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Report: Corvette sales enjoying modest uptick after years of ‘freefall’

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Performance, Chevrolet

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Grand Sport

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Automotive News, General Motors has seen Corvette sales increase slightly after months of decline. The General’s sports car saw sales jump by 13 percent in both January and February compared to the same months one year ago. All told, Chevrolet saw 955 Corvette models slip off of dealer lots in the first two months of 2011. That’s good news for General Motors. Well, maybe good is too strong of a word.

See, Corvette sales haven’t exactly been breaking any records as of late. Automotive News reports that, since 2006, the vehicle’s sales have been in a steady state of freefall. In fact, back then Corvette models were selling at a rate of roughly 3,000 units per month for a total of 36,518 vehicles. Last year, that figure was just 12,624.

So, why the slump? It’s no secret that C6 Corvette is growing long in the tooth. The latest generation of the baddest Bow Tie was introduced in 2006, and muscle cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang are now flexing similar power figures for significantly less cash. While it’s true that neither of those offerings can deliver the kind of handling that the still-wicked Corvette serves up, the majority of the population simply doesn’t care.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Corvette sales enjoying modest uptick after years of ‘freefall’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Nissan

nissan gt-r corvette z06 and mustang shelby gt500 in a drag race

Motor Trend tests three sub-$100,000 supercars – Click above to watch video after the jump

Motor Trend is on a quest to determine the best budget supercar. Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan stepped up to the challenge with the 2011 Shelby GT500, 2011 Corvette Z06 and 2012 GT-R. Total cost of the vehicles used in this 1,585-horsepower shootout? $244,290… or $37,040 less than the 570-horsepower $281,330 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera we tested in 2010. Perspective, folks.

This comparision is not about high-dollar exotics, however, because M/T is looking for the best sub-$100,000 performer. The 2012 Nissan GT-R develops 530 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. The American muscle machines perfer V8 power with the supercharged 5.4-liter GT500 producing 550 horses and the 7.0-liter Z06 pumping out 505.

The Shelby GT500 certainly represents the best bang-for-your-buck due to its $55,330 as-tested price tag. Yet both the Z06 ($98,010 as-tested) and GT-R ($90,950) offer equally appealing performance at a relative bargain.

Motor Trend took all three super coupes to the drag strip and the Streets of Willow road course. The winning car is not much of a surprise (hint: it’s not American) but the resulting videos are still fun to watch. Click past the jump for clips of the drag race and the road course testing, then head over to Motor Trend to read about the test.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R

Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jay Leno throws his Corvette Z06 on the Real Car Simulator

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Technology, Videos, Chevrolet

Jay Leno tries the Tag simulator

Jay Leno takes his Corvette Z06 out for a virtual spin – Click above to watch video after the jump

A few years back, we wrote about the Drag Tag simulator setup in Australia. It allows you to use your own car in a virtual environment that simulates hundreds of locations. Time of day and weather conditions can change and the whole experience sounds like a fun way to waste a few hours. Jay Leno was recently paid a visit by the Tag simulator crew and they brought an example of their setup into Leno’s garage.

With his yellow Chevrolet Corvette Z06 strapped into the dyno, Jay takes a tour of the simulators various tracks and driving conditions. The rolling road allows Leno to push the car as hard as he pleases with no legal or safety repercussions.

A machine makes sure air is blowing into the front of the car while an extractor pulls gases from the rear. It’s a slick setup that would look great bolted into the floor of the Autoblog garage. Click past the jump to watch Jay take his Vette for a virtual spin, and join us in dreaming of owning such a setup.

[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage]

Continue reading Video: Jay Leno throws his Corvette Z06 on the Real Car Simulator

Video: Jay Leno throws his Corvette Z06 on the Real Car Simulator originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Barrett-Jackson: Mid-Engined maniacal motoring madness, Corvette style

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, GM

1963 Chevrolet Corvette mid-engine custom

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Coupe at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette is an iconic American sports car. The split-window coupe is instantly recognizable and serves as one of the symbols of Zora Arkus-Duntov’s legacy with General Motors. Up for auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale is a re-imagining of classic Corvette, and it’s been brought to the modern era while keeping its memorable lines.

Described as “the car Duntov would have built to win Le Mans”, this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Coupe has a secret hidden under its bodywork. The engine isn’t in the front but rather it’s been relocated to the middle of the car. Actually, that’s not accurate… the original engine could be on a shelf somewhere because it’s been replaced with a twin-turbo LS V8. This eight-cylinder monster has been tested on the dyno and the numbers are staggering. Producing 1,000 horsepower and 915 pound-feet of torque, this ’63 Vette runs from 0-60 miles per hour in under three seconds and probably goes through tires like fire through paper.

Also, be sure to get a load of those crazy doors, which open kind of like drawers with an ingenious scissor mechanism.

This will be one to watch as it rolls across the stage (you can do so online here) because the crowd is now “properly medicated” and winning bids are climbing. Plus, it’s one of Speed’s highlighted Fantasy Bid auctions, and you can join us in making an estimation on what this custom mid-engine ‘Vette will finally sell for. We know it’ll be triple digits…

Gallery: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette mid-engine Custom Coupe

1963 Chevrolet Corvette mid-engine Custom Coupe

2011 Barrett-Jackson: Mid-Engined maniacal motoring madness, Corvette style originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, GM, Racing

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chevrolet certainly has created a few limited-edition vehicles in its time, and you can add this 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 to that list. How limited is it exactly? The VIN plate reads #001… of one.

Built to celebrate 50 years of Corvettes racing at Le Mans, this special Z06 wears special door numbers, a 50th Anniversary seal on the B-pillar, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and massive 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Under the hood sits a 7.0-liter LS7 engine producing 550 horsepower, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Inside, the car bears the signatures of both Dick Thompson and Dick Guldstrand.

All proceeds from the sale of this one-off Vette will go to the National Corvette Museum. Check out the official auction page at Barrett-Jackson and watch Speed’s live online coverage here.

*Update: Video of the Corvette crossing the block is available after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

Continue reading 2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video

2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy offers free driving school to all Corvette buyers for limited time

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery

We operate under the impression that on the whole we live in the best period of automotive innovation and power that the world has ever seen. Manufacturers are turning out four-cylinder engines with more horsepower and torque than the mighty V8 lumps of just two decades ago and eight pots that boast fuel economy numbers as impressive as their dyno charts. These days, mega power is mega cheap and more accessible than ever. But, as Uncle Ben reminds us, great power comes with great responsibility, and to that end General Motors is offering all Corvette buyers a chance to learn how to get the most out of their machines.

For a limited time, GM is giving away vouchers to both of the company’s Corvette Driving Schools to anyone who buys any model of a new Corvette. Typically, the driving schools are free only to those who lay down the coin for a mighty ZR1, but for a limited time, The General is splurging for Coupe, Convertible, Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1 buyers to go on the company’s dime. The schools are at the Bob Bondurant school in Phoenix, Arizona and Ron Fellows school in Las Vegas, Arizona.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

[Source: GM]

Chevy offers free driving school to all Corvette buyers for limited time originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C7 Corvette rendered by design student with good ideas

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Design/Style

James Robbins Corvette C7 rendering

Chevrolet C7 Corvette renderings by James Robbins – Click above for image gallery

It isn’t easy redesigning an icon, especially one as popular and well-known as the Chevrolet Corvette. Nevertheless, a seventh-generation Corvette is coming, and while rumors of an exotic mid-engine layout for America’s supercar are unlikely to pan out, it’s possible that the Bowtie brand’s designers could take the Corvette’s look in an entirely new direction.

Student designer James Robbins has his own ideas for what the C7 Corvette will look like. His renderings look like a logical next step in the car’s design evolution, though we’re not fans of some of the details. We particularly like the rear end’s reimagination of the Corvette’s signature round taillamps, albeit perhaps without some of the edgy detailing on the car’s hood. What say you? Check out the rest of the renderings in the gallery below and let us know what you think of Robbins’ C7 Corvette.

Gallery: Chevrolet Corvette C7 renderings by James Robbins

[Sources: Yanko Design, Coroflot]

C7 Corvette rendered by design student with good ideas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Rented Chevy Corvette not the best for doing beach donuts [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

A Corvette goes for a swim in San Diego – Click above to watch video after the jump

How does a Corvette convertible – one rented from Hertz no less – end up in the salty brine at Pacific Beach in San Diego? The kindness of buzzed strangers, apparently. According to NBC San Diego, a visiting couple met a man in a bar, and after hearing that he had never driven a Corvette before, they offered him some seat time.

With the new acquaintance behind the wheel and the couple in the passenger seat, witnesses say the driver did a couple of donuts in the sand and then zoomed straight into the surf. Not known for its off-road traction, the Corvette got stuck, upon which the driver got out and ran. The couple was held and released, while the Corvette…well, we’re sure Hertz is working on that right now. Follow the jump for some witness video of the aftermath.

[Source: NBC San Diego, YouTube]

Continue reading PSA: Rented Chevy Corvette not the best for doing beach donuts [w/video]

PSA: Rented Chevy Corvette not the best for doing beach donuts [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR could make Corvette-powered 2012 comeback

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Europe, UK

1989 TVR Tasmin 400SE

Nikolai Smolenski’s tenure as owner of TVR, the formerly revered maker of hairy-chested British sports cars, is nothing if not quizzical. He bought the company from late founder Peter Wheeler when it was in trouble, didn’t do much with it, declared it bankrupt to clear its debts, then bought the company out of bankruptcy. Since then there’s been little news save for a legal battle with a TVR remanufacturer and a couple of hints about using an American V8 to power the firm’s next car.

The V8 issue has finally been decided: the Corvette’s 638-horsepower LS9. The car it will go in is to be called the MD-1. A new question that has arisen, however, based on Smolenski’s comment that he wants to “draw a line under the Wheeler era once and for all.” Will the car be at all British? The MD-1 is being developed by a UK firm, but Smolenski says production could go to the Continent or South Africa just as easily.

Would a German-built, American-engined TVR still be a TVR like the Griffith and Chimera (or the Tasmin shown above)? Smolenski thinks TVR fans wouldn’t think so, but he doesn’t much care. He says, “What’s important is to remain faithful to your brand values” no matter where you are. The MD-1 is expected to arrive in 2012, with just 250 made annually.

[Source: Pistonheads]

TVR could make Corvette-powered 2012 comeback originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Romeo Ferraris leaves Italy, comes back with a 667-hp carbon fiber Corvette

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Europe, Chevrolet

Ferraris Vette

Supercharged Corvette Z06 by Romeo Ferraris – Click above for high-res image gallery

Think of the words Romeo and Ferraris and you’re bound to think of Italian cars, right? Maybe so, but the two together form the name of an Italian tuning house. And while many of their subjects have been Italian themselves, Romeo Ferraris has been scoping out foreign territory as well.

The latest is the Corvette Z06. And why shouldn’t it be? The ‘Vette has a long history of customization at Italian hands. But those have mostly been cosmetic coachbuilding jobs. This is another story altogether.

RF has taken the Z06 and fitted a supercharger to the 7.0-liter LS7 V8. The result? 667 horsepower and 607 lb-ft of twist. The centrifugal compressor, aluminum intercooler, high-flow injectors and custom exhaust help it get to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds and up to 211 mph – assuming you can get all that power down – while 380mm/6-pot brakes up front and 345/4-pot brakes out back help it come back to a stop.

A series of exterior and interior cosmetic modifications have also been carried out, including what appears to be a bare carbon fiber reskin, putting Romeo Ferraris’ Z06 toe to toe with Chevy’s own factory ZR1 in more ways than one.

Gallery: Supercharged Corvette Z06 by Romeo Ferraris

[Source: autoblog.it via World Car Fans]

Romeo Ferraris leaves Italy, comes back with a 667-hp carbon fiber Corvette originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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