IL car dealer blog Archives - Westphal Chevy Blog

This 450-hp electric Lotus Evora is powered by Tesla and Chevrolet

It’s putting down about 450 horsepower at the wheels.

When someone mentions an electric Lotus, the first thing that comes to mind is the Tesla Roadster, the California-based automaker’s first vehicle. That car started life as an Elise before being heavily massaged and adapted by Tesla’s engineers. In a similar spirit, the people at Onpoint Dyno are close to finishing Blue Lightning, a track-ready all-electric Lotus Evora.

Blue Lightning uses a Tesla drive unit and a Chevrolet Volt battery pack, both mounted in the middle in place of the Evora’s 3.5-liter Toyota V6. It’s putting down about 450 horsepower at the wheels. The car was built for time attack sessions, so power is fed through custom forged wheels and super sticky Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tires, the same ones found on the last Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. There is a custom digital instrument cluster in place of the Lotus gauges. There’s also a regen paddle on the left side of the steering wheel. With a full charge, Blue Lighting should go about 120 miles.

While the car runs under its own power, it’s only about 90 percent complete. It has no power steering, no firewall in between the seats and the motor and battery pack, no A/C, and a large hole where the shift lever used to be. Other final touches include fine-tuning the brakes and suspension. There is also a custom rear bumper coming that should make it look more like the new Lotus Evora 400. Onpoint Dyno expects the car to hit the track in the next month or so.

Looking for your own Chevrolet power? Visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in beautiful Aurora, IL or call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630. Of course, you can always visit us or chat with us online!

Source: This 450-hp electric Lotus Evora is powered by Tesla and Chevrolet – Autoblog

Chevrolet Corvette returns as 2017 Indianapolis 500 pace car

The Indianapolis 500, a race where drivers determine who will drink a bottle of milk immediately after winning, has a shiny new pace car for its 101st iteration.

General Motors continues its ridiculous 21-year domination of providing Indy 500 pace cars with the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. The Grand Sport is, essentially, a Z06 without the supercharged V8. While it carries much of the ancillary equipment as the most powerful Corvette, it relies on the base model’s LT1 V8.

A Corvette Grand Sport will lead the 101st running of America’s favorite milk-chugging contest.

Still, 460 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at. We had a Corvette Grand Sport at the track last year, and we called it the best of both worlds, offering excellent performance at a price that isn’t outright offensive. It won’t out-race the cars participating in the Indy 500, but nobody would expect the pace car to do that.

This is the 14th Corvette to pick up pace car duties at Indy, and it’s the 28th Chevrolet to do so. General Motors has a rich history of Indy 500 pace cars, including an Oldsmobile Bravada in 2001, a Pontiac Fiero in 1984 and a Cadillac Allante in 1992.

Overall, GM has supplied 52 different pace cars, not all of which are as middling as the ones I just mentioned. The driver of this year’s pace car has not yet been announced, but since the race takes place over Memorial Day weekend, it won’t be too long before we find out.

Chevrolet is on a tear in the IndyCar series. It’s already won five manufacturer championships in a row, with the 2016 season seeing a Chevrolet take the checkered flag in 14 of 16 races.

Looking for your own milk chugging inspiration? Visit our dealership in Aurora, IL or visit us online anytime!

Is there going to be a new corvette? Read this: http://westphalchevyblog.com/index.php/2017/05/04/is-gms-bowling-green-plant-retooling-for-a-new-chevrolet-corvette-motor-trend

Source: Chevrolet Corvette returns as 2017 Indianapolis 500 pace car – Roadshow

Secrets of the ‘Real People’ Chevy Campaign

Chevy’s marketing VP describes why General Motors is sticking with the Real People not Actors campaign.

Love them or hate them, Chevy’s “Real People, Not Actors” ads are not going anywhere — because the marketer is convinced they are working. And it’s hard to ignore the evidence. One of the spots, for the Chevy Malibu, recently won the first-ever Automotive Tech Ad of the Year award from Nielsen. Meanwhile, Chevy parent General Motors last week reported that its first quarter profit surged 34% thanks to strength in the North American market.

The more than two-year-old campaign by Commonwealth/McCann enters its next phase this week with a new ad (above) for the 2018 Equinox, which recently began arriving at dealerships. The brand has stuck with actor Potsch Boyd, who plays the moderator in the focus-group style ads.

Ad Age recently caught up with Chevrolet U.S. Marketing VP Paul Edwards and Commonwealth/McCann Chief Creative Officer Gary Pascoe to talk about the campaign, including how Chevy plans to keep it fresh; how the brand finds those “real” people; and the strategy behind an Hispanic version that uses the same approach but a different moderator, Sergio Bruna.

For more on Chevrolet advertising, click source.

For more on how to get a brand new Chevrolet, visit Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL.

Source: Secrets of the ‘Real People’ Chevy Campaign | CMO Strategy – AdAge

Chevrolet offers vehicle owners a $20 monthly unlimited in-car data plan

The in-car data business is booming, and Chevrolet is stepping up to help meet demand with a new, prepaid $20 monthly unlimited data plan – the first.

Looking for a new or late-model pre-owned Chevrolet with unlimited data? We stock nearly 400 new Chevrolet models to choose from.

Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 to schedule your VIP test drive.

Source: Chevrolet offers vehicle owners a $20 monthly unlimited in-car data plan

2018 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive – Autoblog

Check out the all new 2018 Chevy Equinox!

Source: Aspiration and evolution | 2018 Chevrolet Equinox First Drive – Autoblog

Looking for a 2018 Equinox? Give our Customer Care Team a call at 630-898-9630 or drop by Ron Westphal Chevrolet in Aurora, IL near Plainfield, Oswego and Naperville.

Chevrolet Owners Can Now Go Unlimited With OnStar 4G LTE

Source: Chevrolet Owners Can Now Go Unlimited With OnStar 4G LTE

Looking for a vehicle with OnStar 4G LTE? Call our customer care team at Ron Westphal Chevrolet at 630-8980-9630 and they’ll be happy to assist you.

Average Car Payment for 2016

What is the average new car payment today?

Get a new Chevy for well-under the 2016 average new car payment. — Ron Westphal Chevrolet offers new Chevrolet models for well below the 2016 average new car payment.

Well, according to Experian the average car loan has a payment of $495 per month. That’s $13 more than last year. CNBC puts the average new car payment at $503. And, that’s the first time the an average auto payment is over $500. No matter how you slice it, the payment is around the $500 mark. 2016’s used car payments average about $362.

Do you need to pay $500 to get a great car?

The simple answer is “No.” Ron Westphal Chevrolet offers a complete line-up of vehicles that offer payments well below the $500 average. Even if you have no money down!* And, don’t worry. You don’t have to drive a tin can anymore. Nearly all our new models offer ice-cold air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, MyLink Color touch screens with bluetooth and 4G LTE WIFI and many more standard features..

Would you like to lower your current auto payment? Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 or visit us online.

The average price for a vehicle loan continued to rise, with the typical amount for a used vehicle loan increasing from $18,866 in the third quarter of 2015 to a record high of $19,227. The average new vehicle loan for the quarter was $30,022, up $1,086 from the previous year.

The typical loan for a new vehicle was 68 months while a used vehicle loan had an average repayment period of 66 months; both were one month longer than the previous year. The average term of a new lease was 36 months, also one month longer than the third quarter of 2015.

*Car payments vary and depend on many factors such as model selected, credit history, term, downpayment and more. Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 for details.

Is a GM Lease for you? 1 out of 3 say “Yes”

Is a GM Lease for you?

Did you know that nearly 30% of all vehicle sales are leases?

Is GM Leasing for you? Ron Westphal Chevrolet Aurora, IL — Is GM Leasing for you?

More people in the market for a new vehicle continued to gravitate toward a lease rather than a purchase, according to the credit bureau Experian’s auto financing report for the third quarter of 2016.

The report found that 29.49 percent of all new vehicles sold to drivers in the United States between July and September were leased. This share was up from 26.93 percent in the third quarter of 2015.

We’ve found at Ron Westphal Chevrolet that leasing has become more popular for a number of reasons.

1: It’s Easy-Breezy.

In and out of our dealership in about 1 hour every 24 to 39 months. Just turn in your current lease and select your next Chevrolet car, truck, van or suv. Lease payments can often stay exactly the same as your current payment or in many cases…even decrease.

2: Reap the Rewards.

GM consistently offers special Lease reductions for current lessees. And, in most cases you can end your lease early with no penalty.*

3: Always Drive a New Car.

Why not? Enjoy lower maintenance costs and the dependability a newer vehicle offers.

4: Equity Protection

What is Equity Protection you ask? Well, it’s a known fact that you will never have negative equity, or be ‘upside-down’ at the end of your 24 -39 month lease. This type of promise cannot be made with a traditional auto finance loan. Many people are disappointed to find out their vehicle’s value at the end of 3 years is lower than their 60 month loan balance. With a GM lease your obligation is over within 39 months or less and you are free to choose your next vehicle without having to roll-over any negative equity.**

*Typically, GM Lease Pull-Ahead is offered to all Chevy Lessees toward the end of their lease. If you qualify for Lease Pull Ahead, GM will waive your last 3 to 4 payments. You may also receive additional incentives to re-lease or purchase another GM vehicle. Although Lease Pull-Ahead not guaranteed, it has been a consistent GM Lease Incentive program for many years. Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 to find out more about GM’s Lease Pull Ahead.

**Providing you are within lease mileage limits and are turning in an un-damaged vehicle.

The average new car price in 2016

At Ron Westphal Chevrolet we're proud to be below average. — At Ron Westphal Chevrolet we’re proud to be below average. 2017 Chevy Spark’s MSRP is under $14,000.

$34,077 dollars. Yikes. That’s about twice what my folks paid for their first house. Yessiree, the average new car price for 2016 now over $34,000. And, Edmunds expects that to rise to over $35,00o for this year.

But, the average car loan amount finances was only $30,022 (according to Experian), which means most folks have some cash or trade-in equity to use as down payment.

What if you can’t afford $34,077?

No problem. At Ron Westphal Chevrolet we’re proud to be below average! We offer many, many cars, trucks and SUV’s priced well below the 2016 average. Some new 2017 models are selling for only $12,558* and come with full factory warranty. Call our Customer Care Team now at 630-898-9630 to go over all your options. Or, find your new vehicle on our website at www.WestphalChevy.com.

The average new car prices are up over 12% in only 5 years.

So what’s causing this? Edmunds believes the primary factor is growth in the light-duty truck market. It currently engulfs about 62 percent of the new-car market, and if you’ve ever been to a truck manufacturer’s site to play around with Build and Price tools, you’d know pickup trucks or an SUV can get expensive. A new 2017 loaded Silverado Crew Cab LT 4×4 has a MSRP around $45,000+ but lease deals can put these trucks in the hands of those who may not be able to afford traditional financing.

Leasing gains in popularity

Almost 1/3 of new vehicle sales are leases. If you think a brand new car, truck, van or suv is out of your budget-think again. We may be able to get you behind the wheel of your ideal Chevrolet with no money out of your pocket and with a low monthly payment. Call our Customer Care Team at 630-898-9630 for more information or drop by our showroom.

*Plus tax, license and fees. Includes all incentives.