CHEVROLET CONFIRMS COLORADO PICKUP AND CAMARO ZL1 CONVERTIBLE

By Paul Stenquist, The New York Times Wheels - Thailand-specification 2012 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab. G.M. announced Monday that a version of the pickup would be built and offered in the United States.

During a media event marking Chevrolet's 100th anniversary, held at the General Motors Design Center here, G.M. announced that a new version of the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup truck would be offered to American buyers. The automaker also unveiled a convertible model of its ultra high-performance Camaro ZL1.

The new Colorado, based on midsize truck architecture developed by G.M.'s Brazil division, is being built in Thailand and is expected to go on sale in that country this month. There had been some doubt as to whether G.M. would offer the truck here as a replacement for the current Colorado, which is to be discontinued after the 2012 model year.

G.M. did not disclose when or where in the United States the American model would be built -- the current Colorado and Canyon, its GMC twin, are assembled in Shreveport, La -- nor did the automaker say how the vehicle would be equipped. In Thailand, the Colorado is offered with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine.

"Other than announcing that we will offer the truck in the U.S., we have no other announcements," said Mary Barra, the G.M. senior vice president for global product development.

The redesigned Colorado would compete against all trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. The Ford Ranger, which is being discontinued in North America, was recently designed for global markets, but the automaker has not stated its intentions to adapt a version of it for the United States.

In unveiling the Camaro ZL1 convertible, Ed Welburn, the G.M. vice president of global design, raised the door to a garage area where concept cars were maintained. The burbling bass produced by the car's supercharged 580-horsepower V-8 could be heard before the slate-gray model emerged into view.

Under its skin, the convertible is virtually identical to the ZL1 coupe introduced at the Chicago auto show in February, but the car includes additional bracing intended to eliminate some of the cowl and steering-wheel shake common to many convertibles.