Dive into The Duntov Files Pt. 1 and uncover the story of Zora Arkus-Duntov’s 1969 427 ZL1 Corvette racer. This in-depth PDF e-book explores the engineering ambition behind the all-aluminum big-block, its racing intent and its place among the rarest and most legendary Corvettes ever conceived. A must-read for serious Corvette historians and performance enthusiasts.
All five Corvette chief engineers contributed mightily and in their own unique ways. But only Tadge Juechter has the distinction of having done hard engineering on five generations of Corvettes. When Juechter went to work in 1993 as chief engineer Dave Hill’s right-hand-man, there were two objectives; keep the then-current C4 fresh and interesting; and design and develop the most revolutionary Corvette to that date, the C5. After Hill’s retirement, Tom Wallace was Vehicle Line Engineer (VLE) and chief engineer for the Corvette. Wallace accessed that because of Juechter’s 15 years of experience, he was the right man for the chief engineer position.
The C8 ZR1 will have an all-electric, all-wheel-drive drivetrain with a combined electric motor power of 1,000-horsepower and 1,000-lb/ft of torque. Electric motors have their full torque starting at 1-rpm; that’s why diesel-electric locomotives are so powerful. Here’s the carbon fiber leap. Remember how we were stunned when the 2006 Z06 was debuted and we learned that the frame was aluminum. Next, all C7 and C8 Corvette have aluminum frames. To safely handle the tremendous leap on power, I predict that the C8 ZR1 will have a carbon fiber chassis. Think about it. We’ll see. Stepping off soapbox…
Explore Part 5 of Corvette chassis history as Dave Hill delivers the evolutionary yet superior C6 platform. Learn how refinements in structure, suspension and weight distribution transformed the Corvette into a sharper, more balanced performance machine while preserving its core identity — a pivotal chapter in modern Corvette engineering.
The C7 ZR1 is an extension of the C7 Z06, which unlike the C6 Z06, was designed to be a coupe AND a convertible. So, what does that tell us about the engineering of the modern Corvette? MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE! The fact that the ZR1 convertible can handle 755-horsepower and 715 lb/ft of torque is astonishing.
Here’s an impressive tid-bit about the ZR1 convertible. The ONLY structural change between the ZR1 coupe and convertible is the re-positioning of the seat belts and the accommodations for the retractable top. And, the convertible only weighs 60-pounds more than the coupe, due to the mechanism for the convertible top.
We are happy to announce the launch of CorvetteReport.com’s “Vette of the Month” Photo Contest. Here’s the deal.
Send us your best photo of your Corvette and we will post it on our “Vette of the Month” photos page.
At the end of the month we will pick a winner, and announce it as a post on CorvetteReport.com.
The winner will get;
An “America’s Old Glory Sports Car” print of their year Corvette, signed and numbers by K. Scott Teeters.
A feature story in Vette Vues Magazine.
After the story is published in Vette Vues, we will post it on CorvetteReport.com.
“Corvette Sixty Years” weighs in at 254 pages of text. A book covering the entire 60-year heritage of the Corvete. In the first three chapters Leffingwell takes you on a quick and concise tour of six generations of Corvettes in 179 pages.
On March 16,2012 GMAuthority.com announced that for the 2012 racing season, the C6.R ZR1 Corvette would be wearing a new suit. We’re not talking about the livery, it’s still Competition Yellow with black graphics that seems to change every few races.
No, we’re talking about actual body parts. It was only six years ago that the production widebody C6 Z06 gave the new C6 that big, broad shoulders look that we love so much. It wasn’t long before lots of regular Corvettes were wearing Z06 outfits, and why not? It looks great, almost as if that’s the way the C6 should have looked in ‘05. But things evolve and we go from there. It wasn’t just a fad either. Chevrolet certainly noticed and and in ‘10 dished up the Grand Sport model, wearing Z06 cloths and a new set of front fender vents. The new look struck a chord, because in ‘10 the Grand Sport Corvette made up 49.5% of total sales and in ‘11 Grand Sports accounted for 58.7% of sales! That’s very impressive and the Corvette planners deserve credit for picking up on the widebody trend. – Catch the rest of the story, plus cool images, and a special video staring the one and only Jack LaLanne!
