We’re pleased to announce that this blog post is the very last new post for Driving the Northeast before we move to the all-new Drive The District.

In addition to the automotive content you’ve come to expect from Driving the Northeast, Drive The District highlights news that connects you to your community, with features on…

ECO: practical greening, or a realistic implementation of eco-conscious living for the everyman or everywoman

TRAVEL: getting places better, i.e. in a way that is itself an experience

TECH: focused on how new technologies impact our daily lives either to engage with a larger community or explore a seldom seen secret in our own backyards

CULTURE: highlighting the hidden gems of our area, and allowing us to dabble in or discover new passions that shift the journey

So join us at www.drivethedistrict.com and on our new Twitter and Instagram channels for updates on the interests that drive us all forward. We look forward to seeing you there!

About 10 years ago, a friend of ours took us outside to see his new car. He explained / apologized that he had to buy this giant, expensive car because he was driving to clients and had to impress them, and a car was the first thing clients saw, which meant a potential good first impression.

I think the way people impress others with their cars has changed in the last few years. Ever since that day, a few years ago, when gas reached $4 per gallon, nothing impresses like a fuel-efficient car. And while in the past, fuel-efficient cars were limited to certain niche-markets, nowadays anyone can be a target market for one of these cars.

I didn’t take the Volt I got for a week on a family-road-trip to Vermont, the way we had planned to do, and I ended up driving the Volt on daily errands: driving my kids to school, going to the supermarket, driving to Granny’s house– But everywhere I went, the car was a topic of conversation. How much? How many MPGs? Where’s the plug? How far does it drive on the battery? How does it feel?

A fuel-efficient car, I believe, makes the best first impression nowadays. Ever since that $4 per gallon day, fuel efficiency hasn’t left people’s minds (even though the price of gas has decreased slightly), and when people see a person driving a fuel-efficient car, they don’t see him as an out-of-touch hippy anymore, but as someone very much in touch with the world around him. And when all of it is packaged in a beautiful Volt, there’s no reason to hold back.

Yesterday’s chilly temperatures were no deterrent for NBC4 Washington meteorologists, Veronica Johnson, Chuck Bell, and Tom Kierein, as they took some time outside getting a look at the much anticipated Stingray, one vehicle that hadn’t made it to the Washington Auto Show earlier this year. GM’s Corvette subject matter expert, Russ Clark, was on hand to show NBC just how hot the new C7 really is – inside and out.

The Chevrolet Corvette is an icon among automobiles and the 2014 C7 does not disappoint.  With more than 400 horsepower and a 0 to 60-mph time of less than 4.0 seconds, the Stingray features a 7-speed manual transmission or automatic 6-speed paddle shift giving it every bit of American muscle it should have.  Let’s not forget, the C7 has dynamic exterior redesign, giving its profile an edge perhaps even Vette enthusiasts didn’t think possible.  But its power and undeniable sheer beauty weren’t all that impressed NBC’s weather warriors; there’s also its miles per gallon expectation.  While exact ratings have yet to be released, the Corvette Stingray will likely exceed a 26 mile per gallon highway average.

Following its media appearance at the NBC Washington studios, the Stingray made its final stop of the day visiting with DC-area Corvette clubs including members from the B-Triple-C and Corvette Annapolis.  And the drooling continued.  Despite some hesitations among the loyal Vette fans about the C7’s new tail light design, it took only this up close and personal look to realize they liked it and some proclaimed the C7 was much “better in person.”  Expecting nothing less from this group, they spent a few hours with GM’s Russ Clark going over the vehicle, inch by inch, making sure they got to know every tantalizing crevice of this impressive machine.

DC-area Corvette club members gather around the C7 for a group photo.

DC-area Corvette club members get a look under the hood of the Stingray.

After the Corvette’s visit to DC, not much was left to the imagination, besides just how exhilarating it might feel behind the wheel of a C7 in motion, all 450 horses actually blowing your hair back.  Next stop?  The New York International Auto Show.

Check out photos from the C7’s visit on Flickr here.

Read more about the Scottevest here.

The 21^st Annual Festival entertains daily showings of films that honor the environment. On Tuesday March 12, representatives from General Motors cruised up to the Carnegie Institution in the Chevy Spark and the Chevy Volt to engage movie-goers while they were waiting to attend the world premiere of “Hot Water”. The movie explored the film-makers journey through the American West as they exposed uranium mining and America’s atomic legacy for what it really is.

While film-goers were waiting in line, they were able to participate in a trivia contest consisting of four questions about the Volt and the Spark. If participants aced the trivia contest, their name was entered into a drawing for two free tickets to attend the Washington, DC premiere of “To the Wonder”, which will round out the film festival on March 23. The movie, starring Ben Affleck and directed by Terrance Malik, explores finding new love when old love breaks your heart. The movie was also a 2012 official selection for the Toronto Film Festival.

Not only were people enthusiastic about the contest, but they were also excited to learn more about what General Motors is doing to help preserve our earth, through environmentally-friendly vehicles.

The Environmental Film Festival runs from March 12-24. Follow the conversation on Twitter by using GM’s hashtag, #SparkmyEFF

Do you want to join in the fun? Test your trivia skills below!

1. What is the total headroom and legroom (in inches) of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?

a. 149.9 inches       b. 157 inches      c. 120.5 inches

2. How many standard airbags are in a 2013 Chevrolet Spark?

a. 7              b. 3         c. 10

3. What is the name of the electronic stability control system on both the Volt and the Spark?

a. StabiliSecure      b. StabiliTrak      c. SecureWay

4. What is the EPA-estimated electric driving range of the Chevrolet Volt?

a. 38 miles                b. 33 miles           c. 40 miles

A few hundred guests and members of D.C.’s eco-conscious community gathered at the Warner Building Atrium for a unique night of fun and celebration.  Launch party guests were delightfully serenaded by the Grammy-nominated artist Carolyn Malachi and offered a sampling of the eco-best from a variety of EFF sponsors.  The GM sponsor table sat among good company with Chipotle, Potomac River Outfitters, Honest Tea and many others.  Guests that visited our table, or the Chevy Spark and Volt on display, entered for their chance to test drive a GM vehicle for two days and also received our GM thank you notes with plantable seed card.

Congratulations to the two GM vehicle loan recipients from the launch party, John Friedman from The Huffington Post and Josh Stebbins from the Sierra Club!

We had a blast joining in the fun on Thursday night and look forward to supporting the important work of the EFF throughout March.

Please visit with us during the film festival; we’ll have two GM eco-conscious vehicles on display at the screenings listed below.  Be sure to catch us at the screenings of “Hot Water” and “A Falconer’s Memoir” to enter for your chance to win two tickets to the screening of “To The Wonder.”

• Tuesday, March 12 at 7pm – “Hot Water” at the Carnegie Institution for Science, world premiere

• Friday, March 15 at 7:30pm – “A Falconer’s Memoir” at the Carnegie Institution for Science

• Saturday, March 23 at 8:15pm – “To The Wonder” at the AFI Silver Theater, Washington D.C. premiere

“I need a truck.”

Probably one of the most muttered sentences heard around my house and restaurant.

When GM contacted me and said that they had a Chevy Cruze they would like for me to test out for a week, I figured, why not.

As soon as I picked my wife up at the airport in it on Friday, her first response was “it’s cute.” “It’s nice. It’s something I would like to drive.” I replied “It’s not a truck, but being inauguration week in DC, I know I needed more than my bike to jump between restaurants.” She agreed with a smirk knowing that I was about to change my opinion of what I really wanted.

In person, this car is not nice, it’s not cute, it’s pretty much bad a**. The front end has a great look to it. Stylish but not fancy. The interior is really well laid out and being a 5’-11” 260lb chef, there was PLENTY of room for me. Not something common of a car this size.

The shock came when I turned on the car and actually started driving it around. It had gusto! Pick up! It’s Eco! It’s eco? I thought eco meant slow, practical, boring but cost effective. Well cost effective was the only thing I got right.

The real game changer came when I noticed that being inauguration week, there was little to no street parking anywhere. If there was parking, the spots were tight. After driving around for about 15 minutes looking for a parking spot, my wife pointed to a spot recently vacated by a small British car with a funny license plate. No way was I going to fit in. Pulled up, put it in reverse, and up pops the back-up camera. It’s like having airport ramp agents marshaling your car into a spot. One try. Maybe 8 inches on each side of the car. Like a glove.

There were so many reasons that I wanted a truck. There are so many reasons that I now want a Cruze. Eco. Why eco now? Well beside everything I mentioned above, I went through 1/3 of a tank (12.6 gallon tank) of gas and averaged 29 mpg city driving. WHAT? Yes.

Throughout March, the EFF will feature nearly 200 films from 50 countries at 75 partnering venues across the Washington, D.C. area.  As a part of GM’s support, we will be showcasing the Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Volt throughout the festival, including the launch party on March 7.  Stay tuned for GM vehicle display dates at screenings.

We’re so excited to be a part of this year’s festivities we want to bring some extra fun to the party!  During the party on March 7, we’ll be hosting a drawing for a two-day GM vehicle loan.

Here’s how party guests can enter:

• Send a Twitpic of yourself with the designated GM vehicle on display that evening and use the hashtag #SparkMyEFF.

And beginning today through March 6, we want you to tell us which car should be used for the loan, the Chevy Volt, GM’s electric car with extended range, or the Chevy Spark, GM’s first mini car for the U.S.

Here’s how to vote:

• Send a tweet with your vote (#ChevyVolt or #ChevySpark) and the hashtag #SparkMyEFF.

We’ll announce which car will be loaned Thursday morning, March 7, and we’ll announce the loan recipients Monday, March 11 on @GMNortheast.

For more information about the EFF Launch Party, please click here.

For more information about the EFF film screenings, please click here.

March 7 Contest Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Must be 21 or over with a good driving record to enter and to win.  Winner will receive the use of a 2013 Chevrolet Volt or 2013 Chevrolet Spark for two days.  Odds of winning depend on number of entries.  Ask for complete rules at the entry table.

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Learn more about Chevrolet’s donation to the Guardian Centers here.

We’d like to claim this sentiment as noticeably American, but Streets Of Laredo is from New Zealand. Some would dub the genre “indie-folk”. But what it really is is ‘road trip’ music. It’s about wondering, it’s about the journey. It’s music reminding you that you have a pulse.