GM has doubled cash incentives that will reach as high has $6,000 on some models on its biggest new trucks and SUVs. Going back to 1999 the automakers said that it will give as much as $4,000 for owners of GM vehicles. Included in the $4,000 owner loyalty incentive are the hybrid versions of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs. After reporting a 39.5 percent drop in truck sales in May–the largest drop among the Detroit 3. And the increases began Saturday, June 7, and will be offered through June.

It seems like GM will do basically anything to sell these hybrid SUVs.GM spokesman John McDonald said. “What we’re trying to do is raise the awareness level of these hybrids with our loyalty customers.” “The whole thing’s a hybrid play,”

The not so well received Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid will also be included in the incentives an will receive a max of $4,000 cash back. The Chevrolet Suburban and the Cadillac Escalade will see $6,000 in incentives, including the $4,000 owner loyalty incentive and an additional $2,000 loyalty bonus cash incentive.

The incentive increases are additions to GM’s previous offers of $2,000 in loyalty bonus cash incentives and $1,000 in bonus cash incentives.

Incentives for models by brand are the Chevrolet: Tahoe (nonhybrid) or Suburban: $2,000 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash. Tahoe (hybrid): $0 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $4,000 total cash. Silverado or Avalanche: $2,000 customer cash + $3,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $5,000 total cash. GMC: Yukon: $2,000 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash. Yukon (hybrid): $0 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $4,000 total cash. Sierra: $2,000 customer cash + $3,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $5,000 total cash. Cadillac: Escalade: $2,000 customer cash + $2,000 bonus cash + $2,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash.

Lately, Maximum Bob Lutz was reported saying that the price of the Chevrolet Volt could reach about $48,000. Lutz said that $40, 00 would be possible only if GM doesn’t make a dime on the car. Government incentives are expected to bring the price closer to the $30,000 range.

GM-Volt.com, a site not owned by GM, is running a virtual waiting list showing the interest that people have in purchasing GM’s upcoming electric car. As of May 5th, 20,000 people have signed up saying that they would purchase the Volt when it arrives in 2010.

When it arrives in 2010, the Chevrolet Volt is expected to be powered by a 160-hp electric motor that will allow it run on electricity for up to 40 miles. With the use of gasoline, the car can travel a range of about 400 miles.

Over 20,000 people have expressed their interest in purchasing GM’s electric car, the Chevy Volt when it arrives in 2010. They have all signed up on the grass-roots waiting list managed by the Volts’ leading enthusiast website GM-Volt.com.

The Chevy Volt concept was first unveiled by General Motors in January 2007. It is a sleek and sporty 4-passenger car than can drive for up to 40 miles on pure electricity, powered by a 160 hp electric motor. Beyond that distance, the car uses an on-board back-up gasoline generator which will keep the batteries charged for a total range of about 400 miles.

GM-Volt.com was created in response to GM’s initial announcement to concentrate public opinion on the Volt’s development and to help ensure the concept didn’t die.

The site’s founder is Dr. Lyle Dennis, a New York area neurologist who advocates the country shifting from petroleum use.

Source: GM-Volt

Resourceful Chevy fans at Camaro5.com have come through again with some more sneaky handiwork. Just when we thought the Camaro madness was about to die down..

This time the fan site has posted pictures of a completely undisguised Camaro convertible, with the top down and everything. The roofless pony car is a natural extension of the coupe, though lifting the lid has a bit of a lengthening effect, somewhat negating the standard car’s aggressive lines.

With the luxury of four seats, and the advantage of being box-fresh, we don’t doubt that if the price is in line with Ford’s Mustang, Chevy will be able to sell a boatload of these ragtop Camaros.

I’ve been a pony car guy, covering 1960s models to the present. The Ford Mustang existed as the more refined of the two in its classic guise. Its engine and options roster weren’t as wide as the Camaro’s, but the Mustang’s road manners (in the small-block trim) were calm and disciplined.

By the 1970s, however, the Mustang’s obesity (1971-73) and then shrunken size (1974-78) cost it in contrast to the single Camaro line that aged in he 1970s, but kept its same character from 1970 to 1981. It’s fair to say the Gen III Mustang and Camaro had a tough shootout in the 1980s, but the ’90s Gen IV Camaro easily outperformed the Mustang in handling, speed, and (in my books) styling. The Camaro’s one flaw, by this time, was its limited trim options.

The Gen V Mustang may be the best since 1970, but it’s become the target by which GM seems to have outperformed. Judging from GM’s family sedans (Chevy Malibu), trucks (GMC Sierra), compacts (Saturn Astra) and full-size sedans (Pontiac G8), I think the General will have no problem spanking Ford’s stallion.

Roomy. That’s a feature that policemen want in their vehicle. And that is quite easy to understand. See, when police are patrolling, they need space to stuff in all the equipment that they need to do their duty. Just look at the CSI team who drive to the scene bringing with them tons of stuff.

Well, Chevrolet has got an answer to cops’ wants — the Tahoe. Chevrolet made a version of the vehicle with cops in mind and thus came the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Police which is currently known as the very first SUV made for cops.

For 2008, this police vehicle has gone through a restyling. It uses the company’s full size SUV platform. For power, this is generated by a 5.3 liter V8 engine that has the capacity to produce 320 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. Mind you, this power source is not a fuel miser for the V8 has been tinkered with so much so that it uses the company’s Active Fuel Management technology that improves the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Cops can even put in E85 as fuel so the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Police has also become a green vehicle.

Here are other features you can find on the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Police as Truck Trend reported:

• stiffer springs
• stiffer shocks
• H-rated 265/60R17 blackwall Goodyear RSA tires
• steel wheels measuring 17 inches
• tire pressure monitoring system
• 160-amp alternator
• large disc brakes
• front airbags
• Front side airbags
• Roof-mounted head-curtain airbags

Corvette Racing is among the world’s most celebrated groups in the world of adrenaline-pumping motor racing. For seven consecutive years since 2002, the team dominated the ALMS Manufacturer Championships bringing home the bacon season after season.

The continuing success of Corvette Racing is significantly credited to each and every member of the group. Prepare your brake caliper because we’re going for a spin with the Corvette Racing team. Let’s get to know them one by one courtesy of my source, CorvetteRacing.com!

Corvette Racing is owned by General Motors, Detroit, Mich. The team’s race car? Corvette C6.R (Corvette 6th generation, Racing)

Drivers:

• No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen (plus Ron Fellows for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)
• No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta (plus Max Papis for Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans)

Team Personnel:
    * Director, GM Racing: Mark Kent
    * GM Racing Road Racing Group Manager: Steve Wesoloski
    * Corvette Racing Program Manager: Doug Fehan
    * Team Manager: Gary Pratt
    * Engine Manager: Roger Allen
    * Crew Chief, No. 3: Dan Binks
    * Crew Chief, No. 4: Ray Gongla

Primary Sponsor: Compuware

Associate Sponsors: Mobil1, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), XM Satellite Radio, UAW-GM, Genuine Corvette Accessories, Bose, Motorola, PRS Guitars, BBS, Michelin

Here are a few of the team’s achievements and highlights:

Team Highlights
* Race wins: 63 (through 2007)
* 1-2 finishes: 45 (through 2007)
* ALMS manufacturers championships: seven (2001-07)
* ALMS team championships: seven (2001-07)
* ALMS drivers championships: six (2002-07)
* 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins: five (2001-02, 2004-06)
* Sebring 12-hour class wins: five (2002-04, 2006-07)
* Petit Le Mans class wins: six (2000-02, 2004-05, 2007)
* American Le Mans Series records: Most race wins by entrant (57); most 1-2 finishes by entrant (40); longest winning streak in GT1 (12, 2005 Road Atlanta/2006 Mid-Ohio; 2007 Sebring/Laguna Seca - tied with Team Oreca); most poles in GT1
* ALMS From the Fans awards: Gary Claudio, Corvette marketing manager, 2002; Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager, 2004
* ALMS Most Popular Driver awards: Ron Fellows, 2004-07
* Special awards: Corvette C6.R named "North American Car of the Year" by dailysportscar.com (February 2006); Corvette LS7.R engine named "Global Motorsport Engine of the Year" at the Professional Motorsport World Expo (November 2006); Corvette Racing awarded Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge trophy for most efficient use of fuel in GT1 class at 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 2007)

Corvette Racing Firsts
* First race: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 5, 1999
* First GTS win: Texas Motor Speedway, Sept. 2, 2000, drivers Ron Fellows and Andy Pilgrim
* First overall win: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 3, 2001; Fellows/Kneifel/Freon/O’Connell
* First 1-2 finish: Daytona 24-hour, Feb. 3, 2001 (1st: Fellows/Kneifel/Freon/O’Connell; 2nd: Pilgrim/Earnhardt/Earnhardt Jr./ Collins)
* First Le Mans class win: 2001 (Fellows/O’Connell/Pruett)
* First ALMS drivers championship: Ron Fellows, 2002
* First ALMS manufacturers championship: 2001
* First undefeated season: 2004 (9 ALMS races and 24 Hours of Le Mans)

And I mean really on fire.

See, according to Reuters, safety officials in the US are now looking at and investigating fires that are spurting out from the engine compartments of Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. They are also looking at GMC Yukon SUVs which also been complained because of such problems. Both vehicles are manufactured by the General Motors Corporation.

At present, the NHTSA has documents of two complaints of fires which had happened in 2007 models. Although there are only two complaints as of press time, it is very important to look at this matter. If there really is a problem that could be a manufacturer’s fault, there would be 423,000 units which would be affected and it would mean having to replace the affected parts which could include the engine cooling system, the engine, battery, cables, and the wiring.

Looking at the two complaints, there have already been two injuries because of the fires. The vehicles were in garages and the engine was off when the fires occurred.

Are you a driver who’s always craving for traffic data (or else you’re lost)?  Or are you the type who cannot drive without music?