In today's highly competitive auto market, one would think there are no new niches left to explore. Well, it's pretty true, except for imaginative individuals like the crew from Sweden’s Gray Design, which also penned the Saab supercar. Enter the world of the Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser, a vehicle that looks like a crossover between a limousine, a convertible and a yacht – yes, you read correctly, a yacht. Essentially a beach shuttle, the Stand Craft has been conceived for luxury hotel chains willing to offer their clients premium service. More specifically, to carry six passengers from the hotel to the nearest beach as fast and as comfortable as possible.
Crafted by luxury boat maker Strand Craft, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is designed for the sunny parts of the world. Its looks confirm it: the car (or should we say yacht?) features an opening canvas roof, chromed hubcaps and wooden inlays. It also sports an even more extravagant interior with Alcantara leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, a Breitling-made instrument panel and Swarowski crystals.
To keep the passengers entertained until they arrive at the beach, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is fitted with a 15-speaker Naim sound system that has a 1100 Watt amplifier to ensure the best audio quality even when the canvas roof is opened. Finally, the car is powered by a 6.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine with 400 horsepower, enough to offer the car a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). The eight-cylinder unit is linked to a Haldex-based all-wheel drive system.
There's no info on pricing, though if you don't own a luxury hotel you probably can't afford it.

While it may not be the redesign Chevrolet fans were hoping for, nevertheless, five years after the introduction of the current Impala onto the market in 2006, General Motors is updating its full size sedan with some barely noticeable cosmetic changes and a new standard engine for the 2012 model year.

The most significant change is of course the adoption of General Motor’s latest 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology and E85 Flex-fuel capability, linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The preliminary spec-sheet does not refer to performance numbers, but it has been reported that the V6 should be good for around 302-horsepower.

The mechanical updates are complemented by some minor styling changes up front, namely the new mesh grille and fog light surrounds, and at the rear, along with a new set of 16-inch alloy wheels and changes to the available equipment packages.

With the 2012 model year update, GM hopes to keep interest up on the Impala as a brand new replacement isn’t due for another two to three years.

Source: GM via GM Inside News

This past January at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, General Motor unveiled the new Chevrolet Sonic in final production form. Available in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles, the Sonic will reach U.S. showrooms this fall. In Europe, however, GM will continue to use the Aveo nameplate when its supermini goes on sale later this summer.

According to Chevrolet’s European division, the Aveo is designed to appeal at the “young and young-at-heart”, with the sedan model being a more suitable offering for young families, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of Europe where a four-door saloon is more often than not the only car in the household. The four-door has a boot volume of 502 liters, while the hatch reaches 653 liters when the rear seats are folded down.

Chevrolet says the new Aveo has one of the most rigid chassis in the segment, with the upper body and the frame engineered as a single unit, thus ensuring a stiffer and lighter structure.

We're already familiar with the Aveo’s styling from the U.S.-spec Sonic, so let's skip to the engines. In Europe, the new Aveo will be available with a choice of four petrol units and, for the first time in a small Chevrolet, a diesel powerplant.

The gasoline engine range includes two 1.2-liter versions rated at 70 horsepower and 86 horsepower, a 1.4-liter unit good for 100-horses and a 1.6-liter engine developing 115 horsepower.

The most fuel-efficient version is the 86HP 1.2-liter engine, rated at 5.1 liters/100 km (US 46.1 mpg) and 119 g of CO2 per kilometer, while the 1.6-liter unit averages 6.6 liters/100 km (US 35.6 mpg).

Starting this autumn, Chevrolet will also offer a 1.3-liter turbo diesel engine featuring common-rail fuel injection, start/stop technology and a variable-geometry turbocharger. Another first for a Chevrolet small car will be a six-speed automatic gearbox, but the carmaker has not yet revealed which engine will make use of it. Country-specific prices will be announced closer to the launch date.

Scroll down to see new photos of the Aveo range in both sedan hatchback styles.