November 2013 - Page 19 of 22 - C6Performance Journal

November 6, 2013

Hennessey Offers Horsepower Boost for the 2014 Corvette Stingray

Not satisfied with the 455 horsepower on the standard 2014 Corvette Stingray?

Then you might want to talk to the folks at Hennessey Performance, who are offering two performance upgrades for the new C7.

The Hennessey Performance C7 Corvette Stingray HPE500, appropriately enough, raises the horsepower to 500, thanks to a new computer calibration and an upgraded exhaust system with steel long-tube headers, high-flow cats, and midpipes. Hennessey is making only 500 of these units, with a price of $4,995 installed.

You can up that horsepower figure to 600 by opting for the HPE600 that requires 93-octane premium gas and uses a special hydraulic roller camshaft, along with porting and polishing of the factory cylinder heads, to add another 140-hp to the stock motor. Cost of this package is $10,950 installed.

Itâ€™s not all about the engine, though. The HPE cars look tougher, too, with Hennessey H10 forged monoblock wheels that cut 19 pounds off the unsprung weight, a special Carbon Aero body kit with a deep front splitter, a notched rear wing, and carbon-fiber door sills.

You also get a 3-year/36,000-mile powertrain warranty from Hennessey Performance.

And, if thatâ€™s still not enough performance for you, word is that Hennessey is working on supercharger and twin-turbo systems that crank out 1,000-hp.

Source:
GTSpirit.com

November 6, 2013

“Lost” ZL-1 Camaro sells for $171,562 at Toronto Fall Classic auction

Fred Gibb Chevrolet originally ordered 50 of the ZL-1-equipped 1969 Camaros, thinking that they’d be an easy sale to customers seeking the highest level of performance available in the Camaro body style.

November 6, 2013

“Lost” ZL-1 Camaro sells for $171,562 at Toronto Fall Classic auction

November 5, 2013

Chevrolet Corvette concept duo is our kind of East Coast-West Coast battle

Car culture on each coast of the US has historically been markedly different, and Chevrolet aims to show some of the differences with a pair of Corvette concepts at SEMA .

November 5, 2013

Chevrolet Corvette concept duo is our kind of East Coast-West Coast battle

Car culture on each coast of the US has historically been markedly different, and Chevrolet aims to show some of the differences with a pair of Corvette concepts at SEMA .

November 5, 2013

Chevrolet Corvette GTP on Display at the MY Garage Museum

Mid America Motorworks founder and Chief Cheerleader Mike Yager loves Corvettes.

Thatâ€™s why when he says a recent addition to the collection at the MY Garage Museum in Effingham, Ill., is his favorite all-time Corvette, we tend to sit up and take notice.

Yager is referring to the Corvette GTP that was unveiled at the annual Corvette Funfest Charity Event earlier this year. The GTP is on permanent loan from the Hendrick Motorsports collection as Rick Hendrick surprised Yager with the car during the Funfest.

The GTP is a very rare Corvette, one of only seven made for General Motors in the mid-1980s as part of a program that tested and developed powerful V6 engines that were used in the International Motor Sports Association racing series.

â€œIt was a great surprise to see Hendrick Motorsports pull in to our drive! I want to thank Rick Hendrick, Jim Perkins and their entire team â€“ I am elated and PROUD to welcome my number 1, all time favorite car in Corvette’s rich, 60-plus year history, the GTP,â€ Yager said.

The GTP was designed by Lola Cars, Inc., in the United Kingdom for GM and featured a body reminiscent of the C4 in front, with a long, pontoon style tail with Corvette taillights.

The car enjoyed success in the IMSA series in 1985, earning several pole positions and winning Road Atlanta and Palm Beach in 1986 in competition with Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, and Mazda.

Unfortunately, GM pulled the plug in 1988 just as the car was getting more consistent. Hendrick Motorsports raced five of the seven GTPs from 1985 to 1988.

Powering the vehicle was Ryan Falconerâ€™s 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 Chevrolet engine that used many parts (rocker arms, pistons, and firewall) straight from the shelf from the Chevy small block V8.

The MY Garage Museum & Retail Store is home to a bevy of rare and one-off Corvettes and Classic Volkswagens from the Yager Family collection. From prototype, rare and racing cars to those featured in films, MY Garage Museum & Retail Store is home to a truly one-of-a-kind collection. The Museum also houses literally thousands of pieces of automotive collectibles and memorabilia, showcases an authentic 1910 gas station that was moved and restored on-site, and offers Mid America Motorworksâ€™ full line of parts and accessories.

The MY Garage Museum is open seven days a week with free public admission. Cameras welcome.

Source:
Mid America Motorworks

November 5, 2013

[VIDEO] SEMA 2013: The Corvette Stingray Gran Turismo Concept

Chevrolet unveiled three unique Concept Corvette Stingrays this week at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Fans of the Gran Turismo racing game franchise will be excited to know that the 2014 Corvette Stingray will be one of the rides available in the upcoming version 6 of the game. To commemorate the occasion, Chevrolet built a life size version specifically for SEMA dubbed the Corvette Stingray Gran Turismo concept.

We were able to see the Gran Turismo concept firsthand as it was revealed at the Palazzo hotel in Las Vegas Monday night. The exterior is finished in satin blue with standard gloss racing stripes running from the hood diffuser to the back of the car all the way across the carbon fiber rear wing. Up front yellow tinted headlamps flank each forward corner of the car. The carbon fiber theme carries on throughout the car from the carbon fiber hood and extractor to the carbon fiber rockers and front splitter. Out back there’s a carbon fiber diffuser surrounding 4 square-ish exhaust tips.

Back up front there Ãs a racing inspired front tow hook and custom front grille. Custom front fender and rear quarter vents adorn the sides this C7. Inside there are custom Competition Sport seats wearing driver and passenger racing harnesses. A flat-bottom steering wheel helps drivers get through the twisties with ease. A leather-wrapped safety belt bar and rear braces round out the custom interior touches.

Power comes from the standard LT1 6.2L V8 which puts out 460hp with the dual mode exhaust. All that juice gets transmitted to the rear wheels via the standard seven-speed manual transmission. Like all Stingrays this one also makes use of direct injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) to achieve an EPA-estimated 29 mpg on the highway.

Although you won’t be able to enjoy the Gran Turismo Concept on the street, you can still enjoy our photo gallery of it below.
And keep it tuned here to CorvetteBlogger.com as our coverage from the 2013 SEMA show is just getting started.

November 5, 2013

Corvette Museum Honors Nationâ€™s Veterans During Military Appreciation Month

Corvette Museum Honors Nation's Veterans During Military Appreciation Month

With Veteranâ€™s Day just a week away, the National Corvette Museum is joining in the celebration in a big way with several special events as part of its annual “Military Appreciation Month” in November.

All military personnel, along with firefighters, police officers, and their immediate families, will be able to tour the Museum for free during the whole month of November.

Itâ€™s the Museumâ€™s way of saying thanks to the men and women who serve our country.

All active, retired, and reserve members of the armed forces will just have to show their military or service ID to get into the Museum at no charge.

Once theyâ€™re inside the 115,000-square-foot Museum, theyâ€™ll be able to see more than 80 rare and classic Corvettes from the past, present, and future, not to mention the many interactive displays like the “Pit Crew Challenge,” educational driving simulators, KidZone, hands-on trivia games, and others.

They can also visit the Corvette Store to purchase Corvette-related clothing and gift items, and the Corvette CafÃ© will be open if theyâ€™re hungry for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack.

NCM Executive Director Wendell Strode says America is “truly a blessed nation and our military provide the safety we have to enjoy our American privileges.”

“Corvette is an American icon,” Strode says, “and we invite these special individuals and their family members to experience a tour of the Museum dedicated to Americaâ€™s favorite sports car.”

In a related note, today (Nov. 4) is the last day to register in advance for the 6th Annual Vets â€˜n Vettes event set for Nov. 7-9. However, on-site registration will be available for $15 each.

The event has lots of fun activities, including road tours, a poker run, pizza party, military history team trivia, and participation in the Bowling Green Veteranâ€™s Day Parade.

The museum will also host its annual Wounded Warrior Recognition Day on Thursday, Nov. 7. In addition to those in the wounded warrior program, all Purple Heart recipients and their spouses are invited to a free lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Museumâ€™s Conference Center. Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret.) Dan Cherry will present his program called “My Enemy, My Friend” at 3 p.m. RSVP is required by contacting Karen at 270-467-8804 or Bryce at 270-777-4506.

For more information on the Museum visit www.corvettemuseum.org or call 800-538-3883.

Source:
National Corvette Museum

November 5, 2013

[VIDEO] 2013 SEMA: Interview with John Fitzpatrick

At the Chevrolet Media Preview for the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas, we had the opportunity to talk with Corvette/Camaro’s Marketing Manager John Fitzpatrick. We spoke about the 3 new Stingray Concepts, 2014 Corvette Stingray production and we asked John about the rumors of the one year wait for the Z51 option.

Regarding those constraints, Fitzpatrick says it’s a matter demand and supply. Where they thought that the Z51 performance package would be ordered on around 50% of Corvette Stingrays, the popular option is running at 85% on initial orders. So while it’s true that there might be an increased wait time to order a Z51-equipped Corvette Stingray, those reports of it being up to a year are false according to Fitzpatrick.

John also tells us that the Convertible Corvette Stingray Model is still a go for late 2013 and they believe that once production starts, that will help ease the demand they have seen for the visible carbon fiber roofs.

Finally, John tells us that the ability to order the Corvette from any Chevrolet dealership instead of the initial 900+ dealers selected for the rollout will be happening soon. Dealers still must complete the training and have the service tools to be eligible to place orders for the new car.

Here is John Fitzpatrick from the Chevrolet SEMA Preview:

November 5, 2013

Why Corvette easily outsells the new Viper

It’s no shock that sales of Chrysler’s new Viper are a fraction of Chevrolet Corvette’s.