The Chevy Sonic has a lot of things going for it. For one, it has quite a loud bark due to its aggressive styling which doesn’t make excuses for being a B-segment vehicle. Its bite is even worse though, as the Sonic packs some serious damage in the form of the 140HP turbocharged LUJ ECOtec. But we’ve known both of those things already. So what gives with the recap? Well as we get closer to the launch of the Sonic, late 2011, more and more Sonic styling and performance goodies are starting to see the light of day. The latest – a look at the production version of the much anticipated Z-Spec accessories package.

While there are no go-fast bits included in the latest release, there are some nice sit ‘n stare options. Those parts are the parable default of manufacturer offerings, but Chevy has turned the volume up on Sonic and is starting to break out different styling cues in their factory appearance options. Some of the new looks are outlandish, some are clean, but all will allow anyone to express themselves with minimal cost and maximum effect.

We’ll only be sharing one today, called “White Out”. But we’ve seen many others that will be coming out that are sure to peak interest in anyone that has a pulse. Beyond that, we can share that there will be another wrap called “Black Out” that incorporates some sharper design elements.

With this initial salvo of add-ons goodies, we can only imagine what’s on the horizon for Sonic in the form of Z-Spec accessories. Only time will tell, but as the months tick away in 2011, we’ll be covering each and every update from Sonic that we can dig, scratch and claw for.

Stay tuned!

Yesterday marked the opening day of the 2011 Formula Drift season and GM opened the season up with a bang! Thanks to some fearless driving during qualifying by Conrad Grunewald and his GM Performance Parts-powered Chevy Camaro, GM earned the first qualifying position among the top 32 competitors out on the field. Conrad’s Camaro is powered by a GMPP Crate Engine version of the upcoming supercharged Camaro ZL1 powerplant, so there’s plenty of power to swing the Camaro’s rear end around. We’ll be excited to see just how well those ponies can leave little bits of Hankook rubber on the Streets of Long Beach track today.

Formula Drift action opens up today at 11:30 PM PST and we’ll be carrying all of the action here on GMTunerSource.com via the livestream here - http://www.gmtunersource.com/gmracing/drifting/formula-drift-live

In case you can’t sit glued to your computer all day, GMTS will be broadcasting up to the minute updates during competition runs on our Facebook page here - http://www.facebook.com/GMTunerSource

SOURCE: Wrecked Magazine

The Chevy Sonic is the newly announced member of the Chevy family and one that might be the source of lots of future ECOtec fun. Sonic has the highly anticipated LUJ powerplant that we covered last year, LUJ Delivers on ECOtec Promise, and have seen previously only motivating the Chevy Cruze. Now imagine having the 138hp iron block, turbo 1.4L having to propel only about 2400lbs. That sounds like it could be a serious street terror with a little tuning.

The only issue we see, is that there are two flavors of Chevy Sonic to be had – one with a hatchback, and one in the traditional sedan layout. So which one to choose? Do you stand on the side of increased utility in the five-door, or ditching the euro-styling in favor of the classic American lines that a sedan offers?

The choice is yours, let us know what you think is the winner. To help you choose, we’ve included some clean shots of both to give you an uncluttered opportunity to decide what you’d rather sit in come this fall.

Vote now in the poll to the right and get in your thoughts below. Go!

We all remember and love the speedy, blue hedgehog of our childhood. As iconic as Mario is to Nintendo, our friend Sonic the Hedgehog was the symbol of SEGA. And what a symbol he was. Fast, nimble and full of energy, Sonic was the digital cartoon equivalent of what many of us were after downing a two-liter of Surge. Transfer that youthful energy to GM’s latest small car, and you have the brand new Chevrolet Sonic.

The Sonic doesn’t just bring new life into the Chevy small car line from its name. The new Sonic is a far departure from the ubiquitous rental car, the Aveo, it replaces. Propositioned as “roomy, stylish and fun to drive” the Sonic sounds promising, but the proof is in the pudding, or in this example, the giant metal container filled with possessed woodland creatures.

Either way, we’re excited to see the new Chevy Sonic hit the streets. And we’d be even more excited to see how it responds to 75-shot of nitrous – we bet that version might even qualify for the “Super Sonic” name.

Kick the tires and light the fires, you can now take a cruise in a real topless Camaro! Sure there have been companies in the past year that have taken a sawzall, some bondo and duct tape to a beautiful factory Camaro coupe to try and sell you a ‘verted Camaro, but this is the real deal baseball and apple pie Camaro which features a seamless top that won’t leak on your duds as you head out for a night on the town.

Now we’ve personally seen this specimen in testing over the past year and we knew it was going to be a hit once the official version got signed off on. When we first saw the original lab mules, we whipped out our cell phones to get some shots only to receive a scornful look from the development team. That prompted us to place our phones back in our pocket - where they belong, supposedly.

The secrecy surrounding the development of the convertible was well warranted though, as the GM design team went out of their way to keep the factory lines in tact with this transformation (no movie pun intended) and the result is a sports car that looks just as good as a hardtop as it does with a soft-top – something that we can’t say rings true for a lot of other “sports” cars out there.

The Camaro convertible will come in many of the same configurations that the Camaro coupe has as options. The V6 model still receives the hardcore 312-horsepower direct injection motor we all love and the optional LS3 V8 in the SS still pumps out 426 horsepower – no compromises for style here.

Final packages come in 1LT/2LT (V-6) and 1SS/2SS (V-8) trims and will cost you a flat $30,000 MSRP (including $850 destination). You can have your choice of one of nine brilliant exterior colors sprayed onto the paintwork and the tops are offered in black or tan.

If you haven’t seen one in person yet at your local auto show, you can check out just how slick the new Camaro convertible looks for yourself in the gallery below:

Well it's that time of the year again - SEMA 2010. As most of you know, SEMA is the largest aftermarket auto show in the country and where the top players in the aftermarket world come out to show off their new parts, accessories and trends. Custom car builders come out by the thousands and show off some of the world’s top automobiles. Media come from all over the globe to cover SEMA and at times dedicate a whole site or magazine to just SEMA coverage.

GM has notoriously come out with many great cars and products at this event. If you remember about 4 years ago, GMTS here was able to show off the very first in person pics of the brand new Cobalt SS Turbo. Funny though, because at the time many of you thought this car was a fake and not real. Hey, we don't fault you for that and understood your excitement for that upcoming vehicle. Last year, GMTS brought you the top Camaros at the show and some of the top builders putting these cars together. Given that this was one of the hottest cars at the event, we also broke rumors on who was building what and how they were planning to debut their projects.

Today I am excited to tell you that GM has been hard at work again. There is some really exciting news that will be coming out on Tuesday Nov 2nd at the show that I am sure all of you enthusiasts will love to hear about. We will be bringing you this coverage fast right from the show and the announcement. I believe you will see GM's commitment to the enthusiast market and their desire to help you, the enthusiasts, continue to build your cars in the personalized and custom way as you have done for years.

We will have teaser photos starting on Monday morning Nov 1, and then coverage daily from the event. We are excited to hear your feedback and comments about the announcement and the custom cars there at the event.

I leave you with this quick teaser video from GM.

Enjoy. 

All of us over here in the colonies have historically never treated the ole hatchback concept with any fervor. This disdain for the “junk in the trunk” versions of our favorite sports cars has been declining lately as more and more hatchbacks, shooting brakes, fastbacks and slant backed-whathaveyous have been making their way across the pond in recent years. Some have succeeded, some have failed, some have just meh’d. What the latest Cruze is bringing to the table however, seems to be a prime example of a hatchback done right.

Now before you get all hissy, keep in mind that this model isn’t set to invade U.S. shores… yet. It was just announced for the rest of the globe in Paris last week and since then, has been developing quite the brew ha-ha for U.S. duty – which is why we have brought it to you, the live free or die GM fans, to discuss, rant, rave or dismiss.

From a purely subjective standpoint, the Cruze hatchback seems to translate over well the clean, simple and forward design of its trunk-laden counterpart – a plus for sure. With some high-offset wheels and a lower stance, this version has the opportunity to even be better looking than the Cruze sedan.

Look over all, that’s right we said ALL, of the shots in the gallery below and then share with us your thoughts in the comment section below. Should we throw this one off the boat, or bring out the welcome wagon?

We know, we know. You want to pick up a Cruze the first day they hit the streets but you’re not exactly sure what options you want yet. Luckily, the Chevy team feels your pain and has supplied a handy dandy Cruze configurator so you can let your imagination run wild. Feel free to customize as many Cruzes (Cruzi? Cruzeses?) as you can and let us know what your favorite package would be in the comments section. For the uninitiated, the whole Cruze deal starts at $16,275 for the LS model and if you want to get hooked up with the turbocharged LUJ, the boosted Cruze kicks off at $18,175. The Cruze comes pretty well stocked from the factory, but there are a few options you can cycle through to make your Cruze your own. Get to work on your custom Cruze here - http://www.chevrolet.com/vehicles/2011/cruze/build.do

The Chevrolet Volt’s whole MO from Day 1 has been doing less with more. That’s not just with fuel either as the Volt delivers in many areas its owners and envious onlookers will soon come to see for themselves. First up on the agenda is noise pollution. Pollution doesn’t just come from the expulsion of CO2 from exhausts pipes across the nation though, it also comes from those fart cannons that all of us Tuners religiously bolt to the rear of our cars the second we bring a new set of wheels home. We can’t help it though, the added hp and accompanying throaty tone is just too tempting to resist. But what if the complete lack of noise could draw as much attention as an increase in sound?

The Volt doesn’t use its gasoline engine for evil but rather uses it for the light side of the force by only starting up to charge the battery that powers this silent wonder. What that means is that while cruising on battery power, that either comes in when you charge it at your house or from the reserve engine, the Volt gets Go-Go Gadget silent. We know seeing is believing though so check out the latest teaser video posted below to get a feel for just how quiet the new all-electric Chevrolet Volt runs.

What’s your take? Do you think less could possibly be more when it comes to eliminating sound coming from your ride?

Roll into the parking lot of your local burger joint on a Friday and you’re bound to hear the old “there’s no replacement for displacement” line spewed out of someone’s mouth that more than likely is wearing a faded t-shirt with a big number 3 on it. Racing legend-fanbois aside, what once was an adage you could take to the bank, now will only come back denied. On the horizon is a new way to look at performance engines and the Corvette C7 Bank is open for business.

The team behind the C7 is staying pretty tight lipped about their intentions with the next generation of America’s staple supercar. However, the new mainstream small block from GM has some details being leaked out that would surely worry any underwriters at Corvette Financial. The main concern for any of the well dressed interest gougers would surely be the price tag on the new engine program which is slated to be around $890 million greenbacks. That’s money well spent though as the new GM small block will feature direction injection, for fuel economy and added performance; an aluminum block and heads, for weight savings; and a new combustion system.

Target horsepower for this next-gen V8 is more horsepower per liter than ever before in a Chevy small block – 440hp (80hp/liter). Those ponies will be created with only 5.5L of space to suck-squeeze-bang-blow too, which is quite the improvement over the outgoing LS3 workhorse that cranks out 430hp out of 6.2L. There’s no cooking the books with the new small block either as the Corvette will be staying with its classic pushrod configuration which means that the motor will be economical to produce and still fit underhood in even the tightest engine compartments.

Even with all these changes it seems like the C7 engine isn’t selling its soul to the market and is going to be welcome addition to the GM family. This new small block will also provide an even more efficient platform for tuners to start making more go-fast goodies for, so you know what that means – an empty bank account.