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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible gives us a couple of looks

Put away your pixel paintbrushes, kids. Pack up your Photoshop. This is the real-deal 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible in its first official images. The droptop Chevrolet will roll into the bright lights of the Palexpo exhibition at next week's Geneva Motor Show, a four-wheeled statement of intent that General Motors is serious about taking its Corvette franchise global.
Chevy isn't providing anything in the way of further details with these two shots, but we've learned at least a couple of things about the car shown here. First off, the example seen in these images is fitted with the optional Z51 Performance Package - something that isn't immediately evident because there's no sign of the coupe model's prominent ductwork on its rear haunches. In order to accommodate the power folding hard tonneau cover, the vents that feed the transmission and differential coolers have been relocated to the underside of the car. The dark paint color on this example also does a good job of muting the contrasting black front fender vents and hood opening - Z51-spec design details that have proven to be somewhat controversial.
One other thing to note: These two shots also display the Stingray wearing different alloy wheels than the split five-spoke design shown at the hardtop's Detroit Auto Show unveiling in January. The simpler, thin five-spoke wheels should do a good job of showing off the Z51's upgraded brakes, and they'll be optional on the coupe as well.

GM 6.2L V8 claims most powerful light-duty truck engine title

General Motors has officially captured the horsepower crown for mainstream pickup trucks with its 6.2-liter V8. The big mill, available in both the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, comes to market with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, handily outdoing its two cross-town competitors, Ram (5.7-liter V8, 395 ponies and 407 lb-ft) and Ford (6.2-liter V8, 411 hp and 434 lb-ft).
The new GM 6.2 will take a bit of an investment, though. Those that want the extra thrust will need to go with either the LTZ or High Country trims from the Chevy, or the SLT and Denali trims from GMC, which are the two highest trim levels for the respective vehicles. Trim levels aside, if you're in the business of towing, GM has you covered. Optioned with the 6.2-liter V8 and the Max Trailering Package, owners will be able to pull 12,000 pounds, a hugely impressive figure.
We still aren't certain as to what sort of economy the new engine will get, but it'll probably be a bad bet for the fuel conscious. As for availability, expect to see the 6.2-liter trucks in showrooms later in the fall.

Subprime financing on the rise in new car sales, leasing too

We all remember the financial crisis that began several years back. At its core was a splurge of subprime lending for housing loans. The housing bubble burst, triggering a collapse of the mortgage-backed securities market. Apparently, those types of loans still exist in the automotive industry, and the market share for these types of "nonprime, subprime, and deep subprime," loans has grown 13.6 percent compared to the third quarter a year ago.
According to an Automotive News report, high-risk lending expanded to 24.8 percent of total loans in Q3, up from 21.9 percent for this time last year. As this level increased, average credit scores of borrowers dropped to 755, down from 763 a year ago. In that time, the average financing amount increased $90 per vehicle, to $25,963.
At 818, Volvo maintains the highest per-owner credit score, while Mitsubishi has the lowest, at 694. The highest rate of borrowers was at Toyota, with 14 percent of the market, followed by Ford with 13.1 percent and Chevrolet at 11.1.