The outgoing Chevy Malibu -- not quite gone, really, as 2012 models are still available -- was one of Bob Lutz's notable achievements at GM. It pulled Chevy's midsize nameplate out of the rental-car ooze and became a handsome, competent entry in the very tough mid-size sedan segment. The 2013 model builds on some of those achievements, but it might have made a better first impression with its full range of powertrain offerings.

The Corvette's legend was made during the period from the mid Fifties, when it got its mojo working, right on through the Sixties. Soon thereafter, the Corvette went into a period of decline along with the rest of the American auto industry. As the whole idea of performance came under assault, the Corvette drifted into self-parody. More recently, of course, the Corvette has come back, regaining and then eclipsing the performance of its halcyon days.

With the radically overhauled 2014 model, the Chevrolet Impala reaches its tenth generation. That's a big deal. The Toyota Camry is only on its ninth generation. Same goes for the Honda Accord. How about the six-decade-old Mercedes-Benz SL? A mere six generations.

Despite debuting just four short years ago, Chevrolet has seen fit to give the Traverse an extensive exterior and interior update for 2013. The 2013 Traverse will be making its debut at the 2012 New York auto show in April, alongside its 2013 Buick Enclave platform-mate.

The Chevrolet Cruze has sold over one million copies since it launched in 2009, and now the company plans to expand the model's appeal. Following up on a five-door hatchback unveiled at last year's Geneva Motor Show, Chevrolet will launch a Cruze wagon at Geneva this March.

Whereas January proved better than expected -- and expectations were pretty optimistic given that 2011 ended on a high note -- February was practically gangbusters. At the start of the year, most analysts were predicting that sales for 2012 would come in somewhere in the 13 million-unit range. The pace in January was over 14 million. That was good, but February was even better, touching 15 million units. That compares to 12.8 million new cars and trucks sold in 2011. If auto sales can maintain that pace -- and that's a big if -- it would mean the industry has fully recovered from the 2008 crash.

Seeing the Equinox parked in my garage gave me a new appreciation to how handsome the car is in profile, especially with the bright eighteen-inch wheels. It is a more cohesive and muscular design than its GMC Terrain sibling, which has too many right angles stuck on for no reason than to "butch" up the car. The interior is also well laid out, with a high center stack that puts the majority of controls in easy reach, and a number of thoughtfully designed compartments, nooks, and crannies. Even without the optional moonroof, the tall glass area let in a lot of light; although I always felt as though I was sitting a little too low due to the high dashboard. Generally, this is a very well executed package.

The current C6-generation Corvette has had a good, long run and as a fond farewell, Chevy has developed the Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition. The 2013 Corvette marks the 60th anniversary of the Corvette nameplate and the final model year of the current Corvette. The 2013 Chevy Corvette 427 Convertible and 2013 Chevy Corvette 60th Anniversary Package models made their first official debuts at the Barrett Jackson auction in Arizona on January 21, and both will be on sale early this summer.

You may think that southeast Michigan, home to General Motors’ proving ground in Milford, gets plenty cold enough in winter. Yet for true cold-weather testing, GM engineers subjected the next-generation C7 Corvette to the extreme chill of northern Canada. That gave our spy photographers a chance to snap photos of this prototype version of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette as it is readied for production.

Chevrolet's stand at the Detroit auto show provided an intriguing if confusing look into the bow-tie brand's sport compact strategy, from the mild -- a slightly modified version of the Sonic due out later this year -- to the wild -- a Lamborghini Gallardo knock-off called the Tru 140S, which would ride on the same platform as the Cruze.

Chevrolet knows damn well how to build a sports car. Evidence: the Corvette. Ever since the mid-1950s, it has defined the very idea of what an American sports car is. Attempts to create a second Chevrolet sports car, however, have been met with less success. Excepting the Chevelle SS and a handful of Camaros -- and maybe the Corvair Monza if we're being generous -- it's been rare to find a performance Chevy as inspired as the Corvette. The 2010 revival of the Camaro raised our hopes, until its sloppy handling and performance-numbing obesity torpedoed our expectations. The 2012 Camaro ZL1 changes all of that with huge power, sophisticated technology, and exceptional handling.

Our 2011 Automobile of the Year didn't earn a spot on our 2012 All-Stars list, but the Chevy Volt's powertrain is still a massively impressive piece of engineering. The Volt's key trick is a seamless transition between running on electricity and gasoline. The gas/electric drivetrain allows for roughly 35 miles of driving range using electricity stored in a large lithium-ion battery before firing up a small, four-cylinder gas engine for another 300 miles of range. The dual power sources offer all of the incentives of driving an electric vehicle -- charging at home, cheap energy, and the potential for reduced emissions -- while eliminating the inconvenience of limited range and slow charging times that afflict pure electric vehicles.

Kids. Young’uns. Whippersnappers. Generation Y. Millennials. Call them what you may, but don’t call them irrelevant when it comes to purchasing power. General Motors estimates this group, which consists of about 80 million consumers in the U.S alone., has a collective purchasing power of about $1 trillion. That’s the sort of gold vein any automaker would love to tap into, but few do so effectively.

You'd probably never expect this pretty green 1936 Chevy to have a horn that sounds like that of a diesel train locomotive. Tap the button at the center of the steering wheel, however, and the thundering noise startles just about everyone within earshot. When the double-hinged, passenger-side hood panels are raised, the source of the sound becomes obvious: two huge trumpetlike horns hang prominently above the six-cylinder engine, which isn't much longer than the horns themselves.

A stiff clutch pedal and a manual shifter that doesn't move through the gears with much fluidity make the Camaro SS a chore to drive around town. The tall cowl, small windows, huge A-pillars, and tall, broad hood are also bummers, because you can easily feel claustrophobic in this car. If you're a Camaro person, you might not much care, but I find the Ford Mustang to be easier to drive and to have a more livable cabin than the Camaro. I suppose I would have liked our test Camaro better had it been equipped with the Hurst short-throw shifter, which seems like it would be $380 well-spent.

The Cruze has been a homerun for Chevy, repeatedly appearing in the top of the sales chart for the compact class and giving the Toyota Corolla a run for its money as reigning champ of the segment's sales. (Through November, the Cruze was only down by 4193 units to the number-one-selling Corolla among all compacts.) It's no surprise that the Cruze has been popular with the car-buying public thanks to its best-in-class interior, handsome design, and good pricing. (In comparison, only the Hyundai Elantra and Mazda 3 are cheaper when similarly equipped, and by less than $1000.) The turbocharged four-cylinder is lively and peppy - especially around town - but the Cruze is not nearly as refined as the Ford Focus, nor does it feel as planted as the Focus, the 3, or the Elantra on the highway. However, color me impressed; it's quite amazing that this car came from the same company that was peddling the Cobalt in the same segment just a few short years ago.

The Chevrolet Aveo RS concept, which debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, was more than just a quick preview of the brand’s new subcompact offering. It was a salvo of sorts, suggesting the company focused on developing a small car that was potentially substantial and – of all things – somewhat sporty.

The current-generation Chevrolet Malibu, which debuted in 2008, may have been the signature accomplishment of Bob Lutz's tenure at General Motors. The former GM vice president's celebrated sense of style and attention to detail heralded the first truly excellent Chevrolet passenger car in decades. Fast forward four years and one bankruptcy, and we have the next-generation Malibu -- the first car to bear the fingerprints of GM's present CEO, Dan Akerson. Although development was already under way by the time Akerson assumed the mantle in late 2010, he reportedly applied the full weight of his authority to rush the car to market in time for the new year rather than letting the current Malibu -- still competent but now dated -- languish until summer. Therefore, our biggest question prior to driving the new 2013 Malibu was, has Dan improved Bob's car or damaged it? Does the new Malibu consolidate and build upon the critical gains of its predecessor or has it suffered a setback because of its last-minute rush to production? The answer to both questions is "yes."

Talk about deja vu. This is the second weekend I've spent behind the wheel of a bright red Camaro convertible, although I've somehow traded summer heat for autumn gloom, baseball for college football, and apple pie for apple cider.

Although Chevy's hugely successful redesign of the Malibu debuted roughly four years ago, an all-new Malibu is already going into production in early 2012 as a 2013 model. The new Malibu is being touted as the brand's "first global mid-size vehicle," which Chevy has plans to sell on six continents. The exterior is noticeably sleeker, with a wider stance and a Camaro-inspired rear fascia. Chevy designers would probably like to take all the credit, but the sleeker profile was also influenced by engineers who logged hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel. From underbody panels to active shutters in the grille, the new car has numerous aerodynamic aids that improve its drag coefficient by more than .06 over the previous Malibu, bringing it to within .01 of the Volt. Better aerodynamics often result in better fuel economy, but Chevy didn't stop there. A brand-new, more-fuel-efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaces the Malibu's previous roster of powerplants. Power and torque ratings will likely fall somewhere between the old engines', with early estimates from Chevy of 190 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. The changes continue in the cabin, which is more spacious and looks more attractive, with better lighting, better materials, and a more cohesive design. Since its rebirth as a 2008 model, we have awarded the Malibu two All-Stars and have consistently praised its chassis, brakes, and steering as among the best in its class. With our only criticism being addressed by the new powertrain, we expect the new Malibu to improve on its predecessor in every way.

Despite its age, the Chevrolet Corvette is one of the greatest sports cars in the world. There's a wide range of models that can fit a variety of budgets from the entry-level Corvette coupe up to the monstrous ZR1. I prefer the Grand Sport because it offers the right mix of performance and cost and it feels a little more special than a regular Corvette coupe. The super-high-performance ZR1 is reserved for those with deep pockets and, hopefully, plenty of experience with high-performance sports cars.

The Chevrolet Spark isn't a new car -- if you live in Asia, Europe, Australia, or South America, that is. The subcompact Spark has been sold outside of North America for a few years now, and it is finally coming to the U.S. and Canada in mid-2012. The 2013 Chevy Spark will give General Motors a car with which to fight new subcompact offerings including the Fiat 500 and Scion iQ.

The number of battery-electric small cars on sale in the U.S. is about to grow yet again. Chevrolet announced today that it will sell an electric-powered version of the upcoming 2013 Spark hatchback around the world, including in North America.

If a fixed roof was the only characteristic preventing you from dubbing the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as the perfect muscle car, you'll be happy to hear GM is adding a ZL1 Convertible for the 2013 model year.

The Beginning
In the freewheeling auto industry at the dawn of the 1900s, the maestro who created, then lost, General Motors bounced back to create his greatest automotive endeavor yet.