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GM shows off 'digital vehicle platform' enabling more in-car tech and OTA updates

It appears to have dropped the sobriquet "Global B," but General Motors' new electrical architecture has bowed in drawings and video. This is the "digital vehicle platform" GM president Mark Reuss spoke to Reuters about in 2015, saying it would move a great deal of a vehicle's computer work to the cloud and enable over-the-air updates. Reuss took the microphone for the debut, too, saying, "Our new digital vehicle platform and its eventual successors will underpin all our future innovations across a wide range of technological advancements, including EVs and expanded automated driving." The system will go into production later this year, appearing in dealerships first either on the 2020 Cadillac CT5 or the mid-engined 2020 Chevrolet Corvette. Yes, these are the same electronics cited for delaying the launch of the C8 Corvette over excessive draw, security and getting the more-than-100 computer modules to communicate seamlessly. When Car and Driver asked about that, GM replied with "No comment." Volkswagen's having the same issues with the Mk8 Golf right now, though, so GM isn't alone, and this will be the new normal among OEMs for a while. What's certifiable is that the new architecture is robust enough to handle 4.5 terabytes of data per hour, which is five times what GM's current wiring can handle. And thanks to Ethernet connections of 100 Mbps, 1 Gbs and 10 Gbs, communication within and without the vehicle happens much faster. The advances mean better screen resolutions, better battery management for hybrids and electric vehicles, the capability for over-the-air updates and "functionality upgrades throughout the lifespan of the vehicle." Cadillac's Super Cruise has already been lined up as a leading candidate for constant improvements in the driving assistance suite, a key part of GM's "vision for a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion." And whenever GM decides to take the plunge, it will mean a 48-volt electrical system. More than 300 specialists worked on the digital platform, and security was a huge part of the task. We've already heard that GM consulted with Boeing and military contractors on how to prevent hacking. The carmaker has an internal Product Cybersecurity group that reached out to the research community, and created a "bug bounty" program to crowdsource uncovering any flaws.

Regular-cab, short-bed Chevy Silverado Trail Boss pickup looks great

For all the wild popularity of full-size pickups, there's one configuration that U.S. buyers are no longer offered: the regular-cab, short-bed truck. Interestingly, however, GM still does make this configuration, and both the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra are offered with it — in the Mexican market. That body style, however, is available solely in ultra-basic work-truck form. But a custom wheel shop, JC Wheels in the Mexican city of Culiacan, has converted one of these Silverados to Trail Boss trim, and we're digging the result. The sporty shorty Silverado Trail Boss comes to our attention via GM Authority, after the shop posted it on their Instagram feed. The shop added a 3-inch lift, assist steps, Chevy alloy wheels, a Trail Boss front fascia including red tow hooks, and Trail Boss badging. They also added dark window tint, which seems like a good idea in sunny Mexico. In the U.S., the Silverado Trail Boss isn't offered at all in regular-cab form; it only can be had as a double cab or a crew cab, the latter with a choice of a short bed or standard bed. But size is often a hindrance for trucks that actually get driven on trails, where this regular-cab, short-bed variant's smaller wheelbase would be an advantage. Beyond that, the Trail Boss upgrades keep this configuration from looking like a basic-spec machine. That's even more true of the same outfit's previous efforts: the conversion of the GMC Sierra regular-cab, short-bed pickup into a Denali. With so many buyers choosing pickups as personal-use vehicles, it's not hard to think that this configuration could find an audience here. But the key would be to do as this Mexican firm has done and offer it in the desirable off-road and luxury trims, rather than as a basic work truck. Would you buy one? Sound off in the comments below. The next step would be to use this configuration as the basis of a full-size, two-door SUV, in the mold of the classic Chevy K5 Blazer and GMC Jimmy.

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.