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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.

GM to trim Russian output, raise prices amid currency woes

General Motors is shutting down its factory in Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, from the middle of March until the middle of May as the country's currency, the ruble, continues to give economists fits. The ruble's value has plunged due not only to western sanctions, but a precipitous fall in oil prices. We knew these factors were already impacting the auto industry there, as Ford reported in its 2014 earnings statement, and now they're forcing GM to cut production at the factory, shown above, that is responsible for production of the Chevrolet Cruze and Opel Astra. Meanwhile, Automotive News is citing Russian outlet Kommersant as saying that GM has hiked its prices in the country by an average of 20 percent over the past two months. While a GM spokesman confirmed the St. Petersburg plant would be shut down for the two-month span reported by Kommersant and AN, he would not confirm the price increase. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Alexander Nikolayev / AFP / Getty Images Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing Chevrolet GM Opel opel astra

Bring back the Bronco! Trademarks we hope are actually (someday) future car names

Trademark filings are the tea leaves of the auto industry. Read them carefully – and interpret them correctly – and you might be previewing an automaker's future product plans. Yes, they're routinely filed to maintain the rights to an iconic name. And sometimes they're only for toys and clothing. But not always. Sometimes, the truth is right in front of us. The trademark is required because a company actually wants to use the name on a new car. With that in mind, here's a list of intriguing trademark filings we want to see go from paperwork to production reality. Trademark: Bronco Company: Ford Previous Use: The Bronco was a long-running SUV that lived from 1966-1996. It's one of America's original SUVs and was responsible for the increased popularity of the segment. Still, it's best known as O.J. Simpson's would-be getaway car. We think: The Bronco was an icon. Everyone seems to want a Wrangler-fighter – Ford used to have a good one. Enough time has passed that the O.J. police chase isn't the immediate image conjured by the Bronco anymore. Even if we're doing a wish list in no particular order, the Bronco still finds its way to the top. For now (unfortunately), it's just federal paperwork. Rumors on this one can get especially heated. The official word from a Ford spokesman is: "Companies renew trademark filings to maintain ownership and control of the mark, even if it is not currently used. Ford values the iconic Bronco name and history." Trademarks: Aviator, AV8R Company: Ford Previous Use: The Aviator was one of the shortest-run Lincolns ever, lasting for the 2003-2005 model years. It never found the sales success of the Ford Explorer, with which it shared a platform. We Think: The Aviator name no longer fits with Lincoln's naming nomenclature. Too bad, it's better than any other name Lincoln currently uses, save for its former big brother, the Navigator. Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree, though. Ford has made several customized, aviation themed-Mustangs in the past, including one called the Mustang AV8R in 2008, which had cues from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It sold for $500,000 at auction, and the glass roof – which is reminiscent of a fighter jet cockpit – helped Ford popularize the feature. Trademark: EcoBeast Company: Ford Previous Use: None by major carmakers.