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The upcoming 2012 Regal GS is more and more likely to come featured with a standard new 2.0 litre inline 4-cylinder DOHC turbo-charged engine, which can output around 255 horsepower and 295 lb-feet of torque.

Since 1987, this model is the first to come equipped with a turbo-charged engine option. The engine will be incorporated by a standard 6-speed manual transmission for power transmission between engine and wheels. Combined with the 270 horsepower, the Regal GS sprints to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds with its six-speed manual transmission. GM says that so-equipped Regal GSs will be rated at 28 mpg on the highway.

The Regal GS features a six-speed manual transmission that distributes its power to the front wheels through the HiPerStrut system – which is aimed at reducing torque steer. Further helping to control its power the, Regal GS comes standard with an electronic limited-slip rear differential, a lowered suspension, 19-inch wheels (or optional 20-inch forged aluminum wheels), performance tires, massive Brembo brakes, a sport steering wheel and pedals and Recaro racing-style seats. The Regal’s StabiliTrak stability control system is specially-tuned to work directly with it’s Computer Damping Control to provide several performance driving modes including an exclusive GS ultra-performance level.

“We designed the Regal GS to explore the appeal of a high-performance variant of the Regal,” said Craig Bierley, product marketing director for Buick. “Like the Regal, the Regal GS is based on the award-winning Opel Insignia, and we believe it will reinvigorate Buick’s storied Gran Sport legacy.”

Stop by your Bill Dodge Buick dealer in Westbrook, Maine sometime in 2012 to see the new Buick Regal GS when it launches.

Female car buyers are purchasing more cars from U.S.-based automakers, especially from some brands that have historically been aimed at men. Automotive research site Edmunds.com recently tracked cars purchased by women and found that Porsche has had the biggest gain. During the first eight months of 2010, only 19 percent of Porsche buyers were women. By 2011, that was up to 23 percent.

Applying sales figures to Edmunds’ percentages reveals even more striking changes. At Buick during the first eight months of this year, overall sales were up 25 percent, but sales to women were up 36 percent. Of the 10 brands that increased in popularity among women, seven were owned by Detroit-based companies. Domestic automakers are still far behind the competition in appealing to women.

Jody DeVere, chief executive of female-oriented auto advice site AskPatty.com, said marketing chiefs at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have gotten better at offering vehicles that appeal to women and getting that message to potential buyers.

“The challenge has not been creating the perfect car for women so much as getting information out there on what they have available,” DeVere said.

Traditionally, automotive marketing has concentrated on power and performance – commercials showing cars taking turns at high speeds or the sounds of revving engines. DeVere said companies are learning that those sales pitches don’t actually appeal to most women. Successful marketing has shown that female buyers respond to advertisements that highlight safety features and new technology, DeVere said.

Another example would be a popular commercial for GM’s is the Chevrolet Cruze. A man in the commercial stands in front of a Cruze in a driveway and calls his wife who is boarding a plane. He asks her if she “wouldn’t mind doing it again.” The wife then uses her iPhone to connect to the Cruze through GM’s OnStar system, and starts the car’s engine. DeVere called it a great commercial because it showed off the car’s technology, but it also showed a tech-savvy woman using the latest technology, a message that resonates with many young female car shoppers.

“Automakers are understanding how women operate in today’s world and depicting them appropriately,” DeVere said.

Car companies downplayed the importance of the trend, saying that they’ve understood women’s buying power for quite some time. While they make up less than half of car buyers, automakers say women influence about 85 percent of all purchases. Dora Nowicki, marketing manager for Chevrolet’s small vehicles, said men may buy most of the family sedans and crossovers on the road. But they don’t buy those vehicles if their partners don’t like them. She also said that the company hasn’t changed its message specifically to appeal to women. She said automakers in the past made the mistake of pitching some cars to men and others to women and found that limited the appeal. She said GM has put more effort into social media and other online marketing tools in recent years. DeVere said those techniques are very popular with female buyers.

“You have to appeal to everybody every day,” Nowicki said.

Ladies, are you looking for professional, courteous and knowledgeable dealership? Stop by any Bill Dodge Auto Group locations in Westbrook or Brunswick Maine, and see the difference our staff will make for you when you purchase your next vehicle from us!

Buick, GMC and OnStar are having a little Halloween fun of their own this year and you are welcome to join!

Avoid zombies, vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts and any other ghouls that may cause havoc this Halloween with OnStar’s new “Monster Dodger” service. Specially trained OnStar Advisors can help save you from that herd of undead doing their best “Thriller” in the road ahead or provide turn-by-turn directions to the nearest costume shop.

“Halloween is a fun holiday, and our new Monster Dodger service reflects that,” said Terry Inch, director, OnStar Subscriber Services. “This year, in addition to OnStar providing help to subscribers who need directions to the closest costume shop or convenience store to pick up candy, we are offering families an entertaining button push opportunity.”

On October 31, subscribers looking for a Halloween treat can push their blue OnStar button and ask for the location of the closest “monster” so they can dodge a potential encounter. Advisors will provide the radius of the closest “monster.”

OnStar joins other organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Halloween fun. On its website, the CDC recommends a creative Zombie Preparedness Kit to help in the event of a zombie attack.

“Although a zombie attack maybe farfetched, our Advisors are available 24/7 to help drivers with any emergency or service request they may have,” Inch adds. “We’ll continue to see customers through emergencies and less-serious situations – whether outpacing a zombie herd, or directions to a Halloween Monster Mash.”

Stop by and test drive a Buick today at your Westbrook Bill Dodge GMC. Whether your dodging zombies or vampires with your OnStar system, we assure you there is nothing to fear here!

The 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will be a mild hybrid version for the mileage and gas minded drivers out there looking for a little more luxury in their drive. Despite its not so stylish name, the luxury sedan will start at $29,530 which will include shipping. This pricing makes the eAssist system a $2,000 option on a base Regal that has the 2.4-liter 4 cylinder without the system. Regal with eAssist goes on sale in the fall of 2011. It is an available powertrain option on Regal models equipped with the 2.4L engine. Unlike the LaCrosse, which Buick is dropping the less expensive, non-eAssist model, Buick will still offer the Regal’s base models without the eAssist system.

The 2012 Regal eAssist package will include different tires, start-stop technology (push button start) , improved aerodynamics, energy-capturing regenerative brakes, a small electric motor, and of course a state of the art lithium-ion battery. In the city the Regal will average 25mpg and 36mpgs on the highway. The eAssist package combines an Eco gauge and powerflow graphics for driver biofeedback. In the fall, the Regal eAssist package will also get Buick’s Intellilink communications system that uses Bluetooth Linking of handhelds and will be able to stream audio from them using PANDORA® Internet Radio or the up and coming Stitcher SmartRadio® services and the like.

Here are some more product features:

• “Light electrification” technology available on 2.4L Ecotec-equipped Regal Hybrid-level fuel economy at a more affordable price – 25 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, a more than 25-percent improvement over the standard 2.4L four-cylinder/six-speed powertrain
• State-of-the-art lithium-ion battery system, electric motor-generator and regenerative braking capability
• Next-generation six-speed transmission with Driver Shift Control
• Lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels and tires with lower rolling resistance
• Driver-selectable mode for the air conditioning system to improve fuel economy
• ECO gauge continuously responds to driver behavior, to encourage greater driving efficiency
• Improved underbody aerodynamics for efficiency
• Powerflow readout in the color infotainment screen or driver information center shows the flow of energy through the eAssist system
• Standard Buick IntelliLink (later availability) uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver’s smart phone to a high-resolution, full-color touch screen display radio that enables streaming stereo audio from the phone through services like PANDORA® Internet Radio and Stitcher SmartRadio®

Come out and see us at Bill Dodge Westbrook in the Fall for your first chance to test drive the new 2012 Buick Regal!

Buick was long seen as the lowliest of luxury vehicles, a “doorstop” if you will in the luxury sector of the automotive industry. With Lexus reveling in being the “United States best-selling luxury brand”, Buick has come out of the gates in February of 2011 with growing sales that surpassed Lexus for two months straight.

Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Acura were left in the proverbial dust by Buick, with only BMW outselling Buick. This was by a mere 800 units. Buick managed this feat with only four vehicles (Enclave, LaCrosse, Lucerne and Regal) while Lexus offers nine models in the States.

In the mid-20th century, GM’s golden age, Buick was known as the poor man’s Cadillac, the understated luxury make to its flashier cousin, the Cadillac. Buick garnered a reputation as “the doctor’s car” or a vehicle for white-collar professionals but two decades ago Lexus moved into the neighborhood and took over this niche in the automotive world.

Along with the boost in sales, buyers are spending more to get their Buicks. The average transaction price has increased by $11,113  since 2003,  according to Buick spokesman Nick Richards. Buick has switched from affordable comfort to something more premium, like Lexus. With the smaller, less expensive Buick Verano going on sale at the end of this year — and the brand reportedly considering adding a convertible, coupe, station wagon and a compact crossover to the lineup — it could be difficult for Lexus to retake its No. 1 spot from Buick, let alone from Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

Here at Bill Dodge Auto Group in Westbrook Maine, we have all the cars mentioned above for you to come in and discover. Whether you are looking for a flashy symbol of your lifestyle in a Lexus, Cadillac, or Audi or piece of mind (and not a large piece of your wallet) in a luxury vehicle such as the up and coming Buick lines, we have all the choices your heart could possibly want to explore.

It has been almost two years since General Motors filed for bankruptcy and their Pontiac brand was discontinued. In that time, GM has really made an effort to retain those customers by making their other brands appealing to them. With Oldsmobile not having much success with future GM purchases when they were cut, they wanted to make sure their Pontiac customers didn’t suffer the same fate.

A recent study by RL Polk & Co. has shown that the majority of Pontiac owners are still very loyal to GM. 54% of them have come back to purchase another GM product. That’s extremely impressive! Given the options of affordable, main stream vehicles to choose from in today’s market, the fact that Pontiac customers have chosen to stay with GM shows that they were happy with what they got. GM put in a lot of effort to provide excellent service for Pontiac owners, not only with the mandatory replacement parts for 10 years but also by making them available at any GM dealer and encouraging OnStar. Of the 54% that stayed with GM, 34% defected to Chevrolet and 20% defected to GMC, Buick and Cadillac.

Those former Pontiac owners who went with foreign brands, particularly Japanese, will most likely return to the GM brand as well due to the recent track record of safety recalls that brands like Toyota and Honda have dealt with. The Bill Dodge Auto Group is a great place to do just that here in Westbrook, Maine. We have a great selection of brand new Buicks, Cadillacs and GMC’s to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a practical sedan, full size truck or sporty luxury coupe, we’re sure to have the right fit for you. Stop by today to speak with a friendly client advisor and find the best deal in Southern Maine!

Buick has signed a three-year marketing deal with the NCAA, another move by the General Motors brand to shed its staid image. Buick steps into a void left by Pontiac, which was an NCAA sponsor before the brand was terminated in 2009. The sponsorship included commercials for the Buick Regal and LaCrosse sedans that were broadcasted during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Car companies create a 60 second TV spots that are designed to illustrate a new idea of what the brand represents. In April, Buick introduced a new ad the company calls its “brand anthem”. Buick’s new anthem that the ad carried was, “Your Kind of Luxury.” Buick says this is not a permanent tagline or slogan, but that it is dropping “The New Class of World Class,” which was used as a tag for more than a year. It has not been stated yet by Buick if they will go with this as a consistent slogan in the future.

Buick is a big sponsor of the NCAA Men’ Basketball Tournament. In many ways, it’s the perfect marketing vehicle for Buick, reaching young sports fans as well as the older ones who watched their alma maters compete in the Final Four. “We were looking for a high-profile platform large enough to build on the momentum we’ve already established in the marketplace,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of marketing for Buick. “These are the right customers for Buick,” he said. “The NCAA audience is affluent and highly educated.”

To set it apart from Cadillac, Perry described Buick as “approachable luxury,” with “comfortable, refined, confident performance.” He said it’s for an audience that considers itself “inclusive,” wanting “to be part of the community, rather than above their community.” That audience is the younger automobile buyers.

The NCAA sponsorship is another move by Buick to appeal to younger buyers. The average age of Buick drivers has dropped to 67 last year from 70 in 2009, according to Strategic Vision Inc., a San Diego research firm.

“If we’re a brand that enables and inspires and celebrates human achievement, boy, that’s March Madness at its core,” Perry said. The marketing deal goes beyond basketball, and will include college football, women’s soccer and the Frozen Four hockey tournament.

As part of the NCAA sponsorship, Buick aired commercials that profiled former college athletes’ charitable pursuits. One told the story of Emmanuel Ohonme, a former University of North Dakota basketball player and Africa native who started a charity that has provided shoes to 3 million children in 40 countries.

That series of commercials aired during the basketball tournament. Other athletes whose charitable works that were highlighted included Gabe Lewullis, a former Princeton University basketball star and surgeon who’s involved in a charity that supports middle and high school athletics, and Sean James, a track and football star at Southern Missouri State University who started a foundation that offers scholarships to student athletes.

Buick also sponsored a 30-minute TV show devoted to the topic of athletes’ charities before the finals. The sponsorship marks the first big Buick push since GM overhauled its marketing department last year.

Buick is “America’s fastest growing major car company”** If you are a hoops fan or NCAA fan in general and the new ad has you thinking about a new or used Buick, Check out Bill Dodge Auto Group in Westbrook to find the right Buick for you!

Check out Buicks new “brand anthem” here on youtube.com

**based on rolling calendar year to date total sales.

General Motors has a future product strategy that entails downsizing their engine line-up, particularly on mid-size sedans. As new standards for CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) come in the next few years, the company is to get a head start to make sure they’re prepared. The new criterion for the fleet fuel economy average is 34.1 mpg by the end of 2015.

One of the ways GM hopes to achieve this is by only offering 4 cylinder engines on their next generation mid-size sedans. The Buick Regal has already started this as it’s only available in a direct injection 2.4L 4 cylinder or a turbocharged 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. The next to receive these two options only is the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. The V6 engine will be reserved for GM’s larger vehicles like the Buick Lucerne and Chevrolet Impala.

This is great news for the company because it not only encourages drivers to be more environmentally conscious but it also allows for more time to be spent on enhancing alternative powertrains like turbocharged, naturally aspirated and hybrid engines. The Bill Dodge Auto Group is a proud Maine Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealer. We have an extensive inventory with many options to choose from. Our friendly and educated sales staff is here to help you find the right fit for you! Give us a call at 854-3200 to set up an appointment for a test drive or just stop by to speak with a Client Advisor.

Over the last couple of years, Buick has been on a mission to change their brand image. We saw this through the re-design of the LaCrosse, the revival of the Regal and with the introduction of some pretty impressive concept vehicles like the Verano compact car. Now Buick is taking it one step further with hopes to rival the Mini Cooper by introducing a new sub-compact car called the Junior.

Junior will be based on a shortened version of the Opel Corsa subcompact and will be approximately 12.14 feet long, which is actually slightly shorter than the Mini. The concept should be launching in Europe in 2013. This concept goes along with several other attempts from GM to make “Urban Luxury” cars which appeal to those looking for small, extremely fuel efficient, yet high quality vehicles. It will be exciting to see what they come up with for 2013.

The Bill Dodge Auto Group is Maine’s premier Buick dealer. We have a huge selection of brand new Buicks to choose from including the LaCrosse, Regal, Enclave and Lucerne. Our knowledgeable and friendly sales staff is here to help you find the right fit for you. Stop by today to see the New Buick!

The Robonaut 2 is a humanoid robot that was developed by a joint technology partnership between General Motors and NASA. It is said to be able to complete many more tasks than most humanoid robots which will make space exploration and manufacturing safer. The Robonaut 2 will be the first one to launch into space; it’s scheduled to go this month on the space shuttle Discovery.

In December the Robonaut 2 made its debut in Detroit to demonstrate some of its abilities at GM’s technical center. Here’s a video of part of the demonstration:

The innovations found in the R2 will be a huge benefit for GM. It will lay groundwork for future advanced safety systems and safer plant operations, further enhancing GM vehicles’ safety and efficiency.

“For GM, this is about safer cars and safer plants,” said Alan Taub, GM’s vice president for global research and development. “When it comes to future vehicles, the advancements in controls, sensors and vision technology can be used to develop advanced vehicle safety systems. The partnership’s vision is to explore advanced robots working together in harmony with people, building better, higher quality vehicles in a safer, more competitive manufacturing environment.”

Here at the Bill Dodge Auto Group we are a proud GM dealer with a huge selection of brand new Buicks, Cadillacs and GMC’s available. Click here to view our inventory or call 854-3200 to speak with one of our knowledgeable Client Advisors for more information!