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Our favorite mid-engine Corvette theories and rumors

The mid-engine Corvette! We just saw blurry photos through the foliage, and are hearts are all aflutter because it means that this car is real. And it's the most " never before" Corvette since 1984. Which leads us to all kinds of wacky theories and speculation. Everybody knows something or heard from a guy. None of those guys (or gals) from GM are talking to Autoblog, to be clear. But that won't stop us from stirring the pot. Let's go over a few point-by-point. The pushrod engine will be replaced by an overhead-cam V8 Car and Driver has repeatedly reported that an overhead-cam engine will come after the mid-engine Corvette's debut with an old-school pushrod. We've heard the same thing firsthand, albeit from a source with no connection to the development of the Corvette or powertrain. "At some point two valves can't pass future emissions regulations," said the guy we know. While the pushrod engine is compact, the design makes it difficult - if not impossible - for sophisticated variable valve timing (and lift) systems that control combustion with more precision. Hasty conclusion: The pushrod engine has a finite life in front of it. This one's a lock, it's a just a matter of when. Bowling Green's new paint shop is really the mid-engine assembly line Credit to Reddit for this one. Like we said, everybody knows a guy. But let's look deeper. The new paint facility costs $439 million dollars and adds 450,000 square feet, almost half the size of the existing plant. Plus GM announced another $290 million in upgrades at Bowling Green Assembly. That sure sounds like a lot of money, but you can actually spend that much on a paint booth. Porsche spent 500 million Euros (about $561 million dollars) to add the Macan assembly to its Leipzig, Germany plant in 2014. Chrysler shelled out $850 million for a paint shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan. GM spent $600 million for a new paint shop at the Fairfax (Kansas City) plant. Honda, on the other hand, is working on a thrifty $210 million project in Marysville, Ohio that includes a 300,000 square foot expansion, and the low-volume Acura NSX facility only cost $70 million. Hasty conclusion: The square footage and cost could easily mean a new assembly line instead of (or in addition to) a paint line. And if the NSX plant was really that cheap, GM could have hidden a similar sum in its existing announcements.

Cadillac Escalade gets $10,000 discount to ward off Navigator

Cadillac is once again defending its full-size luxury Escalade SUV from assault by the hot-selling Lincoln Navigator, offering $10,000 discounts to some current customers to keep them from switching brands. The discount, reported by Bloomberg, applies to lessees of 2016 model-year Escalades, with a $7,500 discount offered to owners, through May 31. It's at least the second time GM has resorted to incentives to keep customers in its cash-cow luxury SUV since Ford launched the all-new 2018 Navigator late last year. In November, Cadillac offered a $5,000 discount on the purchase or lease of the Escalade to any buyer who traded in a 1999 or newer Lincoln model. Analysts have estimated that the Escalade produces nearly $1 billion in yearly profit for GM. Escalade sales were up 14 percent in March and 8 percent during the first quarter, with retail sales up by double-digit percentages in both periods, higher transaction prices and market share expected to climb by 2 percent year-to-date, according to GM. That's impressive for a vehicle that has received only minor updates since the current generation went on sale for 2015. While it still trails the Escalade in sales, the Navigator has been riding a 63 percent increase in deliveries this year, with new models lasting on dealer lots an average of only 10 days and average prices ballooning to $82,500, according to Bloomberg. Ford earlier this year announced it was pouring $25 million into its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to boost production of the Navigator and Ford Expedition. You can read Autoblog's side-by-side comparison of the 2018 Escalade and Navigator with competitors including the Lexus LX 570 and Infiniti QX80. Related Video: Image Credit: Cadillac Cadillac SUV Luxury sales incentives lincoln navigator sport utility vehicle discount

Cadillac previews CT6 interior and its 34 Bose speakers

We get an early monochrome look at the upcoming Cadillac CT6 interior thanks to its stereo system. Bose will debut its Panaray Sound System in the flagship sedan and have 34 speakers located throughout the cabin that will have the occupants bathing in sound. A close look at the interior mock-up shows little visible difference between the CT6 and the praised CTS; the only thing we could find was that the headrests are slightly different and the seat switches have been moved to the doors, a la Mercedes-Benz. As for that Panaray, Bose says it incorporates elements from the company's home and professional audio products, and was designed "exclusively" for this car. We don't know if that means it was tuned for the CT6 or that it will only ever be available on the CT6. Nor do we have any detailed specs on it at the moment, but there's a press release below with a few more tidbits and a high-res graphic above with details on each speaker. Bose Introduces First-of-its-Kind Panaray® Sound System for First-Ever Cadillac CT6 Advanced automotive sound system integrates elements from home products DETROIT, 2015-03-26 – Thirty-five years ago, Bose and Cadillac defined premium automotive audio, forever changing how people listen to music in a vehicle. Now Bose is introducing its most advanced and highest-performing automotive sound system – the Bose® Panaray® system, designed exclusively for the Cadillac CT6 sedan. The 2016 CT6 is a first in its segment, combining the prestige and technology of a range-topping vehicle with the dynamics and efficiency of a smaller one. The Panaray system marks the global debut of Bose Automotive's new line of "Advanced Technology Series" sound systems, integrating technologies and design elements from Bose home entertainment and professional audio products to deliver unprecedented performance in a car. "We asked Bose to create something truly special for this new vehicle: an unbounded sound system, providing an audio experience unmatched in any other luxury automobile," said Travis Hester, Cadillac CT6 executive chief engineer. "Cadillac CT6 customers will be elated by what they hear and feel when they switch on the Bose Panaray system." The Bose® Panaray® system reproduces music with more clarity, precision and deep bass than any system preceding it.