2011 Gmc Sierra Denali on 2040-cars

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GMC talking to dealers about possible Jeep Wrangler competitors

With respect to the team at GMC, it's pretty much fair to say the manufacturer prospers on a lineup of nothing more than gussied up Chevrolets. The brand's successes aside, GMC can be boiled down thusly – the Sierra is a Silverado, the Terrain an Equinox, the Canyon a Colorado and the Acadia is a Traverse, albeit with sometimes dressier duds. Strictly speaking, it's not that simple – Acadia and Terrain have siblings beyond the Bowtie – but the brand is remarkable for its lack of distinctive models. That could change, though, as The Wall Street Journal is claiming General Motors has broached the idea of a building a GMC-badged competitor to the Jeep Wrangler during a meeting with dealers. WSJ claims the new off-roader would "borrow cues and capability" from the defunct Hummer brand. That, of course, could mean many, many different things. While the original Hummer, the H1, was an exceptionally capable vehicle off-road, the H2 and H3 weren't nearly as single minded. It's unclear if a Hummer-inspired, off-road-ready GMC would lean more towards the former than the latter. According to WSJ's report, the GMC Jeep appears to be in the very, very early planning stages, with one unnamed source saying the idea was "being kicked around real hard." GM is still courting dealers for feedback, while it refused the Journal's request for comment. What are your thoughts? Is a Wrangler competitor long overdue for GM? Do you think GMC is the best brand to introduce such a model? Have your say in Comments. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4X4 View 12 Photos News Source: The Wall Street JournalImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL GM GMC SUV Off-Road Vehicles

2014 Chevrolet Silverado tows in new configurator, microsite

Judging by your continued enthusiastic response to configurator notices, dear reader, you enjoy speccing out new cars as much as we do. Better still, there tends to be even more ways to personalize, configure and bloat theoretical MSRPs on full-size trucks as there are with more ordinary passenger cars. In addition to trim level, engine and transmission choices, truck buyers usually have to specify items like cab configuration, bed length, number of driven axles, tow packages, gear ratios and all sorts of bits and bobs.
That's why we're pleased to see the DIY specification utility for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado come alive so soon after this week's Detroit Auto Show debut. While the configurator lacks pricing (General Motors hasn't announced numbers yet) and full options, you can still spec out your half-ton rig, and even print it out or email it to your friends. Beyond the configurator, the new model-specific site is pretty cool, too, with various videos and closer looks at the truck's new features.
The new Chevrolet pickup range won't be on dealer lots until sometime this summer, so whether you're a building contractor, an avid sportsman or just a guy or gal that loves full-size trucks, you might want to check out the link below to keep your appetite whetted. If you're more of a Sierra fan, well, it looks like you're going to have to wait a while - GMC hasn't updated its site yet.

Junkyard Gem: 1990 GMC S-15 Jimmy 4x4

The General sold the GMC-badged version of the first-generation Chevy S-10 Blazer, known as the S-15 Jimmy or just the Jimmy, from the 1982 through 1994 model years. These trucks were based on the small S-10 pickup and sold well (until small trucks were forced to get bigger and less truck-like after the dawn of the Ford Explorer-inspired commuter-truck era), but they have become difficult to find in vehicle graveyards in our current century. Here's a '90 Jimmy 4x4 with red-primer paint job, found in a self-service yard on California's Central Coast last month. GMC shoppers could get the 1990 Jimmy as a rear-wheel-drive truck, but this one has the four-wheel-drive option that allowed Tahoe-bound skiers to skip the chain monkeys on the way to the slopes (the CHP, understanding that California drivers have a 95% mortality rate on snow or ice, requires chains or four-wheel-drive to get over Donner Pass when there's a hint of snow forecast). GM sold so many millions of small-block Chevrolet V8s that it made economic sense to use the same tooling to produce a V6 version. The result was this truck's 4.3-liter V6 that was three-quarters of the good old Chevy 350 (5.7-liter) V8 that powered so many Camaros, Chevelles and Impalas. The 4.3 didn't make smooth power, but it got the job done and held together quite well. This one was rated at 160 horsepower, good enough for the Jimmy 4x4's 3,512-pound curb weight. These days, though, used-truck shoppers insist on at least two tons of heft plus four doors. Some discount lot in Monterey or Salinas couldn't even get $999 for this truck, and so it ended up in the final stop before the cold steel jaws of the crusher. 1990 was the last model year for the two-door-only Jimmy; for 1991, the Jimmy came with a choice of two doors (for devil-may-care types) or four doors (for drop-the-kids-at-school types). I've always liked the look of the instrument panels on the early S-10s and its siblings; even though the designers had to work within strict budgetary limitations, they made the panels look interesting. This truck nearly made it to 170,000 miles before the end. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. So powerful with the 4.3 (the regular S-15 pickup still came with a 2.8-liter V6 as base equipment) that it could destroy a TV camera.