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2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Convertible offers a few more views before reveal

Over the weekend, Chevrolet released its first images of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible. Now, ahead of the droptop's official introduction tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show, the automaker has given us a few more shots of the softop C7 showing off the car's rump albeit from a high, strategically positioned angle.
From this angle, it's hard to get a sense for how long and flat the decklid really is, but we can easily see that, like the rest of the C7's design, the new convertible's decklid and tonneau cover are far more detailed than the current car. We also get a better look at the rear haunches sans brake vents, which have apparently been moved to underneath the car in order to accommodate the top's hard cover.
As for the overall styling of the C7 convertible, with the top erected, we get some idea of what a coupe design (as opposed to the Stingray's fastback shape) would look like on this car. The C5 Corvette most recently had a coupe model that did away with the large glass hatchback, and we recently reported on a low-cost "coupe" model potentially being added to the C7's repertoire.

Chevy rolls out Silverado HD High Country

It's been a good week for heavy-duty truck buyers. First, Ram revealed the Black Package for its HD trucks, then it rolled out its new Power Wagon, and now Chevy's getting in on the action with its Silverado High Country HD. Okay, so it may not pack quite the attitude of Ram's latest 2500-series offerings, but the High Country HD will come as a welcome addition to the Chevy Trucks range to those looking to pull their horse, boat or other trailer without skimping on creature comforts.
Rolled out a little under a year ago, the High Country trim is Chevy's answer to the likes of the GMC Denali, Ford King Ranch and Ram Longhorn. It has until now only been offered on the light duty, 1500-series Silverado, but now extends to the 2500 and 3500-series HD models, as well.
So what sets a High Country pickup apart from lesser Chevy trucks? You'll be able to pick it out based on its chrome horizontal grille, body-color bumpers, 6-inch tubular side steps, 20-inch chrome wheels (18-inch on the 3500 and 17-inch on the dualie) and, of course, plenty of special badging. But it's inside where the High Country makes its mark, with a cabin decked out in saddle brown perforated leather, seats that are both heated and cooled, eight-inch touchscreen with full MyLink suite, Bose audio and park assist functions front and rear to keep those color-keyed bumpers looking fresh. (Though Chevy hasn't yet showed us the interior of the HD model, it'll presumably look mostly the same as the cab in the 1500 High Country in the gallery below.)

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.