Month: January 2013

The C6 Corvette ZR1 may be in its closing months of production, but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t have some life left in it.

For example, a few days ago, Japanese tuning house RK Design unveiled a custom ZR1 for the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon.

While RK – one of the brands under the umbrella of Japan-based RIP Just Balance – found no reason to improve on the already powerful LS9 engine in the ZR1, it did offer a subtle new look inside and out for the Corvette superstar.

The body changes include a new front bumper with integrated dive planes, vents, and cutouts for the new round fog lights, new carbon fiber rocker panel extensions with dive planes ahead of the rear wheel arches, a radical lower rear diffuser with a pair of square exhaust tips, a slighter taller rear spoiler, and a strip of flow modifiers atop the rear hatch (similar to shark fins).

To set it all off, RK added its own jumbo split-spoke magnesium forged alloy wheels finished in black. They look a little too much like starfish for this writer, but everyone’s tastes aren’t the same.

The interior features leather and Alcantara everywhere in gray and green, with a pair of nicely bolstered Recaros to boot.

How much these upgrades will cost is not known yet, but for owners of the “lame-duck” C6, whatever it costs might be worth it to keep their cars fresh and relevant.

Of course, any ZR1 will be fresh and relevant for the foreseeable future since Chevy hasn’t announced any definite plans to produce a C7 ZR1. Many predict it wil be at least 2015 before a new King is unveiled.

Source:
rip-jb.com via Carbuzz.com

Related:
Milwaukee’s Bennett Coachworks Creates the ZR1-Based 860hp Corvette ZX-1
German Tuner GeigerCars’ 730hp Corvette ZR1
[PICS] Custom Z06 Corvette is Stunning in Matte Blue

 

General Motors held a teleconference on Tuesday with Chevrolet dealers and their sales personnel to talk about the 2014 Corvette Stingray. Our sources tell us that dealership allocation will not be finalized until the second quarter of 2013, however, those dealers that are getting the Stingray are predetermined based on the volume of Corvette sales in 2012.

GM did confirm that the volume Corvette dealerships will receive priority in receiving the initial allocations. In fact, the first nine months of production will be sent to those priority dealerships and then after that period, every dealership can get at least one Stingray.

GM is telling dealerships that their Stingray allocation is based on sales in 2012 through August, and that they must have sold at least four Corvettes to obtain first priority for the first 9 months. Dealerships will also have to meet the Corvette sales and service training standards to that point as well.

It’s no secret that Corvette owners have been trending older with the average buyer now nearing 60 years old. The new cutting-edge exterior design and all the technology inside are designed to attract a younger buyer which GM indicated to their sales teams was someone in the mid-40′s. Many in this age segment went to imports like the Audi TT and Porsche 911. GM thinks its new Corvette is on that level and wants to get people inside for a test drive to change any preconceptions they had. So yes, GM is actively encouraging sales to allow for test drives of the new Stingray.

GM gave no answers on anticipated production volume for the 2014 model year, but our sources says they stressed that they are looking to surpass the C6′s best year of production. We looked that up and in 2007, a total of 40,561 Corvettes were built. Even during the C6′s rollout in 2005, a total of 37,372 base Corvettes and Convertibles were built. So besting that number would be a lofty goal indeed!

Representatives were asked about the Corvette Stingray Convertible but they would neither confirm nor deny that the new model was going to be revealed in Geneva.

Finally, our sources told us that the GM was stressing how the new 2014 Corvette Stingray will be the most customizable ever. We’ve already seen the Carbon Flash rear spoiler and the black rear view mirrors. But more would also be available through the Genuine Corvette Accessories catalog. GCA parts and accessories can be ordered through your Chevrolet dealer’s service department. Look for body-colored vents for a monochromatic look, sill plates, racing pedals and many other parts.

Related:
[VIDEO] 2014 Corvette Stingray Revealed: EXTERIOR DESIGN
Join Harlan Charles for a Live Corvette Chat on Wednesday at 12:30 PM ET [UPDATE] Transcript Added
[VIDEO] Interview with Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter at the 2013 NAIAS

 

Here’s another reason for automakers to keep manufacturing cars with manual transmissions: They can keep your pride and joy from being stolen.

At least when the would-be carjackers don’t even know how to drive a six-speed!

That’s what happened to Randolph Bean recently as he was sitting outside Orlando Regional Medical Center in downtown Orlando, Fla., minding his own business in his bright yellow Corvette.

Bean probably realized these were not ordinary-intelligence thieves when they couldn’t even open the door to the Corvette as the crime began to unfold.

One of the men who had a gun “started yanking on the door and made me open the door,” Bean related to MyFoxOrlando.com. “He kind of flung it open and dragged me out and demanded that I get on the ground … face down, so I couldn’t look at him, of course.”

The 51-year-old Bean cooperated with the thieves as they struggled to get the ‘Vette going.

“They apparently couldn’t start it,” Bean said. “I had to tell him four different times to push in the clutch, because it’s a standard transmission.”

If they couldn’t even crank the car, it sounds like they don’t have any business behind the wheel of a stick Corvette, huh?

Apparently, they decided to go elsewhere and look for easier pickin’ – maybe an automatic Prius?

“My first thought was I guess we don’t have driver’s ed in school anymore because no one knows how to drive a stick,” Bean said. “And my second thing was, don’t shoot me because you can’t start the car. I’m trying to help you out here.”

Bean took the incident in stride, but we do feel sorry for him since the crooks did take his wallet, phone, and house keys.

Maybe they could use the phone to call for some driving lessons.

Source:
FoxNews.com
File photo courtesy of CorvetteImages.com

Related:
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Kansas Man Tackles Suspected Corvette Thief
Oregon Man’s 1985 Corvette Stolen Twice in 24 Hours

 

Remember those teaser videos GM put out in advance of the 1.13.13 reveal? Chevy has released a new Corvette Stingray video on youtube and if you were paying attention, you would have seen some of that video was used in the first video teaser called CONCEPTION which dealt with the exterior design and aerodynamics testing. Now you can see the entire video which indeed shows the C7 Corvette Stingray.

The new video goes into depth about how the design was impacted by the functional aspects of the car, especially when it comes to aerodynamics.

The video features Corvette Team member Kirk Bennion talking about how form follows function. “Performance cars are definitely all about form follows function” Kirk says and then he adds “but I would say that beautiful form follows performance driven function”.

Tom Peters, Exterior Design Director, says that “the difference I think between just pure art and what design is. There is that serious functional aspect to it. In order to reach those peak levels of performance, it can’t just be pure styling. Every millimeter on this car is intentional and done with purpose. A beautiful weapon if you will.”

The 2014 Stingray is shown inside GM’s famous wind tunnel with Kirk Bennion and Aero Engineer John Bednarchik discussing the air flow through the front grille, into the forward-facing raditor and then expelling the air through the vent in the hood. Bednarchik says the design allows a “slight drag improvement but also a huge front lift reduction as well.”

Bennion then shows how the air exits the vehicle and how the new vents take advantage of the air flow to cool the transmission lines and the differential.

Source:
CorvetteStingray2014.com

Related:
[VIDEO] 2014 C7 Corvette Trailer 1: CONCEPTION
Every Line Matters: Aerodynamics Optimized on the All-New 2014 C7 Corvette
[PICS] The 2014 Corvette Stingray Revealed