Study Shows Chevy Blazer Has Highest Driver Fatality Rate

Study Shows Chevy Blazer Has Highest Driver Fatality Rate

by Jenny McLane

According to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), General Motors Corp. vehicles had the highest and lowest driver fatality rates from 2002 through 2005. And the highest rate is linked to Chevy Blazers.

The study found that the Chevrolet Blazer which comes as a two-door, two-wheel drive SUV built from 2001 to 2004, had the highest rate of driver fatalities which amounts to 232 per million registered vehicles during the four-year duration.

The Blazer was launched in 1969 on the C/K pickup truck chassis that produces GM's trucks. In 1970, the largest automaker introduced Jimmy - its own model of the truck which was produced until the arrival of GMC Yukon in 1992. The Blazer is replaced by the Chevrolet Tahoe which is now a full-size SUV.

The Blazer and Jimmy, based on the short wheelbase trucks, were made available with either four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. Its long wheelbase sibling is called the Chevrolet Suburban. Both the K5 Blazer and the Jimmy were given fabulous removable tops for the first few years until 1976 when the half-cab body style was launched. In 1983, the S-10 Blazer and S-15 Jimmy, all smaller models, were introduced. The original Blazer and Jimmy remained in production until 1991.

GM's Chevrolet Astro, on the other hand, is the recipient of the lowest rate with only seven fatalities per million registered vehicles. The Astro boasts of powerful auto parts that consist of engines, AEM intakes, radiators, filters and more. The midsize van, which has debuted in 1985, is engineered to compete with domestic rivals like the Dodge Caravan. The Astro shares the same platform with GMC Safari which is its sibling.

In connection with the rating, the Infiniti G35, BMW 7 Series and the Toyota 4Runner came next to the Chevrolet Astro. Additionally, the two-door Acura RSX had the second-highest rate with 202 driver deaths followed by the Nissan 350Z, with 193 deaths.

The Chevy Astro and Blazer went out of production in 2005.

Automakers said the study was limited in scope because it did not include factors such as driver behavior that could play a key role. "It's difficult to really draw much significance," said GM spokesman Alan Adler.

Nissan said its vehicles, including the 350Z, are designed to meet government safety regulations and the automaker's internal safety requirements. Chris Naughton, a spokesman for Acura parent Honda Motor Co., said that the Acura RSX had younger buyers, which could have contributed to its ranking.

The IIHS found the average death rate decreased from 110 from 1990 to 1994 to the current rate of 79 for the 2002 to 2005 period.

Choose your Chevy mini car, vote

Choose your Chevy mini car, vote

by Jerick Brook

Consumer participation is now a characteristic of Chevrolet. Chevy wants its customers to participate in its manufacturing process.

The car maker decided to build three mini car concepts, the Beat, Groove and Trax. But Chevey is leaving it up to the people, meaning its customers and supporters to decide which one they like best. The public can vote for which concept is most appealing by logging on to www.vote4chevrolet.com. There is, however, no guarantee that the highest vote getter will be built. Nonetheless, General Motors says it will help guide the development of a future global mini car their company. These mini cars are expected to be similar as the next generation of cars like the Opel Corsa, Daewoo Matiz and other models around the world.

Chevrolet mufflers, however, were not detailed in the auto show. But as the car always has, each Chevrolet muffler is designed to make every single vote worthy.

To get to know the candidates and to rightly choose the best, here are brief descriptions of the three mini cars:

The Beat comes in green. It is by far the sportiest among the three, with its slicked back styling and comparatively large 1.2L turbo engine matched to an automatic transmission. Technically described as a "tuner" car, the Beat is meant to be customized much like a Scion to an owner's own individual tastes. It can therefore be personalized.

The Beat is a front-wheel drive, three-door hatch with an automatic transformer to divvy up the tiny motor's available power. It is the only mini car among the three with an interior.

The Groove concept comes in black. It is much like a mini HHR, which is a five-door wagon with a spacious height in the interior and flat sides. Its extremely short hood, big wheel arches and nonexistent overhangs mean that every square inch of the platform is utilized. This is considered the most practical concept of the three. Also a front-driver, the Groove is powered by a 1L diesel engine.

Of the Chevrolet triplets the Groove is the only one powered by a diesel engine as its principal. It has no interior other than a steering wheel.

A 1.0L engine will power the Groove's driving in the front wheels of this "Funkistalgia" design.

Finally, there is the Trax. It comes in orange. The Trax concept is the best to feign even the slightest ability to venture off the beaten path. It's the only one of the three that features round headlights, though its four-door, upright box-like packaging resembles that of the Groove concept.

The Chevy Trax concept has the most utilitarian look with a matte-finished lower body like the Honda Element), faux skid plates and pronounced fender flares. The 1.0L gas engine provides motivation to the front wheels; while a battery pack and electric motor will drive the rears on an as-needed basis providing a low-cost, efficient all-wheel drive system to this urban cross-over. Unfortunately, like the Groove, this concept also has no interior. But it has a well finished exterior with a lot of attractive design details for an entry-level vehicle.

The platform of all three concepts is being developed at GM Daewoo in Korea.

Now, have you decided which to vote?

Vote wisely!

Team Chevy Introduces New Racing Engine

Team Chevy Introduces New Racing Engine

by Katie Jones

The motorsport scene in the United States can be said as arguably one of the most competitive in the world. Season after season, racing teams always come up with more and more improvements for their vehicles.

The NASCAR sanctioned races are the most competitive races in the United States and teams are always pursuing victories by improving their vehicles' performance. Team Chevy is one of the teams going for the win on every race they participate in.

Recently, the team introduced the Impala SS race car at the NASCAR Nextel Cup. That development is now being followed by the announcement of a new engine that will be used on the Impala SS which comes in the form of the Chevrolet RO7 engine. The engine will make its debut at the Samsung 500 which will be held at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The RO7 is based on General Motors' small-block V8 engines. It will be replacing the Small-Block/2nd Generation engine which the team has been using since 1998. The SB2 will be replaced completely by the RO7 eventually. For now, the RO7 is expected to provide better performance for the team's cars.

Mark Kent, the director of GM Racing, outlined their objectives in the development of the new engine and the subsequent reaction after tests conducted on the engine in this statement: "The GM Racing engine development team had four key objectives in mind throughout the design and development of the Chevrolet R07 engine. Our goal was to create an engine that produces competitive power, delivers excellent reliability, enhances safety, and reduces costs for Chevrolet teams. Based on the feedback we have received from Chevy teams after extensive dynamometer and track testing, I believe we have achieved our objectives."

The RO7 is the first engine that GM built solely for the purpose of NASCAR racing. According to Pat Suhy, the GM Racing Group Manager for the Oval Track, "The Chevrolet R07 is GM Racing's first purpose-built NASCAR racing engine. NASCAR's parameters for the new generation of engines provide a range of choices on key dimensions and design features. Our job was to make the critical decisions and carefully balance the tradeoffs that would enable the Chevrolet R07 to continue Chevy's success in NASCAR. In the long run, the results will show whether we made the right choices."

The major parts for the RO7 engine like the cylinder block, the cylinder head, and the intake manifold came from GM Racing. Other components supplied by GM Racing are the water pump assembly, rocker covers, and front cover. Other components like the Chevy fenders were provided by different manufacturers. Engine components are also supplied by different independent parts manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Jim Covey, the NASCAR engine development manager for GM Racing, has this to say how GM was able to create the newest engine for the Impala SS: "New manufacturers coming into NASCAR pushed the envelope with engines that had no links to production powerplants, while GM engines were based on the architecture of the first small-block V. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series director John Darby addressed this issue by developing a list of parameters that define the envelope for all manufacturers, thus giving Chevrolet an opportunity to develop the R07 engine. Now with the introduction of the Chevrolet R07, Chevy teams have an optimized engine design that reflects the advances in racing technology that have been made over the last 50 years."

Major differences between the SB2 and the RO7 include the increased cylinder bore centers in the RO7 which improves coolant flow keeping the engine at its normal operating temperature. Another improvement of the RO7 over the SB2 is the time needed to assemble the engines. The RO7's cast camshaft tunnel, integral piston squirter galleries and overhead oil feed galleries makes it faster to assemble than its predecessor. As far as safety is concerned, the designers of the new engine moved the fuel pump which eliminates external oil and coolant lines.

Team Chevy is no doubt counting on the combination of the Impala SS and the new RO7 engine achieve more wins. According to Mark Kent: "The introduction of the Chevrolet R07 this weekend marks the beginning of a new era for the GM small-block V-8 engine. The Chevrolet R07 is the heir to the winning tradition of GM production-based engines that have powered Chevy to more than 600 victories in NASCAR Cup competition. As we look to the future, we are confident that the Chevrolet R07 engine and the Impala SS race car will continue Team Chevy's winning ways in NASCAR."