With its skyrocketing economy and the thriving businesses, not to mention the best resorts, hotels and hot spots, Dubai is fast gaining a reputation as the “Vegas of the Middle East”.

Interestingly, the city’s Civil Defense department has acquired a Chevrolet Corvette to help fire fighters in reaching their destinations in a shorter period of time, compared to other vehicles.

Brigadier Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of Dubai Civil Defense goes on to explain that due to the Corvette’s speed, the car can get vital rescue equipment to the scene of the fire, and in the case of people being trapped in cars, can help remove them.

The Chevrolet Corvette is reported to have a portable fire extinguisher, hydraulic equipment and first aid kits.

One of the primary reasons behind the Civil Defense’s decision to get a Corvette is that the distance between fire stations and accident scenes are larger than normal, so it makes sense to have a fast first response vehicle. It took a team of four people two months to develop.

Moreover, the said Chevrolet Corvette, is also the latest GM product to be adapted for civil use by the Dubai authorities. Previously they’ve used a Hummer H2 and a fleet of Chevy Tahoes.

One of the fuel-cell SUVs offered by Chevrolet will be seen around metropolitan New York in the next few days. This vehicle uses hydrogen as a fuel and it only emits water vapor. This is just one of the many treats to New York vehicle owners and visitors to Manhattan’s ECOFEST 2007.

Everyday drivers will be the ones to participate in the world’s biggest fuel-cell test using100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell SUVs.

Saturn is also going to showcase its award-winning Aura Sedan which is powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric system. This can provide up to 25 percent improvement in the fuel economy.

General Motors Northeast General Manager Scott Mackie says, “We believe ECOFEST is a great place to show New Yorkers that General Motors is the leader in fuel-saving technology. Chevrolet already offers customers eight 2007 models that get 30 miles per gallon or better in estimated EPA highway driving, and GM has built more than 2 million FlexFuel cars and trucks that can run on gasoline or a blend of renewable ethanol in E85 fuel. But we’re not stopping there. Chevy’s plug-in electric Volt captured the world’s fascination, and the Equinox Fuel Cell takes electric vehicles a step beyond batteries.”

Mackie added also added that another rechargeable Saturn Vie hybrid will be introduced in the market in 2009.

Both the Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox and the Saturn Aura Hybrid will be displayed on September 30,at the Lincoln Center Plaza as part of ECOFEST from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also, at the GM display, car experts will further explain the technology behind these vehicles.

What’s new with the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS?

Chevrolet now offers two different packages for the Trailblazer SS model. The standard TrailBlazer SS features a larger V8 than that of the LS. It also has a sport-tuned chassis, 20-inch wheels and a monochromatic exterior with black mesh grille. The higher version of the TrailBlazer SS or the 3SS offers high performance upgrades but the amenities are the same as the LT’s. Aside from a white-faced tachometer and “SS” monograms on the seats, the interior SS looks rather ordinary.

 The TrailBlazer SS is equipped with a 6.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from the Corvette, capable of producing 391 horsepower rand 395 lb-ft of torque. It also has a four-speed automatic transmission and two-wheel. The only different thing is that instead of 4WD, the SS makes use of all-wheel-drive system to improve on-pavement performance at the expense of off-road capability. The TrailBlazer SS is available in prices ranging from $31,320 to $37,125.

Chevrolet’s much-anticipated 650-horsepower Corvette, developed under the codename “Blue Devil,” will be called ZR1. That badge is expected to appear on the January 2008 Detroit show car, and on the production version set to go on sale later next year as a 2009 model.

During its development, Bob Lutz, vice-chairman in charge of product development said, “It’s a very difficult vehicle development. This thing has so much power that we have to explore a dynamic envelope that we’ve never explored before. We want the vehicle to be safe and we want it to be predictable, even at speeds that no mortal is ever going to attain in the United States. That’s our obligation. We’re really into a speed and power realm that General Motors has never been in before. We’re way up there with Porsche Carrera GTs and Ferraris.”

GM has been developing this car for several years. In this process, Chevrolet used a supercharged version of the new 6.2-liter small block V-8 used in the 2008 Corvette. GM Z07 and Super Sport for the ultra-low-volume car were also considered by Gm to be this vehicles name but in the end, ZR1 prevailed. According to reports, Chevrolet first used the ZR1 moniker for eight cars built in the 1971 model year. These cars were equipped with a 370-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) small block V-8. The ‘71 ZR1 came with no special bodywork or badging. In 1990, Chevrolet resurrected the name  for a 32-valve Lotus-designed, Mercury Marine-built 375-horsepower quad-cam V-8. This car had a wider tail to accommodate P315/35ZR17 Goodyear’s on 11-inch wide wheels and was built for the ‘95 model year. The badges included a hyphen, as in ZR-1, which doesn’t fit GM RPO nomenclature.

Interestingly, rumors that “ZR” stands for “Zora’s Racer,” has never been confirmed by GM.