2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Ltz Extended Cab Pickup 4-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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Chevy's 6.6-liter Duramax is pretty much all new

To say there's a heated battle in heavy-duty pickups is an understatement, with Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram constantly trading blows of increased torque, horsepower, and towing capacity. The latest salvo is the revised, more powerful turbo diesel 6.6-liter Duramax V8 in the 2017 Chevy Silverado. It has 910 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 145, putting it nearly level with the Ford Super Duty. Here's a closer look at where those gains come from. How exactly did Chevrolet add all that torque plus 48 horsepower? The automaker essentially took a fine-tooth comb to the entire engine. Chevy says it changed 90 percent of the V8, and the cumulative effect of those small changes adds up to big increases. As you might guess, the turbocharger is updated. The larger unit features electric actuation of the variable nozzle turbine (VNT), and what Chevy calls a double axle cartridge mechanism that separates the VNT moving parts from the housing. That helps with heat performance as well, with a claim that the exhaust side of the turbo can run continuously up to 1,436 degrees Fahrenheit. Helping that cause are six exhaust gaskets made of Inconel - an nickel alloy that contains chromium and iron – and upgraded stainless steel for the exhaust manifold. Despite having the same cast iron cylinder block, albeit with some minor enhancements, the engine has new cylinder heads, pistons, piston pins, connecting rods, and crankshaft, which have all been upgraded to handle 20 percent higher cylinder pressures. Alongside the increase in pressure, Chevrolet also increased the cylinder head's structure with a honeycomb design. The pattern features high-strength aluminum with dual layer water jackets that not only improve strength, but also optimize water flow for better cooling. For 2017, the cylinder head also benefits from integrated plenum that aids the engine in getting more air under heavy loads. The cylinder head isn't the only component to get a minor update, as the pistons have a larger diameter pin for improved oil flow. The same detailed improvements has been bestowed to the humble connecting rods (second in our hearts only to the inanimate carbon rod). The new design has the bolts oriented roughly 45-degrees to the rod instead of parallel. The angle split design, as it's called allows for easier passage through the cylinder.

Next Chevy Volt will be 2016 model and ride on new chassis

What do we know about the 2016 Chevy Volt? Well, for now, all we can do is try to put the puzzle together without the box. Thankfully, a new batch of pieces has arrived from a new report in Edmunds, which says that the 2016 model year will introduce the second generation of a car that hasn't been dramatically updated since it went on sale in 2010. The new Volt is getting an "evolutionary styling change" and will ride on a new front-drive platform that has been developed by General Motors. GM's Kevin Kelly told AutoblogGreen that he has "no comment on future products," but he did acknowledge that Chevrolet is working on a second-generation Volt, "but I can't say anything about timing." Everybody already knew that a next-gen Volt is coming, so that's not a surprise. What we don't know is any real concrete information on the car itself. The few tidbits of information we do have help define the outlines of the next version of Chevy's halo car, but they're not confirmed yet. For the record, they range from the eye-raising (a $10,000 price drop) to the logical (20 percent more electric range). We can't see the whole picture yet, but the pieces do point to the 2016 Volt, which would be released next year sometime, being a much bigger deal than the last update, when the Volt's range was increased by three electric miles thanks to a battery capacity increase of 16 kWh to 16.5.

Basic configurator for 2021 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon slips online

TFLnow discovered basic configurators for the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are already online at GM's site for employee discounts. These aren't the fully-featured whiz-bang configurators that will show on the retail websites soon, but they include a bunch of the relevant info a shopper would be looking for. After trim changes detailed earlier this year, the 2021 Colorado offers the most choice, even with the two-door base model gone. Cutting the entry-level Colorado also means the entry-level price has gone up by $3,900; the 2020 Colorado could be had for $22,495, but the 2021 model starts at $26,395 after the $1,195 destination charge. That gets you the extended cab with a standard bed in two-wheel drive. The 2WD crew cab with a short bed starts at $28,295, and the 2WD crew cab with a standard bed starts at $30,595. At the top end, the ZR2 model runs $44,395, which is $200 more than the 2020 version. The color palette isn't complete, but the options page shows a number of choices for packages. The Redline Special Edition Package goes up $10 to $2,690, the Tonneau and Step Package increase $100 to $1,195, a new Chrome Package puts shiny stuff in places like the door handles and steps for $300, while the Black Bowtie Emblem Package drops $80 to $140. The one-inch front leveling kit, which was thought to cost $150 based on early order information GM Authority had seen, is here listed for $450 and available on the Colorado but not the Canyon.  The Canyon makes matters a tad simpler by having many options locked in depending on which one starts with — 2WD Elevation Standard starting at $27,595, 2WD Elevation for $31,195, 4WD AT4 with a cloth interior for $39,395 or AT4 with leather for $41,195, the least expensive Denali starting at $42,095 for a crew cab short box with 2WD. The Elevation includes items like the Convenience Package that are options on the base model, and also offers a $1,400 High Elevation Package conferring heated and power black leather seats, plus a heated steering wheel, that can't be optioned on the Elevation Standard. The pinnacle is the crew cab with a standard bed in Denali 4WD trim for $45,895. Colors and many of the final options and accessories, such as the AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition Package we've heard about, are also missing here, but there's heaps to play around with to get an idea of what you'll be in for if you're considering a 2021 Canyon. Related Video: