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General Motors' Future On Display At The Goodwood Festival Of Speed

FOR RELEASE: May 15, 2001

General Motors' Future On Display At The Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Five Contemporary Concept Cars Will Be Featured At The Ninth-Annual Motorsports Heritage Event in England

DETROIT - General Motors will display its vision for the future by sharing the spotlight between a diverse portfolio of concept vehicles and its inspirational motorsports heritage. Five 2001 vehicles (a majority of which were first unveiled at the 2001 North American International Automobile Show) will appear at the July 6-8 Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. These vehicles demonstrate the design innovation that is an integral strategic element for the world's largest automobile manufacturer.

GM'S CONCEPT VEHICLE PRESENCE AT GOODWOOD ENHANCES A RICH MOTORSPORTS HERITAGE
The Buick Bengal, Cadillac Vizón, Chevrolet Borrego, Hummer H2 SUT (sport utility truck) and Pontiac REV concept vehicles will appear at the ninth-annual festival. These vehicles are joined by the 2000 Chevrolet SSR Super Sport Roadster, slated for production in 2002. As a result, enthusiasts attending the 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed can look forward to another eclectic group of interesting and significant GM vehicles, some of which have never before been displayed in England.

"GM concept vehicles are designed to incorporate the dream technology of today into production vehicles tomorrow," said Wayne Cherry, Vice President of Design for General Motors. "That's been the driving force behind GM design through every era. The cars appearing at Goodwood continue this tradition of creative leadership."

BEYOND THE "WOW FACTOR" -GM'S INNOVATION TRADITION
Each concept car presents elements intended by GM designers to not only instill the "wow factor" in a wide audience, but also to continue a tradition of excellence from the design studio to the showroom.

Innovation is the common thread linking each GM concept vehicle on display:

  • Buick Bengal - Integrating a unique two-plus-two seating scheme in a sleekly sculpted roadster with a convertible top, the Bengal offers a third small door behind the driver's door. The third door and a retractable tonneau cover combine to create space for a pair of custom golf bags or seating for two additional passengers. An innovative transmission improves weight distribution in the roadster, powered by a supercharged 3.4 liter V6 engine generating 250 horsepower. The transverse-mounted engine is behind the transmission, creating a shorter overhang and a more rearward center of gravity for improved handling. The car features voice-activated controls that perform more than 118 commands (like operating the headlights, wipers and sound system) and a reconfigurable, color head-up display showing gauges on demand.
  • Cadillac Vizón - The Vizón blends the line between sport utility vehicles and sport/performance wagons in a style unique to Cadillac. The Vizón's four-passenger interior offers a DVD player and built-in video screens that can be enjoyed from leather seats with integrated heating and cooling. A reconfigurable driver's display allows for a customized instrument panel. This allows the driver to readily access an adaptive cruise control system that automatically adjusts the power from the 4.2-liter V8 GM Powered Northstar engine to maintain a safe distance between vehicles. OnStar Virtual Advisor places telephone calls by voice command. Blending art and science, the Vizón also features night vision, a rear-video system and the StabiliTrak( traction control system.
  • Chevrolet Borrego - Rock-solid toughness is blended with the agility of a rally car in the segment-busting sports adventure vehicle, the Chevy Borrego. The Borrego is equally suited for a commute to work or a weekend communion with the great outdoors, offering a reconfigurable mid-gate that allows for two rear-seat passengers, while altering the cargo bed from 6 feet to 3 feet. A portable GPS system aids navigation, and the vehicle is also equipped with an air compressor and pressurized water tank ideal for a quick shower. Borrego is powered by a Subaru 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine providing 250 horsepower.
  • Hummer H2 SUT - Derived from the production-intent 2003 Hummer H2, the H2 SUT is versatile, functional and almost endlessly reconfigurable. The SUT's wide stance and long wheelbase, coupled with GM's 6.0-liter Vortec 6000 V8 engine guarantees the strength to tread virtually anywhere the SUT's military ancestor ventures. Hummer H2 SUT passengers ride in a handsome passenger compartment interior of polished metal, leather, and fabric. A portion of that passenger compartment readily reconfigures - thanks to a folding bulkhead - providing additional space for cargo. Offering the largest skyroof in GM's history, the SUT concept vehicle also boasts roof-mounted, 360-degree infrared night vision, Global Positioning Satellite navigation, the OnStar system and plenty of 110V power outlets for an SUT outdoor trek.
  • Pontiac REV - Melding "rally" sport coupe handling with SUV versatility, the REV sports a 245- horsepower OHC V6 at the business end of a five-speed electronic sequential manual transmission with an automatic mode. Adjustable suspension responds on demand, raising the REV by 2 inches when the road roughens. Headlights track with the car's steering, always assuring illumination on the road ahead. The REV's instrument panels can be reconfigured for a personal fit, while the interior readily adjusts to accommodate long items, like a surfboard. Both interior and exterior materials are borrowed from high-end sporting equipment, as evidenced by the body-contour-molded carbon-fiber seats with Lycra-covered gel padding inspired by bicycle saddles. Finally, a detachable, combined GPS-navigation, cell phone and two-way radio with integrated Internet access from Motorola allows the driver to keep abreast of the world from any location on the globe.

The 2000 Chevrolet SSR concept vehicle complements the latest concept vehicles emerging from the design studio. This symbol of innovation showcases design foresight that has transformed concept into reality:

  • Chevrolet SSR - Seamlessly combining the most appealing aspects of the sports car and the truck, the SSR roadster sparked an immediate positive response from automotive show audiences in 2000. Borrowing styling cues from the Chevy trucks of the 1950s, the concept truck mates a 6.0-liter V8 engine to a low-slung pickup truck platform with a twist: a retractable hardtop. The two-door, rear-wheel-drive truck exceeds normal roadster expectations with the ability to carry three passengers, thanks in part to the steering-wheel mounted transmission control.

CONCEPT VEHICLES AND RACERS ALIKE CONTRIBUTE TO GM'S CREATIVE LEADERSHIP
Combining state-of-the-art concept vehicles and cars that have contributed to a winning motorsports tradition, the Goodwood Festival of Speed serves as a reminder of where GM has been and - more importantly - where the manufacturer is going. Leadership through innovation is a recurring theme in these representative platforms, and that driving force directly connects to roads across the globe - in any location a GM product is driven.

The annual festival is expected to attract thousands of guests over the course of two days this year. Considered by event organizers as "the greatest gathering of motor racing machinery on the planet," the festival provides both celebrities and automobile lovers a rare opportunity to observe motorsports heritage first hand.

GENERAL MOTORS HERITAGE REFLECTS A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE CONTINUING IN PRODUCTION MODELS TODAY
General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, is taking advantage of new technologies to transform itself into a fast-moving, globally integrated corporation of the 21st century. Its heritage has been and always will be an integral element in shaping future endeavors.