Here’s Proof a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Can Hold Its Own Against a Mercedes-AMG GT R

In case you haven’t heard, sinkholes aren’t the only threat to the Chevrolet Corvette. Sales of the quintessentially American sports car have dwindled recently, leaving some to wonder whether the ‘Vette was headed towards its own extinction level event. That’s probably not going to happen, but it remains true that the C7-generation Corvette is criminally under-appreciated—especially considering how it can stack up against—and even defeat—some of the finest supercars Europe can offer.

Looking for your own Z06? Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 or visit our website anytime.

All right, so half of you reading this are rolling your eyes, while the other half are cheering “hell yeah” and high-fiving a bald eagle drinking a Bud Light. But don’t take it from us—instead, check out this head-to-head battle between an $80,000 Chevy Corvette Z06 and a $160,000 Mercedes-AMG GT R staged by Sport Auto on a racetrack in France. Spoiler alert: The Corvette Z06 punches far above its price point.

Despite one costing twice as much as the other, the two have more in common than one might think at first. They’re both two-seat sports cars with big engines sending power to the rear wheels. The AMG is obviously a little fancier and features a dual-clutch transmission and active rear steering, but the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 (650 hp, 650 lb-ft of torque) in the Z06 is actually more powerful than the smaller twin-turbo V-8 (577 hp, 520 lb-ft) in the Mercedes.

Riding on identical Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tires, the two squared off in damp conditions on a track called the Ring of the Rhine in France. In the end, the Corvette actually came out on top by two-tenths of a second with a blistering 0:58.12 flying lap, despite the driver having to wrangle its old-school seven-speed manual transmission. Even more impressively, the ‘Vette is just six-tenths of a second off the time set by a Lamborghini Huracan Performanteon the same track.

There’s just one caveat. In an identical test between the Mercedes and Chevrolet conducted by Sport Auto last year at the Hockenheimring in Germany, the AMG came out on top. So while there’s some variance in the result depending on the track, one thing’s for sure: The Corvette is still one of the better performance deals out there.

One is half the price of the other—and just as quick around a track.

If you like this story then read about the all new Corvette Automatic Transmission

!Source: Here’s Proof a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Can Hold Its Own Against a Mercedes-AMG GT R – The Drive

Jeep ad upsets conservationists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYiqk6J2uuo

The head of one of the nation’s largest fish conservation groups says Fiat Chrysler Super Bowl ads “glorified” the destruction of aquatic habitat in an apparent attempt to appeal to off-road thrill seekers.

Jeep bad. Chevy Good. Want a Chevy? Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 or visit our website.

It’s the second time ads by the automaker have drawn complaints since the Feb. 4 game.

Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood said Wednesday one ad gave the impression that a Jeep Cherokee was splashing down the middle of a wild stream bed.

Fiat Chrysler is defending the ads but says there are no plans to run them again. It says one spot was shot on a flooded county road and another in a man-made lake with a man-made waterfall on private land.

Wood said many of his group’s 300,000 members and supporters own Jeeps, but the images were upsetting.

“Fish are tough and resilient critters, but they don’t do well with several-thousand-pound vehicles driving over their spawning grounds, tearing up the gravel where they lay eggs,” he said. “Why someone would want to put out the idea that you should buy a Jeep so you could drive it up a creek is incomprehensible to me.”

The Reno Gazette-Journal first reported the ad flap last week. Pam Harrington, Trout Unlimited’s Nevada field coordinator, told the newspaper she was upset because she’s worked with ATV clubs in Idaho repairing damage caused by irresponsible drivers.

Stream habitat improvements are part of the decades-long efforts to protect endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, where research shows river-bank disturbances and sedimentation chokes off fish eggs.

Wood said he didn’t learn until this week that much of his membership was upset over the Jeep ads. He said he’d already written a personal letter of complaint Feb. 6 to Fiat Chrysler CEO and chairman Sergio Marchionne after Wood’s son noticed the ad during the game.

Diane Morgan, FCA’s head of marketing communication, didn’t identify where the ad was shot on the county road that “experiences seasonable runoff” but said the other was on private land in the southwest United States.

The automaker came under fire last week for another Super Bowl ad featuring a Ram pickup set against audio of “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago.

The 60-second spot included images of the truck with people helping others and hugging loved ones. Critics said it omitted King’s words in the same speech guarding against advertisers exploiting consumers, including: “In order to make your neighbors envious you must drive this type of car.”

A company spokeswoman said that ad “was selling the message of serving in your community.”

Wood said FCA apparently “got some bad marketing advice” on the Jeep campaign. He said there are plans to connect with a Jeep branch representative for a “broader conversation.”

“Hopefully something good will come of this and we can begin a dialogue with Jeep to promote smart use of off-road vehicles as well as conservation of natural resources,” Wood said.

The head of one of the nation’s largest fish conservation groups says Fiat Chrysler Super Bowl ads “glorified” the destruction of aquatic habitat in an apparent attempt to appeal to off-road thrill seekers.

Thanks for reading/watching this article about Jeep upsetting conservationists.

Did you know GM has a plant in South Korea?

The GM Bupyeong facility, sometimes referred to as the Bupyeong Complex, is located in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, Korea (South Korea).

General Motors Bupyeong Plant

Did you know GM has a plant in South Korea? Seeing as the Olympics are going on in South Korea right now, maybe you would be interested to know the GM Bupyeong facility, sometimes referred to as the Bupyeong Complex, is located in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, Korea (South Korea). It serves as the headquarters and R&D Center of GM Korea and currently produces various Chevrolet, Buick, Opel and Vauxhall vehicles as well as Propulsion Systems.

Year opened:
- Vehicle assembly: 1962
- Propulsion system assembly: 1971
Phone: + 82-080-3000-5000
Complex facilities:
- Propulsion Systems assembly
- Vehicle assembly plant (2 plants)
- Knock-Down (KD) vehicle assembly plant
- Corporate offices
- Research and Development Center
Production shifts: TBD

History

The Bupyeong facility is a living piece of Korea’s automotive history, as the plant was the first modern automotive factory in the country. It produced the world’s seventh diesel passenger car in 1985.

Products

The Bupyeong plant currently produces the following vehicles and Propulsion Systems:

Vehicles:
- Chevrolet Aveo
- Chevrolet Trax
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Chevrolet Captiva
- Buick Encore
- Opel Mokka
- Vauxhall Mokka
Propulsion Systems:
- Engines
- Transmissions
Knock-down kits:
- Produces Knock-Down (KD) kit for export into various global markets

Interested in Chevrolet? Visit our dealership today, Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or drop by our website anytime.

Thanks for reading Did you know GM has a plant in South Korea.

January Cruze sales down 45 percent

The new year did not change the shift consumer preference.

LORDSTOWN

The new year did not change the shift in consumer preference.

“This is a global phenomena,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist for Cox Automotive. “Consumers love crossovers and aren’t interested in cars anymore.”

If you are still interested in cars, how about the Chevy Cruze? It’s awesome and we’ve got an excellent selection at Ron Westphal Chevrolet. Call our Customer Care Team now to set up your V.I.P. consultation or browse our website anytime.

The Chevrolet Cruze, a compact car built at the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Complex, saw a 45.5 percent drop in sales down to 9,245 from 17,278 sold in January 2017, GM said Thursday.

A hatchback version of the Cruze built in Mexico had 1,433 sales in January 2018, down from 2,671 sales in January 2017.

Cruze production at the Lordstown plant is down today because of an unspecified supplier issue. Production will resume Monday.

General Motors reported a 20 percent year-over-year gain in the crossover segment in January and a 7 percent increase in truck deliveries.

Before advancements in fuel technology, consumers’ concerns over gas prices led them to buy cars.

“There’s really no savings to be had [now],” Chesbrough said.

The road will remain tough for cars, he said.

“I don’t see them coming back anytime soon,” he said.

What also affects Cruze sales is GM’s move to pull back on fleet sales, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader.

In total, GM sold 198,548 vehicles in January, up more than 1 percent year over year.

Chevrolet crossover sales were up 40 percent. The all-new Equinox and Traverse, and the Trax and Bolt EV, all posted their best-ever January sales, the automaker noted.

While the strength of the economy has benefitted the industry, the expected rise in interest rates will result in higher interest rates on auto loans, Chesbrough said. But the increase in take-home pay from the tax reform should benefit the industry.

“The expectation is that consumers this week will start to see more money in their take-home pay [and] in theory that will be a big plus for the economy because people will have more spending money,” Chesbrough said. “Whether it will be a home run for everybody, we don’t know.”

Ford posted January U.S. sales of 161,143, down 6.6 percent from the previous year.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC reported January sales of 132,803 vehicles, a 13 percent decrease compared with sales in January 2017.

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. reported January sales of 104,542 Honda and Acura vehicles, a decrease of 1.7 percent.

Toyota Motor North America reported January 2018 sales of 167,056 vehicles, an increase of 16.8 percent.

There were 25 sales days in January 2018 and 24 sales days in January 2017.

Want to know more about Cruze? Check out this article: Cruze Wins Top Safety Awards

Source: January Cruze sales down 45 percent | vindy.com

Chevy Trax Sales Numbers January 2018

Chevrolet Trax sales numbers for January are impressive!

The Chevrolet Trax is a subcompact crossover. It slots below the Equinox as Chevrolet’s smallest CUV and rides on the GM Gamma 2 platform shared with the Chevrolet Sonic/Aveo and Buick Encore. The model was Chevrolet’s first offering in the subcompact (B segment) crossover space and the second (after the Nissan Juke) to launch in its segment in the U.S. market.

Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 to arrange your V.I.P. Chevy Trax consultation. Or, browse our website 24/7.

Having launched for the 2015 model year in the U.S., the Trax received a refresh for the 2017 model year that consisted of all-new front and rear fascias, the replacement of the LTZ trim by the new range-topping Premier model, revised interior, a new infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and more. The 2018 Chevy Trax represents the fourth model year of the first-generation Trax and receives several changes including three new exterior colors, a new Trax Redline Edition model, and several equipment-level changes.

The Trax is built at two assembly plants — the GM Bupyeong factory operated by GM Korea and the GM San Luis Potosi factory operated by GM Mexico. The vehicle is called the Chevrolet Tracker in some markets, including South America and Russia.

Take delivery of a new Chevy this Valentines Day

Why not take delivery of a new Chevy this Valentines Day? After all, what’s better than a presenting a sweet, new ride to your better half on the most romantic day of the year?

We’ve got a wide selection of brand new and late-model pre-owned GM Certified vehicles guaranteed to melt your heart.

And, with the Auto Show incentives going on right now–Valentines Day is the perfect day to take delivery of your next vehicle.

Whether you want a sleek car, a sporty SUV or a Crossover for your family, we have the Chevy in stock that fits the bill perfectly.

Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 to arrange your V.I.P. consultation.

Take delivery of a new Chevy this Valentines Day. We have giant bows and can arrange for home delivery.

Feel free to browse our extensive inventory online at www.WestphalChevy.com.

Ron Westphal Chevrolet is a recently renovated Chevrolet dealership with over 400 vehicles in stock to choose from. Located on the corner of Route 30 and Route 34 where Aurora meets Oswego, IL.

Why we bought a Chevy Equinox

Having sold vehicles at a car dealership for over 30 years, I’ve come across all types of SUV’s and Crossovers. My husband and I chose to own the Chevrolet Equinox and I’d like to share with you the reasons behind that choice.

Reta in front of Equinox — Our Equinox On Feb 9th, 2018. We got about 11 inches of snow by day’s end.

more space

Spaciousness is the main reason why we bought an Equinox. We recently purchased a new home and I knew we would be making a lot of trips to Home Depot, Mendards and Lowes. I never even thought of how much help the Equinox would be when we actually moved! It was a real godsend – it made moving the more breakable items easier than setting them in the back of a pickup truck.

We also wanted a vehicle my husband fit in comfortably. He is over 6.2″ with a fairly husky build and we both fit great in the front buckets with room to spare.

Surprise

We’ve ended up using our Chevy Equinox in several unexpected ways.

When my mother-in-law broke her shoulder, the Equinox was the perfect vehicle to transport her to the doctor etc. Plenty of room in both the front or back seat and easy for her to get in and out of. Lifesaver!
There was a fantastic deal on a used wardrobe cabinet online and I bought it immediately. We had to go a few towns away and pick it up. Yep, it turned out to be garbage (you get what you pay for) but the Equinox got it home in one trip. My Malibu could not have done that.
I love not having to reach down into a car trunk to retrieve my groceries. I never realized how much I hated reaching into the back of the car trunk until I took the Equinox grocery shopping. No more contortionist moves to get that can of peas rolling around. YAY!

Styling

I think Chevy really hit the bullseye when it comes to exterior style. I’ve always liked the sporty look of the Equinox and over the years I think it’s progressed to a sleeker and more modern silhouette. It is not too masculine and not too feminine either. I’ve never liked anything crazy or too distinctive and I think Equinox offers the right amount of ‘tough, yeah I can handle anything’ with an equal amount of ‘yes, I am hip and current’.

All-Wheel-Drive

While I am fine with front wheel drive, my husband insisted on getting all wheel drive…so we did. And, seeing as we are expected to get a crap-ton of snow today, maybe he was right. (He will tell you he is always right LOL!) We do always seem to drive the Equinox on all the bad-weather days and I feel very confident behind the wheel when the road traction is poor.

Service

Hey, I’m not gonna lie here. I work at a Chevy dealership (Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL) and I know I can get great service at work. But, the thing is, I haven’t needed any service other than oil changes and tire rotations. Our Equinox runs like a trooper and has started every day since we got it. In my experience this is not uncommon. Most all the folks that bought Equinox models from me in the past have had great things to say about their Equinox ownership experience.

Size

The Equinox is the perfect size for our standard 2 car garage. We have plenty of room to park both vehicles inside. (We own a Chevy Malibu as well) It’s big enough to pick up whatever we need at our local home improvement store but not so big that it hogs up all the garage space.

What if

What if I was rich, owned a mansion and had a 4 car garage – would I buy a Tahoe or a Suburban? Probably. There’s nothing better than a full size Chevy SUV for road trips. But I would still own an Equinox for all those trips in town. A full-size SUV can sometimes limit where you can park. My handy Equinox fits into almost any parking space making my life easier. And easier is good.

If you are wondering if an Equinox would be right for you, feel free to contact Ron Westphal Chevrolet’s customer care team at 630-898-9630 and arrange a V.I.P. consultation or visit their website.

P.S. (We bought a pre-owned Chevrolet Equinox this time because we knew we were going to be a bit rough on it due to all the rehab our new house needed. We wanted something we could just throw a bunch of mulch or building supplies in the back and not worry about anything. Next time, we’ll consider a brand new one.)

Author: Reta Bohn

Chicago Auto Show Chevy Incentives Announced

The Chicago Auto Show Chevrolet Incentives have been announced and they are exceptional.

GM has added $1,750 on top of current incentives on all new 2018 Equinox models (except L), creating cash back of up to $4,000 for a total savings of around $7,000! And, you can get even more if you are currently leasing a GM vehicle. Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 to find out how.

2018 Silverado Crew Cabs get an additional $1,000 Chicago Auto Show Cash Back for a total of up to $6,000 or more! We have new Silverado models in stock with savings over $10,000. Some trucks offer over $13,000 in total savings!

And, don’t forget 2018 Chevrolet Trax. While the Auto Show money is only an additional $500, the total savings are up to $3,250 bringing the price of a new 2018 LS Trax Crossover down to only $17,000 or so. Extremely affordable and a great factory warranty! If you haven’t driven a Trax, why don’t you stop by the dealership and take one for a spin. I think you’ll be impressed.

If you are looking for a low payment, February might be the month for you! GM has announced some amazing lease specials on nearly every model. Talk to your salesperson and they can custom-tailor a lease just for you. Then, we can compare leasing to traditional financing and you can decide what works best for you.

We have plenty of brand new Chevrolet models in stock to choose from (Over 400 new vehicles) but you’d be surprised on how fast inventory moves when the rebates are so attractive. Don’t delay your visit if you want the best possible selection. And as always, in the unlikely event we don’t have your perfect vehicle in stock we will get it for you in a matter of a day or two at no additional charge. Just ask your salesperson about locating a vehicle and they will be happy to explain how easy the process is to find your perfect ride.

Want to shop for Chevys online? Visit our website 24/7 or drop by our dealership in Aurora, IL on the corner of Routes 30 and 34. We look forward to your visit.

Chevrolet Chicago Auto Show Savings

The Chicago Auto Show Incentives are Here! Below are a few example of the MASSIVE Savings you can count on this February.

Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit our website to find your perfect ride.

Get 3 Years of Onstar Connectivity at No Cost

Get 3 Years of Connectivity at No Cost

If you drive an eligible 2011 or newer pre-owned vehicle equipped with OnStar, you can get 3 years of connectivity to:

Select features of the vehicle mobile app through OnStar Remote Access: Remotely start your vehicle (if factory installed), send a destination to your in-vehicle navigation screen, and lock or unlock your doors — all from your smartphone. Not just near your vehicle, but anywhere you have a wireless connection.
Advanced Diagnostics: Every month, your vehicle can run a check of your engine, transmission, anti-lock brakes and more and email you the results in your Diagnostics Report. You can relax knowing your vehicle is checking up on itself and updating you on a regular basis. Plus, Diagnostic Alerts help take the guesswork out of day-to-day vehicle maintenance by informing you of any immediate vehicle issues.
Dealer Maintenance Notification: Is it time for an oil change? A 60,000-mile checkup? You’ll always know because OnStar will email your vehicle Diagnostics Report to your dealer or preferred service professional, and the dealer will contact you to set up a service appointment.

You’ll receive a 3-month trial of all OnStar services when you push your blue button. After your trial ends, Emergency, Security and Navigation services are available with a paid service plan.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call Ron Westphal Chevrolet’s Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630.

Or, visit our website to select your next GM vehicle with OnStar.