Tag: Corvette Sting Ray

Vette Videos: 505-Horsepower LS7-Powered Duntov Motors Grand Sport

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 3.11.12

The Civilized Grand Sport Corvette Replica – Sort of…

Today you can go to your local Chevrolet dealer today and buy a Grand Sport Corvette to your liking.  Almost 50 years ago, there were only five Grand Sport Corvettes in existence and they were NOT for sale. “Unrealized potential,” “the ultimate could’a been Corvette” and many other expressions tell the original Grand Sport Corvette story. Unlike today’s C6 Grand Sports, the originals were all-out racing Corvettes, designed to give the Cobras a good run for it.

But GM had a completely different attitude about racing back then that can be nicely described as “backward.” Fortunately, all five original Grand Sports are still around. Along the way, there have been numerous companies that offered Grand Sport replicas – some, better than others. But today there is only one “officially licensed” by GM, Grand Sport replica, and that is the Duntov Motors Grand Sports.


Continue reading “Vette Videos: 505-Horsepower LS7-Powered Duntov Motors Grand Sport” →

Vette Videos: Corvette Grand Sport Vs Porsche 911! – Head 2 Head Episode 1

Published on by Scott2 Comments

Dateline: 2.9.12

The old Corvette vs 911 Porsche rivalry heats up!

Motor Trend magazine has a neat new TV program titled, “Head 2 Head.” To kick off the series MTs Editor at Large, Angus MacKenzie pits the 2012 Grand Sport Corvette against a 2012 911 Carrera S. The program is a lot of fun to watch. There are vintage clips of both cars from 1963 when the rivalry first started with the arrival of the 911 taking on the new Corvette Sting Ray. Footage of the Sting Ray is from a Chevrolet promotional film featuring race car drivers Dave MacDonald and Dr. Dick Thompson wringing out the new ‘63 Vette at the Chevrolet test track in the Summer of ‘62.

Comparisons of the two cars has always been somewhat of a force fit. In the olden days, the Corvette had the upper hand in power, but the Porsche was smaller and lighter – more expensive too. Fast forward 48 years and now the 911 is a smidge larger than the Corvette and is only 211-pounds lighter than the Corvette. Continue reading “Vette Videos: Corvette Grand Sport Vs Porsche 911! – Head 2 Head Episode 1” →

Mako Shark Attack Week!!! The 1961 Mako Shark

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 1.2.12

A Look Back At the First of Bill Mitchell’s Beautiful Mako Shark Corvettes

The family connection is obvious. Fortunately, both cars are still around.

Former GM Chief of Styling, Chuck Jordan said it best about his colleague and former boss, Bill Mitchell, “The man had STYLE!” And why wouldn’t he? Can you imagine learning car design from the great Harley Earl? Mitchell was 46 years old when he took over the reins of General Motors Chief of Styling in 1958 when Earl retired. Bill’s design leadership was so prodigious that it’s often overlooked that he spent his entire 42-year professional career with General Motors. That’s something that almost never happens today.

The tires don't quite look wide enough.

Mitchell’s styling sense can be best described as “edgy” – figuratively and literally. Known as a snappy dresser, Bill liked to “look sharp” and designed his cars with that ideal in mind. Mitchell believed that you could tell a successful man because his cloths were pressed and sharp, so he designed cars the same way! Unlike today’s “bar of soap,” smooth, rounded designs, a common threat in Mitchell’s designs were sharp edges and creases. Note the bold horizontal crease line and edges of the Stingray Racer and the ‘63 – ‘67 Sting Ray, the Mako Shark I, the Mako Shark-II, the Manta Ray, and the production ‘68 – ‘82 Corvette. Continue reading “Mako Shark Attack Week!!! The 1961 Mako Shark” →

Corvette Timeline Tails: Happy 99th Birthday Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 10.2.11

One of the Unsung Heros of Corvettes & High Performance Chevrolets

Within the machinations of a big corporation, to get things done, it’s good to have an angel. Zora Arkus-Duntov had several angels. We’ve talked about Duntov’s relationship with Chevrolet honcho Ed Cole. But one angel that doesn’t get much attention was Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen.

Semon’s father was former GM president, William S. Knudsen. While this was helpful for the younger Kneudsen’s career, things weren’t handed to Bunkie – he had to work for what he accomplished. Like many teenage boys of his generation, Semon was interested in mechanical things. When he asked for a car, his Dad gave him one… in pieces for the young man to out back together. During his college years, Summer break meant a stint working at GM… on the assembly line. Upon graduation, Knudsen got a job at Pontiac in 1939 and quickly rose up through the management ranks. By 1956 he was the general manager at Pontiac.

The main job of every general manager is to increase sales. Like Chevrolet, Pontiac had a stogy public image. Bunkie assembled a team to jazz up the line and brought in Pete Estes from Oldsmobile, and John Z. DeLorean from Packard to create high performance version of his best -selling Pontiacs. Thus began the era of the “Wide Track Pontiac.” (Remember the ‘60s jingle, “Break away, to a wide track’n, Pon-tee-ack…”?) Within a few years, Pontiacs were a force to be contended with in NASCAR racing. Bunkie’s makeover of Pontiac put the division in third place in the industry and his reward was a promotion to head of the Chevrolet Division in 1961. Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tails: Happy 99th Birthday Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen” →

Vette Videos: 2009 Press Conference Debut of the Corvette Stingray Concept Car

Published on by Scott

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: 2009 Press Conference Debut of the Corvette Stingray Concept Car” →

Corvette Timeline Tales: July 1977 GM’s Chief of Styling, Bill Mitchell Retires

Published on by Scott

“I design Corvettes around here!” – Bill Mitchell

Mitchell was a master at proportions. By itself, the Mako Shark looked BIG. But next to a production ‘68 Corvette, it looks like a 7/8s-size car.

It was probably a hot July day in Detroit when William L. “Bill” Mitchell quietly retired from General Motors after 42 years of service! Volumes could be written about this man. Mitchell looms large in the Corvette world because he was one of four key players that were responsible for setting the tone and design of the Corvette. Harley Earl came up with the concept of a mass-produced American sports car built in Detroit. Ed Cole was the inside engineer man that made it happen. Zora Arkus-Duntov put hair on the Corvette’s chest and made it the car a bare-knuckles brawler. And Bill Mitchell designed and guided the ‘63 – ‘67 Sting Ray and the Mako Shark-II-styled C3 Corvette. The Corvette would not have its signature style were it not for Bill Mitchell.

Bill was known as a “snappy dresser” that loved expensive italian silk suits. “Red” was also his favorite color.

Bill Mitchell, son of a Buick car dealer, started his professional career as an illustrator that liked to draw cars. While an illustrator at Collier Advertising, someone suggested that he show his car renderings to then VP of GM’s Art and Color Department, Harley Earl. Harley liked what he saw and hired Mitchell on December 15, 1935. Mitchell became Earl’s protégé and was eventually Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tales: July 1977 GM’s Chief of Styling, Bill Mitchell Retires” →

Illustrated Corvette Series No. 170 – Corvette Stingray Concept

Published on by Scott

C7 Sneak-Peek, Or Just the Latest Corvette Concept Car?

Be sure to take part in our poll.

Although Corvette chief designer Tom Peters says that the Corvette Stingray Concept car is NOT the C7, would you like it to be?

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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 “Illustrated Corvette Series No. 170 – Corvette Stingray Concept” →

C7 Corvette Split-Window Coupe “Option”?

Published on by Scott

If a “Split-Window” option was available on the C7 Corvette, would you order your C7 with one?

This is the photo from the Car and Driver story.

I Photoshopped the split-window out of the rear window on this photo.

If you were buying a new 2013 C7 Corvette and the "Split-Window Coupe" was an option, would you get one?

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Last week I talked about the Car and Driver C7 update from their April 2011 issue. Among all the rehashed jib-jab, there was one tantalizing paragraph. The seventh paragraph says…

“More startling, it seems certain that the coupe’s going-away view will feature a split rear window – ‘a la the one-year Sting Ray coupe of 1963 – though in this case it will be an optional feature. Chevrolet first signaled its interest in reviving the split-window by outfitting the Stingray concept vehicle with one. Yes, that’s the one that appeared in the second Transformers movie.”

In my initial hunt for some technical/technical red meat in the story, I kind of skipped by the above detail. The rearview image from the Car and Driver story (quite possibly a styling study) shows a split-window, although due to the low angle of the image, it’s easy to not notice. Continue reading “C7 Corvette Split-Window Coupe “Option”?” →