2011 Chevrolet Volt: First Production Photos

[bullwinkle428]

Source: www.thecarconnection.com

These photos of the production 2011 Chevrolet Volt were released moments ago on a media information Web site.

The pictures of the production Volt show all the details we've been bringing you for the past months--along with the GM engineers in charge of developing the vehicle.

We'll be talking to those engineers and GM vice chairman Bob Lutz next week, as TheCarConnection.com heads to the Renaissance Center for the world debut of the Volt. Keep this page bookmarked for more photos and more details as they emerge this week--and stay tuned next Tuesday for all the coverage of the Volt we can possibly generate.

UPDATE: GM says the photo release this morning was an accident.


Read more: http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/blogs/marty_blog/2011... /

[didact]

1. Nice looking vehicle

[bullwinkle428]

3. I knew the original boxy shape wasn't going to cut it, aerodynamically speaking,

but they still maintained relatively sporty vibe about it...

[EnviroBat]

14. Umm, really?

It seems to have worked out pretty well with Cadillacs...

[bullwinkle428]

33. Yeah, I'd call the original design boxy -

in terms of the big frontal area. Besides, nothing with the Cadillac label is really engineered as a "mileage monster"...

[CRF450]

116. Thats a re-badged Corvette.

Which boggles my mind why GM would rebadge a such an awsome car.

[slackmaster]

2. Nice car but who are all those dudes?

Where are the requisite scantily clad fender lizards?

[Yes We Did]

18. They're trying to appeal to the mid-upperclass white people...

While there still is a mid-upperclass...

[slackmaster]

35. As a mid-upperclass (straight) white male

They don't do much for me.

[CRF450]

115. Fender lizards?? Come on man...

If your talking about attractive women in bikinis, thats kinda harsh.

[Trajan]

4. DELETED

DELETED

[Demonaut]

5. get out of the way! couldnt they have picked a few hot girls instead

these GQ rejects, bad start to an ad campaign...umm like a couple of hot brunettes in hemp bikinis

[TommyO]

6. I suspect they're people from the design team

and not part of any ad campaign for the car.

[LTR]

63. Wouldn't hemp be kind of itchy?

I mean, in the wrong places?

[michreject]

7. That one is a foam mock-up

There's still a little tweeking to be done but the production model will be close.

[Indydem]

8. Good job geniuses....

I would have tried to find a way to buy the concept car design they showed at the auto shows last year, but that ugly POS will not be in my driveway.

[WriteDown]

15. Continue with your reign of pollution then

[yellowcanine]

22. So it is this ugly duckling or one is a polluter? B.S. There will be other choices.

The burden is on GM to prove it can produce an electric car for the 21st Century that has some curb appeal. So far they have swung and missed. Strike one.

[WriteDown]

25. Please enlighten us...

on these other choices that go 40 miles without burning a drop of gasoline and which costs pennies to fill up?

[yellowcanine]

27. Err - where is it that I can buy this car, exactly? Not to mention that the first of anything is

usually not the best buy.

[WriteDown]

29. It is coming out soon....

Agree that the 1st is usually not the best, but that didn't stop many Prius owners.

[yellowcanine]

32. Prius was not the first. Insight (Honda) was.

[happyslug]

110. Hybrid were popular prior to 1905, but then Gasoline Engine got better

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-document...

Basically the invention of the Carburetor made the Gasoline engine so efficient that Electric and Hybrid drives just died out. Now the Carburetor was invented in 1886, by Karl Benz (The Benz of Mercedes-Benz Fame) had the exclusive use of it till the Patent expired 15 years later (i.e. 1901). Thus the expansion of Cars after 1900, including the Ford Model T which came into production only in 1905. Improvements were made during the 15 year period but Carburetors really came into their own as the patent expired.

For more on the carburetor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor.

[dysfunctional press]

40. try here for starters-

http://www.teslamotors.com/

[WriteDown]

44. I like tesla....

but they've sold less than 1000 of their roadsters and they aren't exactly affordable. I think the Volt has potential to make electric cars common.

[dysfunctional press]

46. how many volts has gm sold...? and how affordable are they?

tesla's next car is planned to be a much less expensive sports sedan:

Just the Beginning

While the Tesla Roadster's sticker price is in a league with other high-performance sports cars with similar specs, we recognize it's out of reach for a lot of people. We consciously chose to develop a high-end sports car as our first car in order to develop the “performance DNA” from which we could create other electric vehicles. Our next model will leverage the Tesla Roadster‘s technology, resulting in a less expensive sports sedan that we can sell at higher volume...

[WriteDown]

47. I'm just giving projections...

I'll be waiting for the next Tesla as well, but looks like the Volt will be here much sooner.

[dysfunctional press]

48. and how much will it cost...?

much above 25K is going to be out of reach for many many americans anyway.

[WriteDown]

49. I think anything under 40K

is pretty reasonable. Especially when the fill up cost for short commutes is virtually nothing.

[dysfunctional press]

51. maybe for you...i wouldn't be able to pay 40K, 30K would be a huge stretch.

lots of us will be driving internal combustion vehicles for quite awhile longer.

[WriteDown]

54. I'm sure the price point will come down quickly....

I imagine that the majority of vehicles driven in the US range from upper 20's to mid 30's based on what I see sitting in traffic each morning.

[dysfunctional press]

56. i think that you're imagining things...or you live in a more well-off area.

20-22k is closer to the average i see.

[WriteDown]

58. Looks like its....

28.4K which is what I would expect. You also have to figure if you were initially paying 100$ a month in gas, and all electric car at a higher price may still be worth it.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut11.sh...

[dysfunctional press]

74. that's the average price of a NEW car...lots of us have NEVER bought a new car.

and probably never will. i'd be willing to bet that a fairly large percentage- close to half(or even more) of the cars on the road were not purchased new by the current owners.

we currently spend about $125/month on gas -between two vehicles...both purchased used.

[WriteDown]

75. Well...

Since we are talking about new cars, that is the figure that I used. Will be a long time before you can get a used Volt at a steep discount. Much the way Prius' hold their value. I envy your low gas expense. I spend that in a week.

[dysfunctional press]

76. like i said- a LOT of people will be driving internal combustion engines for quite awhile to come.

nt

[WriteDown]

83. I don't necessarily think that...

I see many people running around with iphones and buying new Accords. We will just have to wait and see.

[daggahead]

9. LOL!

I find it ironic that Bob "Global Warming is BS" Lutz is "posing" with the Volt. What a fraud he is!

[tinrobot]

10. They turned a cool sports car into a Camry.

Oh well, the technology is still cool.

[JVS]

59. Yeah, WTF! If they expect people to plunk down 40K for an electric frumpmobile...

they've got another thing coming.

[Psephos]

62. Try 28K n/t

[JVS]

65. 40K was I read earlier, of course that's before government incentives

[dkf]

11. OK, I'm disappointed.

That grill is just plain ugly.

I thought the concept car looked a little more like the concept Camaro.

[EnviroBat]

12. The concept car looked a hell of a lot better.

This one looks like typical GM disposable, plastic crap.

Way to go GM, you've made a great car less appealing.

[EnviroBat]

13. You would think that GM could have taken just a hint of design

clues from these guys, who have been building electric cars for a few years now.



Why does GM magically turn everything it touches to shit?

[harun]

19. I think Apple should start designing cars. Maybe just do the designs

and sell them to whatever car company wants to buy them. I don't like the design of almost any car companies right now. Of the new cars I really only like the look of some of the Saturn's.

[ContraBass Black]

39. That car was styled by Lotus, a former subsidiary of GM.

[yellowcanine]

55. Lotus has been around since 1952. GM owned it for 7 years, 1986 - 1993.

I sincerely doubt that GM had much influence over the design of any Lotus products when they owned Lotus, let alone any current products.

[ptolle]

113. lotus

Pays to keep in mind that the Tesla is basically a Lotus Elise. The guys at Tesla only had to modify a damn good chassis to fit their power and motivation package. Had to have saved them a bundle on R&D costs.Colin Chapman's old outfit knows how to do engineering.Still it's a good look, if not a step, forward.I'm old enough to remember when the gas turbine was going to be the future of automotive propulsion even to the point of Chrysler putting a few into the publics hands. I'm not exactly sure why that didn't pan out, but given the characteristics of that technology I've often wondered why it couldn't be married to hybrid technology.One would hope that economies of scale would quickly drive the Volt down into affordable range.Detroit in general and GM in particular need a jolt of something and this could be it.

[WriteDown]

16. Looks similar, but better than the Prius....

And of course people are still complaining. Makes me wonder if there isn't just a bias AGAINST American made items.

[uncle ray]

24. news flash!

some people care about what their cars look like. the changes that are done to improve aerodynamics and yet still have a comfortable car ruin the looks of efficient cars to many people. the insight and prius were ugly cars to many people's eyes. the volt isn't much better. it's a plain, boring commuter car. i LIKE the fact that they are making hybrids and electric cars, but i'll never own an ugly car. sorry for disappointing you.

[WriteDown]

28. Some of us would rather put our money where our...

mouths are. I would like to drive a 69 camaro as a daily driver, but just won't do it.

[yellowcanine]

34. High horse alert. Get over yourself. Asking for better design AND efficiency is a reasonable thing

to ask. After all these years, GM still doesn't "get it", even after getting their hats handed to them for years by Toyota and Honda.

[WriteDown]

36. So give us some examples of cars you would buy?

What exactly do you want it to look like? A Ferrari? A Lotus?

[yellowcanine]

38. I am not shopping for a car right now. And I told you, I will know it when I see it.

I know what I don't want it to look like - same old same old GM junk.

I mostly drive a ten year old Honda motorcycle now. When it rains, a 5 year old Honda Civic. On principle and to save money, I do not buy new vehicles. I appreciate old design if it is good design. GM peaked with the 1955-57 Chevys imo. They did ok with the 1958 to 1965 Chevy Impala, but since then it has been mostly downhill. They really lost ground to foreign car makers from 1970 to present. I owned a 1976 Chevette, by the way. It got at best 25 mpg highway (1.4 liter engine automatic, no AC - this was when similar Toyotos and Datsuns got 30 mpg +) and broke 4 timing belts. I finally traded it at 90,000 miles before it quit for good. Pathetic. Last POS GM car I have owned. Ford hasn't been a whole lot better. They hit a homerun in 1964 with the Mustang but lost the magic in the early 1970s also (BTW, the 1964 Mustang equipped wit. Yes the new Mustangs are kind of fun but for me they mostly are reminiscent of what has been lost. And decent mpg? Forget it. Time to move on, Ford.

[Psephos]

64. You're basing your current understanding of GM on a Chevette you owned 32 years ago?

Wow.

[yellowcanine]

68. No. I have a few years of observation since then, researching cars when I was ready to buy, reading

Consumer Reports and Edmunds owner reviews, etc. I don't have to own junk to know it is junk. And furthermore any company that would foist a car like the Chevette and the Vega, the Oldsmobile Diesel and the Chevette Diesel, among others, on consumers is a company that does not care about consumers and has the burden of proving otherwise as far as I am concerned. Until they start giving away the cars, it is my money thank you and they need to PROVE that they can be trusted if they want any of it. After owning Ford, Mercury, Chrysler, Mazda, Toyota, and GM products, I now own three Hondas, two Civics and a motorcycle, and they are the best vehicles, hands down, that I have ever owned in my forty some years of vehicle ownership. So if GM wants my business, let them produce vehicles that get top ratings by Consumer Reports and owners. I will not hold my breath.

[WriteDown]

71. Maybe if you had owned a Honda or Toyota in the 70's

or early eighties then you'd have a different perspective. Talk about pieces of underpowered junk.

[yellowcanine]

79. Well they kept improving, didn't they? Unlike GM, who just kept churning out the crappy cars.

And still are, by the way. Look an any independent reviews of cars for the past twenty five years, for Christ's sake.

[WriteDown]

84. Have you even checked the reviewsin the last 10 years?

Cadillac CTS won all sorts of awards this year and that isn't the only GM or Ford model to do very well.

[yellowcanine]

100. I am not in the market for a Cadillac - hardly a typical GM car. But to answer your question, yes.

I check reviews every time I am in the market for a car. I don't assume that just because it is a certain make it will be good or bad - every company produces a lemon now and then. But I must say, on the whole that Honda and Toyota produced less lemons than did GM and Ford over the last 25 years. Sorry, but you just can't make the case otherwise.

I do know that the Cadillac Cimarron was a stinker because I knew a guy who owned one. Basically a Chevy Cavalier with Cadillac emblems - typical of the way GM (and Ford) have tried to fool customers for years.

[WriteDown]

105. Cadillac is hardy a typical GM car?

Seriously?

Toyota leads car manufacturers by far in recalls. You can confirm that.

Cadillac Cimarron wasn't great, but neither was the forgotten Toyota Echo.

[yellowcanine]

108. Yes seriously. On what basis would you say Cadillac is "typical" of GM?

Get real.

[WriteDown]

109. Its owned by GM...

and it makes up a good part of their fleet and sales. How much more do they need?

[JVS]

82. Want to hear a story about those Hondas?

My grandparents in the 1970s got an extra car because their big car was not good for gas. Grandfather had worked for Ford and his sister still had a job with Ford when they replaced the car. So anyway, they got a first generation Civic. I never heard a complaint about that car. After about 10 years, grandpa's sister is able to get grandma a good deal on an Escort to replace the aging civic. Grandma drove that car and hated it. After 5 years she traded it in for a 3rd generation civic which she loved and the car lasted for 19 years. Now this was within a family that had connections to the auto industry, and even they saw no reason to turn a blind eye when US companies offered shitty products.

[WriteDown]

85. Those 1970's Hondas were horrible...

and I'm a fan from a collectors standpoint. Mechanically, I wouldn't laud them though. Your grandparents got very lucky.

[JVS]

87. It was in their experience a better car than the escort of ten years later.

And these were people who had a stake in US cars. If that's their judgement do you realize how hard it is for many to give a fuck at all about the US auto companies?

[JeanGrey]

88. Our family had a 70's toyota - fantastic car - drove it to over

300,000 miles. Traded down to every kid in the family before it finally died of old age. If I could my hands on another one low miles it'd be in my garage!

[WriteDown]

91. What model?

I had an 82 BMW that had 400K on it(one of my favorite cars of all time). Also had a Cutlass Supreme that was about to break 200K before it got fun over by a semi.

[JeanGrey]

104. I think it was a "corona?" That little square box.

[WriteDown]

90. It may have been there opinion....

but they may one of the only ones who would say that.

[JVS]

93. I think the exodus of customers from American cars to Japanese cars shows that they weren't alone

Cars cost serious money. Companies that build shit don't get trusted again for a long time

[WriteDown]

95. That did not happen in the 70's

Lets not forget that the Ford Taurus(think Robocop) was the #1 selling car in the world.

[JVS]

97. The 70s was when people had experiences with US and Japanese cars that determined...

what they would buy the next decade.

[WriteDown]

101. Huh?

And so that made them buy Ford Taurus' in droves 10 years later?

[JVS]

102. plonk

[yellowcanine]

103. Actually it did. The Ford Taurus (1986) was Ford's answer to Japanese and European cars.

[WriteDown]

106. You could say that any model...

Was the answer to previous models. Actually, the taurus was a replacement for the LTD.

[smiley_glad_hands]

17. Looks aerodynamically similar to the Insight and Prius.

[yellowcanine]

20. Looks fairly conventional GM to me. Sorry but GM needs some new designers.

And this release was no accident, unless "trial balloons" are now considered accidents.

[TommyO]

21. I think it's one of the better interpretations of Chevy's design language.

[yellowcanine]

23. Well that isn't saying much. Maybe they need a new language.

Why should an all electric car look like an internal combustion engine car anyway? They need to show some imagination. It is as if the early carmakers couldn't get away from the horseless carriage look.

[WriteDown]

26. What would you suggest?

Given size/weight/air restrictions? Let's not forget that this is the FIRST version.

[yellowcanine]

31. Exactly. A good reason to wait for something better from a company that has a better track record

for innonative design. I am not a car designer but I will know it when I see it. This is not IT.

[WriteDown]

37. I have a feeling that the only way you will be satisfied...

Is if it had a Toyota or Honda badge on the front. Kind of like how the Toyota Matrix outsells the Pontiac Vibe even though they are essentially the same car.

[yellowcanine]

50. Nice try at shifting blame to the consumer. The GM track record is not defensible. They had a

moderately successful electric car and they recalled all of them and crushed them. It is up to GM to prove they can get it right this time. They have had their opportunities. Why would you defend GM? How do we know they are not going to recall the Volt and crush it? Fool me once.....

[harun]

57. GM will sabotage this one just like the EV-1 and then whine they

need help to keep from going bankrupt. Our gov't will use our tax dollars to help them, etc. etc. The cycle goes on.

[WriteDown]

61. Nice conspiracy...

Seems like they may not want to spend so much money on advertising then.

[WriteDown]

60. The EV-1 had plenty of problems...

Inferior battery technology, inability to run in inclement weather, etc. The Volt looks like it can fit the bill of an everyday car.

[yellowcanine]

66. So you are defending GM's actions on the EV-1? Do you work for GM?

Just curious. Because I don't see how anyone could defend GM's actions. Batteries can be replaced with better batteries. Problems can be fixed. GM did not try.

[WriteDown]

69. Nope...

But I do understand their logic. They had a buggy electric car which was an excellent concept, but not great in the real world yet. The market was also moving toward SUV's and large trucks in droves at the time as well so GM moved with the market. Not the nimblest of moves, but I can at least understand it. Now it looks like they may have a winner. I just am rooting for them and not against them.

[harun]

72. They put one on the showroom floor, for sale, and I will be rooting for them

Until then it is all vapor ware hype.

[Regret My New Name]

41. I want one with flames and a propeller...

That would make it WIN.

[TommyO]

67. Because even electric cars are driven by people

who have to fit in them and drive them.

[yellowcanine]

70. Just like a horse drawn carriage. Yet about the only similarity between a modern car and

a horse drawn carriage is that they both have seats and wheels. I am neither an engineer nor a car designer, but would be willing to bet that someone is going to realise fairly quickly that an all electric car can be designed radically different from current cars just as modern cars quickly no longer looked like horseless carriages. Try again GM.

[jakefrep]

43. "conventional GM" - still better looking than any Toyota. (nt)

[yellowcanine]

52. Your opinion. The world marketplace disagrees with you.

[flvegan]

73. GM just needs to import some of the Vauxhall exterior design team.

Especially if they come from the VXR division.

[Egnever]

30. What worries me is

I am glad that they are finally getting on board. I think they are likely rushing these things to market though and will need to back them up with one hell of a warranty. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot poll without at least a ten year warranty.

Any info on where they are being manufactured?

[Regret My New Name]

42. Ehhhnn, looks fine to me...

I guess I'm not sensitive enough to such issues or something. If it works and gets good mileage, then I'm good... Maybe I should just get a horse or a mule... A mule would probably be more my style.

[ryanmuegge]

45. I like the color of the one in the pictures.

[Nambe]

53. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are the future but oily detroit will kill them...

for as long as they can. There are billions of dollars to be made in battery sales and the ruling corps want the dough.
Hydrogen can be produced in your garage. Honda has a plan.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/16/honda_fcx_produ... /

[and-justice-for-all]

77. Well crap...

they totally ruined it. I prefer the original design myself.

[jmowreader]

78. I don't suppose it ever occurred to the designers...

1. A grille is on a car for two reasons: to bring in cooling air for the radiator, and to bring in air for combustion
2. The Chevrolet Volt has no radiator nor does it require combustion air

so therefore...

3. That ugly-ass grille that's on the front of this otherwise-acceptable car can go the fuck away.

If you can get around the God-awful grille, the car's not bad. It's got kind of a Prius/Insight feel to it.

[yellowcanine]

80. Exactly my point. No imagination whatsoever as to the possibilities.

[TommyO]

99. The Volt as it currently exists has a small gas engine

to charge the batteries for extended range.

[happyslug]

112. The Grille is mandated by European law in regard to car-pedestrians accidents.

Thus you will see more and more of that style front end. Remember the Volt, like most cars today, are NOT made just for the US market, but also for the rest of the world. Some changes occur do to different regulations (For example the Light Standards in the US and Europe are different so different headlights are used, the US requires a "Scatter-proof" windshield, so windshields in the US are laminated glass, Europe has no such regulation so their windshields tend to be stronger and cheaper, but when they break they break like side glasses in US cars, tempered Glass).

Now most of the changes needed between US and European Cars tend to be minor (Such as the different Windshields) but interchangeable but sometimes the car has to follow the rule of the Country that has a rule over a country that does NOT. Thus the Grill in small cars tend to follow European design specs do to this relativity new rule as to minimize injuries to pedestrians when hit by a car as slow speeds.

[phrenzy]

81. GAG - They just lost a customer.

Wow, the Prius is ugly, but that looks like a CHEAP Prius! Holy shit, it's like they TRIED to make the shittiest looking car ever!

A FAKE GRILL?? I mean a FAKE FUCKING GRILL?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! It looks like a sticker was slapped on to the front!

Whoever those douchebags are posing in front of that abomination shouldn't be looking so smug. Are those the assholes responsible for this "design"?

There is no excuse for this. The new Camaro design proves they know what a "cool" design looks like. GMs "solstice" is a beauty too. But THIS?!?!

Call me shallow, but I would have absolutely bought the concept design, I wouldn't be caught dead in that POS.

[WriteDown]

86. If its that importand to you...

you know that you can replace the grill with an aftermarket part right?

[raebrek]

89. Has anyone seen a thread about the new 63.6mpg Ford (I haven't)

only to be released in Europe? Here is a link.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/ford-econetic-f...

Raebrek!!!

[workinclasszero]

92. The Volt will be a status symbol for rich people

While the great unwashed masses(ME)who really need the gas savings will be stuck driving old gas hogs for the next 10 years or more.

Thanks for nothing GM.

[JVS]

94. The same was said about the prius

[workinclasszero]

96. And its still true unfortunately

At least 20 grand for a Prius. Thats a big car payment for a working class couple with kids in King George's America.

[WriteDown]

107. How much do you want them to sell it for?

10 grand? Maybe they should take a loss with each vehicle? If it comes down to 20K with incentives then it will be a steal.

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

98. Chevrolet is so heavily invested in the Volt, I wouldn't be surprised if

this production model changed between now and when it is introduced. There has been quite a consumer response, and it has been mixed to say the least, just since these "teaser" shots were "accidentally" released. Chevrolet needs to start listening to consumers (digression: how can American automakers be so out of touch with Americans, and why aren't they doing anything about it?) and do more market testing and research so when the final model comes off the assembly line, people will be lined up to buy one. If Apple has shown us anything, it's that people respond to innovative design just as much if not more than the technology itself. So much so, that they are willing to pay a premium price for it.

[LanternWaste]

111. I guess we'll see in a few years...

I guess we'll see in a few years whether it's a quality automobile or not.

[Eurobabe]

114. that looks just like the Honda Civic in Germany

things that make you go HMMMMM....

[cabbage08]

117. Any Specs available on it?