From Chevrolet.com:
Chevy WiFi powered by Autonet Mobile delivers high-speed Internet service to the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, transforming it into an on-demand mobile office for small-business owners, contractors and travelers.
Autonet is a dealer-installed system that provides full Internet access for multiple users inside and within a 150-foot radius of the truck, using a laptop, smartphone or other WiFi-enabled device. The suggested retail price is $399.
“We know business doesn’t stop when people are out of the office,” said Dan Tigges, product manager, full-size trucks and utility vehicles. “Autonet allows them to enhance productivity by seamlessly and conveniently continue doing business at the jobsite.”
Chevy WiFi provides workers with the access and ability to immediately connect with colleagues and customers online. For example, it can be used at a jobsite to access municipal Web sites for permit and building code information, as well as complete administrative tasks such as printing invoices from the vehicle. Additionally, by using WiFi on laptop computers, Web layouts and images are larger and more readable than they are on a hand-held device.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about accessories for your Chevrolet vehicle at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
100 Millionth Chevy Small Block to be Built
From Chevrolet.com:
The 100-millionth Chevy Small Block engine will be produced in 2011, commemorating a defining chapter in Chevrolet’s 100-year history. Introduced in 1955, the “Chevy V-8” transformed the brand, and fueled American’s love of performance that continues today.
“The introduction of the Small Block changed everything,” said Jim Campbell, vice president, GM Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The Small Block was an instant success because it offered customers high performance and an affordable price, in a compact design that was very easy to modify. The Small Block also started a wave of innovation – and escalating performance – that transformed the cars Americans drove on the street and the track.”
Today, Chevrolet sells more four-cylinder engines than V-8s. But, descendents of the original Chevy small block still power Chevrolet’s most-capable production and racing vehicles. As per the original, the newer V-8s are physically small and light – and extremely efficient at turning fuel into horsepower.
“Without question, the current Chevrolet V-8s are lineal descendants of the 1955 small block,” said Sam Winegarden, GM executive director for Global Engine Engineering. “They retain the 90-degree V-configured eight-cylinder layout, overhead valve placement and characteristic pushrod valve train. Where they differ are the modern technologies that would have sounded like science fiction 50 years ago, such as all-aluminum blocks, titanium connecting rods, Active Fuel Management, and variable valve timing.”
On the track, the Small Block has made Chevrolet the most-winning name in NASCAR history, and it powered the Corvette Racing team to seven class wins at Le Mans between 2001 and 2011.
On the street, the modern Small Block powers Chevrolet’s full-size trucks, such as Silverado and Suburban, as well as performance cars including the Camaro and Corvette. These modern engines deliver levels of power, durability, and efficiency that were inconceivable 50 years ago. For example, the 6.2L Small Block in 2012 Corvette delivers 436 horsepower, up to 26 miles per gallon, and is backed by General Motors’ five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Read entire article here.
Stop by Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet for more information on the engine choices available in the full line of Chevrolet vehicles.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Chevrolet Engineers Use Technology to Reduce Cabin Noise
From Chevrolet.com:
A room full of audiophiles may not agree on a single style of music, but most concur that ordinary MP3 player ear buds don’t have the technology to deliver concert-quality sound. Likewise, Chevrolet noise engineers threw out conventional tools to evaluate the interior sound quality of the all-new 2013 Malibu sedan.
In the intensely competitive midsize car segment, customers expect refined, quiet interiors. The challenge for engineers is that sound – like music – is very subjective, and people respond to it differently. “To tune the sound properties to appeal to the widest possible audience, we need to make sure everyone hears the same thing,” said Kara Gordon, Malibu’s lead acoustic engineer.
Gordon and her fellow engineers are using better sound reproduction in the lab to help make the 2013 Malibu sedan one of the most refined and quiet midsize sedans available when it launches early next year.
They are doing this by equipping pre-production Malibus with a mannequin-like recording device called an Aachen HEAD. Named for the headquarters of Head Acoustics GmbH in Aachen, Germany, the head is a digital recording tool that closely matches the way humans process sound with both their ears. The Aachen HEAD technology preserves the binaural attributes of the sound, regardless of whether it’s inside or outside of a moving vehicle.
The device mimics the head of an average-sized person and incorporates specially calibrated, highly accurate digital microphones in each ear position. The microphones use a precise, 24-bit recording resolution to enable dynamic range equal with human hearing.
The Aachen HEAD is typically belted into the passenger seat or rear seat farthest from the driver. The recordings are made as the test Malibus are driven on a variety of road surfaces at a range of speeds.
At General Motors’ “Jury Room” in Milford, Mich., groups of engineers listen to the Malibu’s interior noise recordings and rate them on several criteria.
The Jury Room is equipped with a high-fidelity audio playback system that features Stax SR-303 electrostatic ear speakers. Unlike those little white buds, the large, rectangular Stax units fit over the ear and feature a large, translucent electrostatic film for precise sound reproduction.
The stock ear buds that come with a digital music player can reproduce sounds from a low end of 20 Hz to a maximum of 20,000 Hz, but all audio devices experience distortion as they approach the limits of their range.
In contrast, the Stax ear speakers’ range goes from just 7 Hz all the way up to 41,000 Hz, well beyond the range of the human ear. However, that extra head room means the speakers are always closer to their sweet spot for the sounds we can hear. That means everyone evaluating the sounds of a Malibu or any other Chevrolet hears the same sounds, regardless of which set of ear speakers is used, giving the engineers more consistent feedback on sound quality.
“The typical acoustic memory of the human ear to discern subtle yet important differences is about 10 seconds – or about the time it takes to go from one vehicle to another. The Aachen HEAD, our Jury Room and high-tech headphones make it possible for us to give our Malibu customers the quietest, most pleasing interior sound quality possible,” said Gordon.
The new Malibu will feature components that prevent tire, wind and road noise from entering the cabin. Several components such as noise-reducing outside rear view mirrors, laminated side glass and noise-absorption pads are strategically placed to make the cabin quiet and improve the overall quality inside.
Learn more about the Chevrolet Malibu at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
A room full of audiophiles may not agree on a single style of music, but most concur that ordinary MP3 player ear buds don’t have the technology to deliver concert-quality sound. Likewise, Chevrolet noise engineers threw out conventional tools to evaluate the interior sound quality of the all-new 2013 Malibu sedan.
In the intensely competitive midsize car segment, customers expect refined, quiet interiors. The challenge for engineers is that sound – like music – is very subjective, and people respond to it differently. “To tune the sound properties to appeal to the widest possible audience, we need to make sure everyone hears the same thing,” said Kara Gordon, Malibu’s lead acoustic engineer.
Gordon and her fellow engineers are using better sound reproduction in the lab to help make the 2013 Malibu sedan one of the most refined and quiet midsize sedans available when it launches early next year.
They are doing this by equipping pre-production Malibus with a mannequin-like recording device called an Aachen HEAD. Named for the headquarters of Head Acoustics GmbH in Aachen, Germany, the head is a digital recording tool that closely matches the way humans process sound with both their ears. The Aachen HEAD technology preserves the binaural attributes of the sound, regardless of whether it’s inside or outside of a moving vehicle.
The device mimics the head of an average-sized person and incorporates specially calibrated, highly accurate digital microphones in each ear position. The microphones use a precise, 24-bit recording resolution to enable dynamic range equal with human hearing.
The Aachen HEAD is typically belted into the passenger seat or rear seat farthest from the driver. The recordings are made as the test Malibus are driven on a variety of road surfaces at a range of speeds.
At General Motors’ “Jury Room” in Milford, Mich., groups of engineers listen to the Malibu’s interior noise recordings and rate them on several criteria.
The Jury Room is equipped with a high-fidelity audio playback system that features Stax SR-303 electrostatic ear speakers. Unlike those little white buds, the large, rectangular Stax units fit over the ear and feature a large, translucent electrostatic film for precise sound reproduction.
The stock ear buds that come with a digital music player can reproduce sounds from a low end of 20 Hz to a maximum of 20,000 Hz, but all audio devices experience distortion as they approach the limits of their range.
In contrast, the Stax ear speakers’ range goes from just 7 Hz all the way up to 41,000 Hz, well beyond the range of the human ear. However, that extra head room means the speakers are always closer to their sweet spot for the sounds we can hear. That means everyone evaluating the sounds of a Malibu or any other Chevrolet hears the same sounds, regardless of which set of ear speakers is used, giving the engineers more consistent feedback on sound quality.
“The typical acoustic memory of the human ear to discern subtle yet important differences is about 10 seconds – or about the time it takes to go from one vehicle to another. The Aachen HEAD, our Jury Room and high-tech headphones make it possible for us to give our Malibu customers the quietest, most pleasing interior sound quality possible,” said Gordon.
The new Malibu will feature components that prevent tire, wind and road noise from entering the cabin. Several components such as noise-reducing outside rear view mirrors, laminated side glass and noise-absorption pads are strategically placed to make the cabin quiet and improve the overall quality inside.
Learn more about the Chevrolet Malibu at Tyrrell-Doyle Chevrolet.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Celebrating 100 Years of Chevrolet
Chevrolet will celebrate the countdown to its 100th birthday on November 3 by encouraging its customers and fans to tell their Chevy stories, vote for their favorite Chevrolet cars and trucks, and take the birthday party to their communities with the help of Chevrolet and its dealers.
“Chevrolet has sold more than 200 million cars and trucks around the world, and Chevys have touched the lives of countless owners, families, and fans,” said Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy. “It is fitting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevrolet’s role in peoples’ lives.”
In the United States, Chevrolet today kicks off the 100-day countdown to its 100th birthday with the launch of the Centennial Experience at Chevy100.com that will:
■Help fans to pick their favorite Chevrolet of all time from a list of 16 iconic vehicles, starting with the 1912 Chevrolet Six that helped launch the company, and concluding with the revolutionary 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle;
■Encourage fans to share stories and photos about the roles that Chevrolets have played in their lives via social media channels such as the Chevrolet Facebook page.
■Direct fans to Centennial activities in their communities via a Facebook calendar listing Chevrolet events;
■Share a vision for the future of Chevrolet.
Read entire article here.
“Chevrolet has sold more than 200 million cars and trucks around the world, and Chevys have touched the lives of countless owners, families, and fans,” said Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy. “It is fitting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevrolet’s role in peoples’ lives.”
In the United States, Chevrolet today kicks off the 100-day countdown to its 100th birthday with the launch of the Centennial Experience at Chevy100.com that will:
■Help fans to pick their favorite Chevrolet of all time from a list of 16 iconic vehicles, starting with the 1912 Chevrolet Six that helped launch the company, and concluding with the revolutionary 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle;
■Encourage fans to share stories and photos about the roles that Chevrolets have played in their lives via social media channels such as the Chevrolet Facebook page.
■Direct fans to Centennial activities in their communities via a Facebook calendar listing Chevrolet events;
■Share a vision for the future of Chevrolet.
Read entire article here.