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April 30, 2007

Is Your Office Green? Part One

By John Bradburn
Senior Environmental Project Engineer, Worldwide Facilities Group

Editor’s Note: We Asked John Bradburn, part of GM’s Environmental Services, to offer some ideas to help make a green impact in your office as the spring season kicks into full swing. Take a look at what he had to say.

At General Motors, we understand that a small action — multiplied when many people take it — can make a big difference. This is never more true than in making an office more environmentally friendly.

These office programs can help promote office environmentalism, no matter where you work.

Form an office enthusiasm group that focuses on environmental-themed activities. These could focus on community and family stewardship. They can be formed around periodic business meetings to give additional flavor to the meeting, or by encouraging participation to a common goal, one of environmental improvement.

Establish an “Energy Cops” system that can give energy tickets. If a person leaves their computer or desk light on, leave them a ticket. Share the cop responsibility and soon it will become a funny way of reminding others to be energy wise.

Create office paper recycling programs. This is one of the largest office solid waste streams. Local recyclers can be consulted for specific recycling needs in paper collection. Encouraging electronic communications, reports and presentations are sure ways to accomplish goals. Even little things, like taking notes taken on back of handouts, also helps eliminate waste.

Cell phone collections are special in that they offer a recycling option to people who otherwise might not know what to do with them. They can be made available to seniors and local shelters for use in emergency communications. Additional phones can be recycled to recover the individual components. And in many cases a nominal amount of money can be received for the phones and given to a charity of choice by the office participants.

Canned good drives. Try asking co-workers to bring in a canned good at the next office meeting. This provides benefits to those in a less advantaged environment and at the same time, promotes office worker enthusiasm. Pick a local food shelter and deliver the goods.

Consider a drive for the recycling of gently used coats, boots, hats and gloves. This is a good activity for early winter.

Check back tomorrow to FYI for more ideas on how to keep your office green.

Posted by Editor at 6:05 PM
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Photo of the Day: Chevy Panel Truck

Spotless Chevrolet delivery van parked in Tokyo, Japan. Appears to be running on air suspension and in daily use.

Today's photo comes from the albums of low n slow.

Be sure to look at all of low n slow's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:11 AM
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April 27, 2007

Photo of the Day: GMC Camper

Camped at a very hilly campground in N Carolina, 2004

Today's photos comes from the albums of hippguy.

Be sure to look at all of hippguy's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 3:52 PM
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Video of the Week: 1953 Cadillac

This week's video comes from gofish123.

If you'd like to see your YouTube clip featured as our Video of the Week, tag it "gmfyi" on YouTube and we'll find it.

Posted by Editor at 3:48 PM
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April 26, 2007

Photo of the Day: Twin Chevrolets

Scenes from the April '07 NASCAR race at Phoenix.

Today's photo comes from the albums of Cobby17.

Be sure to look at all of Cobby17's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 3:38 PM
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April 25, 2007

Photo of the Day: Ron Fellows Limited-Edition Corvette

Today's photo comes from the albums of Gr8 Big C.

Be sure to look at all of Gr8 Big C's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 10:51 AM
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April 24, 2007

Celebrating 60 Years of Saab

By Christopher Barger
Director, GM Global Communications Technology

As you probably know, it's Saab's 60th anniversary. To mark the occasion, among other things, there is a fun display of historic and current Saab vehicles in GM World on the RenCen's first floor. I decided to go downstairs and take a few pictures of the party.

From a 1952 Saab 92, to a great 1966 Quantum IV, and a sweet-looking 1970 Sonett III, there's some great vehicles on display, and it was fun to drop by and check out some of Saab's history.

Happy birthday, Saab — here's to 60 more great years!

To see all of Christopher's photos, take a look at Flickr.

Posted by Editor at 12:08 PM
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From the Archive: 1970

Some crazy Delta Kappa Phi Brothers moving a piano in the rain.

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

Today's find from the GM Media Archive is a photo of a 1970 Chevy C20 pickup truck.

Posted by Editor at 12:04 PM
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Photo of the Day: Corvette Spotted

...on Sussex Drive at York Street in the ByTown area.

Today's photo comes from the albums of SteveBrandon.

Be sure to look at all of SteveBrandon's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:48 AM
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April 23, 2007

Out, Garlic Mustard Weed!

By Daphne Adams
GM Plant Communications, Ypsilanti Powertrain

Spring finally sprung on Saturday here in southeastern Michigan. It was right on time for me and my fellow GM Powertrain Ypsilanti co-workers who had plans to join the Washtenaw Land Trust staff at Sharon Hills Nature Preserve, a 67-acre area (about 35 minutes from) last Saturday afternoon.

It was a great day to be at the preserve. However, we weren’t hiking or picknicking; we were weeding! In celebration of Earth Day, we went to the preserve to remove Garlic Mustard weeds. Garlic Mustard is not native to Michigan, so it grows out of control, pushing out native Michigan flowers and grasses; that’s part of the reason why we were there. It is native, however, to Europe and Asia, where it lives in balance with local ecosystems.

I love garlic and I love mustard greens. To my surprise, we were told that we could actually cook and eat the weeds. I was seriously tempted after smelling the aroma coming out of the bags of pulled weeds. I ended up helping pull 200 pounds of Garlic Mustard weeds. We were told that was a good afternoon’s work that will greatly benefit the preserve.

We chose to work at the preserve because it is owned by Washtenaw Land Trust, a private, non-profit organization that has directly protected 50 properties totaling 2,616 acres throughout Washtenaw, Jackson and Ingham counties through voluntary land conservation. GM Powertrain Ypsilanti is a member of the Land Trust.

Next time you’re looking for something to do outside, consider going to the Sharon Hills Nature Preserve or similar preserve in your community. This area happens to be open to the public for quiet recreational use. There are hiking trails, open fields, oak-hickory woodland and kettle wetlands. By going to stet preserve or a similar area in your hometown, you can help your own local non-profit organization and environment.

Posted by Editor at 5:14 PM
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Photo of the Day: Boyhood Dream

I saw many beautiful cars tonight, this being one of them. There was a yellow Dodge Viper, Black 2007 Corvette C6, 2 Shelby Cobra GT 500's, one white with blue and the other red with white. A few Europeans as well, which include BMW and Porsche.

Today's photo comes from the albums of atp24.

Be sure to look at all of atp24's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 5:10 PM
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April 20, 2007

Going Green While Getting Extreme

By Mad Mike
Guest Blogger, MTV’s “Pimp My Ride”

Yo, this is Mad Mike, from MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” and Galpin Auto Sports (G.A.S.) and I am excited to have a chance to tell you how MTV, GM and G.A.S. got together to restore and rejuvenate a 1965 Chevy Impala SS — a true American automotive classic. We proved that power and preservation can co-exist in this finely finished extreme green machine. Check this out!

We took a tore up the ‘65 Impala and dropped in a powerful 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine. Although this is the same engine found in the latest Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, the G.A.S. crew went a step further and converted it to biodiesel for the ultimate ecological transformation, and cranked up the engine. Combined with an Allison 1000 Transmission, we pumped out torque equivalent to a crazy 18-wheel big rig!

During the show, we’ll take you on a tour of how alternative fuels are created and used. While fly rides like the "Pimped Impala" show the creativity and latitude we can have with a one-off vehicle, the environment is on all of our minds, including the automakers. And one thing is for sure, whether it is biodiesel, E85 ethanol, hybrids, fuel cells or electric vehicles, the General is serious about going green.

Now, to make this bad boy pure, GM hooked us up with the real stuff — GM Restoration Parts, made from the original tools, machinery and dies to complete the restoration. The authentic stuff included fenders, bumpers, the grill, steering wheel, seats, chrome treatment, speedometer and gauges with bezels, head and tail lights. No fake junk on this beast!

After all of this we took it out to Pomona and challenged the manhood of a Lamborghini Gallardo in the ultimate race. One thing is for certain, the pimped-out ’65 Impala completely annihilated the exotic!

Tune in to see this monster Earth Day special, airing this Sunday, April 22, at 1p.m. ET/PT, where “Pimp My Ride” fans will meet my man, Kristoffer, from North Hollywood, Calif., who’s had more than his share of car trouble. Xzibit and special guest — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — reveal his new pimped-out masterpiece. To read more about the show, go to think.mtv.com.

Posted by Editor at 9:46 AM
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FastLane, FYI to undergo site upgrades

Both FastLane and FYI will be down for one hour at 4 a.m. EST Saturday, April 21, as site upgrades go underway. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Posted by Editor at 9:45 AM
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Video of the Week: Riviera Meeting

This week's video comes from trabbartsteve.

If you'd like to see your YouTube clip featured as our Video of the Week, tag it "gmfyi" on YouTube and we'll find it.

Posted by Editor at 9:41 AM
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Photo of the Day: Buick Riviera

Today's photo comes from the albums of AndyArmstrong.

Be sure to look at all of AndyArmstrong's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 9:40 AM
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April 19, 2007

Martha Stewart and the Chevy Volt

In case you missed it…

The Chevy Volt electric plug-in concept made its Martha Stewart Show debut this morning as part of the homemaker extraordinaire’s focus on earth-friendly living. Before talking in-studio with Cheryl Catton, GM General Director of Car Marketing, Stewart reminded her audience that 78 percent of all commuters drive less than 40 miles a day — making the Volt a perfect fit, since it can go 40 miles on its electric charge.

In addition to showing off the Volt, the pair discussed hybrid vs. electric vehicles, and the system behind Chevy’s Equinox fuel-cell vehicle, which will be on the road as part of a test program by the end of this year. Be sure to check back here in the coming days; we’ll post video from the Martha Stewart appearance when it becomes available. Until then, take a look at Martha's web site for a preview from today's show. -Christopher Barger, GM Director of Global Communications Technology

Posted by Editor at 4:30 PM
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Photo of the Day: GMC Steps

Today's photo comes from the albums of hobbes8calvin.

Be sure to look at all of hobbes8calvin's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 1:34 PM
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April 18, 2007

Photo of the Day: Chevy Street Rod

Friday night Cruise Night at Seaway Mall, Welland, Ontario.

Today's photo comes from the albums of Bill Strong.

Be sure to look at all of Bill Strong's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:16 AM
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April 17, 2007

From the Archive: 1954

The Parade of Progress caravan with the Futurliners arriving in Arkansas.

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

Today's find from the GM Media Archive is a photo from the GM Parade of Progress in 1954.

Posted by Editor at 2:36 PM
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Photo of the Day: Cadillac Special

Today's photo comes from the albums of jan.sedlacek.

Be sure to look at all of jan.sedlacek's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:29 AM
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April 16, 2007

Big in 2006 for GM Europe

Wonder which cars were the talk of enthusiasts last year in Europe? Take a look at this video from GM Europe to find out. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Posted by Editor at 5:15 PM
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Photo of the Day: GM World

Had the chance to retake the shots from GM World that were over-exposed earlier this week. Being a Saturday it was quiet and the guy running the place was fine with me dropping the camera on the revolving platform - really helped. Thanks again to Cobby17 for the idea. They swapped the cars around so this isn't quite the same one that I was looking at on Tuesday but (I think) it looks kind of cool anyway, suggest viewing larger.

Today's photo comes from the albums of DetroitBikeBlog.

Be sure to look at all of DetroitBikeBlog's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 10:22 AM
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April 13, 2007

Bringing the Trophy Home

Meet Mark Heard, a Saturn Aura owner and recent host to the North American Car of the Year trophy. Here's his story about his time with the trophy.

By Mark Heard
Guest blogger

Fellow Aura Owners!

How cool is this!? I was the first to receive the North American Car of the Year trophy for the western sales region. My name is Mark Heard, I am 24 years old, and a transplant to So Cal from Ohio. My 2007 Saturn Aura XR is my first car purchase. I opted for the Aura XR in black, brown Moroccan leather, and fully loaded except for the panoramic roof. I get tons of compliments and the ever popular, “That’s a Saturn? Looks just like a Lexus!” I absolutely love my car!

On to my journey with the NACOTY Trophy… I received a delivery notification in my mailbox and drove to the FedEx distribution center; I had no idea what was inside. I thought it was a bunch of towels and sheets my mom sent me. I opened up the box to find this massive blue Tiffany’s box. I immediately knew it was the NACOTY trophy. I was on my lunch break and brought the trophy back to work to show my new boss (he’s a huge car buff). We put it in the middle of the table during the staff meeting that afternoon.

The next day I drove to the dealership (Saturn of Torrance, Calif.) where I bought the car. My saleswoman was not available, but the finance manager was. She had the car detailed and then took a picture of me and the trophy with my shiny new black Aura. (They borrowed the trophy for 5 minutes to show two or three prospective Aura purchasers.) I continued on my journey down to Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles (I used to work there). There is a photo of my car with the course in the background. Notice my black billet grille? I installed that myself, and I get tons of compliments. Then I continued on to Long Beach, Calif., where I took a picture in front of the Queen Mary. A nice older couple stopped and mentioned they had seen the commercial and thought it was a PR hype-thing. I showed them the trophy and let them sit in the car. They were very impressed with the Aura.

I just moved into my first apartment and had my first visitors: my mom and aunt. We took the car along the coast starting in Hermosa Beach through Laguna Beach and continued on down to San Diego and ultimately Tijuana, (never been, I’m good for another three years or so). It was an excellent drive. I especially loved rolling through La Jolla and getting looks from all the cute girls walking by.

I guess it's time to pass the trophy on. To the next recipient, I hope you have as much fun with it as I did. It was so much fun; the excitement of the trophy, showing friends, and looking for that perfect spot for a photo. I included a micro-fiber towel to wipe off the finger prints... man that thing is shiny!

Enjoy and congratulations from Mark.
(tAURAnce_guy on saturnfans.com")

Posted by Editor at 12:29 PM
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Video of the Week: Camaro Convertible at NYAIS

Today's video comes from pantoose.

If you'd like to see your YouTube clip featured as our Video of the Week, tag it "gmfyi" on YouTube and we'll find it.

Posted by Editor at 10:50 AM
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Photo of the Day: Orange Suburban

1999 Suburban - MDOT Fleet package, Tangier Orange paint - adding air horns.

Today's photo comes from the albums of scsulliv.

Be sure to look at all of scsulliv's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 10:31 AM
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April 12, 2007

GM Design Center is No Ordinary Place

By Jennifer Green
Communications Specialist, GM Design Center

I am in the middle of the road when it comes to being a right- or a left-brain person. However, I think that most of the employees at Design Center fall in the right-brain category — and they need to be. After all, they are designing the future of General Motors. They are the creative types — those who come to “life” with inspiration that may come from fashion, architecture or nature. And, I am totally amazed by their talent... it is an inspiration and a delight to work here.

These professionals have a love, obviously, for all things automotive, such as shape, form, proportion and surface — and strive to deliver an automotive experience that improves people’s lives — but they also have a love for all kinds of art. Because designers and sculptors love to create, the GM Design Center established a gallery five years ago to showcase their out-of-the-workplace art. They design by day and create at night, too!

To celebrate the fifth year of the GM Design Center gallery, the current art show is titled “Five.” All of the art pieces measure only 5 inches by 5 inches, in at least two dimensions. (Many of these artists train at top art schools in the country, and it’s not unusual for them to create life-size sculptures and paintings that fill entire walls.)

Along with the “Five” collection, other art pieces have been recently added to the show. These art pieces have been created for donation to the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS) for the ImaginAide event that supports homeless men, women, and children in metro Detroit. I have also found Design Center employees to be artists who are both generous and willing to help others in need.

That’s why I feel that this is no ordinary place... Design Center people are talented, visionary and creative, yet love to share the gifts inside of them. It’s my hope that even those like me, who are middle-of-the-roaders and wannabe artists, can learn, glean, and begin to see as they do.

Posted by Editor at 2:18 PM
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Photo of the Day: Fred's 78

My husband's father's 1978 Coupe DeVille Caddy - it still has 65,000 original miles on it and now belongs to our daughter, Dorothy, who was born in 1978.

Today's photo comes from the albums of Ga Music Maker.

Be sure to look at all of Ga Music Maker's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 2:16 PM
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April 11, 2007

VIDEO: Chris Webb on Color Trends

Studies show that the average consumer makes a subconscious decision whether or not to buy a product within 90 seconds and between 62-90 percent of that is based on color alone!

When it comes to car buying, 39 percent of customers walk out of car dealerships when they don’t like the colors they see. GM Creative Designer Chris Webb’s job is to find today’s hottest color trends. He spoke to automotive journalists during the New York Auto Show about global color trends, and how they affect GM’s design process. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

FYI Archive

What Does Your Car Color Say About You?

Orange You Happy With Your Car Color?

Posted by Editor at 10:28 AM
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Photo of the Day: Saab Reflection

'61 Chevy truck reflected in the door of my '98 Saab 900

Today's photo comes from the albums of ptelford.

Be sure to look at all of ptelford's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 9:49 AM
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April 10, 2007

VIDEO: Meet Jim McCammon

Jim McCammon, a senior at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, won a challenge to create a wrap panel for the Chevy HHR aimed at Gen Y’ers. During the New York Auto Show, he was on the floor to talk about the inspiration for his unique design, "The Flaming Skull from Hell." -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Posted by Editor at 12:55 PM
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From the Archive: 1970

1970 Chevelle SS non-production vehicle

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

Today's find from the GM Media Archve is a photo of a 1970 Chevelle SS.

Posted by Editor at 11:52 AM
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Photo of the Day: Firebird

Today's photo comes from the albums of jan.sedlacek.

Be sure to look at all of jan.sedlacek's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 11:51 AM
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April 5, 2007

Checking in from New York

By Christopher Barger
GM Director of Global Communications Technology

Hi. I'm Christopher Barger, GM's new Director of Global Communications Technology. My team is responsible for GM's online communication and social media efforts, including maintaining the FYI and FastLane blogs. I've just joined GM on March 1 after spending my career in a couple of other industries; and since I'm new not just to GM but to the industry, I'm experiencing a lot of things for the first time — like auto shows, for instance. And since not many people get to be both "newbie" and "insider" at the same time, I thought I'd share a little bit of the experience of the New York Auto Show from the point of view of a newbie behind the scenes.

The first thing I saw this morning when we arrived was the reveal of the "triplets" — Chevrolet's three new mini concept cars, designed by our studio in Korea. This was definitely an Event (capital "E" intentional), complete with dancers, a hipster emcee, thumping urban beats, and a trio of human triplets to match our automotive ones. Having never experienced a reveal before, I didn't know what to expect ... but this was just plain fun. I tried to keep my cynical "communications guy" hat on, but that wasn't really possible; the dancers were a cool touch, they were very good, and the whole event felt like you were at a sports arena as the home team was being introduced. I got caught up in it, I admit it.

I kept hearing from people today that this reveal was "so unlike GM." I don't have past experience to use as a benchmark, but if we did something different than usual today my only thought is that we should do it again. It made the reveal feel even more significant — and more importantly, it made the reveal fun.

From a social media standpoint, this whole show has been a blast for me. I've come to GM from the IT industry, so New York was the first chance I've had to meet some of the bloggers interested in the automotive world. We hosted about a dozen or so over the last couple of days, and it was great to meet new people and a good chance for me to learn about the automotive world and the interests and concerns of those who follow us. One highlight for me was having Bob Lutz make 30 minutes of his calendar available to talk with the bloggers in an impromptu, informal chat session. It was the first time I've met Bob in person and I was as fascinated as the bloggers were by what he had to say. And I was really intrigued with the questions the bloggers had for Bob as well; no one was lobbing softballs, there were tough questions asked, and the conversation was really informative to me — both hearing the questions people have for someone like Bob, and of course hearing his answers. Very cool moment.

Another highlight was at dinner the night before; we invited some of our guests to join us at Metrazur in Grand Central Station for dinner with some of GM's executive team. At my table, Martin Walsh (who leads HUMMER) ended up seated next to an eco-blogger. You might think that this was a recipe for trouble, but on the contrary, their conversation was respectful, was two-way, and I really thought their exchange of ideas and positions was great. Did they end up changing each others' minds completely or get one another to do a 180? Probably not. But you know what? They were talking — and talking TO one another, not AT one another. That was really something, and it made the whole event worthwhile for me. If nothing else, we got a conversation started that might never have happened otherwise. And isn't that what social media's all about?

Finally, I had the chance Wednesday afternoon to wander the show floor a little bit after all the interviews were done. It was cool to see all the different vehicles on display — and interesting to note where the crowds were gathering after all the press conferences were over; most of them were not where as a newbie I thought they'd have been. It was great seeing people react to our vehicles — both the concepts and the production models — and interesting to me to see what other manufacturers had on the floor as well. I've never been as enthusiastic a "car guy" as many of you, but I think it's safe to say that working for GM and going to shows like this one will make me one in a big hurry.

All in all, a great first experience for me — a lot of fun and a chance to learn what the excitement is really all about. If you're in the New York area and have the chance to get down to the show, I highly recommend it.

Take a look at the reveal for yourself with this video:

Posted by Editor at 10:31 AM
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VIDEO: Cadillac CTS Lighting

Designers put a lot of thought into every aspect of a car, including the lighting. With new technological advances and creative-thinking from the CTS design team, the 2008 Cadillac CTS has one of the most innovative lighting systems around. At a recent Cadillac press event, automotive journalists were given an inside look at the CTS lighting system. Kevin Smith, Cadillac Communication Director, John Howell, Cadillac Product Director, and John Manoogian, Lead Exterior Designer, explain the importance of great lighting. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor

Posted by Editor at 10:29 AM
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April 4, 2007

Jim McCammon, HHR Panel Contest Winner

Last week, FYI featured a piece about a contest Chevy did with a group of students from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Seven students created complete vehicle wraps for the Chevy HHR, intended to appeal to the notoriously picky 18- to 25-year old demographic. Chevy named a winner last week — Jim McCammon — whose design, “The Flaming Skull from Hell,” will be on display starting today at the New York International Auto Show. Here is Jim’s story about his design.

By Jim McCammon II
First Semester Senior, College for Creative Studies

I’d like to answer some of the creative questions about "The Flaming Skull from Hell." The first one is, "what influenced the design?" My answer is a little long, so bear with me here, but it really started when I was 6 years old. My father had an old motorcycle that he custom painted. He did it in a red, white, and blue flame pattern, and so began my love of graphic arts. It was during those formative years that my dad and I would listen to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Deep Purple and many others together, and my love for rock 'n' roll was born. When you put those two things together, you have the beginnings of the perfect relationship — art and music — and that’s where my design came from. After the research portion of this project, I made the decision to play off of the classic combination of Chevy and rock 'n' roll.

The stylings of the HHR Panel are reminiscent of a simpler time when hot rods ruled the road, and many of those hot rods were Chevys. So the flames are kind of a tribute to them. As far as the "skull" portion of the design is concerned, that can be attributed to the fact that I think the front end of the HHR Panel looks like a face. Chevy wanted something with attitude, so that’s what I tried to give them. I mean, if you saw this thing in your rear view mirror, what would you do?

This is not your average vehicle, and it's important to note that Chevy has been really active the last few years trying to reach a new generation of car enthusiasts through all different types of media, this being the latest, and for that I commend them. Being from the Detroit area (Livonia), I realize how important it is for the Big 3 to thrive. GM is leading the way for an economic turnaround in the state of Michigan. This means a lot to me because I graduate this December, and I love the state of Michigan; I don't want to leave to have to find a job somewhere out of state, because my heart is here.

This was one of the greatest experiences that I have had since I went back to school, and I thank GM and CCS for the opportunity and the chance to put this on my résumé! Thanks to Ed Peper and Bob Lutz for having the guts to go this direction and pick a design that was intended to scare the pants off of people.

To see all of the designs, check out Flickr.

HHR contest photos on Flickr.

Posted by Editor at 10:13 AM
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April 3, 2007

From the Archive: 1940

A very strange Easter promotional photo... What were we thinking?

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

Today's find, and holiday wish for this weekend, from the GM Media Archive features a 1940 Pontiac Deluxe Touring Sedan.

Posted by Editor at 3:26 PM
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April Calendar Available on Flickr

By Alicia Dorset
Blog editor

Make sure to stop by our Flickr account to download this month's photo calendar, featuring the Saab BioPower 100 Concept.

Posted by Editor at 1:58 PM
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Photo of the Day: Yellow Saab

Saab 96 as seen at ABJ Auto in Somerville, MA.

Today's photo comes from the albums of bwc.

Be sure to look at all of bwc's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 1:30 PM
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April 2, 2007

VIDEO: Cadillac STS Preview

The all-new 2008 Cadillac STS will be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show this week. Kevin Smith, Cadillac Communications Manager, gave a sneak preview to automotive journalists last week in Detroit. Kevin highlighted some of the new features on the car, such as accessories, more chrome, and a revised interior. Take a look at this video from that event. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor.

Posted by Editor at 4:53 PM
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Photo of the Day: RenCen East

This weekend I pulled my broken old Sony Camera apart and then carefully put it back together again. Amazingly this cured the C13 fault that's had it on a shelf for 2 years. So I went out to today to try a few shots with its toy-camera fisheye! This is the east aspect of the RenCen, I've always been taken by the colors along here.

Today's photo comes from the albums of DetroitBikeBlog.

Be sure to look at all of DetroitBikeBlog's photos and our other albums. And if you would like to recommend your favorite photo with a GM car or truck in it, put it up on Flickr and tag it with "gmfyi."

Posted by Editor at 12:48 PM
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