GM to stop production of hummer H1 supersized SUV

The vehicle never really made sense for the general public, but that didn’t stop General Motors from selling the ultra-humungous Hummer H1 to the average over-compensating Joe. Well, after shipping out about 12,000 of the gas-guzzling behemoths since 1992, GM has decided to remove the Hummer H1 from its lineup. The last of these 7,800 pound monsters is scheduled to roll off company lines this June.
I never quite understood why the average suburbanite would want this beast of a truck, which, by the way, only gets you about 11 miles on the gallon, and crawls up from 0-60mph in about 13.5 seconds.
According to Hummer GM Martin Walsh, the smaller Chevy Tahoe-based H2 is “more representative of the Hummer brand than the H1.” It will be interesting to see if they decide to continue to produce the Humvee for military purposes, however, because I can’t possibly expect the Department of National Defense ordering in the minute H3 for its most treacherous missions.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro - Review

The concept car for the new Chevrolet Camaro burst onto the auto-show circuit several years ago and received instant critical acclaim. After a long wait, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is here, and thankfully not much has changed on the styling front.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com tend to view the 2010 Chevy Camaro as the most appealing of the trio of Detroit pony cars (the other two being the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger). The new Chevrolet Camaro, which is available in V-6-powered LS and LT trims, as well as the V-8-powered SS, strikes an unrivaled balance between retro styling cues and modern elements. Cars.com comments that, "though loosely styled after the 1969 Camaro, the 2010 model lacks the vintage look of the current Dodge Challenger or Ford's 2005-09 Mustang." Car and Driver agrees, praising the 2010 Chevy Camaro for its "evocative, contemporary styling" that recalls the nameplate's late-60s glory years but "thankfully misses being totally retro." Automobile Magazine says that, "out among traffic, the Camaro stands out," and not just for its unmistakably loud exhaust note. In a nod toward Chevrolet's other sportscar, Autoblog points out that "the reverse Mohawk in the roof is meant to tie the car to the twin-cockpit silhouette of the Corvette," a vehicle that also lends its V-8 engine to the Chevrolet Camaro SS. All told, reviewers are hard-pressed to find anything disappointing about the exterior, and early consumer reaction seems to be very positive as well.

While Chevrolet has, by all accounts, nailed the exterior design, reviewers aren't as impressed with the interior. Cars.com reviewers find that the interior "looks more retro than the exterior," with a few elements that are clearly reminiscent of the 1969 Camaro, and "the unique center controls may be off-putting for some." Car and Driver faults some of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro's ergonomics, claiming that, "as great as the high-mounted squircle-shaped gauges and cool center stack look, the script is tiny and the buttons can be ergonomically challenging in operation." A couple of reviewers point out that the 2010 Chevy Camaro's interior is rather dark—Autoblog warns that "the high beltline, low roof and black interior don't let bundles of excess light to play within the cabin," creating a "somber" environment. Not everything about the interior is bad, however; Automobile Magazine praises the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro's instrument panel, noting that "the gauge and console layout is clean, tasteful, and modern."

Conclusion

The sculpted exterior of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro evokes just the right emotions, but the dark interior can suck some of the joy out of driving this reborn muscle car.

Audi R15 TDI

The Audi R15 TDI, commonly abbreviated to the R15, is a Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG. It is the successor to the Audi R10 TDI. Like its predecessor, the R15 TDI uses a turbocharged diesel engine, although the R15's V10 engine is physically smaller than the R10's V12. The smaller engine is pushed further toward the middle of the car than in the R10, resulting in a more neutral weight balance that gives the car better agility around the corners than its predecessor.

The car was tested for the first time in December 2008, before its official unveiling and competition debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring race, 21 March 2009. Three R15 TDIs participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2009, under the control of Joest Racing. Audi did not defend their American Le Mans Series, or Le Mans Series titles with the R15 TDI.

The R15 made its competition debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring in March 2009, and followed this event at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.The R15 got off to a perfect start by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, setting a new race record in the process, but then lost in its second entry.Peugeot, its rival, with its 908 HDi FAP, took the top two spots in the 24-hour race, ending Audi's five-win streak that lasted back to 2004 with the gasoline-powered R8.

The R15 TDI features a 5.5 litres (336 cu in)[4]Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) turbodiesel V10 engine, rated at over 600 PS (440 kW; 590 bhp) and 1,050 newton metres (774 ft•lbf) torque. The electrical system uses a lithium-ion battery, a first for Audi sports prototypes, as well as LED headlights,and a unique system of LED rear lights that are mounted on the rear wing endplate.