The 1970 Buick GS is one of the more desirable muscle cars ever made. It’s also one of the least known.

As life members of the American Muscle Car Club, John and Peni Murray have owned some cool cars over the years. With a penchant for all things rare and powerful, the pair have sat behind the wheel of some seriously desirable muscle cars. One such car was an Oldsmobile 442, which they’d owned for five years when, in 2007, they decided to move it on. But before doing so, a suitable replacement was required.

“I was just browsing the internet, looking at what was available, with no real intentions to purchase anything,” John says. That’s met with a disbelieving “yeah, right” and a chuckle from Peni, who knew full well that the hours John had recently been online weren’t spent updating his Facebook profile.

After stumbling upon a 1970 Buick GS that looked to be in fantastic condition, he was quick to point it out to Peni. “She had to like it or I knew it would never happen,” he says. Thankfully for John and the Buick, Peni approved and a deal was done.

Why replace a sought-after Olds with the Buick? When it was released the 1970 GS was noted by the leading publication of the time, Motor Trend magazine, as the fastest car it had ever driven. When sales of the high power GS (which stands for Gran Sport) fell in 1969, Buick decided to go against its own policy of limiting engine capacity to 400ci and step the 1970 model up to 455ci, making that the most desirable year to own. (more…)

General Motor’s Performance Parts division has been busy at work on its latest creation the eco-conscious E-ROD concept, which is based on a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe.

With emissions regulations getting stricter over in the States even hot rodders are looking to get with the programme and the E-Rod concept is designed to be fully-compliant with emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). To achieve this the E-Rod has a specially modified LS3 V8 crate engine that uses modified exhaust manifolds, a special engine control module and a variety of eco-minded sensors. Power output is a very healthy 321kW (430hp) but the E-Rod can get a fuel economy figure of around 10.2 litres per 100km and produce emissions that are the same as a brand new Chevy Camaro SS.

Product integration manager for GM Performance Parts Jamie Meyer said this about the project, “The world of hot rodding is changing, and GMPP is leading the way with engine systems and supporting components that enable enthusiasts to build a car that complies with the law, satisfies their desire for a cleaner hot rod and doesn’t sacrifice the performance they want.” (more…)

The new-generation Chevrolet Camaro has been selling hotter than party pills since it was reintroduced in the States in 2009 but it has just celebrated a milestone that goes all the way back to its great grand daddy in 1967.

General Motors has just built the five-millionth example of its Camaro, but surprisingly few of these cars are the latest iteration. Only 225,844 of the total 5 million sales come from the current-generation model. The remaining 4,774,156 models arrived between 1967 and 2002.

The Camaro has an enviable position as being a popular car in its current form and also in its classic form. When we ran a NZV8 website poll asking readers for their favourite classic muscle car the Camaro achieved a credible third place losing out to the Mustang and the Dodge Charger. (more…)

General Motors has just announced that production of its next-generation 2014 Chevrolet Impala will be shifted to its Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing plant. At this plant it will be produced alongside the Chevrolet Volt and Malibu and this decision to move Impala production is an early indication that the Holden Commodore won’t be returning to U.S. shores.

The next American-market Impala will use a stretched version of GM’s Epsilon II platform, with a front-wheel drive layout. While it’s not a popular move with some enthusiasts who want their Chevy large sedan to be rear-wheel powered it lessens the chances of the Commodore ever returning to the U.S., in either sedan, wagon or ute bodystyles.

The main reason is an awareness of fuel economy regulations. GM’s decision to keep almost all of its range front-wheel drive shows that the automaker has a preference for better fuel economy over performance. The front-wheel drive architecture also helps with developing more modern interiors due to the absence of a bulky driveshaft running the length of the car. In simple terms the Commodore just doesn’t fit into GM’s new politically correct range. It was popular in Pontiac G8 form but with the new Malibu owning its spot for now it will have a tough time finding its way back into the lucrative America market. (more…)

The GM Enthusiasts Club is holding its annual GM Day Out event this Sunday (May 8).

It’s geared up to be a family day for all those interested in any and all vehicles produced by General Motors. As in previous years the event will be held at Clevedon School in Clevedon, Auckland. The event is set to showcase all things GM from immaculately restored Cadillacs through to Holden Doorslammers and everything in-between.

It’s a nice little cruise out to Clevedon and there is a pub next door to the school if you want to get a beer or a feed on. It’s also just a minute’s walk from the Clevedon village for a look around.

Cadillac is officially on the verge of returning to the world of motorsports with its new CTS-V Coupe race car. Following the track-spec Caddy’s world debut at the Detroit Motor Show last week, the race-ready CTS-V Coupe hit the track for the first time on Monday driven by Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim, for testing at Sebring International Raceway.

GM’s luxury car division had already pulled out of racing before the U.S. government bailed out the company in 2009. The last time Cadillac officially competed was in 2007 in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series. Now the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car will return to the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series in 2011, with its first appearance taking place at the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25-27.

The CTS-V Coupe race car was built as a collaboration between General Motors and Pratt and Miller. Their goal was to make the race car as close as possible to the production vehicle, but at the same time, make a racer compliant with the SCCA technical rules. Technical details of the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car have not been released yet. (more…)

When you just have to have the biggest and baddest American pick up truck on your block there are a few options to choose from. Ford fans have the F-150 SVT Raptor and Mopar enthusiasts can pick up the Dodge Ram Power Wagon and now GM has come to the party with a new macho concept the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD.

The standard four-door 2011 Sierra HD (that’s Heavy Duty not High Definition) underpins the All Terrain concept, and power comes from GM’s no nonsense 6.6-litre Duramax diesel V8. The engine sends 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. Ground clearance and width has been increased over the standard Sierra, and the whole package rides on 20-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 mud terrain tyres. Off-road ability is increased by adding Fox off-road shocks.

Inside, the All Terrain concept is classy with additional satin metal finishes and a leather-wrapped dashboard. It also receives a next-generation stereo system with an 80-gigabyte offering plenty of room for the full Kenny Rodgers back catalogue and this new entertainment system will be rolled out across the full GM product range.

Currently, the All Terrain HD concept is remaining just a concept and is set to be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in the new year.

Holden wouldn’t dare take the Commodore front-wheel-drive would they? At one time this mere suggestion would have had Commodore fans spitting up their beer in disbelief, but in the current automotive climate it’s not so far-fetched.

Since 1978, the Commodore has been roaring around wearing body styles ranging from coupe and sedan to wagon and ute, with Holden selling over 44,000 units last year in Australia alone. While the Commie has been staunchly a rear-wheel drive vehicle, new rumours are surfacing that the front-engine/rear-drive layout may not be in the cards for much longer.

The next-generation Commodore is due to appear by 2015 and it’s possible that General Motors may switch it to just another boring front-wheel driver. Why? For increased fuel-efficiency something that is desperately needed for the Commodore to stay alive in the future and the front-wheel drive platforms are the ones set up to deliver the highest fuel efficiency.

There are unconfirmed reports that the next-gen Commodore could ride on the Super Epsilon II platform, which it will potentially share with GM’s next Chevrolet Impala and the upcoming Cadillac XTS.

A front driving Commodore is a hard pill to swallow and while we can all understand the reasons behind the change, what would it mean for the Comodore brand?

Have your say in the comments section below.