Autoblog

Click above to view gallery of stills from Saturn's Project Runway appearance

Project Runway is one of those reality shows that you both can watch, if you know what we mean. Though most men man not admit it, watching Heidi Klum and a bunch of models walk down a runway makes up for the obnoxious antics of the designers. This week's episode incorporated one of the show's long-time sponsors, Saturn, which heretofore has been relegated to supplying the winner with that year's Saturn du jour as a grand prize. Episode 7, however, brought Saturn onto the runway in a challenge that required the contestants to create fashions using parts from the new VUE. Make it work, indeed. Though we haven't watched the episode yet (oh yes, we DVR it), the best part appears to be when the designers begin dismantling a pair of VUEs for materials. Mental note: be wary of used late-model VUEs for sale in and around New York City. It appears the designers were most attracted to any cloth they could find in the vehicles, with seat belts being a hot item. We're not going to spoil for you who won the challenge, except to say that the design was not our top choice. You can check them all out in the gallery below, as well as some stills from the episode.


[Source: Bravo via Jalopnik]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety took some GMC Acadias and smashed them up to see how the big crossovers hold up against immovable objects, and unlike recent tests conducted for the Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, the news is positive. An AWD Acadia SLE acted as a stand-in for all of the Lambda models - Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, and all Acadia trims included. It didn't matter whether the IIHS attacked the front, side, or rear – the CUV earned a "good" rating in all directions. With the standard fitment of Stabilitrak, the IIHS also bestowed a Top Safety Pick crown on GM's big haulers. The Lambas now have both a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designator about which to brag.

[Source: Inside Line]

Wow, there are some great deals to be had at the moment from General Motors. Not the least of which is on the Corvette, specifically the Z06 model, which we've had nothing but good things to say about, even at its $72K asking price. Now that GM is offering all of its models at employee prices, that cost drops by about ten grand! A Z06 for $62,653? Yes please... if only our meager blogging budgets would allow it. Similarly, a Caddy XLR-V can be had for $84,771.80 -- about a $15,000 discount.

Need an SUV? May we suggest a Hummer H3 for about $23K? Those in the market for a luxury sedan could certainly do worse than a Cadillac STS-V for $66,640.88 after some $14K in savings. Of course, practical shoppers can take five-grand off their Saturn Aura XR sedan and end up paying just $21,634.28 for the privilege. We're having way too much fun with this and there is plenty of other news we need to cover, so visit this site, find your best deal and leave it in the comments. Update: fixed spelling mistake in the title, thanks guys!

[Sources: Kicking Tires, GM]

It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on the fence. With 2009 models heading to dealerships as we speak, General Motors is hoping to end the stalemate. It will be testing the waters of employee pricing yet again beginning Wednesday, August 20th and running through September 2nd.

The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with the 2009 Pontiac Vibe and G5, Chevy Cobalt and HHR and, surprisingly, the Cadillac CTS. Chevrolet dealers can unload 90 percent of their 2008 inventory with all 2008 models eligible for the employee price. Cadillac, Saturn, SAAB, Hummer will each have their own stipulations as well, but it is certain that the discount will be widespread. The price reduction varies from vehicle to vehicle, but is typically on order of a few thousand dollars. Additional incentives will also still be offered on some slower selling items, such as, you guessed it, trucks and SUVs. So the question is, will employee pricing get you off the fence and into a dealership?

[Source: GM]

Ja, Bjorn, tink dat's de new Astra? Shoor looks like it, Jan. Lutz will be asking you to kiss this thing when it comes out from under that checkerboard camo. The current Astra is good, and the new one promises to be better, with looks that aren't revolutionary, but nicely done nonetheless. We'll see this world car version of the Astra sometime around 2011 with a variety of drivetrains, including hybrid power. The C-Pillar remains obscured, leaving our curiosity about the hatch's ultimate form unfulfilled. From what we can see, though, the new Astra will be like the current Astra - competitively styled and priced.

[Source: autoblog.nl]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Insignia.

Despite repeated rumblings from industry sources (including Lutz himself) that the Opel Insignia's transformation into a Saturn model was on hold, Bob Lutz now indicates that work is indeed proceeding on making that model ready for the American market. Changes are going to be made to both the interior and the exterior of the Insignia as it morphs into the Aura. Lutz also indicates that the two Epsilon II-based cars will share suspension bits and powertrains, though we are not sure just how many of the six available gas and diesel engines in the Euro-only Opel will make their way Stateside. Also debatable is the Insignia's Haldex all-wheel-drive system that will be offered across the pond. Whatever the case, we hope that the car doesn't see too many changes as it's an extremely attractive and compelling package as it currently sits. Bring it.


[Source: Autoweek]

Click the image above for a high-res view.

Need a new car? If you're the Saturn Astra is on your shopping list, be wary of saliva spots... and while you're at it, pucker up. GM is running a Saturn "Kiss My Astra" contest, in which entrants are directed to capture their adventures in Saturn smooching on camera and upload them to the I M Saturn website. There, the online community of Saturn fans (we know, we were surprised, too) will judge the photos and declare a winner in September. The prize is a Saturn Astra XR. You're free to make out with any Astra you like, even your neighbor's, though you might officially become the neighborhood weirdo if people catch you locking lips with their ride. GM's Bob Lutz demonstrates his man-car love technique in the enclosed galery. Somebody turn a hose on this guy.


[Source: Inside Line]

General Motor's car czar, Bob Lutz, sat down with the little people of the blogosphere after GM's announcement that it would be reducing white collar expenditures by 20-percent, cutting truck production and eliminating retired health care for salaried workers over 65, all in an effort to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by the end of 2009.

Maximum Bob addressed questions about GM's entire brand portfolio, saying, "Pontiac will be nourished with products" and confirming that GM is in talks with financial institutions about HUMMER, and that, "If we could sell the brand, we'd be interested in doing that."

Predictably, much of the conversation centered on fuel efficiency and the General's plans to address the growing demand for miserly transport in the U.S. Lutz made it clear that "as fuel costs in the U.S. begin to resemble those in the rest of the world" it will be easier for GM to realign its products on a global scale.

[Photo: David McNew/Getty]

HEY GM, BRING BACK THE EV1

A decade ago General Motors put one of the coolest cars of all time on the road, the EV1. While there were a number of hard-core EV enthusiasts who became passionately committed to the car, it never caught on with the masses. But that was then and this is now. GM should seriously consider putting the EV1 back into production.

John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers. Follow the jump to continue reading this week's editorial.

Click above for high-res gallery of the Opel Insignia

After seeing plenty of shots of Opel's new Insignia mid-sizer, we're anxiously awaiting General Motor's official announcement of its statewide debut as the next-gen Saturn Aura. Unfortunately, current rumors indicate that we'll be waiting a bit longer than initially planned, as the project has reportedly been put on hold for an undetermined amount of time. We're fuzzy on what prompted the hold-up, though some conjecture has been heard regarding the fuel economy of the impending vehicle. In Europe, there are four gasoline engines and three diesels available, though we have serious doubts that many if any of those powerplants will make it Stateside. It's certainly possible that today's high fuel prices are causing GM to rethink getting one of its smaller gas engines certified for sale in the U.S. We can be sure, though, that this expected new vehicle launch will be an important one for the future of the Saturn brand, so perhaps GM is wise to get everything sorted out before its official debut. Thanks for the tip, Mark!


[Source: GM Inside News]