Latest 2014 Corvette C7 Video Reveals New Digital Gauge

The painstakingly slow teasing of the Corvette C7 continues with one more artsy trailer, this one talking about the calibration of the car, but without really saying anything…

However, what this video does give us is our first glimpse at the next Corvette's digital gauge that occupies the center and the right side of the instrument panel incorporating the revolution-counter that goes up to 7,000 rpm and a central status screen depicting the outline of the car.

This new clip comes only a day after GM announced that fans can now download for free and drive a camouflaged prototype version of the 2014 Corvette on the PS3's Gran Turismo 5 racing game.

The actual Corvette C7 will be officially revealed on January 13, 2013, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

 

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2013 Chevrolet SS NASCAR Racer Hints at Production SS and Possibly Even Next Commodore

As promised, Chevrolet lifted the wraps off its2013 NASCAR Chevrolet SS racecar today during a special event in Las Vegas. Even if you're not a fan of NASCAR racing, you'll be interested to know that the competition SS incorporates design cues from the upcoming production 2014 Chevrolet SS.

We'll remind you that all NASCAR racers feature a generic body with some minor modifications that include the funny looking decals that resemble the head- and tail-lights. To understand the relationship between a production model and its NASCAR sibling, check out Ford's Fusion racer in our previous post here.

"As a passionate race fan, the debut of the SS NASCAR race car is a genuinely exciting moment for me,” said GM North America President Mark Reuss during the presentation of the car in Las Vegas.

"With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day," he added.

The production version of the SS will be a rear-wheel drive mid-size sports sedan derived from the yet to be launched Holden VF Commodore and equipped with a V8 engine. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if the two models are the same in every aspect except the badges.

Chevrolet said that its first rear-wheel drive sedan in the United States since 1996 will arrive as a limited production model in dealerships late next year.

 

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Chevrolet Spark and Sonic LTZ / RS from 2013

The late Jim Morrison sang, “keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel”. These lyrics from The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” would make a perfect match for Apple’s new Siri app that, from early next year, will be available in two of Chevrolet’s city cars.

More specifically, the company announced today that the Spark and Sonic LTZ and RS owners will be able to pair their cars’ standard MyLink infotainment system to Siri, provided, of course, they have an iPhone running Apple’s iOS 6.

According to Chevrolet, said Spark and Sonic owners can ask Apple’s “intelligent assistant”, as the Siri is named, to perform a number of tasks using nothing but voice commands. Moreover, the “Eyes Free” mode keeps the phone’s screen unlit so as not to distract them from driving.

All they have to do is pair their iPhone 4S (or later) with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth and then use the steering wheel voice activation button to start and end with Siri in Eye mode.

Here’s a list from Chevy of what Spark and Sonic drivers/iPhone owners can use Siri Eyes Free mode for:

• Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone


• Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode


• Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts


• Access Calendar and add appointments


• Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays


• While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.

 

“It says a lot about our commitment to small-car customers that Chevrolet has announced that Siri Eyes Free capability will be available in the Spark and Sonic well before the luxury brands”, said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars. “Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience”, she added.

 

 

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