So while everyone is applauding the GT-R for lapping the Nurburgring in 7:29 flat, GM is at the Nurburgring with its 638-hp Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 trying to put Nissan in its place. Another GM car, the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V, is also quietly doing laps around the Nordschleife.

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V shares major components with the ZR-1 such as the supercharged 6.3 liter small-block V8, except with a smaller Eaton compressor. The CTS-V is even called the baby ZR1 sedan.

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Being under pressure to produce more fuel-efficient models, GM may be forced to change the way it’s been building SUVs for the past seven-decades. The General is now looking for ways to design a lighter replacement for its biggest SUVs without relying on a heavier pickup-truck frame.

While nothing is certain as of yet, engineers are looking to shift to a car-like construction in 2012 for successors to the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

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“I personally like the name,” GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said when asked if “El Camino” has a chance. “It would have instant recognition.” Unfortunately, the new 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck is not likely to get the El Camino badge. 

According to Cars.com who recently attended a press event for the new Pontiac Sport Truck, Pontiac is now down to 10 names after asking the public to vote on a name for the new model. Pontiac spokesman, Brian Shipman, says that the ‘El Camino’ name is most likely out the window since it will cause internal beef between Chevrolet and Pontiac.

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At a recent press event, GM showed off its hydrogen powered Chevrolet Equinox SUV. For the next two months 100 individuals will test fuel-cell versions of its Equinox SUV in California, New York and Washington, D.C.

The SUV uses no petroleum and releases zero greenhouse gases. So with gas reaching $4 a gallon why isn’t this hydrogen Equinox going into mass production. Well, mainly because it wouldn’t be commercially viable for the General. Each unit costs GM more than $250,000 to build. However, with customer feedback, innovation and if the government provides incentives to consumers to make it more affordable, the fuel-cell powered SUV could reach commercialization in the near future.

The SUV has the ability to travel 200 miles on a tank at 50mpg. 

Click through for the video.

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GM has told dealers to stop taking orders for some of its 2008 full-sized trucks and SUVs due to the strike of the American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings strike. Among the vehicles are the GMC Yukon, Denali, Sierra and the Chevrolet Tahoe.

“Essentially, we’re not accepting any more orders,” Randy Fox, GMC spokesman, told Automotive News.

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FoMoCo and the General said today that they have no plans to match or compete with Chrysler’s offer to cap the cost of gas for its new Chrysler cars, pickups and SUV buyers.

Chrysler announced yesterday that it will offer a gas card to buyers of new and unused Chrysler models to immediately lower their gas price to $2.99 a gallon.

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In a recent interview with D Business magazine of Detroit, Cadillac’s boss Jim Taylor talked about the upcoming CTS Coupe and a pair of hybrid motorcycles that Cadillac will debut at the LA Auto Show later this year.

Taylor, who is a motorcycle enthusiast, commissioned a Cadillac chopper that features a hybrid system allowing the bike to run on ethanol or electric mode alone. The Cadillac hybrid chopper is capable of going from rest to 60 in 4.5 seconds.

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While Corvette ZR1’s chief engineer didn’t have any official fuel-economy numbers, speaking at a live chat at GMNext.com, Tadge Juechter said that “the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-hp car you can buy in the world.” He said that the the fuel economy of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ”will be somewhat less than a Z06, and we expect a small gas-guzzler tax.”

Chevrolet has yet to run official fuel-economy testing on the Corvette ZR1, but if Juechter is to be believed the fuel-economy for the ZR1 will somewhere in the ballpark of 15/24mpg (city/highway), which is what the Z06 returns according to the EPA.

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GM today announced the details on its new 4.5L V8 Duramax turbo-diesel engine which will make its debut in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra in the 2010 model year.

The new 4.5L V8 diesel is expected to produce more than 310-hp with a peak torque of 520 lb-ft. Even with that much power the engine will deliver 25 percent better fuel-economy versus the gasoline engines.

The new engine will be GM’S first to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx after-treatment system making it achieve Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV2 emissions and making it compliant with all 50 states in the U.S.

Click through for the press release for more info.

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The UAW went on strike this morning at GM’s Fairfax assmebly plant which employs around 2,600 workers and produces GM’s best-selling Chevrolet Malibu sedan. According to a secretary at UAW Local 31, the strike came after GM failed to reach a local operating contract with the union.

The strike will hurt the supply of Malibu sedan which, at the end of April, had just a 36-day supply nationally. The Fairfax plant produces about 574 Malibu sedans a day along with the Saturn Aura sedan.

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Unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show last month, the Buick Invicta, according to Bob Lutz, gives us a strong hint at what the next-generation Buck LaCrosse will look like. Writing at GM’s FastLane Blog, Lutz said that the Invicta symbolizes the progress GM’s Global Product Development in making and rolling out new global architecture programs.

While the next-generation LaCrosse will share platforms with other midsize sedans from Chevrolet and Saab, Lutz says don’t think of it as re-badging models for GM brands.

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GM reported a loss of $3.3 billion for the first quarter of 2008 which the company said resulted due to plant shutdown, U.S. vehicle demand, supplier strikes and losses at GMAC. GM reported a $10-million loss in the same quarter last year.

Coming in with its third straight quarterly deficit, GM lost $5.74 per share which compares to a net loss of 7 cents per share, or $42 million loss, in the first quarter of 2007.

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It may sound stupid to you if we call any full-size SUV fuel-efficient but the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI are the two most fuel-efficient full-size SUVs currently on the road. And if you’re in the market for a gas-guzzling giant beast (and of course if you have the money to spend) we recommend these two.

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid gets an EPA rating of 20/20mpg (city/highway) while the 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI comes in at 18/24mpg.

Power for the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid comes from a 6.0L V8 engine producing 332-hp and 367 lb-ft of torque. The Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI runs on a 3.0L turbocharged V6 producing 215-hp and 398 lb-ft of torque.

Pricing wise the Tahoe Hybrid starts at $53,295 while the GL320 CDI goes for $54,225.

Click through for a video of Edmunds comparison of the two.

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