Month: May 2013

Over the last few days, we’ve been discussing the final horsepower numbers for the 2014 Corvette Stingray’s revolutionary new V8 engine. Mixed messages and leaked docs pointed to that number being 455 HP, and it turns out that’s correct, however, GM today finally made it official by saying the new Stingray Coupe actually makes more than that when equipped with the optional performance exhaust.

With the optional performance exhaust, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe is SAE-certified at 460 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft torque at 4,600 rpm. With the standard exhaust system, the Corvette Stingray is SAE-certified at 455 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. These are the highest standard power ratings ever for the Corvette which is expected to have a highway fuel economy that is better than the current 2013 Corvette’s 26 mpg.

“The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s LT1 engine is a triumph of advanced technology, delivering more power and torque than ever before with greater efficiency,” said Jordan Lee, Small Block chief engineer.

“The LT1′s performance complements the Corvette’s low mass with a tremendous feeling of power that builds as the rpm climbs. Drivers will experience more power and acceleration than ever before with the standard engine – in fact, its power and torque surpass many uplevel engines offered by competitors.”

Chevy says that LT1 has greater power density than the C6 Corvette’s LS3 engine and the Z06 Corvette’s LS7. The LT1 produces comparable torque to the LS7 up to 4,700 rpm and its peak torque is within 5 lb-ft of the 7.0L engine. 90 percent of the LT1′s peak torque can be found in the 3,000 to 5,500 rpm band which offers the 2014 Corvette Stingray quick acceleration at a wide speed range.

The LT1′s high output and high power density and efficiency are due to several advanced technologies found on the 5th generation small block. Direct injection ensures a more complete burn of the fuel. Active Fuel Management helps save fuel by shutting down half of the LT1′s cylinders in light-load driving. Continuous Variable Valve Timing helps to further optimize performance, efficiency and emissions.

Although Chevrolet has come out with the official new horsepower and torque numbers, we’re still waiting on the EPA Fuel Economy ratings which as mentioned before, should be higher than the current 26 mpg highway that the current LS3 engine produces in the 2013 Corvette.

Source:
General Motors

Related:
More GM Docs Suggests 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe to have 455 HP and 460 lb.-ft Torque
Harbaugh Pace Car Announcement Says Chevy C7 Corvette to Make 455 hp
OFFICIAL: 2014 C7 Corvette to Feature 450hp 6.2 Liter V8; Revive LT1 Name
Return of the LT1: 2014 C7 Corvette to Get 450hp V8 Engine

 

Here’s what may be the most heartwarming story yet about the seventh generation Corvette.

It’s a story about a dying Corvette enthusiast and the amazing love that his family and friends – along with total strangers and a massive corporation – showed him in the final weeks of his life.

Chuck Sheldon is proof that we all need to savor every minute of life because we never know when ours might come to an end.

After complaining that his back was hurting on March 17 after mowing his yard, the 66-year-old South Carolina man – who was vice president of membership for the Coastal Carolina Corvette Club – went to see a doctor, who gave him the bad news that he had terminal bone cancer. He passed away just weeks later on May 9.

In between that horrible news, however, members of the Corvette world added a wonderful footnote to his life: he got to sit in, crank, and enjoy a 2014 Corvette Stingray at his home!

It took the secretive efforts of close friends, friends in high places, and General Motors (including Harlan Charles, Corvette product and marketing manager, and Dave Tatman, manager of the Corvette assembly plant) and fellow Corvette owners to make the dream come true for Mr. Sheldon. GM even used a code name “Operation Chuck Sheldon” to keep the wraps on the fast-moving, secretive effort.

The first C7 ever built was brought to the Sheldon home on April 7 on its way back from the Barrett-Jackson auction in Florida, with Mr. Sheldon able to climb into the driver’s seat of the red C7, crank it up, and rev the motor.

“Thank you for making my dreams come true,” Mr. Sheldon told the small group of onlookers.

Source:
postandcourier.com

Related:
The Story Behind Rick Hendrick’s 1967 Corvette Convertible
Quad City Corvettes Raise Money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Corvette Club Pays Tribute to the Late Former Kentwood Mayor Richard Root