2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 1lt on 2040-cars

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Trucks and tidbits from GM's earnings report

General Motors announced this morning that 2018 was a good year for it financially, thanks in large part to the company's performance in North America, which was predicated, according to the company, on "strong pricing, surging crossover sales, successful execution of the company's full-size truck launch, growth of GM Financial earnings, and disciplined cost control." GM reported full-year income of $8.1 billion and EBIT-adjusted income of $11.8 billion. Crossover sales in 2018 were 1,034,808, an increase of 7 percent compared to 2017 deliveries. Throw in the body-on-frame SUVs and the ute number is a total 1,295,700. But let's face it: It is the trucks that really matter. The Chevy Silverado and Colorado, the GMC Sierra and Canyon. Altogether, GM sold 973,463 pickups in the U.S. in 2018. Although Ford gets bragging rights for F-Series sales, GM gets to point out that it has a greater aggregate number. An important factor regarding the trucks and the reported income is that during the last quarter, more than 90 percent of the new 2019 trucks were crew cabs (which have a higher sticker), and at GMC more than 70 percent were Denali and AT4 models (which have even higher stickers). According to reporting by Bloomberg, GM's pickup trucks combine for $65 billion in annual revenue. Clearly when the 2018 sales of the Silverado — 585,581— dwarf the combined sales of both Buick (206,863) and Cadillac combined (154,702), pickups are what matter to the overall health of the company in a way that it is difficult to otherwise achieve. The "disciplined cost control" is something that is very much in the public eye right now, as the company is taking out thousands of its workers, and there is still the "unallocated" plant situation and other plants that will remain under capacity. The numbers in GM's earnings report probably made Unifor members' heads explode in consternation, coming fresh off their Super Bowl ad: " GM, you may have forgotten our generosity, but we'll never forget your greed." But there are a couple of curiosities in the full GM earnings release. One is that so far as its autonomous efforts go, it mentions only that (1) in the first quarter of 2018 Cruise introduced a production-ready autonomous vehicle, and (2) Cruise attracted $5 billion in external capital from SoftBank and Honda. Not a whole lot of love for autonomy. Good thing they have the trucks to fund the program, to say nothing of the external capital.

Chevy keeps teasing next Camaro, 70 percent of parts unique to it [w/video]

2016 Chevy Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition brings track style to the road

The Chevrolet Corvette has a long history of excelling at endurance racing, and continues to dominate today. To celebrate that legacy, Chevy is bringing some of the look of its track machine to the road with the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition. These machines might be gone faster than the racecar's lap time around Le Mans, because the company is building just 500 of them. All of these track-inspired, special editions are based on the 650-horsepower, supercharged Z06 in the top 3LZ trim, and they also come equipped with the Z07 Performance Package that includes carbon-ceramic brakes, adjustable aero elements, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Offered as a coupe or convertible, these 'Vettes use some tricks to match the style of the C7.R. They're available in the racer's traditional bright yellow livery, but black is optional. Unpainted carbon fiber trim (including material for the hood) and grilles that are painted Spectra Gray Metallic also add to the motorsport look. The car rides on a set of black wheels with Corvette Racing logos on the center caps. Inside, buyers of this limited edition are nestled in Competition Sport Seats that are upholstered in Jet Black leather. Suede microfiber accents with yellow stitching cover the steering wheel, gearshift, instrument panel and doors. Plus, there's some additional carbon fiber trim for good measure. Each car also comes with a cover with C7.R graphics. Chevy isn't disclosing the price for the Z06 C7.R Edition yet, but the limited edition model is slated to hit the market later this year. Related Video: CHEVROLET INTRODUCES 2016 CORVETTE Z06 C7.R EDITION 24/04/15 Track-to-street connection honored with limited production model BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Chevrolet today introduced the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition – a road-going, track-capable homage to the Corvette Racing C7.R racecars. It's offered in Corvette Racing's signature yellow livery – or black – with coordinated exterior and interior accents. Only 500 examples of the C7.R Edition will be built and all will include the Z07 Performance Package with carbon ceramic brakes, as well as a specially serialized vehicle identification number. They go on sale later this year. "Corvette Racing's legacy and technology were significant influences on the development of the Corvette Z06 and the new C7.R Edition honors the direct link between the racecar and the production model," said Harlan Charles, Corvette product and marketing manager.