Sweet: GM Replaces Man's Malibu After Surviving Horrific Crash with Sugar-Filled Trailer

Marc Keinath is a very lucky man. Not only did he survive a horrific crash in his 2004 Malibu, but he also received a brand new replacement, courtesy of General Motors. Earlier this week, Mr. Keinath was driving along Interstate 75 in Genesee County, Michigan, when he was caught off-guard by a patch of black ice and spun out of control. While he eventually regained control of the car, unfortunately, a tractor-trailer hauling 20 tons of sugar smashed into the rear of the Malibu and then fell on top of it.

"As parts of the roof of the Malibu began to yield under the tremendous weight of the trailer, Keinath fully reclined his seat to give him more room inside, reached for his cell phone and dialed 911," said GM in a statement. Miraculously, the Malibu withstood the immense pressure and Mr. Keinath was able to walk away with no serious injuries.

“This is an incredible story of survival that shows you just never know what’s going to happen on the road”, said Rick Scheidt, executive director at Chevrolet. “When you look at Marc’s Malibu, you would never expect anyone would ever walk away from it”.

“It’s been a heck of a week for me”, said Keinath. “I want to thank God for giving me a second chance at life, the firefighters and first responders who helped me, and Chevy for making a car that can hold a semi”.

By Csaba Daradics

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eBay Sleeper: 1979 Chevrolet Malibu with Pontiac GTO 5.7-liter LS1 V8

Now that Pontiac is officially gone, one way of keeping the heritage alive is to salvage whatever parts you can find. We don’t know if that’s what the owner of this 1979 Chevrolet Malibu thought, but, nevertheless, he did swap the original engine with a modern 5.7-liter LS1 V8, sourced from a wrecked GTO, while keeping the styling of the car pretty much stock.

Engine aside, the old-school Malibu has been fitted with a 9-inch Ford locking differential, a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual, various Corvette drive accessories and Edelbrock rear shock absorbers.

The seller claims it's in good condition without any rust, and that it is accompanied by the original engine and transmission, purchase order and receipts for every new part installed.

As far as we can tell from the photographs, the interior is also in good shape, fitted with hard-to-find factory original bucket seats and floor console (according to the owner).

The mileage is listed at 47,656, but it could be what the new engine has clocked up and not the car. In any case, the Malibu seems to have aged well and the bevy of new parts installed should put any reliability-related worries to rest. It should be pretty fast, too.

*The car was listed for sale on eBay for $11,000, but the reserve was not met.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: eBay , Via: Ridelust

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VIDEO: Chrysler Promo Compares New 200 with Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion

In what may be a sign of the times, the Chrysler Group is using bloggers, and members of social media sites and forums to promote its newest models on film. Here we see the company's latest promotional clip showing off the restyled and upgraded Sebring sedan, which as most of you know, has been renamed to 200.

The video hosts a number of people from various websites as well as one of its own marketers, and compares the mid-size sedan with Chevrolet's soon-to-be-replaced Malibu (see the official drawings here) and the Ford Fusion. Being a Chrysler made / edited promotional video, we'd take everything said with plenty grains of salt. Follow the break to watch the short clip.

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GM Upping the Ante by Offering Rival Vehicles for Test Drive

According to a report from Reuters, General Motors is preparing for try-the-competition test drives in Chicago, L.A., Philadelphia, and Miami.

The project, called "Test Drive Studio", goes something like this: when consumers walk into a participating dealership, they'll be offered test drives in the mid-size Malibu and the Equinox and Traverse crossovers.

After that, GM puts its (and the US taxpayers') money where its mouth is: they'll offer people the chance to go out in comparable Fords, Toyotas, and Hondas.

Not only will the program offer consumers a chance to make a more direct comparison, but it will save them time in the process. "You come in and drive any of these competitive products at your leisure...You don't have to go running around town to go to a bunch of dealerships," says General Motors' Steve Tihanyi, a director of marketing.

Tihanyi explains that the final goal is to draw the attention of people online by using pop-ups (do pop-ups still work?) on Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book. Not sure about that, but having these Studios in high-traffic shopping centers would be just fine.

Just make sure the dealers don't harass people. Like that Ford dealership I hit up recently and had a guy in the rain knocking on my window for a sale. Wake up man, I'm not getting out of my car to stand in the rain to talk to a salesman. LET IT GO.

- By Phil Alex

Via: Reuters

Patent Designs of Chevrolet Sedan with Camaro-esque Read End: Is it the New Malibu, Impala or Something Else?

Fact: these official drawings of an unnamed Chevrolet sedan were filed with the U.S. patent office by General Motors. And well, that's where the facts end and the speculations start. Looking at the photos, we assume that this mystery Chevrolet four-door saloon with the Camaro-inspired rear-end design is either a mid- or full-size sedan.

And while we know for sure that General Motors is readying a redesign for its Camry-fighting Chevrolet Malibu, we're not at all certain that this is the car depicted here.

For all we know, it could be a replacement for the Impala or (less probably) maybe for the European market and Daewoo-based, Chevy Epica sedan.

Hit the jump to check out the rest of the drawings and tell us what you think in the comments section.

New Chevy Cruze May Be Delayed Until 2011, Malibu Until 2013

One of GM's most promising future models -some say maybe even more promising than the all-electric Volt, the new Chevrolet Cruze could be delayed until 2011, nearly a year after its original U.S. market launch date, according to a report from Businessweek citing sources within the company. Likewise, the next next-generation Chevy Malibu may also be delayed by six months, into 2013, the report said. While GM spokesperson Dee Allen would not confirm any specific product delays, he told the magazine that "the company will continue to review the portfolio and concentrate on what's most important," adding that that some new-car programs "are going to shift around a bit." -Continued

And the reason behind these delays at such a crucial time when GM needs to inject its portfolio with cars that people actually want to buy like the Cruze? What other than to save cash as the General is getting ready for an even more thornier year in 2009.

Yes, you heard right: 2009 is expected to be worse than 2008 which will see around 14 million vehicles being sold in the States compared to 16.2 million in 2007. According to Massachusetts research firm IHS Global Insight, vehicles sales in the U.S. are expected to drop further in 2009 to around 13.4 million units - not exactly the business environment everyone was hopping for.

"GM doesn't have a choice," told Businessweek IHS Global Insight analyst John Wolkonowicz. "They have to do whatever it takes to get through until the car market recovers. That won't happen until 2010."

Hopefully for all us, GM will manage to make it through to 2010 - with or without Chrysler LLC under its protective arms...

Via: Businessweek

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