This is what Happens when a Limousine, Convertible and Yacht Meet

In today's highly competitive auto market, one would think there are no new niches left to explore. Well, it's pretty true, except for imaginative individuals like the crew from Sweden’s Gray Design, which also penned the Saab supercar.

Enter the world of the Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser, a vehicle that looks like a crossover between a limousine, a convertible and a yacht – yes, you read correctly, a yacht. Essentially a beach shuttle, the Stand Craft has been conceived for luxury hotel chains willing to offer their clients premium service. More specifically, to carry six passengers from the hotel to the nearest beach as fast and as comfortable as possible.

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Jump Fail: Can You Guess What Happens Next?

Here’s one jump that won’t buff out. For reasons beyond logic, the driver of a fairly new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck decided to impress his buddies (and his….insurer) at a meet on the sand dunes of Silver Lake in Michigan, USA, by performing a high-speed jump stunt. The laws of physics pretty much explain what happens next.

If you're still wondering, follow the jump to watch the video and leave your comments below.

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2012 Chevrolet Impala: First Photos and Details, gets 3.6-liter V6 SIDI

While it may not be the redesign Chevrolet fans were hoping for, nevertheless, five years after the introduction of the current Impala onto the market in 2006, General Motors is updating its full size sedan with some barely noticeable cosmetic changes and a new standard engine for the 2012 model year.

The most significant change is of course the adoption of General Motor’s latest 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology and E85 Flex-fuel capability, linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The preliminary spec-sheet does not refer to performance numbers, but it has been reported that the V6 should be good for around 302-horsepower.

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SCOOP: Mystery Chevrolet Small Crossover / MPV Spotted in Europe, What is it?

We’re not quite sure what to make of this new Chevrolet prototype that was caught by our scoop photographers on European roads. The test vehicle appears to be a small or compact MPV in a taller, SUV-esque design with short overhangs and an upright fascia reminiscent of the latest Chevy models. Our man with the long-lens told us that the camouflaged prototype was clearly smaller than the Orlando people mover that’s offered in Europe.

It could be that Chevrolet is working on a new small crossover model based on an extended version of General Motors’ Gamma II platform. The same architecture underpins the new Chevy Spark and Aveo / Sonic and will also form the base for the future Opel Corsa and its SUV sibling that is currently under development.

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Chevrolet Releases Mega Gallery of European Market 2012 Aveo Hatchback and Sedan

This past January at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, General Motor unveiled the new Chevrolet Sonic in final production form. Available in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles, the Sonic will reach U.S. showrooms this fall. In Europe, however, GM will continue to use the Aveo nameplate when its supermini goes on sale later this summer. Read more »

Wittera Releases Widebody Kit for the Corvette C5

For those Corvette C5 owners that think their cars could do with a little aero improvements, German aftermarket specialist Wittera has the answer: a new widebody aero package along with a light tuning program.

The widebody kit is offered in either carbon fiber or high-grade glass fiber-reinforced plastic, the latter of which undergoes a special process the company calls tempering. This means parts are heated to exactly 65° C (149 ° F) and then cooled down in a mold for 25 minutes in order to increase resistance and avoid cracks. The carbon fiber parts are 20 percent lighter than those made from glass fiber-reinforced plastic.

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Chevrolet Shows How it Tests the 2011 Camaro Convertible’s Top

A new video from General Motors gives us an insight on how its engineers test the durability of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible’s soft-top. The company said that during the development phase, the electrically operated tops of the prototype models were opened and closed more than 22,500 times, which is claimed to be three times more than what an average driver would do in 10 years of use. GM added that some of those tests were performed in extreme weather conditions with temperatures ranging from minus-22° F to 170° F and humidity of up to 95 percent. Read more »

Bertone Auctions Off Some of its Most Recognizable Concepts to Avoid Insolvency

Here lies Bertone, the famed Italian automotive design house, bankrupt and on almost on the verge of death. The once legendary company was forced to sell its most prized possessions – six concept cars – to appease the bankruptcy commission and also to remain afloat. RM Auctions of London handle the sale at this past weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2011.

So what delectable concepts were the vultures able to get their beaks into? Well, there’s the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal that once graced the Monaco Grand Prix and is often cited as the inspiration for the Espada of the following year.

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Report: Next Holden Commodore VF to get Aluminium Panels, Electric Power Steering

*Current Holden WM Caprice pictured in the above development sketch

When Holden’s next-generation VF Commodore series launches in Australian in 2014, it will be the first locally-produced automobile to incorporate mass produced aluminium panels in its construction. In addition, the new large car, which will also spawn a long-wheelbase Caprice model, will get improved aerodynamics and electric power steering in place of the current-gen’s hydraulic unit. It’s all part of an effort by Holden to lighten up its flagship model and thereby make it more fuel efficient in an effort to remain competitive with the likes of the locally-produced Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Fuel savings are expected to be around the 7% mark, bringing the 9.1lt /100 km (26 mpg) combined rating of the 3.0 L V6 SIDI down to a more politically-correct 8.4 lt/ 100 km (28 mpg). Similar savings will be experienced with the older 3.6 L Alloytec V6: 9.1 lt / 100 km (26 mpg) down from 9.8 lt / 100 km (24 mpg). The program is part-funded by the Australian federal government, which poured AU$39.8 million in from the now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund.

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Q&A with Endora Cars on its Corvette-Based SC-1

Coachbuilt Corvettes are a dime a dozen these days, but only a select few builds manage to stand out from the crowd. The most recent Corvette-based proposal to pop up in the news is the new SC-1 from Endora-Cars, a company based in Karlshuld, a municipality in the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen in Bavaria, Germany.

Now, seeing that the SC-1 captured the attention of you, our readers (albeit in a sort of love-it-or-hate-it kind of way), we came in contact with Endora Cars and asked their spokesman, Björn Marek, a few questions about their Corvette-based build. Follow the jump to read our Q&A session with Marek.

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Endora SC-1: A New Coachbuilt Corvette from Germany

The Corvette is not only a popular sports car among buyers but also among individual coachbuilders. Over the years, we’ve shown you tons of Corvette-based builds ranging from the bad-ass Rossi SixtySix and the Genadi LSR Roadster to the more recent Soleil Anadi. In other words, there’s a Corvette for every taste, however outlandish you can imagine.

The latest company to jump onto the Corvette coachbuilding bandwagon is Endora Cars, which is based in Germany. Their build is called the SC-1 and it’s styling is inspired by the American and European sports cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. Seen here in the first official renderings, the SC-1 blends certain elements of the Corvette such as the Coke-bottle profile and sweeping roof, with a sharp front nose and a unique rear end along with partially covered rear wheel arches.

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GM Celebrates 100 Years of Chevrolet and Indy 500

America's most famous race, the Indianapolis 500, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and so does Chevrolet, whose name was tied to the “Brickyard” from the very beginning. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the inaugural Indy 500 on May 30 1911, a few months before founding the company that bears his name, on November 3 the same year. Today, Chevrolet and Indy 500 are still together, with the Camaro SS Convertible to be the 22nd Chevrolet to pace the Indy 500 race on May 29 as a common celebration for their 100-year anniversary.

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GM Issues Recall for 2011 U.S.-spec Chevrolet Cruze Models

After the initial 2,100 inspections triggered by a detached steering wheel, General Motors announced a new recall involving 154,112 units of the 2011 model year Cruze - pretty much all models built for North America since production started in summer 2010.

The reason for this action is related to a steering issue as well, with GM saying it wants to check that the steering shaft was properly installed. The company didn't say whether or not the two recalls are related, but added it will use the latest one action to check on another issue that might affect some 120,000 models with automatic transmission. In this case, GM wants to verify whether the transmission shift linkage was properly installed.

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Pontiac GTO Judge Resurrected…Sort Of: Tuner Prepped Model Based on the Camaro

The makers of the fire-breathing Phoenix T/A that we saw at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas are back with yet another proposal for a Pontiac model based on the latest iteration of Chevy’s Camaro pony car. This time the people over at Trans Am Depot will give birth to a modern day interpretation of Pontiac’s famed 1969 GTO Judge. The tuner named its creation “The GT9 Goat”.

The teaser renderings and photos of the faux-Pontiac reveal a bespoke front end with a split grille and a revised hood with air scoops, while at the back we find new tail lamp and bumper designs as well as a restyled trunk sporting a prominent wing. The characteristic profile side stripes, quad tail pipes and the newly styled alloy wheel options round off the exterior changes. There’s no word yet if there will be any kind of upgrades to the interior and the mechanical hardware of the Camaro.

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Sport Truck Redux: New Rumors About the Holden Ute Heading to the U.S.A.

It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland. It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck.

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Chevrolet Begins Taking Orders for Volt in Canada

General Motors is adding Canada to the list of countries that will soon get the Chevrolet Volt as starting from today, the company’s dealers in seven key regions across the country will begin accepting orders for the extended range electric vehicle, with prices starting from at CA$41,545 (equal to US$43,780 at today’s exchange rates). Read more »

GM to Build and Sell New 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in Korea

General Motors is quite serious about selling its upcoming 2013 Chevrolet Malibu on a global scale. So serious, in fact, that the Detroit automaker is making plans to built the mid-size model on several continents. Today, GM revealed that will build and sell the redesigned Malibu sedan in Korea. We’ll remind you that earlier this year, GM Korea announced it is replacing the Daewoo nameplate with the Chevrolet brand for the local market. Read more »

Aftermath: Chevrolet Suburban SUV Rams Ferrari California

A crash is never a good thing but fortunately for those involved in this three-vehicle accident in Texas City on April 19, no one was seriously injured. According to a report from The Daily News, the driver of a big ol’ 1987 Chevrolet Suburban SUV was traveling west on FM 517 with his wife and two children when he disregarded the red traffic light and crashed into an oncoming Ferrari California in the intersection. The Italian supercar was squashed between the Chevy and a southbound Ford pickup truck. Read more »

Chevrolet Reveals 2012 Corvette with Modest Upgrades [with Video]

Chevrolet will improve the Corvette’s performance capabilities with a series of enhancements for the 2012 model year aimed at offering better on-track performance and on-road comfort. The subtle performance improvements concern the Z06 and ZR1 models, while the rest of the Corvette lineup receives modest interior and equipment updates. Read more »

Chromed-out Chevrolet Camaro SS Takes Czech Republic by Storm

A Czech company called Tintek promotes a chrome exterior wrap for the Chevrolet Camaro SS that will either make your eyes hurt or it will make you google their name to find out more. Tintek says the Camaro is the first chrome application of this kind in the Czech Republic, as the effect is not obtained by painting the car but by applying a special 3-D foil over the original paintwork. Read more »