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Chevy launches Daytona delivery program with on-track driving

Talk about a dealer incentive: Buy a new Chevy and then shake it down at Daytona International Speedway. Chevy announced plans Thursday to launch a delivery program that will allow customers to pick up their new vehicles and then drive on the iconic 57-year old circuit. It will start later this year on 2017 models and includes a tour of the speedway, a keepsake of the event, and documentation that the car was driven at Daytona. The delivery center will be on the infield near victory lane. Chevy already offers a similar program that allows enthusiasts to get their new Corvettes at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. That costs $990, which is around the estimated price point for the Daytona delivery plan. "Select Chevy models," will be part of the program, spokesperson Afaf Farah said, "but the intent is to offer across a wide array of vehicles." It won't be a limited to a specific number, and Chevy will meet customer demand, she said. Daytona recently received a $400 million-facelift that had been ongoing since July 2013. It now seats 101,500 and has more restrooms and concessions. It was shown off in January at the Rolex 24 and will command a larger spotlight this weekend at the Daytona 500. Take a Spin in Your New Chevy at Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Have you ever wondered what it is like to drive on the track at the famed Daytona International Speedway? If you buy a new Chevrolet, your dealer will be able to offer you that opportunity. Chevrolet and DIS today announced an exclusive delivery experience at the Speedway. This extra cost option will be available later this year through U.S. Chevrolet dealers on select new vehicle orders. While details are still being finalized, customers who order the option can expect: • A tour of Daytona International Speedway • An on-track driving experience • A keepsake to commemorate the experience • Authentication that the vehicle was delivered and driven at the Speedway "Chevrolet is committed to offering our customers the best overall vehicle ownership experience possible – starting with the most technologically advanced and most dynamic vehicles in the brands history," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America and leader of Global Chevrolet.

GM to squeeze out more production capacity for midsize trucks

General Motors was predicting a strong showing for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon before they debuted, and demand among dealers for the midsize trucks even exceeded company's expectations. The positive situation has left GM with a problem, though: finding ways to increase capacity for the pickups at the Wentzville Assembly plant in Missiouri. With a third shift already running, GM has continued to look for ways to build just a few more of the trucks at the plant. The company has plans to hire as many as 1,000 more workers for the Saturday and Sunday shifts to construct an additional 2,000 pickups a month, according to unnamed insiders at the factory speaking to Automotive News. The little adjustments even extend to getting rid of an unpaid break to add 18 minute of assembly time over the course of a day, which equals about 3,500 more vehicles a year. All of this effort comes because the trucks are in such high demand. According to GM's figures, the company has delivered a combined 35,720 units of the Colorado and Canyon from January through April 2015, and the Chevy was the fastest-selling truck in the US for the previous three months. In May, it spent an average of just 12 days in showrooms before being snapped up. And even better for the company, 43 percent of these buyers came from other brands. According to Automotive News, the most popular trade-ins have included the Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma, and Dodge Dakota. Related Video:

It's time for Corvette to attack Porsche

For most of its existence, Porsche was a smug little sports car company with a fairly limited lineup and small but steady sales. Any time the company strayed from its air-cooled, rear engine formula, the purists would turn their noses. The 944? The 948? "Not a proper Porsche," they'd sniff. And then came the greatest sin of them all: the Cayenne. To the purists, this was treason. Porsche making an SUV? Horrors! Of course, you all know how it turned out. Porsche grew to be a profit-generating juggernaut within the Volkswagen Group. And since one SUV wasn't enough they added another, the Macan. By the end of the decade Porsche will have quadrupled its global sales. You have to wonder what else it has up its sleeve. Couldn't this be a lesson for General Motors? It has a terrific sports car brand in Corvette. In fact, it's arguably the most iconic brand within GM's full-line portfolio. But for its entire existence that brand has been locked up within Chevrolet. Maybe it's time for GM to treat Corvette as a stand-alone company. Maybe it's time for GM to unlock that brand and treat Corvette as a stand-alone company. A Corvette SUV could be a killer first step. Since Porsche only makes two SUVs, maybe Corvette could make three. Small, medium, and large. And just as Porsche has the Panamera, an executive sedan from team Corvette could become an instant "gotta-have" for the yacht-buying jet set. Of course, the Corvette purists will cringe. And the biggest hue and cry will come from Chevrolet's US dealers. That's why the best place to launch the new Corvette brand would be far away from those franchisees: in China. Chinese consumers have no pre-conceived ideas that 'Vettes can only be sold in Chevy stores. And Chinese enthusiasts very much admire Corvette's historic pedigree. You've no doubt read about how Chinese authorities are cracking down on conspicuous consumption. That makes the timing even better. Corvette's selling point has always been that it is an amazing bargain for the performance you get. What a perfect way to undercut Porsche. In fact, pairing the Corvette brand with Cadillac in China could be just the shot in the arm that Cadillac's Chinese dealers need. Despite having very competitive cars, Cadillac lags far behind Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. What Cadillac dealers need is a lot more showroom traffic. And a jaw dropping lineup of Corvette-branded vehicles could bring in throngs of buyers.