2013 Chevrolet Malibu gets New 259-Horsepower, does 0-60mph in 6.3"

About a couple of months after it confirmed the availability of its new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec gasoline engine on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, General Motors today released the performance numbers. The force-fed engine produces a maximum output of 259 horsepower (193 kW) and a peak torque of 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm), which is sustained from 1,700 to 5,500 rpm.
According to the Detroit automaker, the direct-injection engine can propel the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in just 6.3 seconds, which is a fairly impressive figure for a mainstream car of this size.
GM said that the turbocharged Malibu will go on sale in the U.S. this fall while it will also be offered in Canada, Israel and other markets with more details including pricing and fuel economy figures to be released at a later date.

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Canadian Digs Out Basement Using Only Radio Controlled Scale Tractors and Trucks

Excavating a basement using professional machinery is nothing new but doing it with radio controlled (RC) scaled models is something unheard of. Welcome to the little big world of Joe, from Saskatchewan, Canada. For the past 15 years (!), Joe has been digging out his basement at an average annual rate of 8 to 9 cubic feet using nothing more than RC tractors and trucks!
And we're talking about the whole nine yards here - he starts by transporting the excavator on an RC truck to the basement, unloads it, digs and uses other trucks to transfer the dirt up to the ground through a spiral ramp! He even has a miniature rock crusher!
"I feel quite fortunate to have stumbled onto this basement excavation idea, it's been a great past time to date dreaming up new ideas to tackle different projects along the way," Joe wrote on the Scale4x4rc forums where he also posted pictures and videos of his feat.
"It's been a great hobby thus far, dreaming up - building all sorts of different minature equipment from kits or from scratch for this "mining" project. If it wasn't for this mining project I probably would have lost of interest in this hobby by now b/c once the models are built - the novelty of how they work & perform would wear off with no task to be accomplished them," he notes in another post.
Take a look at the pictures Joe posted on the forum as well as a sample of the videos he's recorded over the years after the break, and then head over to the comments area for your thoughts.

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GM Confirms Next Generation Impala, will Invest $68 Million to Prep Oshawa Plant

The Impala is a historic nameplate for Chevrolet with roots that go back to the golden era of American automobiles, the 1950s, and it's one that General Motors isn't about to let go despite the fact that the series has faded away into mediocrity these past years. Today, the Detroit-based company confirmed plans for the development of a brand new Chevy Impala and announced an investment of $68 million to prepare its Oshawa Assembly Plant in Canada for the production of the next generation sedan.
In addition, GM revealed that it expects to meet high customer demand, and as a result, it will build the next Chevrolet Impala at both the Oshawa Assembly Plant and the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant.
Combined with the recent investment to support the production of the upcoming Cadillac XTS in 2012, GM's investment at the Oshawa plant will reach $185 million, which will create or retain around 750 jobs.
“With the investments for the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS, we are taking big steps forward to ensure we maximize the flexible manufacturing facility and high-quality workforce that exist in Oshawa,” said Kevin Williams, president and managing director of General Motors of Canada.
“We are building on the recent capacity increases, product launches and shift additions at our Canadian operations to affirm that Canada will play an important role in the new GM as we continue to transform our product lineup,” he added.

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