2003 Chevrolet Blazer Ls on 2040-cars

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Even if GM does close all 5 of those plants, it'll still have too many

DETROIT — General Motors' monumental announcement on Monday that it will close three car assembly plants and two powertrain plants in North America and slash its workforce will only partially close the gap between capacity and demand for the automaker's sedans, according to a Reuters analysis of industry production and capacity data. Sales of traditional passenger cars in North America have been declining for the past six years and are still withering. After GM ends production next year at factories in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, it will still have four U.S. passenger-car plants — all operating at less than 50 percent of rated capacity, according to figures supplied by LMC Automotive. In comparison, Detroit-based rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will have one car plant each in North America after 2019. The Detroit Three are facing rapidly dwindling demand for traditional passenger cars from U.S. consumers, many of whom have shifted to crossovers and trucks. Passenger cars accounted for 48 percent of retail light-vehicle sales in the United States in 2014, according to market researchers at J.D. Power and Associates. This year, sedans will account for less than a third of light vehicle sales. That shift in turn has left most North American car plants operating far below their rated capacities, while many SUV and truck plants are running on overtime. The collapse in passenger-car demand is a challenge for nearly all automakers in the United States, including Japan's Toyota and Honda, which have the top-selling models in the compact and midsize car segments. Toyota executives said last month they are evaluating the company's U.S. model lineup. But Toyota also plans to build compact Corolla sedans at a new $1.6 billion factory it is building in Alabama with partner Mazda. The obstacles facing GM in its plans to close more auto factories became apparent on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block payment of government electric vehicle subsidies to GM. While it is not certain that Trump unilaterally has the power to do that, he made it clear he intends to use his office to pressure the company to keep open a small car plant in Ohio that GM says will stop building vehicles in March.

Looking back on our favorite cars of Mad Men

The second half of the seventh and final season of Mad Men debuted this week, set to cap a run of public and critical acclaim. A decade's worth of interesting cars also made for good television, if you were paying attention. Vehicles didn't often steal the spotlight from Don, Betty, Roger, Joan and the gang, but they added meaningfully to the tone and beauty of the series. We sorted through the wheeled extras from Mad Men's archives, and choose some of our favorites to highlight. The list consists of cars that had at least a small impact on the plot of an episode, though certainly there are worthy gems hiding in just about every street and driving scene. Check out our subjective top five, and then let us know which of the Mad Men cars would be on your list. 1962 Cadillac Coupe DeVille – Season 2 Don Draper's Cadillac Coupe DeVille, all 500 feet of it, shows up in a few seasons of the show, but it's the first appearance that sets the tone. A Cadillac salesman, cut from the same cloth as Draper, asks what Don drives right now. "A Dodge," Don admits. "Those are wonderful if you want to get somewhere," allows the salesman, "this is for when you've already arrived." For a man on the move up corporate and social ladders that's a powerful message, and a pitch-perfect car. 1961 Lincoln Continental – Season 3 The most stylish Lincoln Continental ever is perfect set dressing for the mod show, of course. Though it's interesting that the car isn't cast as dapper Draper's ride, but rather his father-in-law's. Grandpa Gene does what all great grandfathers are bound to: lets his granddaughter Sally drive the big Lincoln while he works the pedals. Generational bond secured, in fine fashion. When you go back through the first three seasons of the show, you'll notice that Continentals show up more than once, too. There's nothing quite like them to evoke the best of the early '60s. 1963 John Deere 110 – Season 3 The only non-standard passenger vehicle on the list, no self-respecting gearhead/Mad Men fan should quibble with the inclusion of the John Deere 110 riding mower. For starters, the Deere is lovely to look at; a miniature version of the American Heartland icon in its green and yellow duds. The 110 appears as if milled from a solid block of steel, just the opposite of today's sleek, plasticky lawn minders (we're scouring Craigslist for one to bring home). The John Deere also has dear ramifications to the plot, too.

2019 GMC Sierra revealed with CarbonPro bed and new diesel engine

It's only March, and it's already been one hell of a year for trucks. January's Detroit Auto Show saw the reveals of the 2019 Ram 1500, 2019 Ford Ranger and the 2019 Chevy Silverado. The Chicago Auto Show brought new versions of the Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Today, we finally got our first look at the Silverado's twin, the 2019 GMC Sierra. The truck features new styling, a new diesel engine and — on the Sierra Denali — a carbon fiber bed. As with every new full-size truck, the Sierra is larger than the outgoing model in almost every dimension, though exact dimensions haven't been revealed. For reference, though, the Chevy Silverado's bed is 7-inches wider than before. The new Sierra grille is more upright than before and features new C-shaped lighting. The Denali gets LED headlights, tail lights and fog lights. Both SLT and Denali trims get unique 22-inch wheels. As we saw in spy photos, the Sierra's interior is mostly just a copy of the Silverado's with some chrome accents sprinkled throughout. If you like the current truck interiors, you'll be pleased with the new model. Those hoping for a wholesale change will be left wanting. The big improvements inside include a full-color heads-up display, trailer hitch assist apps and cameras, and the rear-camera mirror found in models like the Chevy Traverse and Cadillac CT6. Safety and convenience features include a surround-view camera, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian detection and low-speed automatic braking. Like the Silverado, there's been a significant effort to cut weight in the new Sierra. The 2019 model loses as much as 360 pounds compared to the current truck. It uses aluminum for the doors, hood and tailgate. Steel is still used for the fenders, roof and standard cargo box. The Denali, however, gets the real surprise here. Available only on the top-tier trim, the bed box will be constructed of carbon fiber rather than steel, saving 62 pounds. Carbon fiber only replaces the steel inner panels and floor. GMC says the carbon fiber will also help scratch and corrosion resistance. SLT and Denali models also get a new MultiPro tailgate. This is unique to the Sierra and separate from the Silverado's power assist unit. A new feature that helps one get into and out of the bed using an assist handle. The tailgate step has a maximum weight capacity of 375 pounds. There multiple positions that allow customers to extend the bed, or drop the center vertically to gain easier access to the back.