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GM offering factory-backed extended warranty for Chevys, GMCs, Buicks and Cadillacs

Cars are generally more reliable than ever before. When things do go wrong, every automaker offers some form of factory warranty (in most cases at least three years and 36,000 miles, though many extend even longer), providing peace of mind to new-car buyers that many faults will be fixed at no charge to the customer. Starting today, GM is offering a new optional plan that will extend the factory warranty on all new Chevy, GMC, Buick and Cadillac products. In the past, extended warranties have been offered as dealer add-ons, with all profits from these sales going to the dealership. GM's new program can be viewed as another nail in the the looming dealership-model coffin. According to Automotive News, some dealers aren't happy to see GM cut into their business like this, saying that it helps GM far more than it does dealers. GM says the new program will help keep customers in the GM family. Customers are also more likely to visit a GM service center rather than going to an independent repair shop. Currently, new Chevy and GMC vehicles come with three-year/36,000-mile warranties. Buicks and Cadillacs are covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles. The new program extends Chevy and GMC warranties to five years or 60,000 miles. Buick and Cadillac warranties extend to six years or 70,000 miles. GM, citing IHS Markit, says most owners keep new cars for about 6.8 years, so these warranties will cover most of the length of their ownership. The extended warranty will add between $1,000 and $2,000 to the price of a vehicle, and the additional cost can be rolled into the vehicle's purchase or lease price. Unlike many dealer extensions, the factory program covers the vehicle no matter who owns it. That should help increase the car's resale value if it's sold within the covered timeframe. GM says there's no deductible and no need to file a claim form when getting warranty repairs. Additionally, dealerships can continue to sell their own extended warranties or service contracts. Related Video:

2015 Chevy Silverado gets Custom Sport package

It's been on our mind for a couple of years that the Chevrolet Silverado could really use "a sophisticated monochromatic look." It is, at long last, a reality. Harking back to the Custom Sport Trucks the company produced in the 1960s, the 2015 Custom Sport package can be had in black or white on LT and LTZ models for those in search of "a touch of elegance." That means body-colored front and rear bumpers and grille surround, a black grille, and chrome applied to the door handles, mirror caps, side moldings and 20-inch wheels. The package, which will cost between $1,950 an $2,950, also throws in projector beam headlamps, tow hooks, and heated mirrors. LT trims can be had in black or white, LTZ trims - including Z71 - offer the choice of black or White Diamond Tricoat. The press release below has more information. Don't everybody rush to the dealer at once. 2015 SILVERADO OFFERS CUSTOM SPORT PACKAGE Inspired by Chevy Custom Sport Trucks that helped launch personal-use pickups DETROIT, 07/01/15 – With the new 2015 Silverado Custom Sport special edition, Chevrolet pays homage to one of its most iconic pickups, adding a sophisticated monochromatic look to double- and crew-cab Silverados. The Custom Sport package features body-colored front and rear bumpers and a body-colored grille surround with a chrome-accented black grille. Other accents include 20-inch chrome wheels, chrome door handles and mirror caps, and chrome body-side moldings. The package also includes projector beam headlamps, tow hooks and heated power-adjusted mirrors. "The Custom Sport special edition was inspired by Chevy Custom Sport Trucks of the late 1960s," said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks marketing director. "Those CST models added a touch of elegance to a great all-around truck, just like the Custom Sport package for the new Silverado." The redesigned 1967 Chevrolet pickup entered the market at a time when trucks were starting to move off the jobsites and into the driveways of cities and suburbs. The 1967 Custom Sport Truck, with its bright trim, plush carpet and bucket seats, helped launch a wave of personal use pickups that continues today. For the 2015 Silverado, the Custom Sport package will be available as LT and LTZ models, including Z71s. LT models will be available in black or white, while LTZs will come in black or White Diamond Tricoat. Package prices will vary from $1,950 to $2,950, depending on the model. Dealers can place orders starting this month.

A Chevy Camaro hybrid? That's what EcoCAR3 could bring

Figuring out a way for a hybrid powertrain to co-exist with the performance expectations of a classic American muscle car is a challenge that could vex that most experienced of automotive engineers. It's a challenge, in fact, being handed to a bunch of college students. Over the next four years, students from 16 North American colleges and universities will attempt to wring fuel efficiency from a 2016 Chevy Camaro as part of EcoCAR3, an advanced-vehicle technology competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, General Motors and others. They'll be attempting to use hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology while not sacrificing the performance of the Camaro, which was selected in part because the current model achieves just 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 MPGs on the highway, per EPA numbers. Students will get the latest version of the vehicle to work on, one that is expected to be unveiled next month on Belle Isle in Detroit. "If we still want to produce V8 Camaros, we're going to have to look at alternative methods of propulsion," said Al Oppenheiser, the chief engineer on the Camaro. "So the ideas that these college teams come up with could very easily be adapted to a car like the Camaro." Unlike similar competitions that reward fuel efficiency in vehicles, EcoCAR seeks those gains while emphasizing cost and consumer acceptance of these vehicles. The cars shouldn't look like experiments; they should look like everyday vehicles on the road. Previous competitions have allowed the teams to use whatever powertrain they desired. This time, EcoCAR officials designed the competition to concentrate on hybrid, hybrid-electric and diesel options. Competitors won't have the option of using hydrogen fuel cells as they have in the past. Last year, a team from Colorado State built a vehicle that contained both hydrogen and electric power sources. This year's limit is a curious choice, as some automakers such as Toyota have placed heavy bets on fuel cells in recent years. General Motors also runs a fuel-cell program. With the focus on cost and practicality, however, the program officials wanted to narrow the framework of the contest. "We always have some good decisions on what to make within the scope or out of scope," said Jim Kolhoff, global director of software engineering for General Motors.