Auto News 5

Earlier this year, General Motors showed us its Chevrolet Aveo RS concept, which was supposed to be a thinly veiled version of the next-generation Aveo. Like GM's recent Cadillac CTS Coupe's transformation from concept to production, the Aveo RS concept carried over to the production 2012 Aveo, which debuts at the Paris Motor Show, almost unchanged.

Will pushrod engines last forever? Probably not, but in April, General Motors announced that it's investing $890 million in a new, fifth-generation small-block V-8. Although the announcement didn't state that pushrod-operated valves are part of the deal, you can take that assumption to the bank.

At the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors unveiled an eye-catching -- in more than one way -- concept. The Volt's futuristic looks caught the public's attention but it was the technology underneath the concept's skin that was truly noteworthy. It featured a lithium-ion battery pack that enabled the concept to travel 40 miles on a single charge and had a 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to act as an electricity generator after the battery pack was depleted.