We know, we know. You want to pick up a Cruze the first day they hit the streets but you’re not exactly sure what options you want yet. Luckily, the Chevy team feels your pain and has supplied a handy dandy Cruze configurator so you can let your imagination run wild. Feel free to customize as many Cruzes (Cruzi? Cruzeses?) as you can and let us know what your favorite package would be in the comments section. For the uninitiated, the whole Cruze deal starts at $16,275 for the LS model and if you want to get hooked up with the turbocharged LUJ, the boosted Cruze kicks off at $18,175. The Cruze comes pretty well stocked from the factory, but there are a few options you can cycle through to make your Cruze your own. Get to work on your custom Cruze here - http://www.chevrolet.com/vehicles/2011/cruze/build.do

The whole team at Corvette Racing is always hard at work trying to figure out how to win the next race and how to stay ahead of their competitors. In the latest episode of the Corvette Racing series, you’ll learn exactly what “cascade engineering” is and how the team uses it to make sure that the next production Corvette is closely modeled out of the team’s experience and uses race-derived production parts. It’s a great way to spend 5:27 seconds of your day so check it out after the jump.

The team at GM Performance Parts has a few screws loose if you ask us – but that’s just the way we like them. Without their noggins being properly bolted together, they come up with performance packages like the new LS9 Supercharger Package which just screams insanity. If you’ve been searching for some type of power adder to bolt up to your LS3-powered Chevy since you drove it off the lot, the search is over. This bad boy of a kit will make your factory monster LS3 V8 seem docile as the package can make your seemingly stock Camaro or Corvette put out up to 650hp with the properly paired components.

The official press release hasn’t hit the wire yet, but we know some people that know some people and we got the hook up for you all so you can be the first at the parts counter to order yours and surprise the heck out of your friends. When you step up to the counter just tell them you need part number 19244103 and make it snappy, there’s fresh tires on your car that you need to break in! The kit will include all of the components to make the kit work right out of the box of course and will carry the same warranty that all GMPP carry which make this kit knock the funk out of the competition.

When the official release gets out, we’ll update you all here with the full statement for your enjoyment.

Thanks GMPP - Let’s kick the tires and light the fires!

The Chevrolet Volt’s whole MO from Day 1 has been doing less with more. That’s not just with fuel either as the Volt delivers in many areas its owners and envious onlookers will soon come to see for themselves. First up on the agenda is noise pollution. Pollution doesn’t just come from the expulsion of CO2 from exhausts pipes across the nation though, it also comes from those fart cannons that all of us Tuners religiously bolt to the rear of our cars the second we bring a new set of wheels home. We can’t help it though, the added hp and accompanying throaty tone is just too tempting to resist. But what if the complete lack of noise could draw as much attention as an increase in sound?

The Volt doesn’t use its gasoline engine for evil but rather uses it for the light side of the force by only starting up to charge the battery that powers this silent wonder. What that means is that while cruising on battery power, that either comes in when you charge it at your house or from the reserve engine, the Volt gets Go-Go Gadget silent. We know seeing is believing though so check out the latest teaser video posted below to get a feel for just how quiet the new all-electric Chevrolet Volt runs.

What’s your take? Do you think less could possibly be more when it comes to eliminating sound coming from your ride?

Roll into the parking lot of your local burger joint on a Friday and you’re bound to hear the old “there’s no replacement for displacement” line spewed out of someone’s mouth that more than likely is wearing a faded t-shirt with a big number 3 on it. Racing legend-fanbois aside, what once was an adage you could take to the bank, now will only come back denied. On the horizon is a new way to look at performance engines and the Corvette C7 Bank is open for business.

The team behind the C7 is staying pretty tight lipped about their intentions with the next generation of America’s staple supercar. However, the new mainstream small block from GM has some details being leaked out that would surely worry any underwriters at Corvette Financial. The main concern for any of the well dressed interest gougers would surely be the price tag on the new engine program which is slated to be around $890 million greenbacks. That’s money well spent though as the new GM small block will feature direction injection, for fuel economy and added performance; an aluminum block and heads, for weight savings; and a new combustion system.

Target horsepower for this next-gen V8 is more horsepower per liter than ever before in a Chevy small block – 440hp (80hp/liter). Those ponies will be created with only 5.5L of space to suck-squeeze-bang-blow too, which is quite the improvement over the outgoing LS3 workhorse that cranks out 430hp out of 6.2L. There’s no cooking the books with the new small block either as the Corvette will be staying with its classic pushrod configuration which means that the motor will be economical to produce and still fit underhood in even the tightest engine compartments.

Even with all these changes it seems like the C7 engine isn’t selling its soul to the market and is going to be welcome addition to the GM family. This new small block will also provide an even more efficient platform for tuners to start making more go-fast goodies for, so you know what that means – an empty bank account.

As everyone knows, blue is the fastest color. Actually, according to GM Europe, Moroccan Blue is the exact subset of blue which is the fastest. With that fact in mind, the GM folks across the pond have decided to make a new “CS” package available that speaks as a tribute to the Cruze’s BTCC competition entry. We think it’s a home run, the people that made this package don’t know what that means, but we digress. The package seems to make the Cruze pop and isn’t just a fancy frock.

You may be asking, what accoutrements does a Cruze CS make? Well over in the Queen’s country, the CS is fitted with 18-inch white multi-spoke alloy wheels, lowered suspension, a boot [that means trunk] spoiler, unique CS graphics and matching tailored carpet mats. You’re not locked into blue body panels either so if you’re not a fan of the right side of the color spectrum, you can get the Cruze CS’s sheetmetal covered in any one of the other standard colors offered. Sounds like a pretty nifty package, especially if you can roll out of the showroom looking like you just got done with a lap at Silverstone. The white wheels are notably extremely fresh although we shouldn’t expect those to find their way here anytime soon.

All of this rockabritty attitude comes to you at a price of only £1,595, or $2,419.52 American greenbacks at today’s exchange rate. Let us know what you think of the whole CS deal and if you’d like to kit your new Cruze with this option should it hit the order sheet of the US-spec Cruze.

The results are in! And it turns out that the 4th Annual CrateEngineDepot.com Sport Compact Meet was a resounding success! As we all know, it’s the people that make up a community, and luckily we have tons of great people that make up the GM small car family – and apparently some that have a little bit too much free time and access to tons of blue painter’s tape! Hit the jump and check out the mischief and fun that went down at CED this past weekend.

The party started with some good ole fashion drag racing Friday night at the Great Lakes Dragway. This was the first time at a drag strip for quite a few Cobalt owners who were anxious to lay down the best passes possible to show they had the goods before Saturday’s beauty pageant. One of the most notable passes of the night was by a 70 year old veteran who had not raced in over 50 years. That fact surprised a lot of those in attendance though because he was able to pull off a .089 reaction time and hit 14.1 through the whole 1320. Quite impressive indeed for 50 years of dust to shake off! You can check out all of the great shots of Cobalts taking on some classic drag cars in our image gallery at the bottom.

On Saturday, the festivities made their way over to Rockenbach Chevrolet which was the official gathering point of the meet. One of the best things about a large meet like this is being able to check out all of the unique modifications each person has done to their cars, and boy was there ever an eclectic range of ideas on display at Rockenbach. Everything from a Batman-inspired HHR and a Cobalt with Italian Police livery to lambo doors and grand sport stripes. The customization didn’t stop there either as the blue painters tape was out in force and even completely covered a Cobalt’s hood, which was good because it served as a message board to display some very descriptive and seemingly very important information about a few owners at the show (you can check that image out in the gallery and see if you can spot all of the not-so-subtle notes).

Something really exciting about this year’s show was the vast distances that owners came from. There were Cobalts from as far away as California, Florida and New York that made an appearance which only means one thing… The ION, SKY, Solstice and HHR groups need to step it up for the fall show! For those that did make it out, there were special gifts and deals available from GM Performance Division and GM Performance Parts. Never one to miss an event, Bill Duncan from GMPD was on-site to answer questions and bounce ideas off of which he seemed to never stop doing all day long.

If you couldn’t make it out to Rockenbach Chevrolet for the event, don’t fret. We have almost 60 pictures documenting the weekend that you can thumb through in our gallery below. Do you see your car in the coverage shots? Give us a shout below and let us know who you are!

The Granite has been talked about for some time as a light urban utility vehicle that could deliver big value in a small package. Granite renderings have also had quite the appeal too so when the cover was flung off the concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show it was no surprise that flashbulbs filled the stage rather quickly. Now with the Delta II platform getting ready to kick off in the Volt, Cruze and Orlando, GMC wants their own ticket to the Delta II party. That’s where the Granite comes in with added refinement in a more progressive and youth-oriented package.

The Granite is all about utility and sports a fully reconfigurable interior, cargo compartments abound and sockets to plug in any electronic goodies you need to get through the day. While still in concept form, propelling the Granite down the road is a 1.4L turbocharged mill tied to a six-speed gearbox. No note on whether that’s a manual or not but a LUJ option to a non-slushbox six-cog would surely make the Granite not feel like its name sounds.

Motor Trend has now stated that the Granite has been given the “go” order and is now slated for production. However, the General came back and told the MT boys not so fast as they’re still working out their future product plans.

What do you think? Should the Granite get the green light? Is this concept something that you’d like to see in your driveway? Let us know in the comments below!

SOURCE: Motor Trend

As any warm-blooded creature knows, Forza Motorsport brings some of the most realistic, awe-inspiring and ultimately fun driving action available to any set-top video game box. Introduce the new Kinect for Xbox 360, formerly known as “Project Natal”, into the racing equation and you have an experience that could borderline on the unreal. Thanks to the seemingly magical team behind the Xbox, that’s exactly what is going to happen come next year. Controller-less racing action that makes you as much of a part of the car as the faux Corvette ZR1 you drive in your dreams.

Kinect for Xbox 360 has a lot to offer car aficionados besides just racing. Without a physical controller in hand, your body becomes the controller – further blurring the line between fantasy and reality – which a good thing… we think. Notable non-racing features of the Kinect, that you can see for yourself in the video at the bottom, is the ability to check out your car “in person” as your avatar moves along with your movements. This slick element allows you to get up close to specific body parts, open doors with your hand, and even press the engine start button to bring the engine to life.

After the engine is on, steering the car is easy with your hands out in front of you at 10 and 2. Power and brake is controlled with a little more finesse by placing your foot out in front of you and oscillating your ankle up and down like you would while nestled in the seat of your daily drive. All interesting stuff and it seems like a hoot but we’ll reserve final judgment until we try it out for ourselves. Not doubting the genii at Xbox but it’s hard enough to control a 800hp RWD-swapped and LNF-powered Cobalt SS in Forza 3 with a controller, much less by flopping around the living room like a narcoleptic wiener dog to try and stop it from hooning it up all over screen.

While we’ll have to wait until 2011 to play Kinect-enabled Forza, GM has announced that they’ll be partnering up with Microsoft to feature the Volt in the first Kinect racing game from the Microsoft Game Studios. Called “Kinect Joy Ride” it will provide the ability to go on a virtual test drive of the Volt and “kick the tires” as it were.

With guys like our buddy Adam Dension inside GM leading the charge, Chevy is stepping up to the plate to be the first ones to take advantage of a lot of new technology lately. Couple this new game with the Volt iPhone app and the 2011 Chevy Volt is seemingly trending towards being a techie’s dream car.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of Forza with Kinect:

The wait is finally over as this weekend is the 4th Annual Midwest Sport Compact Meet! The shindig kicks off on Friday, June 25th with a drag night at Great Lakes Dragway so you can show off what you’re packing underhood. Immediately after the burnout parade is a night cruise to the windy city to cap things off and get ready for the following day’s big event. On Saturday, the meet officially gets down at Rockenbach Chevrolet from 9am-5pm. If you stick around until the end of the day, a second cruise to Jack’s Pizzeria closes out the event.

Of course there will be special event-exclusive deals for all in attendance. And fresh off the HOT ROD Power Tour is GM HPVO engineer, Bill Duncan, who is ripe with new stories from his adventures across America. He can also help you try and figure out that pesky problem your car is having that you can’t seem to figure out. It’s going to be a great time as usual as Tom at CED knows how exactly how to put together a great event.

Keep in mind that registration is mandatory and there will be no entries taken at the door. The lot is capped at 100 cars so get in now, if you still can. The entrance fee is set at $60.00 a car but group discounts do exist so if you’re planning on cruising in with your buds check in with Tom for more details.

Check out below to watch the promo video for the event as well as download the official flyer for the event that you can print out so you know what’s going on. For more information on the Sport Compact meet, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .