AMI 2010: Chevrolet Cruze Irmscher Edition with 186HP

Chevrolet and its European tuning partner Irmscher presented a humbly beefed up version of the Cruze compact sedan with cosmetic and performance upgrades at this week's AMI motorshow in Leipzig, Germany.

Dubbed the Cruze Irmscher Edition, the car gets an optional boot lid spoiler along with 18-inch alloy wheels shod in beefier 225 sport tires and aluminum door sills.

Irmscher's performance modifications include a 25mm suspension drop and exhaust silencers with elliptical twin exits along with a 36HP and 146Nm boost for the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine increasing total output to 186HP and 466Nm at 2,300 rpm.

According to the tuner, the diesel version accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.0 seconds.

The Cruze Irmscher Edition is available for order at Chevrolet's German dealerships.

»»  read more

New York Show: Chevrolet's Cruze Lineup Grows up with RS, ECO Models

With the 2011 Cruze set to enter Chevrolet's American lineup and replace the quirky Cobalt, GM has gotten itself two big steps away from the bland-as-a-box Cavalier.

Now, they plan on taking things one step further by offering unique packages that will hopefully allow it to compete with segment top dogs like the Civic and Focus.

First comes the Cruze RS, which boils down to an appearance package (and a pretty snazzy one at that) available on LT and LTZ models. According to the PR people, said package "bolsters the car's styling with unique fascias, rocker moldings, rear spoiler and fog lamps."

Inside, drivers get classy chrome-rimmed gauges and "opaque cluster bezels" for a sporty, glowing appearance at night...right. Well, at least the chrome trim will be a nice touch.

Next is the Cruze Eco, which packs a 1.4 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder underhood. With variable valve timing and the 6-speed manual transmission, Chevrolet expects the Eco to return up to 40 mpg Highway (City mileage and that of Automatic-equipped cars will be announced shortly).

The ECO isn't just an efficient power/drive train either. A lot has gone into the whole package, from the lightweight wheels and "ultra-low" rolling resistance tires to the lowered ride height, this particular Cruze was prepped for good fuel economy.

It seems like the entire front end was engineered for aerodynamics; it has "a lower front grille air shutter that closes at higher speeds to improve aerodynamics and opens at lower speeds to optimize engine-cooling airflow, [the] upper grille has more 'closeouts' to improve aerodynamics, [and a] lower front air dam extension."

As expected, the gearing is for fuel mileage, not roaring fun. Chevrolet says you expect to pass the 60 mph mark in 10 seconds with the the stick (or about 9 with the automatic). Hey, if you want fast, rumors ave been spreading around of a sportified SS variant. Be patient.

- By Phil Alex

2011 Chevrolet Cruze RS

_____________________________________________________________

2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO

»»  read more

Frankfurt Preview: Chevrolet Cruze Bumblebee Special

You knew it was coming: an official version of the Chevrolet Cruze Bumblebee. Set to make its first public appearance in a few weeks time at Frankfurt show, the Transformers film-inspired Cruze Bumblebee was co-developed with German tuning firm Irmscher. Even though the original Camaro-based Bumblebee features a yellow-and-black stripes treatment, Chevy's designers opted for a black paint job with bright-orange racing stripes and detailing.

Furthermore, Irmchser's tuners lowered the compact sedan's ride height by 30mm and added an orange colored rear diffuser that houses a pair of new exhaust tips. The beefy 18-inch alloy wheels finished in orange and shod in 225mm wide sport tyres complete the looks.

And while Chevy has no intention of enhancing the Cruze's range with a Bumblebee edition, Irmscher said that it will offer the package to individual customers.

»»  read more

Transformers Parade in China: Bumblebee Fans Gather in Beijing

It looks like it's going to be the year of the Bumblebee in China. The soon-to-be released Transformers 2 movie 'Revenge of the Fallen' inspired Chinese fans that took to the streets of Beijing over the weekend with a parade of Bumblebee flavored cars of various sorts and types including a VW Santana, a Citroen C4, a Ford Focus and many Chevy Aveo and Cruze models. The somewhat comical parade of random yellow cars with black-stripes was led of course by a 2010 Camaro SS. Follow the jump to check out the pictures.

Source: Autohome , Via: Jalopnik

»»  read more