Drew Dowdell

Chevy released the pricing information on the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray today, keeping its promise of a sub-$60k price. Pricing rings up at $59,995 including destination charge for the 1LT trim. The Corvette comes standard with an eight-speed dual clutch transmission and an engine mounted dry sump oil system. The 2LT will start at $67,295 and adds things like a full color heads-up display, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, performance data recorder, navigation, side blind zone alert, and rear cross traffic alert. The 3LT will start at $71,945, and builds on the 2LT with GT2 Seating with Napa and Mulan leather, custom leather-wrapped interior, suede-wrapped upper interior trim, and leather wrapped door panels. The price of the Z51 Performance package remains the same at $5,000 and includes performance exhaust, performance suspension, electronic limited-slip differential, front air splitter, rear spoiler, larger brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, and an enhanced cooling system. Customers can forgo the Z51 package and still get the performance exhaust for $1,195. This will boost the performance of the LT2 engine to 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. The front suspension lift system is optional on 2LT and 3LT trims for $1,495. Customers will be able to personalize their Corvette with 12 different exterior colors, 6 interior color themes, six seat belt colors, two stitching packages, and three seat choices. Capable of a top speed of 194 MPH on the track, the Corvette goes into production in Bowling Green, KY later in 2019. View full article

Enough of the gun talk. I'll delete further posts of it. Spike is a relative term because the entire industry was in a massive contraction at the time. Smaller cars did well relative to bigger ones yes, but part of that was cash for clunkers.

Yeah, but you'll have all that extra equity even if you do move.

Honda is continuing its global pull back of production by announcing it will cease automotive manufacturing operations in Argentina next year. This is after announcing the closure of its Swindon UK plant and the pull back of production in the U.S., mainly of the Civic and Accord. Honda is in the midst of consolidating production to fewer facilities and using fewer platforms to produce their vehicles. Honda said it's plant in Campana, which produces the HR-V will focus solely on manufacturing motorcycles. Honda is in talks with the local union to potentially offer buyouts to those who will be affected by the cessation of automotive production. The total plant population is over 1,000 workers. Honda has been building motorcycles in Argentina since 2006 and automobiles since 2011. View full article

I don't hate it... but why so weak on the power? The thing has got to be heavy for its size.

I have 14 years to go, but 15 year mortgages have much lower interest rates than I'm paying right now, so I'm getting tempted.

There's also the glut of used cars on the market at the moment. GM could bring the Cruze back in an instant. It's still in production in South America. Just load them on a boat and ship them north. Sonic and Spark are still in production for now. Sonic is not officially on the death list yet and its plant is not listed in the list of 5 plants that GM is closing.

*steers the topic away from guns*

Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the 2020 T-Roc Cabriolet ahead of the Frankfurt International Auto Show in September. Volkswagen says the T-Roc Cabriolet offers just the right combination of SUV flexibility and the open air experience of a convertible. The soft top opens in just 9 seconds, can open or close while the car is in motion up to 18.6 mph (30 km/h), and locks or unlocks electrically. On the safety front, the T-Roc Cabrio has roll-over protection. The system can detect a roll-over and the system springs upwards just behind the rear headrests. The windshield frame is also reinforced. It comes with an optional digital cockpit that has an "Always-On" connectivity to the internet and Volkswagen services. Two engines are available, a 1.0 three-cylinder engine with 113 horsepower or a 148 horsepower 1.5 liter four-cylinder. A 6-speed manual is standard on both engines while the more powerful engine also has a 7-speed DCT available as an option. Launching in Spring of 2020, the T-Roc Cabriolet remains Forbidden Fruit in the U.S. like its hard top brother. Volkswagen calls the vehicle in the pictures a "near-production" concept car, so expect some changes between now and launch. Related: Volkswagen: No T-Roc For America, But We're Working On Something View full article