2000 Gmc K2500 Series Fiberglass Lighted Utility/tool Boxes With Diamond Plate on 2040-cars

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GM’s Charlie Wilson was right: Stronger regulations can help U.S. automakers

Charlie Wilson had been the president and CEO of General Motors before being nominated to become secretary of defense by Dwight Eisenhower. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he controversially said, "For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa." And he was right. While car companies aren't necessarily the most progressive when it comes to things that might have the slightest possibility of political blowback, General Motors should be credited for doing something absolutely forthright in this regard with its announcement that it wants the federal U.S. government not to squash the California Air Resources Board's emissions requirements but to actually create a 50-state "National Zero Emissions Vehicle" program that, in the words of Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, Global Product Group and Cadillac, "will drive the scale and infrastructure investments needed to allow the U.S. to lead the way to a zero emission future." Filing comments to the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks is one thing. But a graphic the company developed for this announcement — shown above — is something else entirely, something that is absolutely credible, creative and clever. There is a photo of a Chevrolet Bolt EV driving along a highway, which seems to be in Marin County (based on the blurred San Francisco skyline in the background). Text on the photo states: "It's Time for American Leadership in Zero Emissions Vehicles." It seems to say, in effect, "If we want to make America great again, then we're going to do it by leading in technology, not by retreating behind weakened regulations." General Motors understands that the auto market is globally competitive, and if U.S.-based companies are going to be in the game, then they'd better be able to out-innovate the companies based elsewhere, where emissions and economy standards are not being weakened. What's good for our country ... Related Video:

2018 GMC Acadia with 'Christmas Aero' modification gets in the wind tunnel

Tis the season of "Big" - big cheer, big parties, big bowls of eggnog, big decorations, and when it comes to your family hauler, big drag. Festive drivers who festoon their crossovers, minivans, and SUVs with wreaths, Rudolph noses, fuzzy antlers, and rooftop Christmas trees undo the years of work that car engineers devote to fractional gains in fuel economy. To put numbers to such fuel-guzzling madness, GMC started with a 2018 Acadia, optioned it with the Xmas Aero Package - both Standard and Plus versions - put it in Lockheed-Martin's wind tunnel. The resulting dip in fuel economy results probably won't surprise anyone who's used a roof rack - or, for that matter, their car's air conditioning. However, it might surprise you to find out which seemingly substantial decoration had no effect, and which seemingly innocuous decoration was about twice as bad as running the A/C on its Mr. Freeze setting. Check out the brief video above for the results. And consider placement of that bow carefully.

2019 GMC Sierra Denali and its nifty tailgate roll into dealers

We've got more details about the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali now that it's rolling into dealerships, starting with its floor price of $56,195, including destination fee, for the rear-wheel-drive models. That's a jump of $1,900 over the previous generation of its premium full-size pickup. Four-wheel-drive models start at $60,295. The crew-cab truck has grown in every dimension as well, adding about 4 inches to the wheelbase, nearly 2 inches in length and 1.2 inches in width. There's also nearly 3 inches more rear legroom. Bed options are 5-foot-8 or 6-foot-6. There are three engine options. Two are carryovers from 2018: a 5.3-liter V8 that sends 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and an available 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and mated to a 10-speed automatic. Both come with GM's dynamic fuel management cylinder-deactivation technology to optimize power and fuel efficiency. A new 3.0-liter turbodiesel paired with a 10-speed automatic is expected in early 2019. The EPA hasn't yet released official fuel economy ratings, but GM estimates them at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for the two-wheel-drive versions, and 15/21 in four-wheel drive. The truck gets adaptive ride control which can adjust the dampers every 2 milliseconds based on real-time monitoring of the road and driver inputs for improved ride and handling. A new traction select system adjusts the transmission shift points, throttle mapping and StabiliTrak to tailor performance to different terrain or weather conditions. Inside the crew cab, there's new Forge leather-appointed seats, open-pore wood trim and dark finished aluminum decor, plus an 8-inch-diagonal HD color touchscreen with embedded navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Most of the other new stuff we've covered before, including new C-shaped LED headlights and LED tail and fog lamps, optional 22-inch wheels, full-color head-up display, trailer-hitch assist apps and cameras, and rear-camera mirror. The truck also loses up to 360 pounds from the outgoing model via a scratch- and dent-resistant carbon-fiber bed box that replaces steel, and use of aluminum in the doors, hood and tailgate.