‘Never Say Never’ Drives GMC’s Super Bowl XLVI Activities

DETROIT – GMC will have more than 500 vehicles on display and driving around Indianapolis during among its activities during Super Bowl XLVI Week:

Never Say Never Moment of the Year

By voting on the GMC Facebook page or at www.NFL.com/GMC, football fans have had the opportunity to help decide the “2011 GMC Never Say Never Moment” from five finalists selected earlier this month. A winner will be announced during the first-ever “NFL Honors” awards show on NBC the night of Feb. 4.

In 2011, wide receiver DeSean Jackson was the inaugural winner for the improbable 65-yard punt return he made in a comeback win late in the season.

“Jackson’s big play perfectly demonstrated the Never Say Never attitude that drives the NFL’s best players and our designers and engineers alike.” said Craig Bierley, GMC Advertising and Sales Promotion director. “All five of this year’s candidates have proven they are equally deserving, but only one can win.”

Fans who vote for their favorite performance will also be eligible to win a new 2012 GMC vehicle of their choosing.

NFL Experience

GMC will be the presenting sponsor of the 20^th edition of NFL Experience, pro football’s interactive theme park, taking place at the Indiana Convention Center from Friday, Jan. 27- Saturday, Feb. 4. The NFL Experience features activities for football fans of all ages and appearances by more than 100 current and former NFL players.

Included is a “time splice” feature that uses a multi-camera array to capture video of a participant diving for a football or tackling a friend in front of a stadium backdrop. A computer program sequences the images to create a 3D-like animation that can be posted to Facebook or Twitter.

Visitors can test their skills by participating in a variety of interactive attractions including "Quarterback Challenge," a passing accuracy game and "Extra Point Kick," a field goal kicking game.  Kids ages 6-12 can participate in the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Clinics at the Clinic Field to engage in non-contact, continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork.  The Vince Lombardi Trophy will be on exhibit, along with all 45 Super Bowl rings. 

Additionally, attendees will have an opportunity to create a video calling play-by-play of a Never Say Never Moment with announcer Mike Tirico and win prizes including autographs and signed memorabilia. The NFL Experience will also host youth football clinics throughout the week and NFL Play 60 Kids’ Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Courtesy of media.gm.com

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GMC Sierra Getting Redesigned For 2014

Scheduled to hit dealer lots next year as a 2014 model year is GM’s newly redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, but it appears that those two trucks will just be the tip of the iceberg. Now it’s a possibility that GM may be considering extensively redesigning all of their upcoming pickups. 

It’s believed that the new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra will not only offer better fuel economy, but a new chassis is also expected with the exterior and interior of the pickups entirely changed. In addition, improved aerodynamics will go along with engine improvements, a lightened load and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Such an overhaul is no surprise as GM has been investing heavily into new technology to improve fuel economy. And with the success of the Ford F-150 EcoBoost, GM knows what they can get away with in the pickup market.

Next year we should be seeing the redesigned 1500 pickups but it’s expected that revamped 2500 and 3500 variants will make an appearance a year later. Expect a ton of engineering improvements to occur across all of GM’s pickups in the next few years.

Courtesy of autoguide.com

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The 2012 Buick Verano

The 2012 Buick Verano is the smallest Buick in the vehicle line-up with the latest in luxury and conveniences. The sculpted, contemporary exterior has chrome headlamp trims with blue circles, a waterfall grill, and chrome accents.

The Verano’s interior presents soft-touch materials, cloth wraps, ambient lighting, leather seats, and cool or warm interior design options. The seats are very comfortable and designed with pressure mapping for maximum comfort on long rides.

Quiet tuning allows for a luxurious ride with minimal road noise inside, eliminating all distractions from the amazing sound system.

The new suspension softens the ride so that steering and ride comfort are balanced.
Precise steering with direct steering wheel feedback, torsion bars, and a watts link translates to a tight-handling car with great road contact.

Courtesy of Your News Now

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GMC Wraps Up Monday Night Football Tour

DETROIT – GMC, together with the NFL, completed its second annual Monday Night Football Tour, with NFL cities reaping the benefits of more than 300 volunteers who built playgrounds as part of United Way’s nationwide effort to get 1.9 million more kids active and healthy by 2018.

Playgrounds were completed in Dallas, Tampa Bay, Detroit, New York City, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans and Seattle. Volunteers, including NFL players like  Detroit Lions’ tight end Brandon Pettigrew, contributed more than 1,000 hours of labor.

In Kansas City, Mo., a grade school received a playground it was lacking since its original construction 25 years ago. In New York, a new playground gave young children a place to play at a school previously offering only equipment for older students.

The United Way Healthy Kids Zones—Driven by GMC offered thousands of children the opportunity to climb, build upper body strength, promote balance and agility, and develop strength and endurance. The playground equipment, paid for by GMC and supplied by GameTime, is designed to help children develop active, healthy bodies, as well as personal and social skills.

“GMC recognizes how important it is to raise awareness about the issue of childhood obesity and to create new opportunities for young people to lead healthier lifestyles,” said Craig Bierley, GMC Advertising and Sales Promotion director. “By working with the NFL and United Way, GMC is helping make communities stronger.”

This year’s expanded tour program also invited fans to test their football skills against the pros for a chance to win Monday Night Football game tickets, NFLshop.com gift cards and signed memorabilia.

Fans also had opportunities to meet current and former NFL players such as Deion Sanders, and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who set a single season NFL record for receiving yards at his position in the recently concluded NFL regular season. ESPN Monday Night Football announcer Mike Tirico also participated

After testing their skills and meeting the pros, 11,485 men and women in the nine cities test drove the GMC Acadia crossover vehicle, Sierra pickup truck, Terrain smaller SUV and Yukon full size SUV.   

“This year, GMC built on the success of a great program launched in 2010,” Bierley said. “Thousands of football fans were able to connect with star players and personalities while also realizing the tremendous capability of GMC vehicles.”

Courtesy of media.gm.com

GMC hits the roads to hear from customers and find out what they like most about their vehicles.What would you like to tell us about yours?

GMC Creates ‘Virtual’ Hot and Cold Comfort

DETROIT – General Motors’ climate control engineers call him The Iceman – a high-tech top gun whose team created a way to make vehicle passengers feel much warmer or cooler than the cabin temperature in which they are seated. The result: more-precise comfort control on the 2012 GMC Terrain.

The Iceman – his real name is Jeff Bozeman – says an instinctive sense of frugality drives him to find ways to make heating and cooling systems more efficient.

"Maybe it’s my Dutch heritage, but I’m hyper-focused on finding ways to improve driver and passenger comfort while using the absolute minimum amount of energy possible," said Bozeman.

His team conducts testing in GM’s Climatic Wind Tunnel at the Warren (Mich.) Technical Center, where environmental chambers can mimic temperatures ranging from minus-40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bozeman and his team use both real and digital dummies to pinpoint exactly where climate control air streams will provide maximum comfort without blasting cold or hot air where it is unneeded. The Iceman and his colleagues created Monika, a manikin wired with nickel-chromium sensors that provide detailed comfort feedback to engineers. If Monika is too hot or too cold, she lets engineers know.

GMC also created a sophisticated digital “dummy” that is a better physiological model of the human anatomy, said Bozeman.

"We can better understand things like skin temperature and perspiration and can get a read on a wide range of shapes and sizes of GMC customers," he said. Virtual testing speeds vehicle development, allowing climate control innovations to reach customers faster.

In the Terrain, engineers were challenged to balance highly styled vents and the aesthetic of the cabin design with the function of heating and air conditioning vents.

“We had to work a lot on the directing ability of the outlets,” Bozeman said. “The first impression of the vehicle is the interior, and it’s where people spend most of their time. Our job is to make the vehicle feel as good as it looks inside.”

The Iceman foresees a host of new comfort-enhancing and fuel-saving technologies, such as targeted jets of air similar to those on commercial aircraft, that will use far less energy than today's entire-cabin cooling systems.

The Iceman's cutting-edge research is a collaborative effort among innovators in government, business and research sectors. Bozeman and his team work with the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, Delphi Automotive and the University of California, Berkeley.

Courtesy of media.gm.com

Take a test drive in this New 2012 Buick Verano

Fans - Stop in to test drive this new 2012 Buick Verano, currently available at our dealership for $23,470.

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Introducing the All-New 2013 Buick Encore

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Buick’s new luxury small crossover delivers the brand’s signature style, interior acoustic refinement and collection of luxury amenities in a maneuverable, versatile and efficient package.

  With room for five and up to 48.4 cu. ft. of storage space with the rear seat folded, the Encore offers substantial cargo capacity along with the confident, higher driving position, all-wheel-drive capability and contemporary styling of a crossover.

  Additional features include 10 standard air bags and an ECOTEC 1.4L turbo four-cylinder/six-speed automatic powertrain, along with standard and available technologies, such as Buick’s voice-activated IntelliLink, which uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver’s smartphone to a high-resolution, full-color 7-inch LCD display radio.

  And because it’s a Buick, QuietTuning is standard on the Encore, which also features Buick’s first use of Active Noise Cancellation technology.

  Encore arrives in showrooms in early 2013 — just don’t expect it to stay there for long.

 

Buick Encore features personalized technologies and connectivity

• Standard IntelliLink and 7-inch color LCD display with CD/SiriusXM/USB, voice recognition, and Bluetooth phone and audio
• Safety technologies for active visibility include an available rearview camera, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, and front and rear park assist
• Comfort technologies include standard heated mirrors and premium, soft-touch materials as well as available dual-zone climate controls, heated leather steering wheel, heated leather power seats with driver memory, Rainsense wipers and a Bose premium sound system
• myBuick mobile app with OnStar RemoteLink for vehicle connectivity outside the vehicle

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Buick Encore is thoughtfully designed and engineered

• Sculpted, elegant exterior with chrome waterfall grille, chrome accents and surround, painted lowers similar to the Buick Enclave, and premium exterior colors
• One of the safest vehicles of its size with 10 air bags, OnStar and StabiliTrak standard, nearly 60 percent high-strength steel protecting the cabin, and available AWD, Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert
• Buick engineers applied QuietTuning to Encore, including the brand’s first use of Active Noise Cancellation, making it one of the quietest crossovers on the road
• Global chassis designed specifically for a small crossover; one-tire design (18-inch), hydraulic bushings and unique strut and shock valving for controlled, refined ride and handling, and minimal roll during cornering
• 168.5-inch length and 36.7-ft. turning diameter for agility, maneuverability, ease of parking and control
• Versatility with split-folding second-row seat for flat load surface, front-passenger flat-folding seat and numerous storage options

 

New GMC Acadia Coming to 2012 Chicago Auto Show

We don't know much about it, but expect a new GMC Acadia to arrive at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in early February, according to GMC spokesman Joe LaMuraglia. When we pressed LaMuraglia to divulge more, all he said was that it "is more than a new trim level." Two years back, GMC unveiled a luxurious Denali trim of the Acadia at the Detroit auto show.

The announcement came from Twitter, presumably to remind people that GMC is still around; the General Motor's brand had nothing to show at this year's Detroit auto show.

The current incarnation of the Acadia has been on sale since late 2006 and was one of the first of GM's large crossovers to go on sale, followed by the Buick Enclave and the Chevrolet Traverse. It's definitely due for an update. Last year, GMC was GM's fastest growing brand and remains the carmaker's second-largest brand in America after Chevrolet.

 

Courtesy of: chicagotribune.com

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2013 Buick Encore Takes the Stage

DETROIT – Buick today introduced the all-new 2013 Encore – a luxury small crossover that delivers Buick’s signature style, interior acoustic refinement and collection of luxury amenities in a maneuverable, versatile and efficient package.

The Encore is on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit through Jan. 22, and goes on sale in early 2013.

“Buick Encore is a great-looking, smart choice for those who want luxury crossover amenities in a more maneuverable and agile vehicle,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “It represents a luxury alternative for a new audience of Buick customers, and delivers features and flexibility not typically found in vehicles of its size today.”

Buick models continue to gain in popularity, with two consecutive years of higher retail sales. The Encore joins Verano – Buick’s third all-new sedan in three years – to round out the brand’s lineup and continues the momentum established by the Enclave crossover almost five years ago.

With room for five and up to 48.4 cubic feet (1,372 liters) of storage space with the rear seat folded, the Encore offers substantial cargo capacity along with the confident, higher driving position, all-wheel-drive capability and contemporary styling of a crossover. In fact, its cargo space compares favorably against similar-sized international competitors:

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2012 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Incentive

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Price includes GM Owner Loyalty (own/lease 99 or newer GM; no trade required) and GM Trade-In Allowance (own 99 or newer vehicle; trade in toward purchase/lease of an eligible model). See dealer for complete details. Program ends February 29th, 2012.

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LaCrosse, the Slightly Electrified Buick

Along with warmer winters and cheaper real estate, here’s something else to get used to: smaller engines in our cars. Just five years ago, the notion of a 16-foot, two-ton deluxe sedan with four cylinders under the hood would have been preposterous. Now, though, this isn’t cheaping out, it’s being smart. Big motors use more fuel. The easiest way to make big motors smaller is to lop off a couple of cylinders—replace your V-12s and V-10s with V-8s, your V-8s with sixes, and so on. But no one wants to give up performance, so carmakers are replacing those cylinders with turbochargers or, in Buick’s case, with electricity.

It’s not just another Prius-style hybrid drivetrain. Buick calls its eAssist innovation “light electrification,” and the combination of simplicity and ingenuity is not only appealing, it’s also effective. The basic powerplant is a 2.4-liter (146 cubic inches) four-cylinder gasoline engine that sends 182 horsepower and 172 pounds of torque to the front wheels. Onto this, Buick has grafted a belt-driven, liquid-cooled, electric motor-generator and a 115-volt lithium-ion battery. The LaCrosse cruises with the fuel-sipping efficiency of its small four; for merging into traffic, passing and climbing hills, eAssist adds 15 horsepower and 79 foot-pounds of torque.

The motor-generator replaces the alternator and it not only provides the extra power, it also recharges its own battery. Other features on eAssist Buicks include regenerative braking, seamless engine stop-start plus ample current for all the accessories when the vehicle is at rest, and fuel cut-off during deceleration. The eAssist LaCrosse also has a shutter behind its grille that opens for engine cooling and closes for better aerodynamics, as needed. Even the car’s underbelly has been smoothed out with panels for improved air flow, which contributes to fuel economy.

Turbochargers reclaim energy that’s being shunted out the tailpipe; eAssist grabs energy from braking and deceleration that’s otherwise wasted. Daryl Wilson, lead engineer for the LaCrosse, explains that the regenerative braking “is done via the automatic transmission, which transmits the braking energy to the motor-generator via the serpentine belt. In most automatic transmissions, the torque converter locks up at highway speeds and releases as the unit downshifts. Not in the LaCrosse. Our torque converter remains locked through all the downshifts, and the motor-generator smooths out what otherwise would be jolting shifts.”

The LaCrosse transmission is a new 6-speed automatic that can also be shifted manually. Driving was indeed smooth, with only a few abrupt low-speed gear changes in stop-start traffic. Oddly, these diminished over time and then seemed to go away entirely. Our test car was brand-new; maybe it needed breaking-in? In any event, Buick is so confident that it has given eAssist an eight-year, 80,000-mile warranty and promises that it will soon be available on the Buick Regal as well.

The new LaCrosse has earned an EPA economy rating of 25 miles per gallon in city driving, 36 on the highway and 29 combined. Buick says this is an improvement of about 25% over the previous gas-only LaCrosse. My time in the car included a mix of highway and in-town driving at an average (according to the onboard computer) of 30.6 miles per hour and 26.9 MPG. While no one would confuse it with a BMW 750Li or a Mercedes S550, the LaCrosse felt adequately powerful for a full-size premium sedan, and more luxurious than Cadillac’s steroidal CTS-V. With a sticker price of $38,175, it was also far, far less expensive.

Impressive as the engineering and value may be, Buick’s efforts will be futile if no one wants to drive the car. Well, I want to drive it, and I was sorry to see it go. The LaCrosse is serenely quiet and comfortable at speed, composed and capable on bad pavement, and very spacious inside. It is also an unusually handsome, even sophisticated design, especially for Detroit. If this is the lower-energy, lower-carbon, make-do future of the automobile, we can have no complaints.

Courtesy of villagesoup.com