Boston.com Covers Towing Ability + Trailering Features On The 2020 Silverado HD

Christian Wardlaw of the New York Daily News wrote a feature this past week on the coming 2020 Chevy Silverado HD, and the exciting changes made to the towing capacity and payload rating. Everyone on staff here at Chuck Hutton grinned a little bit in agreement when he playfully stated that many customers who buy a light-duty truck would never need to tow or haul anything nearly as hefty as their vehicles can actually handle. While it's true that many customers of today buy a half-ton truck because they want one instead of truly need one, the push to up the figures for ratings has always been a ferocious one!

The maximum towing and payload 'arms race' within the heavy-duty segment truly matters to many riggers, ranchers, and other hard-working truck owners, and that's why Chevy says it is working to increase capacity and payload rating for future models. The 2020's styling is very unique to this truck: only the roof panel is shared between the Silverado HD and 1500, and Christian was particularly drawn to the blunt and forceful appearance it has. There are bed steps just ahead of the rear wheels, situated there to make any fifth-wheel trailering tasks a bit easier.

Selection of higher trim levels provides the addition of extra chrome, and what appears to be LED forward lighting adds some good depth to the truck's appearance, along with the integrated air intake. You can check out photos here that provide a clear idea of what the upcoming model will look like, and be amazed at the raw and menacing stance the truck evokes, while poised to haul, tow, and conquer various obstacles that a day's work may throw in its path. As far as what will be placed under the hood, there are currently vague details about a standard direct-injected gasoline engine paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission, as well as the option of the more muscular turbo-diesel V8, which cranks out 910 lb-ft of torque.

The staff on duty at Motor Trend claims in a feature found here about next year's Silverado that on board may be a small-block derived 6.6-liter gas engine, producing 401 horsepower, and 464 lb-ft of torque, with the towing rating hovering at around 18,200 pounds, and payload around 7,630 pounds. This particular blog does a great job of highlighting what Chevy truly wants as a brand: for our prized truck line to be easiest to live with: easy to load, to hook a trailer to, and to maneuver the trailer with. For the task of loading, there's the industry's only power-up-and-down tailgate, new bedsteps at the front of the bed, and a lift-in height that is now dropped by 0.9 inch. There's also an available 120-volt outlet, 12 tie-down rings, and the option to add nine very useful accessory tie-downs.

The Advanced Trailering System on board puts to use accessory cameras that are connected by coaxial cable to offer up to 15 camera views. Among these are the bull-view hovering in front of the hood, bed and bumper hitch views, shots of tires while you are making turns, and the revolutionary “transparent trailer” view that shows the entire scope of the rear-view as if the trailer was invisible. The system even has the ability to monitor the pressure and temperature of up to six tires, and is able to be programmed to compile the all-important pre-trip checklist!

Corvette C8.R Tests at Sebring by Autoblog Reveal Prototype's Salacious Sound

Coming just around the corner, all of us here at Chuck Hutton Chevy of Memphis have been looking forward to the release of the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette. Youtube user Lanky Turtle provided a video that gave users a first listen to the primely-tuned exhaust and exhilarating speed factor that those who embrace the utter clout and monumental magic of the C8 have been waiting for. The Corvette has seen its own true and individual sense of evolving form over the decades, from the very slender and front-cue curvaceous models of the late 1970's, to the much more futuristic and wildly foreboding models from next year. You can check out the video Here.

As the brawny and ballsy C8 completed laps around the Sebring race track, it emitted a very high-pitched and urgent sound, due to the use of overhead cams instead of pushrods to make sure that the Corvette constantly can rev higher. Use of the flat-plane crankshaft also is a factor, similar to that of the GT350, which can make various changes in pitch for the exhaust note while cylinders are firing at different times than is seen in a traditional cross-plane crank engine.

One rumor that has been circulating as of late is that there could be a higher-performance engine offered with double-overhead cams, and a flat-plane crank, as well as the possibility of the tried-and-tested DOHC engine gaining a pair of trigger-happy and untamed turbochargers. There have been a few leaked enhanced CAD drawings circulating that show a naturally aspirated engine, and one showing the feisty-and-furious twin-turbo to boot. The excitement and anticipation surrounding this release is understandable: after many decades of speculation and mulling over rough drawings, it could be said by many with more than a casual penchant for the track that this is the most anticipated sports car in history.

All of us here love how this model's production is a chance for Chevy to innovate heavily and spend many long hours tackling the cooling research task with vigor. During testing on the famed Nurburgring circuit, it was noticed that two very distinct cut lines on the roof suggest a removable panel, which would not be a complete surprise. Another topic of frequent discussion is the patent for the clutch-by-wire system that is on deck to replace the traditional hydraulic master-and-slave mechanism, by means of an electronic actuator in the transmission, triggered by a very high-tech sensor situated on the clutch pedal. A run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020 wouldn't be surprising considering this car's strength, stealth-like presence, and final fulfillment of the rumors regarding mid-engine development through the years!