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Chevy Silverado HD gets the Custom Sport treatment

Everyone remember the Silverado 1500 Custom Sport Chevrolet showed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Good. Now, the company has applied the same styling treatment to its heavy-duty pickups, introducing the 2500 and 3500 Custom Sports. The two trucks appeared today at the 2015 Denver Auto Show. A monochromatic look is the order of the day, with the heavy-duty Silverados getting body colored bumpers both fore and aft as well as a body color grille. Chrome accents sit in said grille, while the shiny finish can also be found on the door handles and mirrors. Buyers of the 2500 Custom Sport will get five-spoke, 20-inch, polished wheels, while the brawnier 3500 gets 18-inch polished hoops as standard (dualies are downgraded to 17-inchers). Custom Sport models are only available in Summit White or Black. The trim package can be added to both LT and LTZ models, with a price premium ranging from $700 to $1,695, depending on the truck. Scroll down for the official press release from Chevrolet. Related Video: CHEVROLET INTRODUCES 2015 SILVERADO CUSTOM SPORT HDs Monochromatic appearance for 2500 and 3500 HD pickups DENVER – Chevrolet adds a sophisticated monochromatic look to the Silverado 2500 HD and 3500 HD with new Custom Sport editions, which debuted today at the Denver Auto Show. Silverado Custom Sport HDs feature body-colored front and rear bumpers, a body-colored grille with chrome-accent bars, chrome door handles and body-side moldings, and chrome-accented trailering mirrors. Silverado 2500 Custom Sports feature 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, while 3500 Custom Sports feature 18-inch polished aluminum wheels on single-rear-wheel models, and 17-inch polished aluminum wheels on duallys. Silverado Custom Sport HDs are available in LT or LTZ models in either Summit White or Black. Suggested retail package prices will vary from $700 to $1,695, depending on the model. Dealers can place orders now. Silverados targeted at unique customer needs The Silverado Custom Sport HDs join a family of Silverado 1500s targeted at the needs and tastes of specific groups of truck customers: The Silverado Black Out takes advantage of the black grille and bumpers of the Silverado 1500 WT to let customers to create a dramatic look at an affordable price. Available for regular and double cab WT models, the Black Out special edition includes 20" black painted aluminum wheels, P275/55R20 all-season blackwall tires, deep tinted glass and black bowties.

Next-gen Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra may use carbon fiber

It's been generally accepted that the next generation of full-size GM trucks will use some sort of strong, lightweight material for the beds while retaining steel for the cab. While aluminum seems like the most obvious choice, according to Automotive News, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra will incorporate both aluminum and carbon fiber in their beds. The publication cites sources from within GM, though it seems the introduction of this comparatively exotic material mix is still a few years off. While carbon fiber is both stronger and lighter than steel and aluminum, it takes significantly more time and money to produce, essentially relegating the material to small-volume cars. The main benefit for trucks is the resulting reduction in weight to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the tough, rugged capabilities truck buyers expect. The Ford F-150 made the switch to aluminum for the 2015 model year and it's proved highly successful. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before the competition followed suit. Automotive News says that the next-gen trucks will launch with aluminum beds and that it will take a couple of years before we'll see any carbon fiber incorporated into the design. Even then, only look for the composite material on higher-trim models, with a trickle down to lower-spec trucks possible further in the future. In 2011, GM announced it was working with Japan-based Teijin Limited on a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. There's a good chance that material's introduction will be on trucks. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Rumormill Chevrolet GM GMC Truck

Bob Lutz builds the case for a mid-engined Corvette

Rumors of a mid-engine Corvette are like automotive industry folklore at this point. Every once in a while, news pops up that it might be happening or is under development, but nothing actually ever comes to fruition as something people can actually buy. The latest spy shots strongly suggest a mid-engine 'Vette is in the cards, yet again, possibly for 2018. Now, an op ed by former General Motors executive (and definite performance car fan) Bob Lutz in Road & Track gives the inside scoop on the history of one of these proposals and lays out how to make it happen today. According to Lutz, the company's engineers believed the C6 ZR1 was at the limit for front-engine, rear-wheel drive performance in that package, and the only solution was to move the powerplant behind the driver. Lutz even got then CEO Rick Wagoner on board. The scheme made it at least as far as clay models for mid-engine versions of the 'Vette and Cadillac XLR. Eventually, a lack of money got in the way, though, bringing the project to an end. Lutz puts a lot of faith in GM's current leaders, especially Mary Barra and Mark Reuss. He thinks the chances of a mid-engine 'Vette happening this time are better than 50 percent. The model, rumored to be named Zora, could offer over 700 horsepower in an ultra lightweight body and be priced at about $120,000 to "suck the doors off everybody." Head over to Road & Track to get some insights from this highly respected and entertaining auto industry veteran. Related Video: