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GM takes heat for aborted Silverado riff on 'Boston Strong' at World Series

During game five of the World Series, Chevrolet was set to do a spot of marketing for the 2014 Silverado - fans at Busch Stadium in St. Louis would hold up placards that spelled out the words "Silverado Strong," a theme that Chevy has been promoting since the Silverado's launch with the song "Strong," by Will Hoge. The St. Louis promo was ultimately called off, though, over concerns that it'd be insensitive to the visiting Boston Red Sox. (You can see the image of what the stunt would have looked like above, courtesy of one timely Reddit user.)
Now, the Busch Stadium stunt might not have been a big deal, had the St. Louis Cardinals not been playing the Boston Red Sox. Following the tragic events in Boston during the marathon back in April, the phrase "Boston Strong" gained traction among the city's citizens, especially at sporting events. So, you can imagine that Chevy's appropriation of the phrase might not sit well with some fans.
The stunt was ultimately shelved after images of the signs went viral before the game, leading to a bit of a public backlash. Chevy spokesperson Michael Albano said of the promo that it was meant to show the brand's "commitment to baseball and its fans." But after the images went viral, the company "realized there was the possibility that we may offend some of the very fans we were trying to honor," Albano told Automotive News via email.

Chevy to show redesigned Captiva in Geneva, will it come to US rental lots?

Unless you're renting a car or driving through Orlando, Florida (the rental car capital of the US), you'll probably never see a Chevrolet Captiva - the rebadged, fleet-only version of the old Saturn Vue - on our roads, but this crossover is popular in many other parts of the world. As such, Chevrolet announced that the Captiva will be getting an update for 2013, which will be unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show.
Coming off a pretty extensive refresh in 2011, the 2013 model year will bring even more changes to the Captiva like LED taillights, new 18-inch wheels and revised fascias with a new grille and fog lights up front and inset chrome exhaust outlets at the rear. New interior features include heated rear seats, dual-zone climate control as well as available options on some of the upper trim levels such as leather seating and keyless entry and start. We have yet to hear back from Chevrolet as to whether or not the updated Captiva will be making its way to a rental lot near you, as the model is only available in the US to fleet buyers.
Alongside the updated Captiva, Chevy is also showing off its new Trax in Europe, where the subcompact crossover will go on sale this spring. GM's press release for these two Geneva-bound models is posted below.

Chevy donates first 2015 COPO Camaro for wounded vets

Want to get your hands on a new COPO Camaro? Only 69 will be made this year before it's phased out ahead of the next Camaro's arrival. And the very first one will be auctioned off this weekend in Palm Beach. That's where Barrett-Jackson will be selling the hand-built drag-racer with the serial number 2015COPO001. The vehicle is being donated by Chevy, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a charitable organization that helps disabled athletes, especially veterans of the armed services. Introduced last fall at SEMA, the 2015 COPO Camaro is built specifically for drag racing with a 350-cubic-inch LSX racing engine with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. It's got 555 horsepower, a three-speed automatic transmission (it's a drag machine, not a circuit racer after all), all the requisite safety equipment, special suspension setup, unique livery and a quarter-mile time in the mid-eights. Look for this unique example to cross the auction block at around 5 PM on Friday, April 18, when we hope it will raise a princely sum for a good cause. 2015 COPO Camaro No. 1 Sale to Benefit Disabled Veterans Top bid from Barrett-Jackson goes to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans DETROIT – Chevrolet is selling the first 2015 COPO Camaro race car to raise money for Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded veterans participate in marathons and share their success within a supportive community including their families. The hand-built car carries serial number 2015COPO001. It will be sold on Saturday, April 18, at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a non-profit organization that helps disabled athletes, including veterans, gain access to races, equipment, and training dedicated to improve their physical abilities. "This sale gives the highest bidder the opportunity to buy the first of only 69 factory-assembled 2015 COPO Camaro race cars, the final year of the fifth-generation Camaro," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "Chevrolet is excited to offer this milestone Camaro to help a very worthy organization." Chevrolet introduced 2015 COPO Camaro No. 001 last fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it has been featured in Chevrolet Performance advertising and other marketing initiatives.