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Next Corvette ZR1 to get 700 horsepower?

Word has it General Motors may offer as much as 700 horsepower in the C7 Corvette ZR1. Motor Trend reports the next Corvette Z06 will continue to rely on its naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V8 engine for thrust, but the lump will deliver substantially more power. How much more? MT says the engine could deliver up to 600 ponies. That's a jump of 95 horsepower over the current Z06, though no figures have been finalized as of yet. Right now, GM is reportedly waiting to see what sort of grunt it can glean from the next ZR1.
The automaker has already made it clear it will resurrect the LT5 name for the new supercharged V8, and if GM is already pulling 600 from the Z06, the big dog ZR1 would theoretically offer 700 horsepower. Either way, the range-topping Corvette will be suitably insulated from its less potent siblings. Stay tuned. We aren't likely to see the Z06 for at least a year, with the ZR1 trailing along at some point there after.

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.

2022 Chevy Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade up another $1,600

The 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the 2022 GMC Yukon and the 2022 Cadillac Escalade have all gone up by $1,600. The GM profit and loss department added $1,500 to the MSRP for each of the full-sized SUVs and $100 to their destination charges, that destination fee now $1,795 for each vehicle. It's not an inconsequential bump; however, considering where the trucks were priced at launch, and everything that's happened since, the latest retail prices don't seem that bad. Take the Suburban — in February 2020, Chevrolet practically carried over pricing for the truck with a revamped interior and independent rear suspension, starting it at $50,295 after destination. After this latest increase, the 2022 Tahoe LS in two-wheel drive costs $55,590, after destination.  The delta between the 2021 Suburban at launch in March 2020 and the current model is a little grander compared to the Tahoe, like the SUV itself. Back then, it started at $52,295, the same price as the outgoing model. After this third price increase in the past year, the 2022 Suburban LS in 2WD starts at $61,290 after destination. GM Authority says the 2023 Tahoe and Suburban are reportedly headed down production lines in the middle of July. The biggest addition to both models will be the availability of Super Cruise, which is already available on the sister SUV, the Cadillac Escalade. The hands-free driving assistance feature can only be optioned on the Premier and High Country trims. It costs $2,500 to put Super Cruise on the Escalade. GM hasn't divulged the feature's price yet for the Chevy twins; that's likely to come when the automaker announces 2023 Tahoe and Suburban MSRPs, so beware of more potential price increases. After that, there's a heavy refresh planned for the 2024 model year, including a new instrument panel design that looks like it replaces the current gauge cluster with a large, freestanding screen.  The Yukon's entry-level price goes up to $57,590 for the SLE trim turning the rear axle.   The Cadillac Escalade's second MSRP bump takes it to $81,235 for the Luxury 600 trim in 2WD, and $84,235 for the extended ESV model in the same trim. The price creep hasn't stopped Escalades from pulling off dealer lots almost as soon as they're delivered, sales for the first quarter of the year totaling 10,505 units, trouncing domestic and foreign competition. Related video: