Menu And Larini In last Test Before Race Debut In Brazil Next Month
February has been a busy month for the Chevrolet WTCC team who are busy with preparations for the 2009 World Touring Car Championship. The Chevrolet Cruze has just completed an intensive winter test program in Spain ahead of its race debut in Curitiba on 6-8 March. The race in Brazil will mark the kick-off of the 2009 World Touring Car Championships and of Chevrolet’s fifth season in the pinnacle series of touring car racing.
“We are progressing in learning more and more about the Cruze and the car feels nice to drive. Still, testing is never enough when you are working with a new car, especially when weather conditions do not help! For sure, there is still a lot of work to do and we are anxious to be in Curitiba, where we will know where we really stand against the competition” said Chevrolet’s WTCC driver, Alain Menu.
The race debut of the Cruze WTCC runs in parallel with the introduction in global markets of the road version of the Cruze, a new compact sedan, which makes a bold statement with its “four-door coupe” styling, its dynamic qualities, its upscale interior and its excellent value. The new model has already reached record sales figures in the first month it has been on sale in Korea.
This month’s sessions in Valencia completed a cycle of tests that have seen the Cruze in action in the UK and the Portuguese circuits of Portimão and Estoril since the start of 2009. Despite the changing weather conditions in Southern Europe this winter, the three-day test in Valencia was less influenced by rain and wind, allowing the team to perform the planned development work. This was mainly aimed at validating new aerodynamic solutions and optimizing set-ups and reliability in view of the first race.
This time, Alain Menu and Nicola Larini where at the wheel of the Cruze, which sported for the first time the definitive new racing livery, characterized by the energizing asymmetrical blue and white design that encapsulates the out of the box spirit of Chevrolet.
About General Motors:
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), one of the world’s largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 244,500 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries.
In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany.
