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Chevy Sonic shreds like a skateboard

Despite the fact that the 2013 Chevy Sonic is a fun, plucky little thing - especially in ever-so-slightly hotter RS guise - it is not, in fact, a skateboard. But don't tell that to rapper Theophilus London.
In General Motors' latest spot for the Chevrolet compact, London needs to make a quick run to the store for some milk. And even though, once again, the Sonic is not a skateboard, it ollies, pops and gets air because, you know, it's just so much fun to throw around.
If this video looks familiar to you, it's because this is the full ad that we first got a preview of in Chevy's longer, full-line spot, where the brand's "Find New Roads" tagline was introduced. Scroll down to see this dedicated Sonic spot, along with the older ad, and remember, the Sonic is still - still - not a skateboard.

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

We showed you Chevrolet's major debut yesterday, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible, but General Motors is making a big push for Bowtie consideration in Europe, so it's also introducing the updated Captiva crossover here at the Geneva Motor Show.
While still based on the same platform as North America's fleet-only Captiva Sport (which is effectively a rebadged Saturn Vue), the Captiva is available in both five- and seven-seat iterations, and it looks far more modern. That's particularly the case with this updated model, which features revamped front- and rear ends that include restyled bumpers, grilles and LED taillamps, among other changes.
As before, the midsize Theta-platform CUV will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive, and is expected to carry a range of four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Important US programming note: Chevrolet sources tell us that America's Captiva Sport will not receive these updates.

Why the Corvette is Chevrolet's billion-dollar baby

Edmunds has worked up a piece that tries to figure out just how much the global Chevrolet Corvette economy is worth, a spitballed guesstimate putting the number at more than $2.5 billion with the proviso that the number is probably low. It starts by taking Corvette's new car sales of 14,132 units last year, which would equate to $714,725,900 (including destination) assuming ever car sold was a base coupe with no options. In the final tally, a little extra padding gets that number up to $750,000,000.
But that's not all. Consider this: Many of the almost 1.4 million Corvettes produced over the model's history are still on the road. There are new parts being produced and aftermarket companies like Mid-America Motorworks deaing business, that single Illinois company doing more than $40 million a year in sales. There are the Corvette events large and small, restorers who do nothing but Corvettes, salvage yards that deal only in used Corvette parts and the Corvette magazines where owners find all this stuff.
And then there are the Corvette-themed tchotchkes, every single one of which provides a tiny contribution to the huge licensing royalties that General Motors collects every year. The article admits there's no way to come to an accurate number, but it just goes to show how valuable one specific model can be to a company.