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GM delays truck plant shift so workers can watch Detroit Lions NFC Championship game

It would be difficult to overstate just how big of a deal it is for the city of Detroit and its residents (and residents of southeast Michigan in general) that the Detroit Lions not only made it convincingly into the NFL playoffs but found significant success in defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the Wildcard round and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week. But if there's one thing we can point to as an automotive-minded group, it's this: General Motors has delayed the start of the third shift at its Flint Assembly plant so that workers won't have to miss any part of the game. To emphasize the magnitude of this decision, it's important to note that the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD are built at the plant, and the popularity and, perhaps more importantly, profitability of those heavy duty trucks is so high that it's the only GM plant in Michigan that runs a third shift, as pointed out by the Detroit Free Press. The delay is roughly an hour in total, and workers won't be paid for that missing time. We doubt there will be any complaints. Granted, this isn't the first time GM has delayed starting a late shift due to a big sporting event. In prior years, delays have been recorded for some Super Bowls and for the in-state Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry game at GM facilities in Lansing, Michigan. Still, GM's statement on why it would hold off production of such a lucrative pair of vehicles explains it better than we can: "We recognize the Detroit Lions playing in the NFC Championship game as a rare, unique opportunity that warrants this temporary schedule adjustment to allow employees to enjoy the game and make it to work on time." It's not GM's only show of Lions pride. Take a close look at the General Motors logo currently being displayed at the Renaissance Center, GM's headquarters in Detroit. General Motors is displaying its Motor City pride with a subtle logo redesign to honor the Detroit Lions as they continues their Super Bowl hunt. Read more: https://t.co/Jmc6bmMK6n pic.twitter.com/9bJJqOmwxB — Ad Age (@adage) January 23, 2024 The Free Press reached out to Ford and Stellantis to see if either of GM's rivals would be making shift adjustments as well. Ford has yet to provide a comment, but Stellantis, makers of the Ram truck and Jeep SUVs, has confirmed it will be running normal schedules at all of its facilities. For now, there's only one more question that needs answering: What if the game goes to overtime?

National Corvette Museum to recreate sinkhole experience for patrons [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The Thunderdome at the National Corvette Museum is not a ride; instead it's an experience that mixes digital graphics and thundering sound. For a brief period, it looked like the National Corvette Museum was going to preserve that sinkhole that ate eight important 'Vettes last year. After all, tourism boomed there afterwards. However, keeping the crater would have been more expensive than just doing the repairs. The museum isn't ready to let people completely forget, though, and now intends to make a major attraction out of a recreated version of the calamity. The museum's plan turns the sinkhole disaster into an amusement park ride called the Thunderdome, according to GM Authority. In a smaller recreation of the Skydome, 15 people at a time would get to watch an imitation of the sinkhole devouring the eight Corvettes. To make the experience even more immersive, visitors would get to view this all from an artificial, underground cave. If you missed seeing the actual pit, this would certainly be a bizarre way to experience it. According to GM Authority, the exhibit would also include an explanation of how sinkholes occur. The Corvette museum reportedly wants the attraction open by this fall.

2016 Chevy Camaro Convertible gets cleaner looks, improved refinement [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We have live photos from the reveal. Scroll to the bottom of the story and check them out in the Related Gallery. Back in May, Chevrolet introduced a redesigned Camaro. Now, and not at all surprisingly, the Bowtie brand is showing off the latest Camaro convertible, based on the coupe that debuted on Belle Isle in Detroit. From the beltline down, this is the same car that was so well-received last month. But above the waist, there's an all-new, fully automatic canvas roof that can be raised and lowered at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. On top of that, owners will be able to drop the roof remotely by simply pressing a button on the key. Chevy does not, however, say if this new convertible roof is lighter than last year's top. The biggest change for the Camaro convertible, though, is something we've long yearned for – a proper hard tonneau cover that deploys over the folded roof. The current muscle car's roof fabric has the unpleasant tendency to flap in the breeze. The new droptop shouldn't have that problem, and will likely boast an even cleaner top-down profile to boot. Like the hardtop, though, the Camaro convertible does benefit from the same lightweight structure, that helps trim "at least" 200 pounds of body fat. It should also make use of the same powertrain lineup, with a turbocharged four-cylinder, a 3.6-liter V6, and a 6.2-liter V8 with six-speed manuals or eight-speed automatic transmissions spanning the lineup. "From the beginning, the Camaro's architecture was developed to incorporate a convertible with uncompromised driving dynamics," Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser said in the attached release. "Customers will appreciate what they don't feel: quivers, cowl shake or an under-damped chassis typically found in a four-seat convertible." Increased refinement, a cleaner look, better driving dynamics and a more usable convertible roof? We're looking forward to you 2016 Camaro convertible. Chevy claims the new car arrives in "early 2016," which means we should plan on seeing this droptop at the typically cold and snowy Detroit Auto Show. Until then, check out the full press release from Chevrolet. Related Video: Chevrolet Lifts Lid on 2016 Camaro Convertible Segment's most advanced top is fully automatic, with refined appearance DETROIT – Let the sun shine in. Chevrolet will offer a convertible model of the all-new 2016 Camaro, featuring the segment's most-advanced top.