Buick Uses Opel Insignia To Resurrect Regal for 2010
So says a "source familiar with GM's product plans," Buick will sell a version of Europe's Opel Insignia to resurrect the Regal nameplate for 2010. But isn't GM trying to spin much of Opel off to private investors as even foreign arms of the giant's sprawling operations face debilitating financial troubles?
In typical GM PR fashion, Buick-Pontiac-GMC VP Susan Docherty feigned ignorance regarding Opel's troubles: "I don't know the details of what GM is trying to get done with that restructuring," she said, but then brightened, adding, "we're looking at a bunch of stuff from a sedan standpoint...so stay tuned."
Making it a tenuous threesome is the 2010 Saturn Aura, which will use the same Opel Insignia platform. Saturn faces a bleak future, with February sales of barely more than 6,000 units that caused GM to seek an outside buyer for the division that has never turned a profit since its early 90s inception.
[source: AutoWeek]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM 3.6-Liter V-6 Makes Ward’s North American Ten Best Engines List
GM might be an ailing patient, but its technological heart beats strongly with engines like the 3.6-liter VVT, direct-injected V-6 found under the hoods of products like the Cadillac CTS, STS, and GM Lambda crossovers (Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia). This engine just made Ward's North American "Ten Best Engines" List and would make long-ago GM technical guru Charles Kettering proud.
What's so special about direct injection? As opposed to port fuel injection, which injects fuel ahead of the intake valve into the intake manifold (resulting in a "wet" manifold), direct injection delivers a fuel mist directly into the combustion chamber at extremely high pressure. This results in better mixing, more complete combustion, lower emissions, and more power: 304 hp and 273 pound-feet of torque.
In addition, the injection event may be timed on its own, independent of intake valve operation. This allows higher compressions ratios, which equals greater efficiency, and it also prevents dangerous pre-ignition (pinging) common in turbocharged and high-compression engines. Indeed, this high-performance powerplant is completely happy running on regular unleaded fuel. GM also employs direct injection on its 2.0-liter EcoTec four-cylinder found under the hoods of the Saturn Sky Red Line, Pontiac Solstice GXP, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, and Chevrolet HHR SS.--Colin Mathews
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
