October 2011 - Page 4 of 12 - C6Performance Journal

October 24, 2011

C7 Corvette Insights from Bob Lutz

Bloomberg News auto writer David Welch‘s column in the St. Augustine Record for October 16 quotes Bob Lutz on his views of the C7 Corvette.

"Bob Lutz, GM’s retired vice chairman of product development, says he rejected plans for an earlier introduction that included low-cost proposals for only modest changes. He preferred to wait until GM had the cash to build a car that would make a Corvette owner want to trade up.

Lutz is reported to have said that “it’s a much bolder and more dramatic design,” in a telephone interview. Additionally, Lutz says that "the new car will also surpass the fuel economy and performance of today’s car in all respects.”

Separately, Welch also wrote that there are "hints of Ferrari styling in the next Corvette, which will depart from the traditional looks of the last two generations, a person familiar with the design work said."

October 22, 2011

2004 Chevrolet Corvette $26,000; 69578 miles

This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette 2dr 2dr Convertible features a 5.7L V8 SFI 8cyl Gasoline engine.

October 22, 2011

Amazing 1978 Corvette Pace Car Barn Find with 13 Original Miles

Not only was the sports car celebrating its 25th Anniversary, it was chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500.

October 22, 2011

Amazing 1978 Corvette Pace Car Barn Find with 13 Original Miles

1978 was a special year for Corvette. Not only was the sports car celebrating its 25th Anniversary, it was chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500. GM celebrated the event with a special Indy 500 Pace Car replica, a fully optioned Corvette painted Black and Silver and featuring silver interior and polished aluminum wheels. When the Wall Street Journal published a front page story on March 27,1978 reporting on the special edition Corvette, prices went wild and many of the 6502 replicas were purchased as investments by collectors.

And such was the case as this 1978 Corvette Pace Car that pulled from a Store and Lock last month in Detroit, Michigan. With just 13 miles on the odometer, the interior still has the factory wrapper and that new car smell is still evident.

The original owner bought the Corvette as an investment in 1978 and so he never drove the car. In 1995, he sold his house and moved into a high rise apartment. With no place to keep the car, he parked it in a Detroit-area Store and Lock, locked the door and walked away. Needing some cash, last month he called up his friend Bud Schoenleben from Bud’s Chevrolet in St. Mary’s, Ill and offered to sell the car.

The Corvette Pace Car was buried under boxes and had never been covered. Schoenleben said he pumped up the tires, pulled it out of the building and brought it home. But he didn’t keep it long. The Corvette was purchased by Mike Millian and is now at Corvette Mike New England in Plymouth, MA.

The dealership has been tweeting about the barn find this week and CBS Channel 4 in Boston has even covered the story about the 33 year old brand new Corvette.

“The car had everything original, even the battery, and it fired right up. The window sticker is on it. Everything from 1978. And it’s even got some rare options, which was the CB radio.” Mike told Channel 4.

“(Thereâ€™s) no extra charge for the dust, but that’s part of the unique character of this car, that it was a barn find. That it hasnâ€™t been touched in 30 years, basically,” said Corvette Mike New England’s sales manager Jason Francisco.

“If somebody buys it, they can wash it,” said Millian.

Check out more photos of this amazing 1978 Corvette Pace Car barn find at www.CorvetteMikeNewEngland.com.

Source:
Corvette Mike New England
CBS 4 Boston

October 21, 2011

Road Trip: Returning a ’55 Chevy Bel Air to Its Detroit Roots

In Sunday’s Automobiles section, as part of The Times’s coverage of the Chevrolet centennial , Tony Swan reviews a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible .

October 21, 2011

[VIDEO] Corvette Racing Series Episode 10: Petit Le Mans

In the final episode of this yearâ€™s Track to Street series by Corvette Racing, the team reflects on their experiences from the ALMS season. Weâ€™re also given an inside look at Petit Le Mans, where each team strives to end the season on a high note.

On the season, the Corvette Racing team captured a 2nd place overall finish in the GT segment, including a 2nd place finish in the Driver Championship for the tandem of Magnussen/Gavin.

Sponsored By:

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving

Source:
Corvette Racing

October 21, 2011

Photos: Chevrolet 100 Year Anniversary

November will mark Chevrolet’s 100 year anniversary. Throughout its 100-year history, Chevrolet has created hundreds of different cars and trucks.

October 21, 2011

Jim Campbell Comments on the C7 Corvette

An interview with Jim Campbell in Vette Magazine reveals some of the thinking that will lead to the next Vette. Jim is Vice President of Performance Vehicles at General Motors.

Jim had been Corvette Brand Manager in the late 1990’s, and he continues to exude passion about the storied marque. In the October issue, Walt Thurn shares answers he received from Jim to a number of questions that we enthusiasts keep asking.

Q: Why is Chevrolet returning to IndyCar racing?

A: Chevrolet has a long history at Indy. Our founder, Louis Chevrolet, used Indy as a test track. The 2012 rules mirror what we are putting into our production cars. This includes smaller-displacement engines, direct injection, turbocharging, and E85 as a fuel source. These are the technologies that we are applying to our products today and tomorrow; it is a perfect fit for us.

Q: In 2012 the current Corvette will be six years old. With production volumes at an all-time low, is the brand under threat of extinction?

A: Last year Corvette improved its market share in a shrinking segment. GM has a tremendous passion for Corvette. Gas prices will continue to be under pressure in the future. Our goal is to find ways to improve efficiency while still offering great performance. We fully support continuing the Corvette brand.

Q: What is your next-generation wish list?

A: Corvette is a halo brand that has tremendous value for the company…. We will keep Corvette at the forefront of performance, technology, and innovation. That is the car’s heritage and what fuels our owners’ passion for the car. The design of future Corvettes is driven by this objective.

Translation: Corvette is still a money-maker for Chevrolet, and is worth the continued investment for continual improvement. The C7 will apply innovative technologies such as smaller displacement engines, direct injection, turbocharging, and E85 (like the 5.5L engine we have been reading about). Expect lots of upgrades and improvements in many areas of the car.

October 21, 2011

Corvettes on eBay: 1954 Corvette Nomad Recreation

At the 1954 Motorama, GM unleashed three Corvette-based concept cars onto the show circuit. Dubbed the Convertible Coupe, the Corvair, and the Nomad, the trio caused a stir when they debuted in New York in January of 1954. As we all know, the Nomad made it to production a couple years later, but in a non-Corvette form. If you always wanted to own the original Nomad, get your bidding fingers ready to bid on this recreation currently listed on eBay.

According to the eBay listing, the car was completed in 2006 after a 7 year build and nearly $400,000 invested. The creator of the car used old photos, factory drawings and other items to document and reproduce the original Nomad. The exterior is finished in silver blue like the original and is complimented by the matching silver and blue interior. Most of the chrome pieces had to be custom fabricated.

Power for the Nomad comes courtesy of a Chevy 350 backed by an automatic transmission. Power steering, power brakes, and radial tires make the car a great driver. Items like air conditioning, power windows, and AM/FM signal seeking radio enhance the driving experience.

After studying photos of the original (last row of photos in the gallery) and the recreation, itâ€™s clear that virtually no detail was omitted during the build. As of this writing, bidding has already headed north of $50k without meeting the reserve. Based on the $400,000 build cost we suspect itâ€™ll take quite a bit more to take this car home. Based on the attention to detail alone, we think this one will be worth every penny the new owner pays for it. Get your bids in now before the auction ends on October 27th.

Source:
eBay

October 20, 2011

Corvette for auction to help Jefferson County Sheriff’s budget

There’s an opportunity to own a piece of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The department is auctioning off a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, seized from a drug dealer, in an effort to help their ailing budget.