Month: September 2011

Autoweek has published a batch of photos of what appears to be a C7 Corvette mule captured out in the wild by spy photographer Brian Williams of Brenda Priddy & Co. What is noticeable right away on the Cyber Grey Corvette Grand Sport appears to be a lengthened wheel base.

Judging by the gap around the front tires, we’re looking at a wheelbase that appears to be longer than the 105.7 inches found on the C6 Corvette. Other points of interest include the rear exhaust which shows the quad design found on the C6, but only the two center pipes appear to be open while the outer pipes on each side are covered or capped off.

Like the previous C7 Corvette mule that was captured on film, it appears the tires on the Grand Sport are narrower than the usual 275/35ZR18 tires in front and the 325/30ZR19 on the rear. On the Grand Sport’s wide body, this gives the appearance of the wheels being tucked under the fenders.

Production of the next generation Corvette is widely anticipated to be a 2014 model launched sometime in the second half of 2013.

The article also gives us a litany of previously discussed changes which have been bouncing around for a while and those that are new like the 7-Speed manual gearbox. Autoweek further speculates that the hydroformed aluminum frame used on the C6′s Z06 and ZR1 models will be dropped in favor of a steel frame that would be used on all C7 Corvettes.

Whatever the case, its great to finally see the mules out and about. Check out the photos from Autoweek and let us know your thoughts or observations on these new photos.

Update:
The Corvette mule that was captured in the Autoweek photos were part of a group of Corvettes that were also photographed by KGP and published at Road and Track.

Source:
Autoweek.com

Related:
Inside Line: C7 Corvette to be Offered with a 7-Speed Manual Gearbox
Ed Welburn: Don’t Screw Up the Corvette’s Redesign
Left Lane News Shows Spy Pics of C7 Corvette Mule

 

IntelliChoice and AutoPacific have once again teamed up for their sixth annual Motorist Choice Awards which recognize vehicles that deliver a combination of high consumer satisfaction and lower-than-expected ownership costs. Vehicles are categorized into a collection of 15 popular lifestyle segment categories and the Chevrolet Corvette was chosen the “popular” winner of the Performance category.

The 15 categories that shoppers can easily identify with include those with names like “Fun to Drive”, “Eco-Friendly” “Performance” and “Head Turner”. The winners of these categories were divided into two market segments called Popular and Premium. The segments are essentially separated by budget based on the recommendations from a panel of consumers.

While IntelliChoice monitors and adjusts the cost of ownership metrics of over 1800 models to provide customers with the financial impact of ownership over a 5-year time period, AutoPacific performs the broadest and most widely followed owner satisfaction surveys in the US with over 72,000 responses in 2011.

The Motorist Choice Awards combines these complimentary reports into one set of results which are then categorized based on the vehicles usage.

In addition to the Corvette, the Chevrolet Camaro was chosen the “Popular” winner in the “Head Turner” category. The only other General Motors vehicle named at the awards ceremony was the Cadillac Escalade which won the “Premium” segment in both the “Performance” and “High Tech” categories.

Here are the winners of the IntelliChoice/AutoPacific 2011 Motorist Choice Awards

The results are interesting to say the least as the unique categories offer consumers an alternative to judging vehicles based on their traditional class. We also find that the Corvette to be a suitable choice in all the categories save “Cargo Hauler”.

Source:
Automotive.com

Related:
IntelliChoice Names 2012 Corvette “Best-Bet” in Cost of Ownership Survey
IntelliChoice Names Corvette the 2011 Best Overall Performance Car Value
Corvette Wins Motorist Choice Award

 

Corvette Team Seeks Repeat GT Victory in American Le Mans Series Season Finale

BRASELTON, Ga., Sept. 26, 2011 – Corvette Racing’s twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars have completed thousands of laps since the team’s debut in 1999, but the one that stands out is the last lap at Petit Le Mans in 2010. After more than nine hours of racing, Corvette driver Oliver Gavin caught and passed the class-leading Ferrari within sight of the final corners. As the fuel-starved Ferrari faltered, Gavin swept past to score Corvette Racing’s eighth win at Petit Le Mans.

Now Corvette Racing is targeting its ninth Petit Le Mans title and its 11th win at the classic Road Atlanta circuit on Saturday, October 1. Scheduled to run for 10 hours or 1,000 miles – whichever comes first – Petit Le Mans is the third jewel in the Triple Crown of endurance racing. Corvette Racing notched a podium finish in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and won the GTE Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The most successful team in ALMS history is seeking to wrap up the 2011 season with a repeat victory on the classic 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course.

“I vividly remember those final laps at Road Atlanta last year,” Gavin said. “I was having a dialogue with my engineer, Chuck Houghton, over the radio, and I could tell from his voice that he was sweating the fuel numbers. It was going to be very close for us; he was telling me to save fuel, telling me the gaps to the cars in front and behind. It was one of the most intense couple of laps I’ve had in a race car.

“I can still see the Ferrari now, weaving from side to side to pick up the last drops of fuel,” he recalled. “It was all a blur when I went by him. I took the checkered flag, but it wasn’t until I’d reached Turn 3 that Chuck finally told me that we’d won the race. The tone of his voice told me that we’d managed to pull off an amazing victory!”

A repeat at Petit Le Mans is just the kind of challenge that Corvette Racing relishes. The race, which is also the penultimate round of the International Le Mans Cup, has attracted a topflight field that includes the Audi and Peugeot factory LMP1 teams and additional factory-backed GT teams. With 58 entries, including 19 cars in the production-based GT class, the task will be formidable.

“Petit Le Mans is a brutal race every year, regardless of how many cars are competing,” said Gavin, who will share the No. 4 Corvette C6.R with Jan Magnussen and Richard Westbrook. “Whether it’s the weather, the surface, the nature of the track, the number of cars, it always turns up something unusual. It’s going to be a battle just to get through the race. Petit Le Mans is always an epic event.”

American Tommy Milner will make his first appearance with Corvette Racing at Road Atlanta with teammates Olivier Beretta and Antonio Garcia in the Le Mans-winning No. 3 Corvette C6.R. Milner recognizes the challenges: “The track is a lot of fun to drive by yourself, but it’s very tough when you add in fast prototypes,” the American noted. “It’s going to be packed in the pit lane and it will be tight out on the track. The goal is to have a clean race and not get caught up in someone else’s accident. That’s going to be difficult with all of the traffic, so you have to put yourself in the best position possible for the duration.”

The race will start at 11:30 a.m. and end in darkness. The sun will set at 7:20 p.m. at Road Atlanta, and nightfall will present special problems for the GT class drivers.

“The Audi prototypes in particular have a very aggressive lighting package, and if they flash their lights, you have no depth perception and can’t judge the distance to the car behind you,” Gavin explained. “The first part of the track has a lot of changes in direction; you’re trying to keep an eye on the racing line while watching everyone behind you at the same time. That’s when Corvette Racing’s spotting system with the crew chiefs watching out for us is priceless.”

In spite of the dangers and difficulties, Road Atlanta is held in high regard by the Corvette crew. “It’s a real race track,” Milner declared. “It’s one of the classic race circuits, like Mosport, Watkins Glenn, and Road America. It’s a track with character.”

Corvette Racing’s next event is Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on Saturday, October 1. The 10-hour or 1,000-mile race will start at 11:30 a.m. ET. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the U.S. and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise Petit Le Mans on Sunday, October 2, at 4 p.m. ET.

Source:
CorvetteRacing.com

Related:
[VIDEO] Corvette Racing Tech Transfer: Headlights
[SPOILER] Corvette Racing in ALMS Laguna Seca