of detail in the graphics on the cluster and center stack displays that they’ve become nearly as important to the overall interior look and feel as color and trim,” said Fuligni. “We can’t design a custom Impala interior for every customer, but we can give them the next best thing.”

The next generation MyLink system will be also be available on other 2014 model year vehicles including full-size trucks, SUVs and the Corvette.

Siri comes to Spark and Sonic

In early 2013, the Chevrolet Spark (1LT, 2LT) and Sonic LTZ and RS will be the first vehicles in the industry to integrate the Apple intelligent assistant, Siri into their MyLink infotainment systems.

Siri will complement MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience. Owners with a compatible iPhone running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode that enables users to interact with their iPhone using just their voice.

Owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
Access Calendar and add appointments
Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays

GM’s Connected Customer Specialists help users understand systems

To enhance the ownership experience, General Motors has hired 25 young, tech-savvy Connected Customer Specialists and sent them to dealers across America to help owners fully understand their Chevrolet MyLink, Cadillac CUE and Buick and GMC IntelliLink infotainment systems.

“While our infotainment systems are designed to be intuitive and easy to operate, we’re taking a proactive approach to ensure customers receive the expert support they may need,” said Alicia Boler-Davis, vice president of Global Product Quality and Customer Experience. “This is one of many ways we are taking care of our customers after they’ve made their purchase.”