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Disabled man realizes dream of driving with converted pickup truck

A man with a devastating illness is mobile once again thanks to a heavily modified pick up truck. He hopes he can help others in his situation gain the freedom of mobility they need to lead a normal life. Chris Sauerbaum has a physical disability resulting from chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, a form of muscular dystrophy where the sufferer's immune system attacks their nerves. Sauerbaum lost both of his legs and is bound to a wheelchair. After 11 years of trying, he finally has a vehicle that he can drive. "You might as well be driving a Lamborghini," Sauerbaum told the York Dispatch as the driver side door extended to a lift to accommodate Sauerbaum's wheelchair. "Everyone comes up and talks to you. You come out looking like a Transformer." It wasn't easy getting transportation that fit his needs. First he bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser, which wasn't large enough to handle the equipment needed to convert the car for a legless driver. In 2013, Sauerbaum and his wife Heather Sloat appealed to local businesses and friends for donations. They raised $10,000 and were able to put a downpayment on a GMC Sierra. The truck then underwent $91,000 worth of upgrades. It was completely outfitted for Sauerbaum, with a large lift to bring his wheel chair up to the driver's seat and joysticks doing the work of peddles and the steering wheel. New York's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation paid for the conversion. "Think of it as a big remote controlled car. An 8,000 pound R/C car," Sauerbaum told the Dispatch. After a week and a half of learning the controls, Sauerbaum was able to drive with confidence again. He will no long need to rely on his wife to get him two and from work, an 80-mile trip each day. Sauerbaum and Sloat hope to start a nonprofit called Drive for Independence that will assist other wheelchair-bound people with the costs of getting a converted vehicle that suits their needs. "It's just one piece of the puzzle to get people to work," Sloat told the Dispatch. Related Video: Weird Car News GMC Driving Ownership Truck Videos disabled ms

GM will no longer remove parts from trucks to calculate curb weights

Following last week's mild uproar after it was discovered that Ford and General Motors were removing some optional parts from their pickups to lower the curb weight and consequently increase the maximum payload, GM has come out and committed to a base curb weight for its upcoming Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact trucks (although it has yet to publish them) and its current Silverado and Sierra. The company will do the same for its heavy duty offerings, although those numbers have not been finalized yet.
"This will make our curb weight and payload specs more consistent with those of most other truck makers, making it easier for customers to compare vehicles," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog in an emailed statement.
As GM notes - and as every manufacturer has noted since this story broke - customers still shouldn't take max payload ratings as gospel. Instead, they should refer to their truck's Tire and Load Label, like the one shown at the inset, which will offer detailed information on max payload, specific to their truck.

Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra 4.3-liter EcoTec3 V6 nets 18 mpg city, 24 highway

There is no doubting that fuel economy has become an important factor in the highly competitive fullsize truck market, with the Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6 and Pentastar V6-powered Ram 1500 setting quite a precedent in recent years. Now it's General Motors' turn. The General has just announced that the new base V6 used in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 models will return an EPA-estimated 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway in two-wheel drive trim, regardless of cab configuration.
While these figures don't go so far as to earn GM any "best-in-class" fuel economy claims (thanks to the 25-mpg Ram 1500 HFE), this new 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 does edge the F-150 and Toyota Tundra while boasting best-in-class numbers for torque, payload and towing capacity among six-cylinder rivals. This all-new engine produces 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, and it gives the 2014 Silverado and Sierra the highest towing rating among standard V6 models with a 7,200-pound towing capacity - besting the Ram by 700 pounds, the base F-150 by 1,100 pounds and coming within 200 pounds of the V8-powered Nissan Titan. Scroll down for the official press releases from Chevrolet and GMC.