GM Files for “Stingray” Trademark; Convertible Tops Service Bulletin
A couple news stories for today:
The first comes from a watchful eye at a Trademark office who found a filing by GM to Trademark the Stingray moniker. They apparently filed the trademark as being for “Land based vehicles, namely automobiles.” This news would almost ultimately lead one to believe that they're looking to release a Stingray version of, most likely, the C7. Just as the filed for the ZR1 Trademark in 2007, a few years before the ZR1 hit the market, this is most likely indicative of the future release of a Stingray Corvette. Of course, this isn't exactly amazing news, as Chevy has made a Stingray Sideswipe prototype for Transformers 3 and not been shy at all about that vehicle. Hopefully though, we'll get to see the C7 and all of its Stingray glory some time soon.
The Second story is a much less happy one:
Here's a note for all 2008-09 Convertible Corvette drivers: Don't speed. At least, not too much. There have been some complaints about Convertible tops ripping, and even dislodging, at speeds of over 100MPH. This will, of course, mess with your shit if it happens to you. The best way to avoid this is simply don't go over 100MPH, but where's the fun in that? Acknowledging their mistake, GM has released an official service bulletin for all potentially endangered Corvettes. The Service Recall will be active through May 31st, 2011, so now's a good time to go have your Corvette top replaced. There's an excerpt from the official service bulletin below:
GENERAL MOTORS Owners of 2008-9 Chevrolet Corvette convertibles may have trouble keeping a roof over their heads. In T.S.B. 08312A issued on July 1, G.M. said that the top fabric might begin to separate from its retainer bracket near the windshield. At speeds over 100 m.p.h., the roof material could tear from the front all the way to the rear window. A new retainer bracket should keep things together. This repair program runs through May 31, 2011.
Sideswipe Corvette on Transformers 3 Set
Michael Bay has ratcheted up the filming on Transformers 3 in the Chicago area. This means three things: there is a lot of traffic, there are a lot of explosions, and tons of people are playing amateur cinematographer and getting footage of the filming process. This footage means that the youtube-using masses may be witness to the glory that is a Michael Bay set day. What this includes is: lots of explosions, lots of gunshots, lots of explosions, lots of hot cars, lots of explosions, and some super models. Thankfully, amidst all of the explosions (and seeming lack of actual acting) there are the cars, which are beautiful and exciting. Among those cars is the Sideswipe Corvette, which looks a) crazy and b) awesome. It's a wild, almost alien looking, prototype C6 Stingray Corvette Convertible, and it's a pretty hot car. The images of it driving around the city (with a 448 Ferrari, the Bumblebee Camaro, and some other cool cars) are a ton of fun, and make me almost want to see Transformers 3. Almost. I imagine it will continue with the precedent set in Transformers 2 and become less understandable, less concerned with silly thing like plot and acting performances, and more about cars/girls/explosions. Of course, cars/girls/explosions are some of my favorite things, and make for a generally winning formula. Good sneak peeks of the Corvette/Girls/Explosions below:
Corvette Returns to the UK
Wow! This is great news for GM, its employees, and the Corvette in general. GM has officially announced that they will begin selling the Corvette across the pond again! Starting in May 2011, Chevrolet UK will begin making the Corvette available at select dealers throughout the UK. They're planning on selling all model Corvettes over there, too, which is great news for the hard-working Bowling Green Corvette plant employees. The Corvette has not been offered in the UK since the economic depression began and shrunk their marketing size. The return of the Corvette to the UK, alongside its little brother Camaro, is great news all around.
By offering the Corvette in the UK, Chevy is sure to also raise profits. By removing a product from a landscape, you create a more covetous nature towards it, and there's certain to be a rush (especially for the as yet completely unavailable ZR1 and Grand Sport models).
“These cars won’t be volume sellers, they’ll be brand builders,” Chevrolet UK MD Mark Terry told Autocar. “Camaro and Corvette are both icons and can act as a hook to other cars in our line-up.”
The Corvette will start with a £50,000 price tag and go as high as £110,000 for the monster 638HP ZR1. By also making the Corvette a more exclusive vehicle, and limiting the import numbers to England, Chevy is sure to guarantee greater vehicle interest and higher profit per Corvette sold, as large discounts over MSRP will most likely not be given. This seems like a great sign and a sound business move for GM to help solidify its place in the overseas market once again.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s ZR1 Drive – Video
Last week I wrote about Juan Pablo Montoya getting behind the wheel of a ZR1 and tearing up the Milfrod Proving Grounds. Well, thankfully, no one would let such an event occur without video, so here it is. Before the video, I thought I'd include a few more quotes from JPM after the event that I particularly enjoyed. I wont go in to any greater detail about the day at the track though, as I already did that in my last update. So without further ado, here are the quotes and the awesome video of JPM tearing it up with a ZR1.
"On Thursday I was at the GM Proving Ground (Milford, MI) driving a Corvette and scaring people around. That was a lot of fun. I scared a lot of people (laughs); that was fun. It’s a really, really cool little race track with up and down and off-camber corners. If you’re going to build a circuit, you should go and see that before you do something because it was wow.”
“Oh, they were sweating a lot and I was driving the car over two laps. I was kind of surprised (laughs). It was fun. I don’t know how they do it but I took all the tracking control and stability controls and switched everything off. You’re power-sliding and spinning the tires in fourth gear and things like that. When you’re trying to hang onto the car at 150 mph with a passenger beside you; you’ve got to be on it and you’re driving the car. I mean as a passenger, I wouldn’t be my own passenger. Put it that way (more laughter).”
"I leave always a little bit of margin, especially in the faster corners. The slower ones, I really go at it and do a little drifting here and there and it’s just fun. It becomes fun for me as well because you’re enjoying yourself and I was very impressed with the car. I was really impressed with the car. I drove a Corvette many years ago, but when you drive on the street you never really know what the car can do. And this was like a track day. And this was an awesome race track. So it was fun.”
Juan Pablo Montoya Tore Up Some Track in a Corvette ZR1
Read a recent article highlighting a day at Milford Proving Ground (also known as the Lutz-ring) with Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel of a ZR1. All in all, it sounds like an absolute blast, which I'm sure it was. Any time you have a race driver of that ability handling a vehicle with that much potential, the results are certain to be great. There's a lot of posturing on the history of both the GM owned course and the GM produced vehicle that I wont bore you with. Suffice it to say: this track is a tough but fun, 3-mile 17 turn raceway, and the Corvette ZR1 will turn you inside-out with its power and performance. The interesting part of the article, to me, was where we got word from J-PM on what he thought of driving the Corvette ZR1. Bear in mind before reading this that this is coming from a man whose job it is to handle a vehicle at 160 mph and who is well-documented for his love of European supercars. When I say super, I mean super too, like Porsche GT2 and whatever new monster Ferrari is producing. Well, the ZR1 is definitely the American equivalent of those supercars, and the quotes from Juan-Pablo listed in the article certainly highlight that. So, here we go, taken directly from Sam Abuelsamid's article on Examiner.com:
Montoya agreed as he climbed out of the Corvette with an ear-to-ear grin. "This thing is insane. You want to have fun and play around? It doesn't get any better than this."
For a driver like Montoya that is used to driving high-powered cars for a living to be this impressed with a road machine is saying a lot. He later referred back a Ferrari 360 he once owned, calling it "an understeering pig!" Discussing the Corvette "with a lot of European cars they are very precise and they don't really move, but you don't get the excitement of the driving. Yes you're going really fast but this car brings that out a lot more. It's exciting to drive and will get your heart pumping really fast. I do this for a living and I was stressed." Stressed in a good way though.
This writer has driven the ZR1 and other cars at high speeds on a variety of tracks over the years, but riding alongside Montoya in the ZR1 truly was a thrill ride better than anything you'll experience at Cedar Point. He had the ZR1 on its limits, drifting through every corner and fully compressing the suspension through the carousel. Watching a driver of Montoya's caliber working the steering wheel and steering with the throttle was a joy to behold and really put my own ample but clearly much more limited driving skill in perspective. Nonetheless it was a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon.
Very Cool!
Mid-Engine Turbocharged V6 C7 ‘Vette Rumors Squashed Mercilessly Under Karl-Friedrich Stracke’s Iron Heel
Ok, so, the headline is a little extreme, but it's Friday and I was trying to be light-hearted about this. Do you remember all of those blasphemous Corvette rumors I wrote about earlier these weeks? They included such things as a mid-engine C7, and a Turbo V6 Corvette. Yeah, Gm realized those rumors were floating around and sent out Karl-Friedrich Stracke to decimate them before they did any damage. According to them the rumors are just that. He says that GM has made no plans to develop a mid-engine Corvette platform, nor are they considering such. He also said that the wet-clutch turbo V6 was some weird dream that some strange blogger somewhere must have dreamed up (I'm paraphrasing him just a little bit there). Interestingly, though, Mr Stracke did take his time to address another rumor that hadn't been flying around the web like mad. When asked if the Corvette would ever be offered in a hybrid drivetrain platform, Stracke was not so quick to dismiss. He is quoted as having said:
“That is an interesting idea... Porsche has announced a full hybridization for their complete lineup. What can they do? They need it”[ to meet CAFE standards, but] "the customer always wants power. That will not go away.”
So, there you have it. Less than a week after hearing of the ridiculous idea that was the mid-engine dual-clutch V6 Turbo Corvette you can get that idea out of your mind. Of course, you can now put the idea of a possibly hybrid Corvette right there in its place. I ask you then, which of these rumors presents the lesser evil? I personally like the Torque that an Electric/hybrid drivetrain can provide, but we have to remember that that is very much not a Corvette. Of all the vehicles on this great planet, none seem to have the classic and undying soul that the Corvette does, and I see no reason to change that.
Mid-Engine V6 Turbo – The Future of the Corvette?
If someone were to say they were buying a V6 Turbo Mid-Engine vehicle, one of the last cars that would come to mind for me would be a Corvette. At least, that's how it used to be. Following closely behind reports that Chevrolet's moving to a smaller displacement, forced induction engine to provide their stock Corvette with the power expected in a Corvette at the MPG efficiency mandated by the Government, more word (or rumour, depending upon how you look at it) is hitting the streets concerning the Corvette's future. An anonymous source, who was a former engineering head for Saab and a reputable inside source, just came forward and gave details about his direct involvement in the development of a mid-engine Corvette build. Supposedly, GM had been exploring the mid-engine chassis as a reputable future for the Corvette to provide improved performance handling in a more concise and evenly weighted package. The mid-engine thing, while a little blasphemous to the history of the Corvette, is very cool to me. Mid-engine designs are incredibly well weighted and should provide a greater rear-end grip on the C7 Corvette. But, the other news is not as exciting.
I understand where GM stands right now: between a rock and a hard place. On one hand they have their loyal fan-base of Vette-ophiles who expect a V8 and love Chevy for delivering that. On the other hand, there's the government who's placing heavy mandates (for better or for worse, that's a politics argument I don't want to host) on the MPG efficiency of new vehicles. These more stringent vehicle requirements pretty much guarantee that the V8--in its current state--will become a thing of the past. This is terrible and sad news, especially considering that the new Turbo-V6 Corvette powersource means less true HP and Torque, and less ceiling for vehicle modification. The beauty of the Naturally Aspirated V8 is that, with the addition of a forced induction system, you're suddenly pushing HP numbers so gaudy they'll make your grandmother blush. Selling the Corvette with a stock forced induction system means that the engine's already being pushed to its more extreme levels. More HP can always be had, but it's suddenly not as easy. Of course, the vehicle will provide equivalent HP in a more efficient package, so there's the trade off. The biggest issue in all of it for me, considering the equivalency out of the gate in HP, is the loss of exhaust tone. Sometimes, nothing but a V8 will do, and such is the case with my Corvette. If I want a 500+ HP vehicle that sounds like a 250HP vehicle, I'll buy Japanese. Sorry Nissan GT-R, you're a beautiful, incredible, piece of technologically advanced machinery, but you lack the soul that the Corvette has.
Of course, there's other good news in all of this. The same former Saab engineer who spoke on the mid-engine designs also detailed a wet-clutch transmission that they had had in the works which was designed to withstand over 590 LBS of Torque. 590 Torque! That's a pretty fantastic number! Also, wet-clutch transmission! That right there, is something I am excited to see in the new Corvette. So, there you have it, the rumored future of the Corvette. What do you think? Sound off!
Behind the Wheel: The C6 Z06 Carbon
Before the ZR1, the true American Bad-Ass was the Z06, and no one could deny that. The Z06 dominated the streets for many years, and even today (with the ZR1) it still wont back down from a fight. Understanding the love and respect that the Z06 has gotten, Chevrolet recently decided to give the Grand Sport's Big Brother a little bit of a tune-up. The Carbon Edition Z06 is a beautiful vehicle that combines the price-tag and engine of the Z06 with many of the ZR1's nicest little touches.
Chevrolet used their Z06 as the base, and what a good base it is to begin from. Starting with a 505 HP 7.0L V8 is always a good place to begin. They then removed the Z06 Wheels, Tires, and Brakes and replaced them with the higher quality and more efficient ZR1 equivalents. Doing this alone, would be reason enough to buy the new Carbon Z06, as the ZR1 wheels and brakes are absolutely fantastic. Of course, Chevrolet didn't stop there. The Carbon Edition gets its name from it's Carbon Fiber body kit. The body kit features a gorgeous Carbon Fiber front splitter, powerful looking Carbon Fiber rocker panels (side skirts), a painted Carbon Fiber raised hood, Black Headlamp Surrounds, Black Mirrors, A ZR1 Style Spoiler, and an optional carbon fiber roof. These pieces not only look fantastic, but they also offer downforce and drag benefits, and lighten the vehicle.
All of these modifications help boost the Z06 Carbon's performance closer to that of the ZR1's. The Z06 Carbon does 0-60 in 3.7 Seconds and tears up a 1/4 Mile of Track in 11.6 seconds at 123.6 MPH. These numbers compare directly to the ZR1's 3.3 0-60 time and 11.2 Second/130.5 MPH 1/4 Mile run. For being 133 Horsepower shy of the ZR1, the Z06 Carbon really holds its own.
Propelling itself forward isn't the Carbon's only specialty, either. The new braking system helps bring the Carbon from 60 to a stop in 93 Feet. This number actually beats the 97 feet stopping time of the ZR1. This can be attributed to the slight weight loss (and much superior weight distribution) provided by the lighter body pieces. This improved distribution and stopping power will also provide the Z06 Carbon driver with a much greater sense of strength when behind the wheel, and they'll need that confidence, because when you punch the accelerator this car goes, and when I say "goes" I really do mean it. I can immediately recall first pressing the accelerator on an open bit of straight road and finding my stomach pushed back against the walls of my Abdominal cavity. If not for the brilliant design features of the human body, I am almost certain the force alone could've pulled my stomach right out the back of me. Of course, I couldn't focus long on this, as the power provided some slipping in the rear end that I had to account for as I rocketed down the road I was on well past the allowed speed limit. What I did was dangerous and stupid (and a lot of fun) so please, never try it.
So, the thing looks great, is a blast to drive, and will re-arrange yours organs on take-off, I suppose you're asking if there's anything wrong with it, then. I have no real complaints, personally. Some people have expressed a distaste for the Z06 interior, but it feels perfect to me. It is not refined, which is a plus so far as I'm concerned. When I have that much raw power beneath my feet, I want an interior that looks nice but not stodgy. I'd rather be hanging out in a clean, cool-looking, sports bar, than a stodgy black-tie requiring piano room of some old debutante's home. Of course, if this were a Debutante's ball, the Corvette Z06 would be the wild man in the leather jacket who spikes the punch and makes sure everyone either lets their wild side go and has an absolute blast (as Porsche's are known to do when in the Corvette's company) or gets scared and walks away (we're looking at you, Mercedes). So, there you have it, the Z06 Carbon. All of the bad-assery of the ZR1 at a Z06 Price Tag, how could you go wrong?
Edelbrock E-Force Corvette Supercharger
Edelbrock has always made impressive performance modifications, but their new line of E-Force Superchargers pushes the bar. These superchargers, designed for LS Engines, provide incredible HP bonuses in an affordable and easily installed package. Making these superchargers even more impressive is the simple fact that they will fit in the engine bay with the stock hood! That's right! Gone are the days of having to drop the $$ on the supercharger and then also the new hood to fit it.
These superchargers' benefits do not stop there, either. Nowhere close to there, in fact. These superchargers, which fit the LS2 and LS3, are rated at 554-599 HP. Those numbers are damn impressive, and will push the C6's performance past that of the Z06. On top of that, these kits are also 50-State Legal. That means that they're not only powerful, but also efficient enough for the stringent regulations in states like California and Washington. Edelbrock also sells them with a 5-Year & 100,000 Mile Warranty, which is a testament to their durability and build quality.
I know that I'm spouting off on these like I'm an advertisement, but the simple build of them amazes me that much. To get that customizable and powerful a supercharger in a package concise enough to fit underneath the stock hood is incredibly impressive. These superchargers are a modification that I would suggest all C6 owners (especially the Grand Sport owners with the improved GS suspension benefits) look in to.
Chevy to Hault ZR1 Production?
There have been some rumors lately that, come 2011, GM will pull the plug on ZR1 production. While, at first, this seems like a genuinely negative move by Chevrolet, it does make some sense. The rumors cite poor sales versus cost of production as reasons for the potential end of the production run, but there are most likely other factors at play. We've been told we'll see a C7 Corvette come either 2012 or 2013, so haulting production on the ZR1 opens it up for that new C7 to be the top dog. Doing it in 2011 also gives them a year to convert those plant resources to C7 production.
The question then becomes, not when the ZR1 Production will end, but when will it start again? Here's where the issues with this come in. I love the ZR1, and I'm sure most of you do also. With the new, more stringent, MPG laws taking place, it doesn't seem that there's really a place for the ZR1 in the Chevrolet line-up anymore. Getting Z06 power to meet the MPG demands will be a task, and asking someone to do that from an engine as potent as the ZR1 is really pushing it (or pushing the price skyward). So, we shouldn't worry then about the C6 ZR1's end, but instead about the C7 ZR1's beginning. It would be nice to see a C7 ZR1, but nothing can be certain. I'd be inclined to believe that Chevrolet would find a way to get even greater performance from their C7 'Vette past the promised Z06 build a few years in to its production, but nothing's certain. Maybe then, those of us without ZR1s, should start saving up our extra change to get one while we still can. I'm certain that the ZR1 will be quiet a collector's item one day, as its hand-produced engine, rarity, and beauty will keep it coveted for decades to come.
