- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation child star reveals surprising secrets behind the beloved holiday movie – from what it was REALLY like to work with Chevy Chase to the ‘graphic’ scene you NEVER saw Daily Mail
- ‘Christmas Vacation’: Cast, where to watch National Lampoon’s movie USA TODAY
- ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ | The Best in the Series? The Ringer
- The ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ Cast, Then and Now Yahoo Life
- From Squirrel Attacks to Real Slaps…These are 10 fascinating facts you didn’t know about National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Herald Review
Tag Archives: Chevy
Chevy Chase slams NBC’s ‘Community,’ says it ‘wasn’t funny’ – USA TODAY
- Chevy Chase slams NBC’s ‘Community,’ says it ‘wasn’t funny’ USA TODAY
- Chevy Chase slams ‘Community’ again: I didn’t want to be ‘surrounded’ by ‘those people’ New York Post
- Chevy Chase Disses ‘Community’ as ‘Not Funny’ or ‘Hard-Hitting Enough for Me’: ‘I Just Didn’t Want to Be Surrounded’ by ‘Those People’ Variety
- Chevy Chase Says ‘Community’ “Wasn’t Funny Enough For Me” & He Didn’t Want To Be “Surrounded By…Those People” Deadline
- Chevy Chase Says ‘Community’ Was Not Funny in Controversial Interview TVLine
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Chevy Chase recreates iconic scene from ‘Christmas Vacation’ at Raising Cane’s
MORTON GROVE, Ill. (Gray News) – It’s a beaut, Clark!
Chevy Chase recreated an iconic scene from “Christmas Vacation” during a lighting ceremony at a Raising Cane’s in Illinois.
Hundreds of people gathered for the lighting ceremony Tuesday night at the Raising Cane’s restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Morton Grove.
The event was filmed for a holiday commercial.
A video shared by the restaurant chain shows Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves introducing Chase to the crowd as the actor holds a pair of extension cords.
“Drumroll, please,” Chase says as he plugs in the cords. Of course, the lights don’t work, but like in the film, the display lights up on the second try.
Fortunately, unlike in “Christmas Vacation,” the display did not cause a city-wide power outage.
Chase and Graves then drove away in a replica of the Griswold family’s iconic wood-paneled station wagon, complete with a Christmas tree strapped on top.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. TMX contributed to this report.
This $20,000 Chevy Corvette Kart Is Your Ticket to Track Day Immortality
When it comes to autocrossing and track days, there are thousands of options in terms of what to buy. But let’s be real, the small-block Chevy is always the answer. Actually, let me clarify that point further: the Corvette is always the answer. Ask me how I know. Don’t just buy any ‘Vette, though. Buy this 2007 LS2-powered C6 that’s been converted into a track-ready Corvette kart. It’s only $20,000 from RP Exotics in St. Louis, Missouri.
High points? Almost everything. Just look at it. The cage actually seems reasonably well done. The lightbar is a nice touch. The exhaust is cut very short and it seems very loud.
Low points? It’s an automatic, the taillights are fresh off a trailer, and I don’t like the color. Besides that, though, it’s got a lot going for it. C6 Corvettes are already quick cars. Minus that pesky fiberglass? Well, it’s only going be faster. To be clear, this isn’t a Z06 or anything, but the LS2 still churns out a healthy 400 horsepower. You can probably add a few to that now that most of the exhaust has been chopped off as well.
Folks, without the mufflers, it just sounds right:
As a heads up, it does seem like this project is based on a salvage title Corvette that has seen some flood damage, likely from Hurricane Harvey. Just something to keep in mind, though it’s a little relieving that a perfectly good Vette wasn’t sacrificed to make this happen. Also, the kart has 97,568 miles on the clock. That’s only worth a mention since someone might buy it and wring it out on track.
With all that being said, though, this thing is still sweet.
I hear people beat around the bush when they talk about tracking a car. They’re just one polyurethane bushing away on the Miata from total domination. Just a few PSI less on the rear tires and it will all be gravy. True, there are cheaper track day toys available, but in terms of fun per dollar? I’m not sure any of them can come close to this.
Email the author at peter@thedrive.com
GM slashes price of 2023 Chevy Bolt, making it the cheapest EV in America
The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt will be the cheapest EV you can buy in America — with a caveat.
Earlier this week General Motors (GM) revealed pricing for the 2023 version of the Bolt EV. The base 1LT and better equipped 2LT models are now priced at $26,595 and $29,795 respectively, which GM says is a price cut of $5,900 per model compared to last year.
The larger Bolt EUV is getting an even bigger price cut, at least nominally speaking, of $6,300.
For the regular Bolt EV, that price represents a massive 18.5% price cut from a year ago, at a time when everything from components to labor costs are rising considerably in this country.
GM says even with the big price cut, no features have been removed or trimmed compared to last year’s model.
“Nothing has been removed,” GM product specialist Shad Balch told the Detroit Free Press. “This reflects our ongoing desire to make sure Bolt EV/EUV is competitive in the marketplace. As we’ve said, affordability has always been a priority for these vehicles.”
Pricing and tax credits
Though 2023 pricing hasn’t been announced yet, the 2022 Nissan Leaf, which was the cheapest EV offered in the U.S., starts at $27,400. If you don’t include the $7,500 federal tax credit (that Nissan still qualifies for, but GM does not), the 2023 Bolt EV is the cheapest car in America.
So technically the Bolt EV is the cheapest EV in America when it goes on sale in 2023, not including the federal tax credit (which brings the Nissan Leaf down to a whoppingly low $19,900). The bad news for Nissan (7201.T) is the Leaf’s cumulative total sales in the U.S. are around 175,000 units, and when the 200,000 threshold is reached the federal tax credit is halved.
Also on the con side for the Nissan Leaf is that it only has 149 miles of range (EPA rated), whereas the cheapest Bolt EV has GM-estimated 259 miles. A buyer needs to step up to the Nissan Leaf S Plus to get 226 miles of range (EPA rated), but that model starts at $32,400.
The big point here is GM is doing what it can to bring an affordable, mass market EV option with decent electric range to middle-class buyers who want to go electric. This is a part of the market with a dearth of options, with only the Nissan Leaf S Plus as its only competitor, though Fisker (FSR) is promising that its Ocean EV SUV will start under $40,000 when it arrives sometime next year.
If the country is to hit the White House’s goal of having 50% of vehicle sales be all-electric by 2030, U.S. buyers will need many more cheaper EV options.
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Pras Subramanian is a senior autos reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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Chevy Corvette Z06 Sounds Like An F1 Car At The Indy 500
In the ride-along, we get a look at just how quickly the car accelerates, especially down the straight. Inside, it sounds like all hell is breaking loose. Maybe that’s because this is likely a pre-pro car, but we’re hoping that noise sticks around for production cars. It sounds just as good inside as out, which is rare praise for a street car. At one point, the driver hits 163 mph down one of Indy’s straights and looks like it could keep going.
For the curious, the Indianapolis 500 is happening today, May 29th. It’ll be over by the time you read this, but the race is easily America’s most iconic and features some heavy-hitting drivers. McLaren’s Pato O’Ward is in attendance and F1 fans will have Romain Grosjean to root for as well, with the race being a first for the ex-Formula 1 driver. Let’s just hope we get to see more of the Z06 before the weekend is out, despite the racing ending today.
GM reportedly stops providing battery pack replacements for the Chevy Spark EV
General Motors will reportedly no longer provide battery replacements for the all-electric version of the Chevy Spark, according to a report from EV-Resource (via InsideEVs). The Chevy Spark electric vehicle (EV) was first released in 2013, and GM continued to make new models until 2016.
A GM district executive confirmed to EV-Resource that the company is “no longer going to supply that [the Spark EV’s] battery.” GM’s inventory of Spark EV battery packs has reportedly run out as well, and the company doesn’t plan on making any more. The Verge reached out to GM with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
With the oldest model of the Spark EV reaching almost 10 years old, vehicle owners may find themselves without a working car if their battery pack fails. GM offers an eight-year / 100,000-mile warranty specifically for the battery pack in its Spark EVs and other electric vehicles, which means the warranty has already run out (or is very close to running out) for Spark EVs released in 2013 and 2014. It’s unclear if GM will continue to honor its warranty and somehow replace the battery pack in broken-down Sparks, or as EV-Resource points out, if GM will offer to buy back the vehicle instead of replacing the battery.
Spark EV owners might not have the best of luck finding an aftermarket battery pack either. EV-Resource notes that there really isn’t a market for Spark EV batteries when compared to other EVs, considering companies might not find value in providing parts for a car that’s on the more inexpensive side (the base 2016 model sold at an MSRP of less than $26,000). Plus, GM only managed to sell around 7,400 Spark EVs — mainly in California, Oregon, and Maryland — before ending its three-year run.
As GM works toward making and replacing battery packs in over 140,000 electric Chevy Bolts that were recalled last year due to fire risks, perhaps GM just doesn’t have the bandwidth to create battery pack replacements for the Spark EV. GM only resumed manufacturing Bolt EVs in early April following a production freeze lasting several months, and also recently announced its plans to discontinue the non-electric version of the Chevy Spark sometime this year.
D.C. Parthenon crash: Two dead after car hits seating area outside Greek restaurant in Chevy Chase
Police said the crash occurred at the Parthenon restaurant about 12:15 p.m., the height of the lunch hour, in the middle of the 5500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, a few blocks south of the Chevy Chase Circle and the Maryland line.
The Parthenon and its adjoining Chevy Chase Lounge are among a diverse group of shops that include other eateries, a Starbucks, a fish market and an Exxon gas station. On warm days, such as Friday, when temperatures climbed into the low 60s, people fill tables that spill out onto the wide sidewalks and patio areas.
Duncan Bedlion, a D.C. police commander who runs the 2nd District station, described the driver as an older man who apparently lost control of the vehicle as he drove north on Connecticut Avenue.
He said the driver was alone and was cooperating with investigators.
“It was truly an accident, from what we can tell right now,” Bedlion told reporters. “There is no indication this was intentional in any form or fashion.”
Seven people have now been killed in traffic crashes so far this year, the same number as of this time last year, according to police records. City data shows about 500 people have been injured so far this year.
Last year the District recorded 40 traffic fatalities, the most since 2007, fueled by what authorities say is a proliferation of unsafe driving during the coronavirus pandemic that reflects an alarming rise in traffic deaths nationwide.
From the northbound lanes, the driver of the SUV would have crossed two lanes of oncoming traffic on a street that is typically packed with vehicles and serves as a gateway into the District.
Kristi Teemsrushed from a nail salon when she heard sirens from the many emergency vehicles converging on the block and said it appears the driver found his way through a rare, single empty parking space outside the Greek restaurant, recognizable by its signature blue-and-white awning that juts out onto the sidewalk.
After plowing through the seating area, the SUV ended up diagonal on the wide sidewalk, its back end partially under the awning. It appeared to have slammed into the doorway of a dry cleaning shop, with broken potted plants and chairs scattered about.
Bedlion said it appears the victims were all adults and that most had been seated at a table for lunch. John A. Donnelly, Sr., chief of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services department, described the events as “a tragedy.”
Becky Pulles and Christian Borjas were seated at a table outside a Starbucks shop, about 75 feet from the Parthenon. They saw a gray SUV crossing Connecticut Avenue and accelerating. The two could hear the engine gunning.
“It suddenly accelerated,” Pulles said. “It looked like someone hit the accelerator instantly. It was going super-fast, like police-car fast.”
The SUV jumped over a curb, went in between columns of the Parthenon Restaurant’s outdoor awning, and plowed into people, including those seated at tables, they said.
“It was horrific,” Pulles said.
Borjas, a nurse from California who is temporarily working in the area, rushed over. He said that he and several others lifted the SUV off an injured woman, and helped pull her out.
Borjas said he helped open the door for the driver, who he said appeared to be about 80.
“He walked out. He was scared. You could tell it wasn’t intentional,” Borjas said. Police confirmed the driver of the SUV was elderly.
Zoe Smith, manager of Core 72, a women’s clothing store two doors down from the restaurant, heard a loud car crash and ran out to the sidewalk.
She said she saw about seven men lift the front of the SUV to help two or three people get out. “That was pretty remarkable,” Smith said.
Luz Lazo and Emily Davies contributed to this report.
Chevy C8 Corvette Z06 Visualizer Lets You Create Your Dream Machine
After a very lengthy period of spy photos and teasers, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is finally here. In case you missed the big reveal, you can read all about it in our debut article. Or, if you just want the summary before diving into Chevrolet’s Z06 visualizer, it’s the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 production car ever with 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts). Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that.
To help, um, visualize that, Chevrolet wasted no time in launching a pseudo configurator for the new Z06. We say pseudo because it doesn’t offer a full list of options, it doesn’t offer pricing, and it doesn’t give you an option to place an order. In fact, the website is still a bit glitchy so it may not even give you a chance to change basics like exterior color or wheels. But that’s not the point.
The point is to keep the Z06 excitement rolling, and hey, we’re excited. This car sounds like an angry symphony orchestra with its DOHC 5.5-liter V8 revving to 8,600 rpm, so we jumped into the visualizer to create our vision of what that should look like. Right away we opt for the hardtop convertible because it’s the best way to hear that engine, and it also looks fantastic. Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat is our color choice because there’s just something special about a red Corvette, especially when you add the big wing and carbon-fiber wheels of the Z07 package.
31 Photos
Yes, you can get the hardcore performance package with the convertible. Chevrolet says the C8’s inherent design is so stiff that there’s no need for extra bracing with the retractable roof, so we’ll go with it. We also go with the new Adrenaline Red interior because there’s no such thing as too much red in a Corvette. Also, the visualizer kept crashing when we tried to choose something else. Maybe it’s fate?
As such, our choice is a Corvette Z06 3LZ convertible, finished in Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat with a body-color roof and the bright red interior. It’s fitted with the Z07 Performance Package that adds carbon-ceramic brakes, the big rear wing, underbody strakes, winglets on the front, though the carbon-fiber wheels with a visible weave are extra.
How much will the car cost? Chevrolet isn’t ready to talk price, but considering a decked-out Stingray convertible goes for over $100,000, the Z06 will likely check in much higher than that. We’ll find out closer to the targeted Z06 production date, which is the summer of 2022.
GM unveils new high-performance Chevy Corvette Z06 ahead of EV plans
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
GM
DETROIT – General Motors on Tuesday unveiled a new high-performance Z06 version of its famed American sports car that brings it back to its roots.
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – an important track-focused model – will be powered by a new 5.5-liter V-8 naturally aspirated engine with 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s the most powerful engine of its kind in any production car, according to GM.
It’s a return to normal for ‘Vette enthusiasts. The previous Z06, which was last produced for the 2019 model-year, was the only in its history – dating back to 1963 – to feature a V-8 engine with a supercharger. The supercharger pumps up performance of an engine but is heavier and can be viewed as a shortcut to boosting power.
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
GM
“We didn’t think we could go any farther regarding naturally aspirated, which is when we did the supercharged,” Tadge Juechter, Corvette executive chief engineer, told CNBC. “But this time we started with a blank sheet of paper. This car is more blank sheet of paper than we’ve ever done for a Z06.”
Officials declined to release specific pricing but said it would be comparable to the 44% premium between the last-generation Z06 and the base model. That would put the starting price at about $86,400.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 is expected to begin production next summer at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly plant, according to GM.
‘Defines the American supercar’
The new Z06, including a hardtop convertible version, is wider than the current mid-engine Corvette Stingray and features a freshened exterior that includes larger grilles for air circulation as well as wider wheels. Additional packages to increase aerodynamics and track performance also will be available.
“The new Corvette Z06 defines the American supercar,” GM President Mark Reuss said in a statement. “It builds on the distinctive design and groundbreaking dynamics introduced with the mid-engine Corvette and elevates them to deliver refined but uncompromising track capability with world-class performance.”
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
GM
The car is expected to achieve 0-60 mph in as fast as 2.6 seconds, making it the fastest Corvette to date. That’s comparable to other supercars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars from Lamborghini and others, but slower than some Tesla all-electric cars such as the Model S Plaid at under two seconds.
The company said other details about the Z06 such as top speed and fuel economy will be released closer to the car going on sale.
Sales of Z06 models hit as much as 30% of Corvette’s sales, according to Steve Majoros, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. He said he expects that to continue, if not be higher, with the new version.
“There’s just a couple things in our portfolio that you can, to use an overused term, you can ‘lean into’ and really be magnets for the brand. And Z06 is certainly one of them,” he told CNBC.
GM unveiled the 2023 Corvette Z06 online Tuesday before an ad for the car is scheduled to air during the first game of the World Series later in the day.
This is the fifth generation of the Z06. It is the first Z06 since GM debuted the Corvette as a mid-engine car in 2019. Before then, the engine was located under the front hood.
Finale before electric Corvette?
GM plans to become an all-electric automaker by 2035, ending production of light-duty trucks and cars with internal combustion engines, which would include the Corvette.
While GM has said little to nothing to confirm an electric Corvette, rumors and reports about the vehicle – potentially a electrified hybrid named E-Ray – have been swirling for years. Most notably, President Joe Biden has at least twice said he’s been told an electric version of the sports car is coming.
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
GM
When asked about an electric Corvette, Juechter said “only the future will tell.” He later said that he’s “pretty sure” the company is reaching the limits of a V-8 engine and that the Z06 could be the coup de grace for the traditional gasoline-powered car.
“Nobody’s investing in this space anymore,” he told CNBC. “We’re bucking the trend here. I don’t know how long we’ll do it, but we’re happy to be doing it right now.”
Auto forecasters expect at least one hybrid version of the Corvette ahead of an electric version of the car and potentially an electric Corvette SUV as early as 2025. AutoForecastSolutions expects a hybrid variant as early as the 2023 model-year, while LMC Automotive expects an all-electric Corvette crossover SUV in mid-to-late 2025.
2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
GM