Inside the 2011 Chevy Cruze drivers will find an integrated dashboard, a sleek, two-tone color scheme and a style that is uniquely its own. Watch as Dave Lyon, GM Interior Designer, explains how the Cruze features an interior that rivals a luxury vehicle.

He defended his comments, saying, “My thoughts on what has or hasn’t been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors.”

If you’re stuck in a lease, contract, or other legally bonded agreement with a signed document in tow just follow these easy steps (as GM did) to get out of it:
1) Make something many people want but no one can afford (ie: giant SUV’s) when you should be making something smaller and, for example, more fuel efficient.
2) Run out of money after making mass amounts of said product and having it not sell due to global recession.
3) Call your local Government for billions of dollars in bailout funds.
4) When that doesn’t work, tell them if you can get out of this (contract/lease/etc) because it’s too expensive they’ll give you the ok!

According to Detroit News, not even iconic and historic structures are safe. The giant Chevrolet Clock at Times Square will no longer brand a Chevy logo – as it has since the 1930s. The clock underwent an expensive, and major technological redesign in 2007. Estimates have been thrown around for how much all this will save GM, we’ve heard anywhere from $31 to $82 Billion dollars.

According to MSNBC: General Motors could literally turn green as it readies itself for major management and cultural changes that will coincide with its escape from bankruptcy protection. People briefed on its plans say the company is looking into changing the background color of its corporate logo from blue to green in an effort to show consumers that it is leaner and greener, more focused on fuel efficiency and better able to make quick decisions.

Ed Welburn, GM’s vice president of design, is leading a group that is studying name and logo changes, but no recommendation has been made, according to one of the people. Changing the background of the familiar square blue-and-white GM logo has been discussed, said the people, who requested anonymity because no decision has been reached.

Whitacre will replace Kent Kresa, though Kresa will remain GM’s interim chairman until the automaker emerges from bankruptcy protection. In other words, Eddy takes over once GM becomes a U.S. government owned company. Let’s hope the service at GM will be better then the cell phone range for AT&T customers, or the capabilities of the iPhone 3G.

General Motors continues to operate under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as it reorganizes and sheds “unwanted assets” – ie: Hummer, Saturn, etc.

The official announcement came at 7:57 am today to the New York Bankruptcy Court with the hopes of a rather quick 60 to 90 day turnaround. Chrysler LLC (now the Chrysler Group LLC) was approved for their Ch. 11 procedures fast, with Fiat taking over major ownership of that company. The 100 year old auto maker will now begin shedding most financial liabilities

General motors also GM disclosed the names of 13 plants it will close by the end of next year, dropping the number of assembly lines from 47 to 34, from Michigan to parts centers in Boston, Columbus, Ohio and Jacksonville, Fla.

With a listed $82.3 billion in assets and $172.8 billion in debts let’s keep our fingers crossed that Chevrolet can continue to stake a claim under the GM flag, and that not too many working class jobs are lost.

Straight out of Bloomberg News this morning: General Motors Corp. is sending termination notices today to 1,100 U.S. dealers with about $2.5 billion in unsold vehicles as the automaker starts shrinking its retail network, a person familiar with the matter said.

The dealers hold about 120,000 autos of various brands, said the person, who asked not to be identified because GM hasn’t announced details yet. Mark LaNeve, GM’s North American sales chief, is set to brief reporters at noon New York time.

The closings are GM’s first step toward paring U.S. dealers to 3,600 from 6,200 by the end of next year as it faces a probable bankruptcy by a June 1 deadline. With fewer outlets, the survivors each may be able to sell more cars at higher prices, boosting profit, the person said.

“A concern of all dealers would be if the market value of vehicles were to decline because terminated dealers would be desperate to sell,” said Jim Eagan, a partner at consulting firm Plante & Moran in Southfield, Michigan.

Eagan said he hoped that GM would force the remaining franchisees to purchase inventory from stores being closed.

“It’s quite an emotional day,” said Wyman Williams, 61, who was waiting to learn whether his Williams Motors in Commerce, Texas, is on the closings list. “We’ve been here 40 years and what happens today is really important.”

He said he filed for Chapter 11 protection on April 1 for his Chevrolet-Pontiac-Buick store. “It was a necessity, but it worked out as a defensive move,” Williams said. “There’s a judge between GM and me.”

GM fell 1 cent to $1.14 at 11:08 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have tumbled 95 percent in the past year.

GM is hoping for an orderly wind-down of the affected dealers over the next year or so, the person said, meaning they would close when their inventory is gone.

General Motors Corp. said in a government filing Thursday that its accounting firm has found there is “substantial doubt” about the automaker’s ability to survive.

The embattled automaker made the disclosure in a 480-page filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

GM has sustained large and continuing losses, while saying it needs additional federal loans to remain in business. Thursday’s statement from the company’s auditors presents another hurdle the automaker will have to clear as it makes the case that it deserve additional taxpayer support going forward.

The Obama administration, under the terms of the $13.4 billion in federal loans GM has already requested, must determine that the company’s plans make it viable in the long run.

The government must determine that GM has a “positive net present value” or else demand repayment of the loans within 30 days – a development that would almost certainly plunge the company into bankruptcy and quite possibly force it out of business.

But the government has wide latitude in how it judges the company’s net present value, based on assumptions it makes about future sales, car prices and costs for the company going forward. The administration clearly does not want to force the largest U.S. automaker into bankruptcy.

The GM filing disclosed that the Treasury already agreed to waive requirements that the automaker meet certain terms of the original loan agreement, including that it win agreement with creditors to convert two-thirds of its unsecured debt to equity by Feb. 17.

But even if the Obama administration continues to give support to GM (GM, Fortune 500) and rival Chrysler LLC, which has also received federal loans, Thursday’s filing could create problems in its relations with suppliers and banks.

For example, concerns about GM’s future could cause companies that supply it with parts start to demand cash on delivery from the cash-starved automaker, according to GM’s filing.

While parts makers would be reluctant to damage their largest customer with such a demand, they may have no choice because of GM’s filing. Those parts makers’ own auditors and banks could use the doubts raised by GM’s auditors to raise questions about their own future.

Privately held Chrysler does not have to file a year-end financial statement with the SEC. Last week,Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) said its auditors have not substantial doubt about its future. Ford went into this auto crisis with a much stronger cash position than GM or Chrysler.

GM said Thursday auto sales, which have plunged more than 40% in recent months, must rebound by next year if it is to survive.

Meantime, GM also said it needs additional federal loans to stay in business.

GM received $13.4 billion so far, and it has asked for up to $16.6 billion more. In addition, it is seeking $7.7 billion in loans to convert production from light trucks to more fuel efficient cars under an Energy Department loan program.

“The failure to obtain sufficient funding from the U.S. government or governments outside the United States may require us to shrink or terminate operations or seek reorganization for certain subsidiaries outside the United States,” the filing said.

“If we fail to obtain sufficient funding for any reason, we would not be able to continue as a going concern and could potentially be forced to seek relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code,” GM added.

GM’s stock was 12% lower in premarket trading.