Within in the next few months, the image of Chevrolet will be changing. With a marketing overhaul already underway, the brand will express “excellence for everyone” with new television spots and new messaging designed to excite consumers and prepare them for new models.

As part of the new marketing blitz there will be a new tagline, but Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, has not disclosed that tagline just yet.

Future advertising efforts will also embrace Chevrolet’s history and performance strengths, with the Corvette and the Camaro being featured prominently in all ads. Because these two models are perhaps the most iconic nameplates in the Chevy lineup, new advertising will leverage these performance models to promote other models as well like the Equinox or the Malibu.

While the aforementioned Chevy Equinox is exceeding expectations in the highly competitive compact crossover segment, the Malibu is not performing quite as well. Admitting to this deficiency, Reuss has also suggested that new advertising efforts will “re-energize” the Malibu in particular.

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In an ideal world, we would find every speedy car with a perfect, sleek exterior. Both performance and attractiveness combined in every car we see. Unfortunately, there are times when we sacrifice one option for the other. The majority of us choose style over substance, but what about the others whose number one concern is performance? Let’s give them some credit! It takes guts to drive around in an ugly, expensive car. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look:

Weber Sportscars attempt to compete with the Bugatti Veyron fell short; well, falling short is being a little too nice. Under the hood, 7-liters of supercharged engine producing 900 horsepower sounds very appealing. Add to that the ability to go 0 – 60mph mark in just 2.5 seconds with a top speed of around 250 miles per hour, and you have a competitor. But like I said, that is under the hood. The problem? Everything else on the outside!

Weber Sportscar

Weber Sportscar

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Good luck explaining yourself with this one. Sure, the Mercedes-Benz SLA Concept still has the name but as far as appearance…well, there’s not too much to say about it! This concept car didn’t make it into production, luckily for both us AND Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz SLA Concept

The IFR Grasshopper Aspid looks and drives mean. Going 0-60 in just 2.9 seconds, the Aspid definitely sacrifices looks for performance.

IFR Aspid

IFR Aspid

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Maybe the luxury sedan Maybach 57 would be more appealing if people realized its beauty under the hood: its 543-hp V12 engine is gorgeous, but the exterior of the vehicle is rather bland. For those who care about appearances, which happens to be most of us, there are other options; better options.

Maybach 57

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How does a wagon have so much power? The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon boasts a 507-hp V8 engine; that’s a lot more power needed to haul the family around to soccer practice, no?

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon

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Subaru Impreza WRX STi – Subaru’s nimble STi is quick off the line (going 0-60 in 4.4 seconds) and offers a lot for its price (starting at $34,995), but older models have proven to be more appealing to customers as the new hatchback STi is classified, by many, as ugly. Combine the 2010 STi’s performance with the look of an STi in the past and that’s a winner.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi

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The Bentley Arnage T is not much to look at, but its 500-hp V8 engine is powerful enough to give the Corvette a run for its money. Known more as a luxury car that you might need a chauffeur for, the Bentley Arnage is not exactly the fun, attractive sports car we would have hoped it would be.

Bentley Arnage T

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Last Month, GM took the wraps off the updated 2011 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty pickup. Now we’re finally learning the details of what’s under the new truck’s (massive) hood.

Powering the base Silverado HD wis a 6.0-liter Vortec V8 mated to a Hydramatic 6L90 6-speed automatic transmission. This unit produces 360 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 380 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm.

For even more power, there is also a 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel V8 which produces 397 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and a peak torque of 765 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm. This engine is perhaps the most notable improvement to the latest HD pickup. Not only does it produce additional best-in-class torque and horsepower figures for a diesel engine, but it also delivers an 11 percent increase in fuel-efficiency with a total range on of 680 highway miles on a full tank.

“Segment-leading power is great, but it’s not the only thing that makes the new Duramax a winner,” said Gary Arvan, Duramax chief engineer. “We designed the engine to make that power with less fuel and fewer emissions, while also increasing its durability.”

The Ford F-Series continues to be a formidable competitor, but the latest improvements to the Silverado HD – most notably improved power and efficiency – should bode well for the 2011 model as it’s expected to better satisfy the demand of heavy-duty truck buyers.

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General Motors may be busy narrowing in on the Corvette’s redesign, but in the short term Chevrolet is introducing a new limited edition Vette to stir demand among enthusiasts. The Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition borrows many of the same features found in the high-performance ZR1 and transplants them into this other performance model.

Among the new features found on the 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition include Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, magnetic select ride control system, black carbon-fiber rockers, carbon-fiber raised hood, and 20-spoke wheels wrapped with Michelin PS2 tires.

The 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Corvette’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans race. As such, this Vette will also receive European styled racing decal numbers.

With its Z06 engine and extreme lightweight – thanks to a bevy of carbon fiber bits and pieces – this limited edition Corvette will certainly be better suited for the track than as a daily driver. But with only 500 of these models being produced, it’s likely that they will go fast when they arrive in showrooms this summer.

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Although many iconic sports car have come and gone (some only to reappear again), the Chevrolet Corvette has been the constant all-American sports car. The current generation is the most powerful Corvette ever and still maintains the design and character of Vettes from the past. But new challenges are ahead, not only from competitors but also from changing consumers as well as changing fuel economy regulations. That’s precisely why General Motors has sought the proposal of 10 styling studios around the world to collaborate on the next generation Corvette.

Leading the next Corvette’s design is GM’s vice president of global design Ed Welburn. Regarding the next Corvette, Welburn has said that the design is very important and that input will come from global design studios will infuse the new design with qualities that younger U.S. buyers demand.

“We have challenges in the States with the Corvette,” Welburn said. “The average age of the customer is really rising.”

Currently, the average age of the Chevy Corvette buyer is 54. Not only is that age rising,  but sales are also beginning to tumble. The current generation Corvette has been around since 2005, so the design will certainly be a welcomed change when it arrives in the next two to three years. Although a more global design influence is expected in order to attract younger buyers, Wilburn has pointed out that the Corvette will still be a Corvette.

“It can’t mutate into something that gets so far away from Corvette that it is no longer a Corvette.”

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Over the last few months, sales of General Motors’ products have been steadily improving. But not everything is on steady ground at at the Detroit automaker, especially considering management continues to be shuffled around. While management changes could signal a number of issues within the company, Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre seems intent on continuing this trend until sales momentum significantly improves.

“In order to be successful in North America, we need the right mix of product, people and structure. We’ve worked with a small group of executives to align this model and appoint the best candidates for each job.” said Mark Reuss, GM North America president.

Just last week, Whitacre issued yet another management shuffle, where a number of firings and replacements took place. Perhaps even more notable was the decision to reinstate hundreds of dealers that would have otherwise lost their franchises during GM’s bankruptcy restructuring.

“This is the end of what has been a really tough time for lots of people inside and outside the company, lots of communities and lots of dealerships,” says Mark Reuss. “We are looking forward to wiping the slate clean.”

With drastic times calling for drastic measures, there appears to be no end in sight for restructuring and alterations to key management. Until performance aligns with the demands of GM’s newest CEO, sales will ultimately be the only factor that matters. And with GM losing ground to Ford and other automakers, GM will certainly need to get restructuring sorted out soon.

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It appears that Toyota is not the only one offering 0 percent financing. General Motors, perhaps in an attempt to capitalize further on Toyota’s current vulnerability, is offering 0 percent financing for 60 months on most 2010 new vehicles.

Although GM says the decision to launch its new sales incentive has no relation to Toyota’s similar incentive program, the timing seems a bit too convenient.

“That was our plan prior to hearing about what Toyota was going to do. We locked this in about a week ago,” GM’s vice president for U.S. marketing Susan Docherty.

Overall auto sales during the month of February were up by 13 percent. GM specifically announced a 12 percent increase last month.

GM, like Toyota, is still trying to rebuild its brand and revive sales momentum. Although the company still has plenty of challenges ahead, it doesn’t seem to be causing concern among GM execs based on Docherty’s confidence in their current lineup.

“Obviously, with our hot launch products, we don’t need to put 0 percent financing for 60 months on that,” she said. “That 0-for-60 will be primarily on products like our pickups.”

In addition to its 2010 models, the new inventive plan also covers most 2009 models with 0 percent financing for a 72 month period.

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Extreme weather testing is important for any new vehicle in order to evaluate how various components will respond to extreme climates. But for a vehicle like the Chevrolet Volt, its even more important as the car incorporates advanced technology such as its generator and lithium ion battery which perhaps require more thorough testing. That’s why GM engineers have recently braved the icy cold weather of Kapuskasing, Ontario Canada.

The extreme weather testing is necessary to ensure the Volt will perform competently in all seasons and all climates. And while the Volt won’t be available to all customers in all parts of the U.S. when it finally goes on sale later this year, it’s at least reassuring that once it does become available nationwide, it’ll be more than ready.

The currently temperature in Kapuskasing, Ontario is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Previously, the Chevy Volt has undergone weather testing in California’s Death Valley as well as the mountains of Tennessee.

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General Motors has been concentrating its efforts on the upcoming plug-in electric Volt and has been working to refine its on-board technologies as well as prepare the necessary infrastructure with its partners. While the Volt was originally due to become available to consumers in November of this year, GM CEO Ed Whitacre ambitiously moved up that schedule and decided to make it available even earlier. Unfortunately, that may not be working out as well as GM would have hoped.

Sources inside GM have noted that the company has seen hurdles and challenges arise due to its expedited launch. Interestingly, the problems don’t appear to be related to the car itself.

Much of the concern revolves around public relations aspects. Ultimately, the launch of this vehicles, which GM has been advertising and hyping for years, is absolutely crucial for the company’s success. The image of the brand has been impaired due to bankruptcy, but successfully marketing itself as an environmentally friendly and technologically advanced company could make all the difference. Unfortunately, rushing the car to market before all the pieces of the puzzle are in place could end up backfiring, and cause even more problems.

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General Motors Co. announced an upcoming recall of 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles over steering motor failure. The recall will be compact vehicles including:

• 2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts sold in the US.
• 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s sold in the US.
• 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuits sold in Canada
• 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4s sold in Mexico.

The recalled power steering motors are not considered a safety concern but may cause steering challenges at speeds under 15 MPH. Still, there have been 1,100 complaints that the cars lost their power steering assist. The complaints included 14 crashes and one injury.

According to GM spokesman Alan Adler, the power steering motor supplier, JTEKT Corp., will need time to make the 1.3 replacements available.

Adler said the failures are rare and the cars can still be driven until motors can be replaced by dealers. Drivers will see a warning light and hear a chime if the power steering fails, but they could be surprised when the steering becomes more difficult.

“Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers’ peace of mind.” ~ Jamie Hresko, GM’s VP of Quality.

Adler said if the power steering assist fails, it usually comes back for a time after the car is shut off and restarted.

Recent recall concerns regarding Toyota and to some extent Honda have positioned many domestic companies, including General Motors, in a good light. While the degree of this recall is considered much lower profile than that of the Toyota recall, it still hurts the automaker’s ability to take advantage of their import competitors’ woes.

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