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GMC Sierra EV AT4, Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss caught in spy photos

We've known for a while now that GMC and Chevy have been working on AT4 and Trail Boss versions of their respective Sierra EV and Silverado EV pickup trucks. But we're getting our best look yet at them with these spy photos. They give us a better idea of what body changes there will be, as well as a close-up of the tires, giving us their size and type. Some basics of off-road trim levels are obvious to spot. Both trucks feature bright red recovery hooks up front. But beyond that, there isn't much different from the outside of either truck compared to the base examples of each. The front bumpers are basically the same profile as the base bumpers, with the exception of the recovery hooks. The Silverado has natural black plastic fender flares, whereas the GMC has body color examples with integrated marker lights. They both get the same standard side steps, and the rear bumpers also appear unchanged. Each of these is equipped with the MultiPro/Multi-Flex tailgate. Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss prototype View 14 Photos Really the biggest change appears to be in the wheels and tires. Each of them have unique designs, but they have the same dimensions. They're 18-inch wheels with 285/75R18 tires. That comes out to just shy of 35 inches in diameter, a good size of tire for an off-roader — and note how it doesn't even look all that large on such big trucks. Said tires are Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT all-terrains. The gas-powered trucks come with slightly narrower (275) mud-terrain versions as standard. Both of these trucks should start somewhere below the range-topping first edition models the two brands are currently marketing to the public, which hover between $95,000 and $110,000 depending on specification. The Silverado WT does start at just under $80,000, and we would expect the Trail Boss and the Sierra EV AT4 to come in somewhere above that, possibly between $85,000 and $90,000. Specifications are a mystery. It seems likely that at least the Silverado will get the WT's dual motors with 510 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque. The GMC could potentially get the more powerful motors making 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque as a way to differentiate itself, though this is speculation. The 204-kWh battery pack is probable, though there are rumors that at least GMC is going to start offering a smaller, more affordable 170-kWh pack that could be an option.

Our favorite mid-engine Corvette theories and rumors

The mid-engine Corvette! We just saw blurry photos through the foliage, and are hearts are all aflutter because it means that this car is real. And it's the most " never before" Corvette since 1984. Which leads us to all kinds of wacky theories and speculation. Everybody knows something or heard from a guy. None of those guys (or gals) from GM are talking to Autoblog, to be clear. But that won't stop us from stirring the pot. Let's go over a few point-by-point. The pushrod engine will be replaced by an overhead-cam V8 Car and Driver has repeatedly reported that an overhead-cam engine will come after the mid-engine Corvette's debut with an old-school pushrod. We've heard the same thing firsthand, albeit from a source with no connection to the development of the Corvette or powertrain. "At some point two valves can't pass future emissions regulations," said the guy we know. While the pushrod engine is compact, the design makes it difficult - if not impossible - for sophisticated variable valve timing (and lift) systems that control combustion with more precision. Hasty conclusion: The pushrod engine has a finite life in front of it. This one's a lock, it's a just a matter of when. Bowling Green's new paint shop is really the mid-engine assembly line Credit to Reddit for this one. Like we said, everybody knows a guy. But let's look deeper. The new paint facility costs $439 million dollars and adds 450,000 square feet, almost half the size of the existing plant. Plus GM announced another $290 million in upgrades at Bowling Green Assembly. That sure sounds like a lot of money, but you can actually spend that much on a paint booth. Porsche spent 500 million Euros (about $561 million dollars) to add the Macan assembly to its Leipzig, Germany plant in 2014. Chrysler shelled out $850 million for a paint shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan. GM spent $600 million for a new paint shop at the Fairfax (Kansas City) plant. Honda, on the other hand, is working on a thrifty $210 million project in Marysville, Ohio that includes a 300,000 square foot expansion, and the low-volume Acura NSX facility only cost $70 million. Hasty conclusion: The square footage and cost could easily mean a new assembly line instead of (or in addition to) a paint line. And if the NSX plant was really that cheap, GM could have hidden a similar sum in its existing announcements.

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

General Motors says its next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade models will offer shoppers improved interior differentiation. Car and Driver recently caught up with Chris Hilts, GM's creative manager of interior design, who said that the cabins will all feature unique instrument panels, consoles, center stacks and switchgear moving forward. Apparently GM is now aware that consumers may be bothered by the fact that today's $85,000 Escalade has effectively the same cabin as a $45,000 Tahoe. Hilts says SUV buyers want more refinement than their pickup purchasing counterparts - and those same buyers also want their SUVs to have more exterior differentiation between the company's Silverado and Sierra pickup lines. Shocking.
That all sounds good to us, but we've heard this song and dance before. GM made big waves about how different the new-for-2013 Silverado and Sierra would look from each other, but judging by what we've seen so far, GM's stylists are painting in shades rather than with the full spectrum. For more on the what to expect out of GM's new SUVs, click on the C/D link below.