Chevy News: Indianapolis 500 Winner and New Vehicle Packages, Options Announced

BAY CITY, Mich. – Chevy has been in the news a lot recently, as they continue to have a successful 2018. On top of rolling out new information on the 2019 Silverado 1500 and 2019 Suburban, Chevy was proud to have two of their vehicles place 1st and 2nd in the recent Indianapolis 500. Now is an exciting time to be a Chevy driver, so read below for more updates on your favorite Detroit motor-brand!

Chevrolet Finishes in 1st and 2nd Place in the 102 Indianapolis 500

The most exciting Chevrolet news revolves around the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet Driver Will Power. On May 27th, Power claimed victory at the 102 Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana. His Chevy victory news came as he won a 3.1589 victory over Ed Carpenter, a pole sitter.

“I can’t describe it,” Power stated. “I feel like collapsing. I want to cry. I was wondering if I would ever win it and thoughts went through my mind during the month. This was the last box to tick, but I’m done.”

This Chevrolet news of triumph dates back to the days of Rick Mears, who won the pole for Team Penske during 1988. Power is the first Australian to win the Indy 500 and to gain victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and the 2,439-mile, 14-turn road, which uses sections of the 2.5-mile oval to complete the sweep.

2019 Suburban RST Performance Package Announced

While Power’s victory is hitting the top of the Chevy news everywhere, what is just as exciting is the announcement of the new 2019 Suburban RST Performance Package. The new 2019 Suburban RST will sport a 420 hp, 6.2L V-8 engine, a modern Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission, and Magnetic Ride Control with performance calibration.

This marks the first time Suburban will offer the 6.2L V-8, which has 460 lb-ft of torque and 420 horsepower.

“The RST Performance Package made its debut on the Tahoe RST last spring, and the response from our customers was overwhelmingly positive,” Chevy Trucks Marketing and Advertising Director Sandor Piszar stated. “In fact, Tahoe RST with the Performance Package is the fastest-turning Tahoe model, and we’ve received customer requests to offer the same performance and power to Suburban RST.”

Chevy fans will be excited to hear that the Suburban RST performance accessories include a custom tuned Performance Dual-Side Exit exhaust system and an available Performance front brake upgrade package. The Performance Package is available as an upgrade to the Suburban RST, introduced last year.

2019 Silverado 1500 Engine and Transmission Options Announced

The announcement of the engine and transmission options for the 2019 Silverado 1500 could not have come sooner for Chevy lovers. With eight different trim levels as paired with six engine and transmission options, they are seeking to serve three different customers: High Value, High Volume, and High Feature. Options for the engine include the 4.3L V-6, 2.7L Turbo, 5.3L V-8, and the Duramax 3.0L inline-six Turbo Diesel. Silverado 1500 Chief Engineer Tim Asoklis said the performance of the different engines and transmissions will benefit from the truck being lighter.

“With less weight and less wind resistance, we improved the driving dynamics without sacrificing fuel efficiently,” Asoklis said. He said the chassis feels more responsive and acceleration is more pronounced. With so many options for your new Chevy ride, Graff Bay City can help take you through all of your different options during your vehicle search. More Chevrolet news will be hitting the wire soon. So stay tuned!

Hank Graff Chevy is located at 3636 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706 and we are here to help our community grow to become an even better place to call home! For more information on Hank Graff Chevrolet, or for any questions call us at (989) 684-4411 or visit our website: www.GraffBayCity.com.

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Chevrolet Uses Five Recycled Chevy Volt Batteries To Power One Of Their Data Centers

BAY CITY, Mich. - Do you ever wonder what happens to those used electric car batteries? Where do they go? Well, Chevy is here to answer that question for you. Chevrolet uses five recycled Chevy Volt batteries to power one of their data centers. The batteries are currently keeping the lights on at the brand-new, state-of-the-art General Motors Enterprise Data Center at its Milford Proving Ground.

Re-purposed Volt battery covers have had many jobs in the past, including being used as bat houses and nesting boxes for endangered duck species, but now General Motors feels like it's finally time to tap into the larger batteries from the first-generation models. The Volt usually draws most of its power from a particular band of energy in the battery pack itself, and there is a lot of useable juice left over for stationary usage. The administration building's circuit breaker panel is fed by a new solar array and two wind turbines where five Volt batteries work in conjunction to supply power to the entire building.

The Volt battery is perfect for this sort of work! Even after the battery has reached the end of its useful life, up to 80 percent of its storage capacity remains intact. The secondary usage actually extends the life of the Volt battery, while delivering waste reduction and economic benefits on an industrial scale.

This system is perfectly ideal for commercial use because a business can derive complete functionality from an existing battery while reducing upfront cost through this reuse of energy. It is truly exciting that Chevrolet uses five recycled Chevy Volt batteries to power one of their data centers, and at Graff Bay City we love representing a company that truly cares for energy sustainability! If you would like to hear more about how Chevy is always pushing the envelope in regards to renewable energy sources, feel free to stop by! You could always check out our energy/fuel efficient new and used cars at our Chevrolet Dealership! Hank Graff Chevy is located at 3636 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706 and we are here to help our community grow to become an even better place to call home! For more information on Hank Graff Chevrolet, or for any questions call us at (989) 684-4411 or visit our website: www.GraffBayCity.com.

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The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic – Success From Stress Tests

It seems like ever since the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic’s performance at this years Super Bowl, people just can’t get enough. This little car has been doing some pretty big and daring stunts. The Sonic has been busting out kick-flips, bungee jumping over a kiddy pool, and even skydiving! There has been a lot of extreme testing that has attributed this mini-Evil Kenevil mobile. In an article from Chevrolet News called, “Grueling Road Stress Fuels Chevy Sonic Success” discusses the testing done to the 2012 Chevy Sonic that has helped shape it into the successful small car it is today. Take a look:

DETROIT – There are miles and then there are “Seth miles.” Both measure 5,280 feet, but a “Seth mile” is different. More extreme. More grueling. More punishing. All that rigor is part of the durability story of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic.   

“Seth miles” are named for Chevrolet Sonic Quality Manager Seth Valentine. Each mile Valentine puts on a test vehicle is called a “Seth mile” by Sonic engineers because of his reputation for extreme testing on long road trips. Valentine’s duty: Make the   Sonic the most reliable and durable small car in North America.

The efforts are paying off as Sonic more than doubled the sales of its predecessor, the Aveo, in January. Sonic is the only subcompact built in the United States.

Over one six-week period, Valentine drove more than 14,000 miles in the first Sonic to leave the General Motors Orion (Mich.) Assembly Plant. Valentine drove Sonic Vehicle Identification No. 1 from north to south and east to west, across subtropical Florida, the arid deserts of Arizona, the mountains of Colorado, and the South Carolina low country.

In addition to amassing miles with other Sonic team members, Valentine would play typical consumer and pack the Sonic to the hilt for a family vacation.  

During work trips, Valentine and his colleagues identified quality issues that needed fixed before Sonics were shipped to Chevrolet dealers. One lengthy journey from the assembly plant outside Detroit to Phoenix revealed an intense wind noise while traveling through a 40 mph crosswind in Texas. The wind noise was not a factor during testing at the GM Proving Ground in Milford, Mich. Valentine called the assembly plant from the road and had the problem fixed before VIN No. 2 left the factory. He took the same approach with other issues found on the road.

 “I do test drives because I want to experience everything a customer could: low altitude, high altitude, high temperatures and low temperatures,” said Valentine.  “In the course of one week I can go from below sea level at 120 degrees F to below freezing temperatures at 12,000 feet above sea level.  We can experience everything the customer might experience.”

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has been tested over and over before hitting the production line

The Sonic comes with a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 40,000 miles more than most competing small car powertrain warranties. It is the only small car manufactured in the United States. 

If you have any questions about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic or would like to test drive one Contact Us and we will gladly get you behind the wheel or field any questions you have.

Graff Chevrolet is proud to serve the auto dealership needs of cities such as Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, Mount Pleasant, Essexville, Pinconning, Coleman, Sanford, Carrollton, Frankenmuth, St. Charles, Birch Run, and Zilwaukee. We provide exceptional customer service, a warm and friendly environment, auto financing options to fit your budget, and an inventory of great new and used cars, trucks, SUV’s, and crossovers. Our ASE certified technicians at the Graff Chevrolet Service Center service and repair all makes and models both foreign and domestic. Call us at (989) 684-4411 or stop in at 3636 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI, 48706 and check out our great GM inventory selection.

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