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Cadillac CT6 production ceases January 2020 as part of D-Ham layoffs

General Motors filed paperwork under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act with Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity this week, detailing events to come at the automaker's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant. Starting February 28, 814 salaried and hourly workers at D-Ham, as its called, will be laid off. The 753 workers represented by the UAW will begin receiving offers in January to relocate to facilities in Michigan and Ohio, or buyout offers. As the 4-million-square-foot plant winds down through April 3 to a skeleton crew, the Cadillac CT6 ceases production in January 2020, and the last Chevrolet Impala comes off the line on February 28. The loss of the CT6 represents the end of Cadillac's latest brief, and highly regarded, adventure into flagship sedans. It might also mean the end of the 4.2-liter Blackwing twin-turbo V8 engine, at least for the moment. Both casualties are calamities. The death of the Impala closes the door on a nameplate in production for 52 years since 1957, having started off as a top-tier trim for the 1958 Bel Air known as the Bel Air Impala, once advertised with the line, "Lets you know you're the boss." As part of the new four-year labor agreement with the UAW, GM is keeping D-Ham open to build a new line of battery-electric vehicles, ultimately investing $3 billion and tripling employment to 2,225 workers when fully operational. The agreement described the coming EV as a "van" that would commence production in late 2021, but various reports say what's actually coming is a range of premium EVs in pickup and SUV bodystyles under the program codename BT1. The easy predictions put an electric GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade among the EV fold, but not until 2023, according to auto industry forecaster LMC Automotive. Before that, LMC claims an electric van will debut in late 2021, along with a battery-powered rebirth of the Hummer brand in pickup and SUV forms, also in late 2021. 

GM threatens predatory dealers with order cancellations, non-transferrable warranties

General Motors will launch a second salvo against misbehaving dealerships next week with a new set of policies aimed at curbing predatory markup strategies. With the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06, GMC Hummer EV SUV and Cadillac Escalade-V about to head into production, GM is putting its foot down yet again. Dealers that attempt to circumvent GM's markup restrictions by dealing directly with brokers or other resellers could find themselves in a particularly nasty spot, as the company is threatening to withhold future allocations and end the transferability of warranties when dealers facilitate the reselling of vehicles within 12 months.  While this may help curb some dealership chicanery, it's possible the real loser in such a deal could end up being the customer who unwittingly ends up with an un-warrantied vehicle. We suspect GM has accounted for that, but we'll have to wait until next week to find out exactly how these new policies will be enforced.

The Chevrolet Camaro 1LE returns with V6 or V8 power

The Chevy Camaro's performance variants are legendary, and enthusiasts have long lusted after the Z/28 and ZL1. But there's a lesser-known model that shouldn't be overlooked: the 1LE. It's Camaro code for performance on the track. The 2017 Camaro 1LE debuts this week at the Chicago Auto Show and goes on sale late this year. The 1LE package will be offered for the first time on V6 Camaros, as well as the traditional V8-powered SS. The cars have upgraded suspensions, better brakes, aerodynamic treatments that create more downforce, and improved cooling features. The goal is simple: faster laps. "This is all grip and handling and cooling," said Todd Christensen, Camaro marketing manager. It's an enthusiast special, transforming your basic Camaro into a more capable track machine. The 335-horsepower V6 and 455-hp V8 are unchanged (and only come with six-speed manual gearboxes), because the focus is on improving the Camaro's reflexes. That means different things, depending on the engine choice. Here's how they break down. V6 1LE The V6's 1LE package is based on the LT trim and it pilfers the best chassis pieces from the V8 model, including the FE3 suspension with stabilizer bars. It also has a mechanical limited slip differential (3.27 ratio) and four-piston Brembo brake calipers in front. The fuel system is also borrowed from the SS, and it all rolls on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber measuring 245/40R20 in front and 275/35R20 in back. Christensen says Chevy added the 1LE pack for the V6 because customers actively wanted it, and for a reasonable price (we hear the 1LE will cost about the same as the fifth gen's $3,500 option) they can transform their V6 into a car that's as track capable as the SS. While it's giving up 120 hp, a V6 Camaro 1LE will also be more than 200 pounds lighter than the eight-cylinder 1LE. Chevy noticed the customer interest for a V6 1LE and will study offering the pack on Camaros with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Consider the V6 a test case. "I'm anxious to get some customer feedback [from the V6]," Christensen said. SS 1LE Even though it's heavier, the SS 1LE offers a lot of goodies that make it three seconds faster than a normal SS, according to Chevy's testing at Willow Springs Raceway in the California desert. The spotlight features in the SS are Magnetic Ride Control for the FE4 suspension and electronic-slip differential (3.73 ratio).