SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Dynamic New Series of Corvette Prints
Dateline: 4.23.12
Our New Partnership With FineArtAmerica.com
Don’t miss the new prints slide show below!
We are very happy to announce our new Corvette art prints enterprise with FineArtAmerica.com. But first, I must give credit, where credit is due. My lovely wife and business partner Karen, discovered FineArtAmerica.com about a month ago. Partnering with FineArtAmerica.com allows me the freedom to create Corvette art print layouts in any proportion. FineArtAmerica.com allows customers to order my Corvette prints in sizes to fit their budget needs! The optional matte and framing service allows customers the freedom to choosing their color matte and frame style to suit their decor needs.
By offering our Corvette prints through FineArtAmerica.com, customers can order prints as small as 8” x 2-5/8” up to 48” x 16” for our 1×3 proportion layouts and 8” x 8” up to 48” x 48” for our square proportion layouts. Every print can be produced on either archival matte paper, photo paper, watercolor paper, or canvas. Then, if you want, you can have your print custom matted and framed. There are dozens of matte colors and frame styles. You can design your framed print to match your home decor. The possibilities are staggering!
Vette Polls: C7 Corvette Update: Is this IT???
Dateline: 3.4.12
Car and Driver Splashes the C7 Corvette – A PERFECT swan dive or a belly flop?
Cast your vote at the end of this post.
Don’t you just love a nice surprise in your mailbox? You know, a nice fat IRS tax refund, a Publishers Clearance Warehouse winner notification, or a letter from an old flame. (okay, maybe not that last one) The April 2012 issue of Car and Driver arrived in my mailbox today and I was greeted with what appears to be the real car that the November 2011 Jalopnik illustrations were based upon. It’s SO hard to tell computer rendered cars these days. “Usually” computer images are a little too flashy and that’s the telltale sign. A year, or less, from now, we’ll know for sure how spot on Jalopnik and Car and Driver are.
But for now, it’s deal with what’s in front of us. Sometimes, cars look better in person. But the C7 is looking more like a C6.75. I know that Corvettes tend to be evolutionary in their design, but honestly, there’d better be some stunning things going on under all the pretty fiberglass and carbon fiber.
The front view of the car is interesting, but two design elements bother me. The front grille opening looks awfully close to that of the 1993 – 2002 Camaro with its Billy Bass mouth. Going by the Jalopnik renderings, the hood vents and vents on the tops of the rear fenders indicate that this is the 2015 ZR1 configuration. But the vents on the hood look like those on the new ZL1 Camaro. Since when does the Corvette FOLLOW the Camaro? (when Camaros outsell Corvettes 6-to-1?) I suppose we’ll get used to it. But we’re not supposed to “get used to it,” we’re supposed to LUST for it!
The car looks as if there were different “design teams.” This view clearly shows the work of the Back End Team. The design elements and shapes just don’t “go with” the rest of the car. From the side, we see compound curves and swoopy lines. But the rear view shows flat sides. This doesn’t even LOOK like a “Corvette” from the back.
And now to the back end. (sigh) PLEASE!!! Don’t let this be the real back end of the C7 Corvette, PLEASE. If so, we’ll never hear the end of the “Cormaro” of the “Camvette.” Continue reading
C7 Report – Styling Analysis of the Jalopnik C7 ZR1 Renderings
Dateline: 2.10.1
Are the Jalopnik C7 renderings revving you up, or stalling you out?
Catch the entire Jalopnik report here... http://jalopnik.com/5858683/exclusive-this-is-the-2014-chevy-corvette
Be sure to take out C7 Jalopnik rendering poll at the bottom of this post!
I’ve been meaning to get to this for about two months now. Back on November 14, 2011, Jalopnik.com dropped a fire bomb on the Corvette community with three renderings of what they claim to be, accurate illustrations of a ZR1 version of the C7 Corvette. Chevrolet immediately said, “Thanks, but WRONG, Jalopnik!” And Jalopnik called GM’s response, “a weak ass denial…” Okay, play NICE, everyone!
So, it’s been almost three months and if you read through the various forums and blog comments, not everyone is jazzed about what they see. Initially, Jalopnik said they would be releasing “photos” and then delivered “renderings,” claiming that their inside source swears on his mother’s grave that the created renderings are correct. I also have it from a Corvette writer friend with an inside source (I don’t know if it’s the same source as Jalopnik’s) that the renderings are spot on. Yes, right down to the Camaro taillights. My friend’s friend claims that even though Chevrolet knows that the Corvette fans will negatively react to the Camaro taillights, it’s a “corporate look” that runs across the Chevrolet line. I suppose it’s like how the Chevy Volt’s front end almost looks like a Malibu.
Be sure to read the entire Jalopnik story here, http://jalopnik.com/5858683/exclusive-this-is-the-2014-chevy-corvette
Since the Jalopnik renderings were published, there have been a rash of C7 sightings wearing those totally UGLY camo suits that could make a Playboy centerfold girl look like a dawg!. About the only thing that clear is that the car will (might) have quad exhaust pipes and LED taillights. But most obvious is the overall shape. Sorry guys, but it sure does look like a C6. And it’s BIG too. Continue reading
Jalopnik Says This is the C7 2014 Corvette
Dateline: 11.14.11
Love it or hate it? Cast your vote at the bottom of this post!
With less than two years to go, Jalopnik.com says this is the C7 Corvette. Believe it… or NOT!
To see the front, rear, and side-view renderings, just click the above image.
Oh course, we won’t know for sure until Chevrolet wants us to know for sure. But Jalopnik.com is claiming that THIS is the the new C7 Corvette, as photographed by someone that isn’t supposed to be photographing things inside the design center. If this isn’t a carefully contrived leak created to stoke the Corvette loyal and faithful, then someone will either NEVER be allowed inside again or someone will be fired!
At the earliest, we’re looking at a “possible” Spring release of the ‘14 C7 Corvette, which puts that 18 months or so out ahead of us now. Will Chevrolet just show us the C7 in Spring ‘13 as the ‘14 C7 Corvette, or will they be taking orders for the ‘14 C7 Corvette? We don’t know. Will the C7 be shown at the Summer press preview so that as the magazines can splash the C7 Corvette at the news stands in early September, along with the rest of the new ‘14 cars? We don’t know.
(Love it or hate it? Cast your vote at the bottom of this post!)
What is certain is this. Because of the Internet and the blogosphere, if the C7 is released in the Spring or shown to the press as part of the Summer “14 preview, as soon as the car is “officially” shown, it will be all over the net in a matter of nanoseconds! Continue reading
Vette Videos – Vette Polls: C6 ZR1 Corvette vs All-Wheel-Drive Lamborghini LP670-4 SV
Dateline: 10.6.11
Another look at AWD, does it really matter?
To visit the official ZR1 website, click the above image.
(Cast your vote at the bottom of this post.)
The other day I was sharing with you the November 2011 Road & track cover story about the 2-second club – three world-class sports cars capable of 0-to-60 in LESS than 3-seconds. Club members include the Nissan GT-R Premium, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. All three cars had AWD and except for the nuts-o 1,183-HP Bugatti, the other two members have LESS horsepower that the ZR1. Plus, the ZR1 Corvette weighs 225-pounds LESS than the Porsche. So, the Corvette with a 106-horsepower advantage isn’t in the club, what’s up with that? “All-wheel-drive” boys and girls.
Mamma mia! That's'a SPICY meatball! And she's nice too!
Well don’t despair Corvette fans, not all AWD supercars are in the 2-second club. The Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV could only to the 0-to-60 scoot in 3.0-seconds, so no club membership card for the Lambo either. The June ‘09 Car & Driver Lambo test car was packing 661-HP, 487 LB/FT of torque, weighed 3,850-pounds, and has a top speed of 209 to 213-mph. All that for only $457,500 – enough to buy three ZR1s and a Z06! But we won’t beat them up over a few hundred grand.
Autocar Magazine created the below video comparison between the top gun Corvette and Lamborghini cars. The Lambo has the horsepower edge plus AWD and the ZR1 has the weight advantage. So who wins on a road course? (The video is on the next page –>>) Continue reading
Vette Polls: Another Case for an All-Wheel Drive C7 Corvette
Dateline: 10.3.11
Porsche and Bugatti Should be Red Faced (Chevrolet too!)
Take our poll at the end of this post.
Last July 1, 2011 I posted a story titled “A Case For An All-Wheel-Drive C7 Corvette.” Motor Trend TV presented a video featuring a 3-way drag race between a Shelby GT 500, a Nissan GT-R, and a 2011 Z06. Although the video was fun to watch, no ETs or speeds were mentioned, but is was obvious that the Shelby was totally SMOKED, the Z06 tried valiantly, but the Nissan was the winner.
Of the three cars, the critical numbers were all over the place and if you ignore the Nissan’s AWD drive train, the performance was baffling. The Shelby and the Nissan both have 550-HP, while the Z06 only has 505-HP. The Shelby had the most torque (you know, that “other” horsepower) with 510 lb/ft, while the Nissan had 448 lb/ft and the Z06 470 lb/ft. In the weight department, the Z06 was the flyweight, weighing in at just 3,253 LBS, with the Shelby at 3,801 and the Nissan at 3,898. So, on paper, the Z06’s 645-pound advantage should have given the win to the Corvette. But when you see the video, the story was obvious. The Nissan slapped a hole shot on the Z06 and the Shelby that they were never able to recover from. End of story.
What's missing from this cover? How about a ZR1!
The cover story of the November 2011 issue of Road & Track, the title story reads, “Speed Kings – 0-60 in 2.5 SEC!” On page 50 the article lead is “The Two Second Club – What does it take to join the quickest club on four wheels?” Of all of the current production high performance cars, apparently there are only three capable of running sub-3-second 0-60-mph times. The three cars are: the 2012 Nissan GT-R Premium, the 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S, and the 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport.
For the purpose of the essay, it’s important to note that all three of these cars have all-wheel-drive.
Who won? Want to take a guess? Time’s up! First place went to the Bugatti with a 0-60-mph blast of 2.52-seconds! You might want to let that one soak in a little. Second place went to the 911 Porsche with a 2.84-second 0-60 time. (See, Porsche doesn’t win everything!) And third place went to the Nissan GT-R Premium with a 0-60 time of 2.94-seconds. Quarter-mile ET and speeds were not given.
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is hands down, the King of Supercars. The car packs a 7993cc W-16, quad turbo (that FOUR turbochargers!) with a whopping 1,183-HP, 1106 lb/ft of torque, and a 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle. Weight – 4,545-LBS. Top speed is “limited” at 258-MPH. OUCH! Nuff said. Continue reading
FINALLY! Some C7 News – C7 Corvette to Get a 7-Speed Gearbox!
Dateline: 9.24.11
After a LONG dry spell, some C7 news that’s really “news.”
We haven’t had much to say about the C7 Corvette because there hasn’t been much to say about the new C7 Corvette. Oh, there have been a few burps of “news” but it was more like a rehash or rehashed material, spiced up with lots of wild speculation. Eventually, we’ll all know everything there is to know about the C7. But thanks to the immediacy of the internet, there’s been a feeding frenzy over the C7 question for at least the last two years! But finally, there’s something tangible to talk about.
This isn’t a huge piece of juicy red meat, but it’s better than nothing. According to InsideLine.com the 2014 C7 Corvette will receive a 7-speed transmission! Calm down, calm down, this has not been “officially” confirmed by Chevrolet, yet.
While a 7-speed tranny won’t do much for “performance” (in the terms WE like to think of) the additional top gear would allow Continue reading
A Turbocharged Blast From the Past – the 1979 Experimental “Turbo Corvette”
Dateline: 8.22.11
Before the Callaway Twin Turbo arrived, Corvette engineers were taking a shot at turbocharging a 1979 Corvette
To see the much larger image from the September/October issue of VETTE Magazine, click the image.
The C7 Corvette rumor mill has been quiet the last month of so. Oh, a few weeks ago there was a burp about a possible C7 chassis mule hidden under a late model Corvette Coupe. (not much in that report) Then towards the end of May ‘11 CorvetteBlogger.com posted a report from TheDetroitBureau.com that the C7 would be powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V8. Of course, no one really knows except for the Chevrolet and Corvette engineers that are working on the project. But my take is that the little turbo engine report is pure speculation. There have always been those that have wanted the Corvette to be a small European-like sports car. I say, if that’s what you want, buy a Lotus.
Will Chevrolet back down from the 638-horsepower high-water-mark of the current LS9 engine? Let’s hope not. The computer emission controls on the latest LS engines seem to be more than capable of adjusting for horsepower, as we’ve seen from the work of Howard Tanner, the new “Mr. Motion” that’s building the official authorized, 800-horsepower Baldwin Motion Phase III Camaros. (Yes, I have it on excellent authority that a Phase III C6 Corvette is in the works.) What might pull the plug on a mega-horsepower C7 Corvette power plant is the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) standards. But since Corvettes are a tiny percentage of the average of all GM cars, they might be able to slip in a horsepower beast into the C7 to function as their latest, greatest halo car. It’s ALL up in the air and delicious fodder for bench racing.
To see the much larger version and read the story from the September/October issue of VETTE Magazine, click the above image
But the turbocharged issue is interesting and got me to remembering an earlier turbo Corvette that Chevrolet was tinkering with. Back in 1979 the above show car Corvette was powered by a 195-HP L48 engine with an AIResearch tubrocharger that bumped the power up to around 280 – 290-HP. Why they didn’t use the more stout L-82 engine, only the Corvette engineers know. Ask Dave McLellan if you get the chance. But the extra 90-to-100-horsepower didn’t WOW anyone in the already husky ‘79 Corvette. But the car sure looked cool! The silver Coupe wore production front and rear spoliers, Continue reading
Vette Videos: 2009 Press Conference Debut of the Corvette Stingray Concept Car
Dateline: 8.14.11
GM’s top Car Guy, Ed Welburn, introduces the Tom Peters-designed Corvette Stingray Concept car to the world at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show!
Every debutante has her day, that special day when she’s the bell of the ball. Corvette styling chief and lead designer of the C6 Corvette and the Corvette Stingray Concept car, Tom Peters was a proud papa on February 11,2009 when GM’s Ed Welburn debuted the Corvette Stingray Concept car at the Chicago Auto Show. Before we get into the rest of the event, let me get this out of the way in the beginning. In Spring ‘11 I had the opportunity to talk at length with Tom Peters for my Illustrated Corvette Series No. 170 2-page color special edition covering the latest and arguably the swoopiest Corvette concept car to ever wear the Corvette moniker. Tom was emphatic, “This is NOT the C7 Corvette.”
I already knew that before we spoke and perhaps it was my clarification before we talked that I was not trying to fish for details about the C7 design we all know Tom and his team have been working very hard upon. Our conversation was strictly focused on the actual Corvette Stingray Concept car. While there are tons of photos with copious amounts of regurgitated generic speculation about what the latest concept Vette represents, there were actually very few details about the actual car. You can read the compete article as it appeared in the August 2011 issue of VETTE Magazine, HERE.
But for this post, lets get back to the debut video. Corvettes have never been far from Hollywood. Millions of Americans weekly enjoyed the adventures of Todd Styles (Martin Milner) and Buzz Murdock (George Maharis) in the early ‘60s TV show, “Route 66.” Corvettes have had bit parts in everything from the Elvis Presley movie, “Clambake,” the film, “Corvette Summer,” the 80s TV show “Stingray,” and now the latest in the Transformers franchise, as the car/transforming robot machine, “Sideswipe” in the Michael Bay film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” Unlike the Presley film, “Clambake” which used a red version of the ‘59 Stingray Racer, Continue reading
Vette Videos: Corvette Stingray Comcept Car at the Car Shows!
Dateline: 8.9.11
Until Chevrolet wants us to know what the C7 looks like, this is the best we can do…
We’ve covered the upcoming C7 Corvette from every angle here at Corvette Report. To access all of our C7-related posts, look at the top of the page for the “Search Gens” drop down in the red bar to catch all of our posts. Just today we launched a new section for your enjoyment titled, “Vette Videos” We have videos of all seven generation Corvettes, plus a section of Corvette racers. Look in the above red bar for the drop down menu. So to kick off the C7 category, we’re dishing up a few videos taken at car shows of the Corvette Stingray Concept / Transformers car.
More videos below… Continue reading
Vette Videos: A Case For an All-Wheel-Drive C7 Corvette
Dateline: 7.1.2011
Should AWD be Part of the C7 Corvette?
Motor Trend TV recently presented a three-way drag race between a 2012 Nissan GT-R, a 2011 Ford Shelby GT500, and a 2011 Z06 Corvette. These are three VERY different cars.
The 2011 Z06 Corvette has a 7-liter engine with , 505-HP, 470 FT/LB of torque, has rear-wheel-drive, cost $75,255 ($98,010 as tested with almost every option), and weighs 3,253-LBS.
The 2012 Nissan GT-R has a 3.8-Liter engine with 530-HP, 448-FT/LBS of torque, has all-wheel drive, , cost $90,950, and weighs 3,898-LBS.
The Shelby GT500 packs a 5.4-liter supercharged 550-HP, 510 FT-LB torque engine, has rear-wheel-drive, costs $49,495 ($55,330, as tested), and weighs 3,801-LBS.
Here’s the Motor Trend video report…
In the video, all three cars run at once on a 1/4-mile drag strip. No ET figures were given, but the Nissan and Z06 clearly and totally SMOKED the Shelby. Continue reading
The Stalled Out C7 Corvette Rumor Mill
Starving for some C7 Corvette RED MEAT?
C7 Corvette concept art by Tamas Jakus
One of the fun parts about running a modern blog is that you can see the page view statistics for every post. In the 46 years that I’ve been following Corvettes, I have NEVER seen so much attention and excitement over an upcoming Corvette generation. My take on this is that it is mainly being driven by the proliferation of internet blogs and the speed we are able to post new information. Every time we post something about the C7, the hits take off.
Not that there’s anything inherently wrong or bad with the C6 Corvette. Quite to the contrary. The C6 Corvette has been developed into a top notch GT (Grand Touring) machine with more horsepower every dreamed of back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, an adjustable-from-the-driver’s-seat electronic suspension for track-level performance or highway cruising, launch-control, active braking, lush creature comfort, plenty of factory options to personalize your Vette, and enough honest storage space weekend trips for two!
Could you ask for more? SURE! And I’ll bet that’s exactly what Chevrolet has in store for us.
In an interview with Corvette chief designer Tom Peters in April 2011, he specifically said, “The Corvette Stingray Concept car is NOT the C7.”
The last scrap of red meat Chevrolet tossed to hungry Corvette fans was last May when it was announced that the C7 Corvette would likely be a 2014 model, with a possible release in Spring of ‘13. WOW! That’s less than a year away! What that tells me is that Continue reading
Illustrated Corvette Series No. 170 – Corvette Stingray Concept
C7 Sneak-Peek, Or Just the Latest Corvette Concept Car?
Be sure to take part in our poll.
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Intro: Not since the Mako Shark II hit the nation’s car shows has a concept car caused as much excitement within the Corvette community as the Corvette Stingray Concept. It’s been two years since the low-slung, sexy silver Stingray hit the automotive press and fans right between the eyes. And thanks to fans with excellent Photoshop skills, there has been a steady stream of images that look, well, like real cars! What the panting public has been short on are details about the car – what’s it made of, what about that unusual front suspension, and what’s really under the car’s engine covers that say, “Hybrid Stingray”? Chevrolet was long on generalities and short on red meat details. When I decided to cover the new concept car in my VETTE Magazine column, I knew I would need some inside help. Thanks to VETTE’s senior associate editor Christopher Phillip, I had an interesting series of conversations with a few GM insiders. After reassuring the gatekeepers that I was NOT trolling for C7 details, I was able to get a phone audience with Corvette chief designer, Tom Peters to discuss what they were thinking when designing the concept car. So, special thanks to David North, David Caldwell, Nichole Carrier, and Tom Peters for their assistance with the story. – Scott
Like blood in a pool of sharks, there’s nearly a fever pitch of anticipation and speculation over the upcoming C7 Corvette. If you Google search the term “C7 Corvette” you’ll get nearly 600,000 results. Whenever I post a C7-related story at CorvetteReport.com, the page hits take a spike. C7 fever began in mid-’07 with reports of a possible mid-engine C7. From there, nearly every possible “what if” concept was pinned on the the C7. Unlike previous “future Corvette” times, computer-generated images only added to the confusion because some looked like real prototype cars! Continue reading
NEW Corvette Stingray Concept Car Art Print
While it’s NOT the C7 Corvette, the Stingray Concept is one of the most exciting Corvette concept cars ever made.
In the August 2011 issue of VETTE Magazine my Illustrated Corvette Series No. 170 column covers the beautiful and popular Corvette Stingray Concept Car. After pulling a few strings and several phone calls, I had the good fortune of having a delightful phone conversation of Corvette Chief of Styling, Tom Peters.
Before I go any farther, I must say that Peters is on record stating, “The Corvette Stingray Concept is NOT the C7.” Several years ago, Tom and his team of designers wanted to explore some traditional and new styling themes, just for fun. The Corvette Stingray Concept was the finished effort and judging from the response from crowds at the car shows, I’d say the car is a home run hit. So KUDOS to Tom Peters and his team of super talented designers. Continue reading
C7 Corvette Set To Be a 2014 Model!
Concept art by Tamas Jakus.
GM North America President, Mark Reuss Makes a MAJOR Corvette Announcement.
Here’s some serious C7 red meat for ya! GM North America President, Mark Reuss made a major announcement at the Bowling Green Corvette assembly plant that GM will be investing $131 million dollars in the plant that will create 250 jobs, AND that the C7 Corvette will likely be introduced in the Spring of 2013 as a 2014 model.
I think that about nails it, Corvette fans. With GM making a major investment like that, it’s a done deal. The only thing I can imagine that would push the model back would be if it takes longer for the Corvette engineers to get the new C7 as perfect as a mass production car can be. Corvette quality control took a big step forward with the C5 model, thanks to then Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill’s background with Cadillac cars. Expectations for the next Vette are VERY high and I’m certain that the Corvette team is well aware of how high the bar will be. “No pressure” folks! Continue reading
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