Month: November 2009

Cadillac is jumping on General Motors’ own electric car bandwagon. According to a report in the Detroit News, the company has green lighted the battery-powered Converj coupe, first shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

According to well-placed sources, a Corvette with a mid-engined layout was well into development in 2008, until the global financial meltdown cut off funding sources.  Then, General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson proclaimed in May that the Corvette was paying it’s own way, and that the C7 was alive.

Now, as AutoWeek Magazine‘s print version declared this week (11.16.09 issue), there may no longer be a C7 in development!  Say it ain’t so!  We love the 6th Generation, without a doubt, but we want — we need — a future, too!

[ Previous postings on the C7 ]

Some people love the Corvette. Some people don’t.

Apparently, The Mechanic falls into the later category. He is described as a free-spoken blogger with a “for your own good” opinion on vehicles and the auto industry as a whole.

I won’t even try to describe his opinion of the Corvette, as my words won’t do justice to his pure outraged attitude. So I quote:

“Sure it performs incredibly well, but the Corvette as a relevant performance car has lots its way. Instead of being the everyman, all-American supercar it once was, the Vette has become too expensive, too extreme and too cheesy.”

“Chevy has blown it by allowing the Corvette’s price and performance to get out of hand. And it continues to wrap the Vette in a dated package that is driving America’s youth car enthusiasts elsewhere…”

“Come on GM, give us a Corvette we the people want today, not the Corvette you thought we wanted in 1989.”

To view the article in entirety, you can the link below. Do you agree with the criticism? Disagree?

[ Inside Line ]

Built to compete with the likewise-iconic Cobra, the Grand Sport dominated the Shelby when the two went head-to-head, but the program was axed by General Motors before it would make a significant impact on motorsports.

Adding a Nitrous Oxide system to a Corvette is a quick and cheap way to get an additional 50 or 100 horses, but it comes with risks as one unlucky C6 Corvette owner found out.

Source:
The Examiner

 

Popular Mechanics recently set up an interesting comparison – BMW M3 vs. Corvette Grand Sport.

Though these vehicles and their manufacturers are vastly different, there are similarities between each model that make this battle rather interesting…

1. Both share V8 engines that output over 400 horsepower.
2. Both have rear-wheel drive to support with acceleration performance.
3. Both cost nearly the same in price. (M3 – $59,975; Grand Sport – $55,720)

Knowing these similarities exist, we are still aware that these vehicles are completely different in every further aspect including manufacturer, design, technical performance, steering, etc. But, in the interest of time, let’s skip to the exciting part… Who will cross the finish line first?

Unfortunately, no video of the race was captured, though the acceleration stats will do justice.

Acceleration (sec)	BMW M3	Corvette Grand Sport
0 – 30 mph	1.99	2.06
0 – 60 mph	4.61	4.55
0 – 100 mph	10.75	9.93
0 – 120 mph	15.62	14.03
0 – 150 mph	28.18	25.64
40 – 70 mph	2.98	2.81
Quarter-mile	12.76 @ 109.82	12.63 @ 114.20

Although the performance is very close, the Grand Sport comes out ahead in most categories.

What do you think of the comparison?

[ Popular Mechanics ]

While rally wheels were standard equipment on the 1967 Corvette, there was an optional wheel offered for the final year of the Sting Ray. RPO N89 was designated as “Cast Aluminum Bolt-on Wheels” and 720 buyers selected the pricey option, adding an additional $263.30 to the invoice. Fast forward 40-some years and now an original set of Kelsey Hayes sells for big bucks. How big? How about $20,000! [More]

Ford may have been the featured automaker at the SEMA show this year, but this was also, very much, the year of the Camaro .

Karen Dorsett owns her dream car. Dorsett first laid eyes on Chevrolet’s second generation 2-seat sports car when she was a teen.

…Use it for a coffin!

Yes, that’s exactly what one family did after following the wishes of their deceased loved – Donna Mae Mims, 82. Donna was the first woman ever to win a Sports Car Club of America National Championship back in 1963. She was nicknamed “the Pink Lady” because of her love for driving pink cars.

So naturally, in remembrance of Donna’s great achievement, the family utilized a 1979 pink Corvette to prop her body up in during her funeral home visitation hours.

Growing trend? No.

Taking Corvette-love to the next level? Heck yes.  Nevertheless, this too will be sure to turn heads!