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GMC Hummer EV infotainment built with Unreal Engine used by 'Fortnite' and 'Rocket League'

We're only a couple weeks away from the reveal of the GMC Hummer EV truck and SUV. And we're expecting a lot of boasting about impressive capability and unique features. What we weren't expecting was for its infotainment system to be built on a video game engine. That's the news that has come out of Epic Games, creators of Unreal Engine, the basis of the Hummer's infotainment system. If you've been an avid video gamer anytime in the last 20 years, Unreal Engine should be recognizable. The first version of it powered Epic's "Unreal" and "Unreal Tournament" games, and more recent versions power multiplayer hits such as Epic's "Fortnite" and Psyonix's "Rocket League." The engine has been licensed out to countless other game developers for titles by both indie developers and large game companies. But its use in the GMC Hummer will be the first time it has powered a production car's infotainment system. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Epic didn't say which version of Unreal Engine is being used in the Hummer. Presumably it's a version of Unreal Engine 4, since Unreal Engine 5 hasn't been released yet. Also, while Epic released a trailer announcing the partnership and showcasing Unreal's 3D rendering and menu developing tools, it doesn't give us a peak at what the infotainment and instruments of the Hummer will look like. The company does tout fast boot-up times, powerful graphics, and over-the-air updates as useful features included with Unreal. But for a clear look at the final product, we'll have to wait for the October 20 reveal. Related Video:

GMC's Denali offerings are going great guns

The Denali trim that GMC uses to denote its top-of-the-line vehicles was introduced back in 1999, partly as a way to challenge the recently introduced Lincoln Navigator. Fifteen years later, and with GMC the tenth-largest US automotive brand by itself Denali has become a sub-brand that keeps the cash registers ringing at the Renaissance Center HQ. While GMC increased sales by 9 percent in 2013, TheDetroitBureau.com reports that that Denali sales rose by 20 percent.
There are currently five Denali models in the GMC line, with the Denali trim available on all but its commercial vans. In 2010, when the now-discontinued Yukon XL Hybrid was also on sale, GMC sold 32,886 units of its top trim. Last year, that number had increased to 75,558, with almost no help from traditional marketing spends. Go to YouTube and search for "GMC Denali commercials" - the few actual commercial results are from years ago. GMC marketing director Roger McCormack tells TheDetroitBureau.com, "It's largely all been organic."
As sales have grown, so has the tide of money GMC rakes in from the additional luxury features on Denali models. The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe starts at $44,600, yet its 2014 Yukon Denali doppelganger starts at $58,320, pricing that includes additional features like the larger 6.2-liter V8, nicer interior, head-up display and magnetic ride control suspension. The Yukon XL Denali starts at $60,965, but the article says the "average customer" likely to spend "up and above $70,000" to take one home. How does that happen? On a top-trim Tahoe LTZ, the top-tier wheel option is a set of 20-inch chrome wheels for $400; on the 'base' Yukon Denali you can swap for a set of 22-inch chrome alloys for $2,995. Add it up, and an analyst at AutoTrends Consulting said that kind of margin "epitomizes the concept of obscene profitability." We say when it comes to Denali, GMC appears to stand for "Grabbing More Cash."

GM might outsource vans to AM General

General Motors will possibly boost production of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri by contracting out some commercial van manufacturing to AM General. Demand for the two midsize trucks continues to boom, and GM would like to take advantage of the strong market for them. The possible deal came to light in a letter to workers at the factory, according to Automotive News. "This potential partnership would free up production capacity and allow the organization to capitalize on our ability to build midsize trucks to further satisfy customer demand," a portion of the document allegedly said. AM General would reportedly only take over assembly of the cutaway versions of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana. Customers and critics have quickly embraced the latest Colorado and Canyon since their introduction. The Chevy just won back-to-back Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards. GM also had to add a third shift and extra workers in 2014 just to keep up with demand. The Wentzville plant even increased employment on the weekends earlier in 2015 to assemble an extra 2,000 of the trucks each month. While the two pickups boom, deliveries for the Chevy Express and GMC Savana are down 26.9 percent and 26.6 percent respectively through the first 10 months of the year. GM doesn't break out numbers for the cutaway versions, but they make up about a third of production, according to Automotive News. AM General built the Humvee for the US military and does some contract work with automakers. For example, the company's Indiana factory now produces the Mercedes-Benz R-Class for export to China. Here's hoping this potential deal will help both GM and AM General keep their factories humming. Related Video: