2003 Gmc Sierra 2500hd Duramax!! on 2040-cars

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U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.

Autoblog Minute: 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck reveal

Competition in the heavy duty truck segment heats up as we get our first look at the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty lineup. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. With commentary from Autoblog's senior editor Greg Migliore and an interview with Doug Scott of Ford Motor Company. Update: This post has been updated to reflect that the entire Ford F-Series Super Duty lineup is new for 2017, not just the F-250 model. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Competition in the heavy duty truck segment heats up as we get our first look at the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. As Ford prepares to release its new Super Duty line to the American worker, we spoke with Doug Scott of Ford's Truck Group to find out what customers can expect from this latest super duty offering: [00:00:30] [Doug Scott Interview] For more on what the changes to Super Duty mean for the segment we go to Autoblog's Greg Migliore: [00:01:30] [Greg Migliore Interview] Will a larger cabin and increased towing capacity help these heavy duty trucks take off like the smaller F150? And, how will the other HD giants, Chevy, GMC, and Ram respond? Truck fans, be sure to sound off in the comments below. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. [00:02:00] Show Logo Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Chevrolet Ford GMC RAM Truck Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video ford f-250 f-250 super duty

Overland Expo's GMC Sierra AT4X is an Aussie-style ultimate overlander

Overland Expo is a caravan of companies producing everything one could need or want for overlanding. So what better what to showcase the kind of hardcore overlander possible by dipping into that parts caravan than to build just such an overlander? That's what the Expo did in creating its second Ultimate Build, based on a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4X. Overland Expo said it chose the Sierra for the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque because it wanted to "go bigger and more extreme" than its first build last year, which was based on a Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road. This Sierra trim was chosen over its AT4 sibling due to the extra dose of rugged, like the Multimatic spool dampers that provide about an inch more suspension travel front and rear, and the front and rear locking differentials. The Denali-like luxury isn't a bad thing to have, either. The only performance mods are a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust, Firestone Ride-Rite air springs at the bag and 17-inch Icon Dynamics wheels on 33-inch 33 Firestone Destination Mud Terrains replacing the stock 18-inchers on Goodyear Wranglers.   Rig builder Mule Expedition Outfitters tapped more than 21 exhibitors for components, and spent "hundreds of hours" putting them all together seamlessly. The most eye-catching swap comes from the MITS Alloy three-foot canopy and tray that replaces the pickup bed. MITS is an Australian company, hailing from the land that also gives us overlanding powerhouses like ARB and Old Man Emu, and this is a popular outback-style rig. In addition to the storage areas on the sides and underneath, the canopy holds a Dometic refrigerator, Green Goat Outdoors camp kitchen and an eight-gallon water can that feeds a Geyser Systems shower. A solar panel on the roof routes power to a pair of lithium-ion batteries in the canopy as well, their output controlled by a Redarc RedVision Manager30.  There are plenty of Rigid lights for avoiding trouble, and a Forrest Tool Max Tool Kit plus GoTreads for when trouble inevitably appears anyway. The crew cab should hold plenty of gear, but anything else that needs to be stored outside will go in a set of 3D dry bags.