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HOUSTON – Whether the idea of a perfect Fourth of July celebration includes a sneak peek at hot concept cars and trucks, hanging out with NASCAR’s finest 200 mph race cars, enjoying a brilliant fireworks display, or kicking back with friends and family to the sounds of electrifying live entertainment, Chevrolet and the City Of Houston have everything covered for “Chevy’s Freedom Over Texas” July 4 at Eleanor Tinsley Park.

“Chevrolet has proudly held the title sponsorship to Freedom Over Texas for four years, and we’re coming back to Houston again and bringing an even bigger celebration,” said Jay Allen, Chevrolet marketing manager for GM’s South Central region. “We are excited to present the Chevy music stage which will be ignited with three phenomenal female country music artists, as well as provide fantastic concept cars and a host of fun-filled, interactive activities for the entire family.”

Festival-goers can experience some of Chevy’s hottest 2008 cars and trucks, as well as show-stopping concept cars like the Bumblebee Camaro – star of the 2007 summer blockbuster movie Transformers. The Cobalt Wide Body and the Time Attack Supercharged Cobalt SS with its race record-setting pedigree round out Chevy’s sizzling concept vehicle display.

For race fans, Chevy is showcasing Team Chevy’s Championship-winning authentic NASCAR race cars, including: Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet; Jeff Gordon’s #24 DuPont Chevrolet; and Kevin Harvick’s #29 Shell Oil Chevrolet. If simply checking out these race cars isn’t enough, festival attendees can climb into one of the Chevy Racing Simulators and race their favorite NASCAR drivers at speeds and motion that simulate up to 200 mph on Texas Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval track.

With fuel prices soaring, Chevy’s Alternative Fuels display is sure to catch some attention. From the Tahoe Hybrid to the Malibu, Chevrolet offers plenty of gas-friendly driving options to learn about. The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid – which was recently named Green Car Journal’s 2008 Green Car of the Year® – is one of two all-new hybrid models for 2008 (the other being the Malibu Hybrid sedan) featuring the affordable GM Hybrid System.

This year, Chevy’s Main Stage will play host to three of country music’s hottest female entertainers: Jo Dee Messina, Miranda Lambert, and Sara Evans.

Sara Evans, a Missouri native, began her career singing country music with her family’s band when she was five years old. The award-winning artist has won numerous accolades including the Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year, the Country Music Association’s Video of the Year for “Born to Fly,” and 2006 Female Vocalist of the Year in the R&R Reader’s Poll. Her hits include “I could not ask for more,” “Born to Fly,” and “No Place That Far.”

A small-town girl from Texas, Miranda Lambert burst onto the music scene as a finalist in the 2003 season of the NASHVILLE STAR television series. She didn’t win the show, but did win a recording deal with Columbia Nashville. Lambert hasn’t looked back since and debuted her latest album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to rave reviews leading to her nomination for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, and has received several CMT Music Award nominations.

Kicking off the show is award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist, Jo Dee Messina. Honored by The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and The Grammy Awards, Jo Dee was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week #1 songs from the same album. Her newest album, entitled Delicious Surprises, includes hits like “My Give A Damn’s Busted,” and “It Gets Better.”

When the concerts come to a close at approximately 9:30 p.m., eyes will turn skyward for an extraordinary fireworks display. Perfectly set to a selection of patriotic songs to rock ‘n’ roll hits and classic bestsellers, this year’s show will be the largest to date.

Chevy’s Freedom Over Texas will begin when gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 4. Admission for the festival, which benefits the Central Houston Civic Improvement, Inc., is $6.00 at the gate for adults; children under 10 are free.

DETROIT – Besides its bowtie insignia, the all-new Traverse crossover shares something important with Chevy’s midsize cars: an exceptional aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) that enables great fuel economy. Its cd is only 0.33 – making it the sleekest crossover in the segment.

When it hits showrooms this fall, the Traverse is expected to have the segment’s best highway fuel economy (EPA certification is pending). This is because of its new, efficient 3.6L V-6 with direct injection technology, a fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission and an exterior designed to cheat the wind and slip through the air with minimal resistance.

“In every way, the Traverse is an uncompromising vehicle,” said Michael Burton, Traverse design director. “It has a ‘gotta have it’ design with fuel economy that rivals many sedans.”

In an example of form and function working harmoniously, designers crafted the Traverse’s sleek look while simultaneously infusing it with the expressive styling that was introduced last year on the acclaimed Chevy Malibu. That includes refined details with strong proportions and the bold front-end appearance found on all new Chevrolets.

“Aerodynamic performance was central to the Traverse’s development, but so was maintaining the identity of Chevrolet,” said Dan Schmeckpeper, lead creative designer, Traverse exterior design. “We designed a vehicle with all the cues – a twin grille, power dome hood, etc. – that make it unmistakably a Chevy, with efficiency that complements its style.”

In the wind tunnel

The Traverse casts a unique profile with a sleek, smooth and flowing design that carries built-in aero enhancers, such as an integrated rear spoiler and splitter at the bottom of the air dam. Those details contribute to the Traverse’s excellent aerodynamic efficiency, which was honed after repeated trips to the wind tunnel at GM’s Technical Center in Warren, Mich.

Clay and foam models of the Traverse were tested and re-tested in the wind tunnel during the development period, as engineers sought every advantage to maximize fuel efficiency. A one-tenth improvement in the coefficient of drag increases overall fuel economy by about a tenth of a mile per gallon.

“The Traverse is efficient by design,” said Justin D’Souza, aerodynamic engineer. “From the first wind tunnel tests of the initial design to the finalized shape of the production model, we picked up the equivalent of nearly two miles per gallon when cruising on the highway.”

The Traverse’s aerodynamic enhancements also draw upon lessons learned during the development of other GM midsize crossovers.

“GM’s midsize crossovers were already the most aerodynamic in their class,” said D’Souza. “We took the Traverse to the next level by building on the experience of an already-efficient design and making it even better.”

Examples of aerodynamic performance that were enhanced during development include:

The front fascia, headlamps and hood were re-shaped after initial testing to cut a sleeker profile
The front splitter (at the bottom of the air dam) was added to the Traverse after initial wind tunnel testing, resulting in a one-tenth of a mpg improvement
The cowl (area below the windshield) and A-pillars were revised for improved airflow, which also helped reduce wind noise
The shape and radius of the wheel openings were revised and drag-reducing rear tire air dams were added to the design
The rear spoiler angle was redesigned in the wind tunnel
Extensive fine-tuning of the backlight and taillamps was performed for the just-right balance of styling and efficiency
Additionally, much attention was paid to details such as the gaps between exterior components and even the relationship of the tires to the vehicle body. Smaller, more precise gaps between exterior panels reduce drag, while a tighter tire-to-body relationship improves overall aerodynamics.

The depth and shape of the grille was scrutinized, as well.

“Grille openings and textures are huge contributors to drag, but they’re necessary to provide cooling airflow to the powertrain and air conditioning system,” said D’Souza. “On the Traverse, we tested a number of configurations and came up with a grille design that delivers Chevy’s trademark styling and detail, uncompromised cooling performance and minimized aero drag.”

LOS ANGELES — Safe Kids Buckle Up, the child passenger safety program of Safe Kids USA sponsored by General Motors and Chevrolet, has reached a milestone no other program can claim: one million child safety seats checked for proper installation.

“A Safe Kids child seat inspection provides hands-on training for parents and caregivers,” said Mitch Stoller, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide.” At about 30 minutes per inspection, the milestone we are celebrating today represents more than 500,000 volunteer hours — or 57 years of one person working around the clock. Our thousands of volunteers are the backbone of Safe Kids Buckle Up and they work tirelessly to help make sure the children who come to a checkup event are safer when they leave than when they arrived.”

The one millionth seat will be checked today at an event at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The event is open to the public and 150 children from the Los Angeles Urban League Head Start and State Preschool are scheduled to have their seats inspected. Nearly 200 more car seat checkup events are being held through the weekend at Chevrolet and other GM dealerships, and at community locations around the country in celebration of the millionth seat milestone.

“Keeping all children safer in vehicles is one of our top priorities,” said Nicole R. Nason, administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Programs like Safe Kids Buckle Up have helped to change the culture of car seat safety in the United States and have been essential in protecting our most precious passengers.”

Significant progress has been made since 1997 when the program checked its first car seat. Statistics from NHTSA show a 25 percent drop in vehicle crash fatalities for children under the age of 5 from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year with available data). 

More good news has been seen in restraint use. Car seats have saved the lives of an estimated 3,800 children ages 0 to 4 from 1997 to 2006. Of the children in fatal crashes where restraint use was known, 46 percent were unrestrained in 1997.  This number decreased to 25 percent in 2006. 

“Safe Kids USA and General Motors have been leaders in child occupant protection,” said Mark V. Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. “As we have said before, the Safe Kids Buckle Up program has given families across the country the peace of mind that comes with knowing how to properly secure their children in a vehicle. Checking a million seats through the Safe Kids Buckle Up program has likely resulted in hundreds of lives being saved because of the proper use of car seats and booster seats.”

The partnership between Safe Kids USA and General Motors is the longest-running corporate/nonprofit program of its kind, addressing safety for children in and around vehicles. In 2004, Chevrolet became the lead GM brand for the relationship. Safe Kids has more than 600 state and local coalitions and chapters, staffed mostly by volunteers, who provide injury prevention programs to communities throughout the country free of charge.

“Chevy dealers have become leaders in child safety as they work with Safe Kids Buckle Up to bring this lifesaving program to their communities,” said Ed Peper, North America vice president, Chevrolet. “We know a million seats isn’t the finish line, but it’s a very good start.”

Safe Kids Buckle Up has expanded from child safety seat checkups to include a variety of programs to help keep children safer in and around vehicles. The program has distributed approximately 365,000 seats to families in need, deployed a fleet of more than 130 Chevrolet Mobile Car Seat Checkup Vans, established more than 450 permanent child safety seat inspection stations, created a new Automotive Safety Patch program with Chevrolet and the Cub Scouts, and launched the Spot the Tot and Never Leave Your Child Alone programs across the country. The program also works to upgrade state child passenger safety laws. All together, the Safe Kids Buckle Up program activities have touched nearly 15 million people.

“Since the beginning, our goal has been to reach parents, caregivers and children across the country,” said Rod Gillum, GM vice president, corporate responsibility and diversity. “We are proud to see Safe Kids Buckle Up reach this important milestone, while recognizing that the job of protecting children must continue to be a priority. Safe Kids is a great partner, and their experts have made Safe Kids Buckle Up a truly dynamic program.”

The new Opel Insignia will be the first to try out General Motors’ new Global Mid-Size architecture. This new platform is likely to be the base for the larger Saturn model in the next few years. Presented at Opel’s Design Centre in Rsselheim, Germany, the new model is a lot more convincing than the other European GM designs. The new Insignia is sized to compete with the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat.
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