GM and Ford Team Up on New Nine- and 10-Speed Transmissions

In terms of the auto industry, Detroit is not exactly a big town — discussions between automakers happen more often than people realize, given that everyone working at these companies lives as neighbors. But General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have just announced a formal collaboration of their own, a new program to jointly develop nine- and 10-speed automatic transmissions.

The transmissions will be used in future cars, trucks and SUVs at both companies. The nine-speed automatic will be a front-wheel-drive transmission, while the 10-speed is destined for rear-drive applications. One company will develop the nine-speed and the other will develop the 10-speed, but neither company is saying which is taking on which.

How Korean Tensions Could Affect American Car Shoppers

Following a nuclear test and subsequent global sanctions, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula have North Korea issuing near-daily threats against its southern neighbor and the U.S. — and the latest developments have left nearby nations girding for conflict. Keep holding your breath; one top U.S. admiral told Congress he couldn't recall a more tension-fraught period since the Korean War ended in 1953. Should aggressions against South Korea occur, it would doubtless affect the country's huge auto industry, and the shock waves would hit U.S. dealerships in a matter of weeks.

Just how big is the South Korean auto industry? Here's a snapshot. Hyundai claims its massive Ulsan facility, which employs more than 34,000 people on the country's southeast coast, is the world's largest auto plant. And GM Korea, which runs five assembly plants in South Korea and a sixth in Vietnam, builds a quarter of all Chevrolets sold across the globe.

PickupTrucks.com: GM Releases 2014 Silverado, Sierra Specs

Cars.com's sister site PickupTrucks.com notes that GM's announcement of performance specifications on its new half-ton pickups follows the automaker's tendency to feed us only morsels of info at a time. There's still plenty to chew on for those hungry for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra now that testing is completed on a new 5.3-liter V-8, one of three optional engines. According to reported figures, the half-tons will lead their pickup pack in fuel economy, payload and towing capacity — while preliminary pricing shows modest increases and in some cases none at all.

Check out PickupTrucks.com for the details.

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2014 Chevrolet SS Video

There, there, performance fans. We know it's been tough for you in recent years as dinky four-cylinder fuel sippers seem to shun you into seclusion like a smoker at a restaurant. GM senses your pain and hopes its first full-fledged performance sedan in nearly two decades — the 2014 Chevrolet SS, debuting this week at the 2013 New York International Auto Show — brings solace to your solitude.

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Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says the new SS' 6.2-liter "proper V-8," good for 415 horsepower and as many pounds-feet of torque, will help neglected enthusiasts get their groove back. Cool new features include a pounds-shedding aluminum trunk and hood, 50/50 weight distribution and Chevy's first auto-parking system. Watch the video below for more on the SS.

2014 Chevrolet SS: Up Close

One of the unfortunate effects of Pontiac getting the boot back in 2009 was the G8's premature departure. We don't miss much else of Pontiac, just the V-8-powered, rear-wheel-drive G8 GT. With the 2014 Chevrolet SS, we kind of get the G8 back in the form of a full-size sedan with a V-8 and rear-wheel drive but with a Chevrolet badge instead of a Pontiac one.

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The Chevrolet SS takes a huge leap forward in offering a more upscale interior experience compared to the now 5-year-old G8. While both the G8 and SS share development with the Australian Holden Commodore, the SS is based on a next-generation successor of the car the G8 was based on.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro: Up Close

With new front and rear styling, the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro is different up front, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's better or worse. Did Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Chuck Liddell with his signature mohawk act as inspiration for the hood heat extractor?

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The rear styling is what stands out compared to the 2013. New taillights ditch the previous cheap chrome-trimmed quad taillights in favor of dual rectangular ones that better mimic a classic first-generation Camaro. Fans of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette can no longer complain it has Camaro taillights.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Video

If you're solely interested in cars for their convenience features and creature comforts, you can stop reading now. The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, debuting this week at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, cuts weight like a high school wrestler before a big meet, eschewing stuff like fog lights, stereo speakers and standard air conditioning — all in the name of maximizing track performance. And let's face it: You don't choose a Z/28 for backseat legroom.

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It's that 7.0-liter V-8's 500 horsepower and 470 pounds-feet of torque that curries favor with the muscle-car faithful, though Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays suggest Z/28 fans might be put off by questionably redesigned taillights, which he likens to those found on a late-'90s Honda Prelude. Check out the video below and see for yourself.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible Video

Through no fault of its own, this week's debut of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette convertible at the 2013 New York International Auto Show fit squarely in the "Yeah? And?" category. GM has a perfect record of offering a convertible version of a next-gen 'Vette, so it seemed unlikely that the automaker would choose to break its streak during the iconic sports car's 60th anniversary tour, which began with the seventh-generation coupe's show-stealing appearance at the Detroit auto show in January.

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Continuing with this no surprises theme, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says not much has changed in the drop-top conversion in part due to an already-increased rigidity that required no structural reinforcement. Check out the video below.

2014 Cadillac CTS: Up Close

Cadillac's CTS has always set the stage for the brand's overall styling theme, evolving from a controversial, radical new shape when it first appeared to the latest generation's long, low, lean look. The second generation was an improvement, a refinement on the first, and this third-generation CTS is the next step in the company's Art & Science theme.

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The car's initial visual impact is that it is indeed lower and longer than the current one, noticeably so with a dramatically sculpted and creased front end that is instantly recognizable as a Cadillac.

2014 Cadillac CTS at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6
• Looks like: A stretched Cadillac ATS with some Mercedes-Benz roofline elements
• Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, 3.6-liter V-6 or a new 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 making 420-hp, mated to a six-speed or all-new eight-speed transmission
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2013

Cadillac has pulled the wraps off of its third-generation CTS sedan at the New York International Auto Show, revealing a longer, lower and wider machine that more solidly pits the CTS against its midsize rivals like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series. Like both of those Germans, the Cadillac remains rear-wheel drive, but unlike the Germans, Cadillac will not immediately offer a V-8, instead opting for a brand-new twin-turbocharged version of GM's 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6. It'll be its top engine choice — at least until the CTS-V is revealed.

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Styling is evolutionary, a further refinement of Cadillac's now decade-old "Art and Science" theme that continues to improve with each generation. The creases and angles that marked the first two generations have been softened considerably. The new CTS features the best proportions yet in a modern Cadillac, with a long, low hood and distinctive character lines that start at the front bumper and continue unbroken to the rear. It's a full 5 inches longer than the old one, with a 1-inch extension in the wheelbase for a bigger interior.