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Chevy Silverado Midnight Edition coming to Chicago

Between the GMC Canyon Nightfall Edition and Chevy Silverado Custom Sport, the truck divisions of General Motors had no lack of blacked-out custom pickups to showcase at the Detroit Auto Show this year. But now the General has announced one more. Called the Midnight Edition, for this special Silverado blacks out all the trim, including the grille, bumpers, headlamp bezels, tow hooks, fog lamps, side and beltline moldings, 19-inch wheels, bedliner and bowtie emblems. It's based on the Silverado 1500 with the Z71 package, so it also boasts an off-road suspension, locking rear differential, hill-descent control and trailering pack. While it was at it, Chevy has also thrown in rear park assist and power heated door mirrors. Buyers will be able to choose between double- or crew-cab models, but no more than 5,000 examples will be produced this year, each priced at a premium pegged between $1,595 and $1,995 (depending on the model). The Silverado Midnight edition debuts today at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in San Francisco and will be showcased at the Chicago Auto Show next month, around the time that deliveries will commence. 2015 Silverado Midnight Edition is The New Black Monochrome appearance package to debut at NADA and Chicago Auto Show 2015-01-22 DETROIT – Truck fans know that nothing adds presence to a pickup like basic black. And Chevrolet is taking black to the next level with the Silverado Midnight special edition, on display starting today at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo in San Francisco, and making its public debut February 14 at the Chicago Auto Show. Beginning with a black Silverado Z71, the Midnight special edition adds: - An all-black front end with body-colored grille, bumper, headlamp bezels, tow hooks and fog lamps; - Black side moldings and beltline moldings; - 18-inch black painted alloy wheels with Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all-terrain tires; - Special Z71 badges on the doors; - A spray-in bedliner (black, of course); - And the finishing touches – black Chevrolet bowties front and rear. Like all 2015 Silverado 1500 Z71s, Midnight special editions include off-road suspension, a locking rear differential, Hill Descent Control and a trailering package. Midnight special editions also include rear park assist and heated, power-adjusted outside rear-view mirrors.

This is how GM is hiding new Chevy Volt in public

General Motors is letting the public know that, well, it's not about to let the public know anything else about the next-generation Chevrolet Volt. But the automaker is willing to talk about its camouflaging process for upcoming versions of the extended-range plug-in. So it's a half-hearted secret, at best. GM actually has a "camouflage engineer" charged with creating ways to disguise the styling of new vehicles. In the Volt's case, the company is applying black and white swirly color patterns on top of the materials, such as plastics, vinyl and foam, that are used liberally across the body. It's all part of a teaser campaign that started last month with pictures of part the 2016 Volt. Earlier this month, GM said it was keeping track of Volt drivers' habits as it works on the next-gen model. The company noted that more than four out of five trips are being made in all-electric driving mode, and that 60 percent of Volt owners use a plain-old 100-volt outlet to recharge their cars. The car is slated to make its global debut at Detroit's North American International Auto Show next January, and the early word is that performance and all-electric range will be improved (we should hope so). The car will also be sleeker. By how much, we can't tell yet, because of those darn swirly patterns. GM's got more non-details in its press release below. Engineers charged with hiding styling while vehicle testing proceeds in public DETROIT – The styling of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt is one of the automotive world's best-kept secrets. Keeping customers and media eager to see the successor to the groundbreaking original at bay until the new Volt debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January is tricky business. First, it is engineers, not designers, who are charged with creating camouflage that balances styling secrecy with the need to validate the Volt and its systems in public. "If it were up to me it would be a shoebox driving down the road," said Lionel Perkins, GM camouflage engineer. "The design team wants us to cover more of the vehicle and the engineering team needs to have enough of the vehicle's weight and aero exposed so that the tests in the development process are consistent with the product that will come to market." The engineers responsible for the "cool" designs covering the car might deserve style points but their efforts are intended strictly to hide the metal beneath.

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.
CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).
Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.