2019 Chevrolet Corvette C8 To Share Volt Powertrain

2019 Chevrolet Corvette C8

There will likely be a few heart attacks due to the fact that Chevrolet has announced that the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette C8 will share many parts of the new mid-engine Corvette with the Chevy Volt.

2019 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Press Release

When we asked for an official statement about the news, we received this (Gearheads specific) press release:

Gearheads, Chevrolet and parent company GM wish to state the fact that like many other Americans, we thought Hilary was going to get elected at the time of R&D for the C8 Corvette. This caused us to go to the drawing board and whip up a design that would cause fewer “dumpster juice” smelling hippies to protest our vehicles. The Corvette, being a conservative icon would be the first to be ridiculed for its blatant display of capitalism. We already spent so much on that shitbox Volt trying to appease those snowflakes that we decided to dump that turd sandwich of a power plant into our icon car in order to save overhead costs.

Next thing you know, Trump wins and now he wants fuel standards to drop faster than polar bears. As a result, we talked with accounting and they stated: “you already wasted all funds on that shitbox Volt”. So, we are working on spinning this small displacement powertrain like Ford did with the EcoBoosted GT. Why, because “ƒUçK Ford”, that’s why! Their baby dong engine helped them win the Rolex 24-hour and that GT looks siiiiiiick! So we want to outdo those “sister sodomizing” mullets over there at Ford as we make the new Corvette better, somehow.

4 Awesome American Vehicles Named Differently Overseas

Buick Regal (Opel Insignia, Vauxhall Insignia)

Buick Regal has a long tradition and deserves to be part of tri-shield automaker’s portfolio. Regal’s main market isn’t USA any more. It’s China. But that’s not the only other market in which Regal appears. It’s also available in the UK as Vauxhall Insignia, and in rest of Europe as Opel Insignia. Furthermore, as of next year and introduction of the second generation Insignia, New Zealand and Australia will get it as Holden Commodore (NG). As it’s usually the case, both Regal and Insignia are very similar in their styling. Engine choices make the most of their differences. Buick Regal can be had with 2.0L turbo four and 2.4L normally aspirated four in the US, and additional 1.6L turbo four exclusive to the Chinese market. Euro spec Insignia, on the other hand, adds two tunes of 1.6L turbo diesel 4-cylinder while discarding the naturally aspirated 2.4L mill.

Buick Regal

Vauxhall Insignia

Chevrolet Spark (Opel Karl, Vauxhall Viva)

Spark originally started as Daewoo Matiz, but Chevy quickly changed its name after absorbing the Korean automaker. Current, fourth generation of this super mini city hatchback answers to the name Karl in Europe and Viva in the UK. Styling differences across the three are somewhat more substantial than it’s usually the case. While Karl and Viva are more or less the same car, Spark boasts different front and rear end, different headlights, and different midsection creases. Finally, while Spark gets 1.4L 4-cylinder engine capable of producing 98 horsepower, more pragmatic Europeans get off with 1.0L 3-cylinder delivering 74 horsepower and 66 mpg.

Chevrolet Spark

Opel Karl

Ford Fusion (Ford Mondeo)

Ford Fusion is currently Blue Oval’s best-sold sedan in the US with range comprising of petrol, hybrid and plug-in models. Fusion currently shares its underpinnings with Euro spec Ford Mondeo, but that wasn’t always the case. Mondeo predates Fusion by almost 15 years, being introduced in 1992. It was first affiliated to Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, but these badges have long since been retired. Just like the versatile Fusion, Mondeo too offers plenty of choices when it comes to powertrains. Apart from mechanically identical hybrid, Mondeo comes with a host of both petrol and diesel engines. Most of them are 4-cylinder mills, but Mondeo can also be had with 1.0L 3-cylinder for greater efficiency. On the other hand, Fusion should soon start offering 2.7L EcoBoost V6 powerplant.

Ford Fusion

Ford Mondeo

Chrysler 300 (Lancia Thema)

Chrysler 300 has been a success ever since it was introduced. Bold, radical styling, great performance and luxury that was still more affordable (albeit sub par) compared to German competitors, helped it stay competitive in the luxury car segment. Backtrack a few years, and you’ll stumble upon Lancia Thema which resembles Chrysler 300 in an uncanny way. Maybe because it was based upon it. Although Lancia Thema originally hails from mid eighties, this revived 300-based version had a lot in common with the original car. It too was luxurious, boxy and powerful. Unlike Chrysler 300, which at that time featured 292-hp and 300-hp 3.6L Pentastar V6 (not to mentione Hemi-powered V8 models), Lancia Thema had the engine capped at 282 horsepower. Furthermore, Italian version of the 300 could have been had with either 188-hp or 236-hp VM Motori 3.0L turbo diesel V6. Thema was, sadly, discontinued in 2014.

Chrysler 300C

Lancia Thema

10 American Vehicles Named Differently Overseas

In modern conditions, large automakers can’t afford to be strangers to badge engineering. Rebadged cars appear more and more often as automakers divert their resources on lowering production costs by establishing alliances, sharing platforms and even outright buying out their competition. American automakers are no strangers to this practice as well. They’ve rebadged a number of foreign nameplates over the years and these 10 were likely the best jobs they’ve ever done in that respect. This time, however, we’ll be focusing on reversed state of affairs. Here are the 10 current American models marketed overseas under different badges, names or even both.

Dodge Journey (Fiat Freemont)

Mid-size crossover was introduced for 2009 model year and started initially as North American market exclusive vehicle. As of 2011, however, things changed. Mexican-made SUV received new badge and name, and started its overseas journey as Fiat Freemont. Fiat Freemont can now be bought in Australia, China, South Korea, Brazil and most of Europe. Unlike American models which are offered in conventional two-way 4-cylinder and V6 options, global models can also be ordered with fuel-efficient 2.0L turbo diesel engine. Other than one additional engine and reworked frontal fascia, Dodge Journey and Fiat Freemont are basically the same thing.

Dodge Journey

Fiat Freemont

Buick Encore (Opel Mokka, Vauxhall Mokka)

Buick’s first ever compact crossover was actually first introduced as Opel Mokka in Europe, in late 2012. Buick version came a few months later, in early 2013. Differences between the models, however, are almost non existent. There’s nothing to separate them apart from different badges and frontal fascia. And engines, of course. While Buick Encore in America and China both come with 1.4L turbo four making 138 horsepower, European Opel and Vauxhall counterparts do things slightly differently. Redesigned Mokka X (both Opel and Vauxhall) can either be ordered with mentioned 1.4L turbo four or optional 1.6L diesel and petrol mills.

Buick Encore

Opel Mokka X

Ford Escape (Ford Kuga)

One of the best sold American compact crossovers doesn’t stop there. Ford Escape has its market across the pond too, where it goes under the name Ford Kuga since 2012. Kuga existed before that, mind you, but it was based on the C1 platform jointly developed by Ford, Mazda, and Volvo. Furthermore, third generation Ford Escape and second generation Ford Kuga feature the same visual treatment. They’re only powered by different engines. While American version offers a choice between 1.6L and 2.0L EcoBoost 4-cylinders, and 2.5L naturally aspirated in-line four, overseas models add 1.5L EcoBoost and four tunes of 2.0L Duratorq diesel mill. They don’t get the naturally aspirated 2.5L engine, though.

Ford Escape

Ford Kuga