Blue Devil Mule……… February 23, 2007
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An employee of a shipping company that was entrusted with sending a Blue Devil Powertrain Test Mule to Germany for testing, has snapped some pics and posted them on www.fast-autos.net
They have subsequently been posted all over the net on all of the Corvette related forums and many of the automotive blog sites. While this is most definitely not the actual Blue Devil (or SS, Sting Ray, Z07, or insert any name here) is is interesting from an engineering standpoint. Regardless of what the final package is comprised of and how the styling department treats the over-all look for the coming Corvette super car, it is great to know that there are constant evaluations of items like ceramic brakes, inter-cooled superchargers. These extensive testing and evaluation sessions will ensure the quality and the elevated level of performance that Corvette enthusiasts have come to expect.
We all know that with whatever style of carbon fiber hood lurks under the camouflage cover, the styling cues not yet revealed and the performance numbers only whispered to date………………this will be a world class Corvette super-car.
Like we have said before, the Corvette community is ready….bring it on!
The Chevy Enthusiast
2007 Toronto Auto Show…….. February 16, 2007
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We thoroughly enjoyed the VIP Night event at the 2007 Toronto Auto Show. This is an evening where people in the auto industry and and invited guests can get a preview of the show. Everyone comes out dressed to the nines to enjoy this event that is as much a social gathering as it is an industry display.
The highlight of this years event was being able to see the #003 2007 Ron Fellows Edition Z33 Corvette on display. It is one thing to see it in pictures, but it is stellar looking in person. In Arctic White, with the Deep Red “Hash Marks” on the fenders, this car is dazzling under the lights. The chrome Z06 wheels just add the icing on the cake.
If you are a Corvette enthusiast, this car will make you drool. Of course with only 33 of the Ron Fellows Z33 Corvettes coming into Canada, you better move fast if you want one.
The Chevy Enthusiast
Ron Fellows and Pace Car Video……… February 15, 2007
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The Ron Fellows Edition Corvette is definitely creating quite a stir amongst the media and enthusiasts. For those of you that want to see it displayed as if you were at the Chicago Auto, click on the following link to Motor Trend. They have a video interview about both the Pace Car and Ron Fellow Edition Corvettes.
It is reported that there will be a Ron Fellows Edition at the Toronto Auto Show opening this weekend. It will be great to see it in person. Maybe we’ll see you there!
The Chevy Enthusiast
New Silverado HD Series 6 Speed Transmission………… February 13, 2007
Posted by wilsonniblett in Auto News.1 comment so far
The newly redesigned Chevrolet Heavy Duty pick-ups are going to be landing on dealers lots within the month. While talking to a client about the new 2007 Silverado HD Series Pick Up, I realized that there might be a few Chevy fans out there that do not realize that there is a new 6 speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. This unit will offer a better means to keep the engine in the best torque power band while hauling a load of pulling a trailer. As a work style truck, this is an ideal addition to a stellar product. For that matter, this would make a great unit for enthusiasts to pull their car trailers with…………maybe this would be a good time to replace my personal truck!
The Chevy Enthusiast
The following is the Press Release from General Motors with respect to the new 6 speed:
GM Builds New Six-Speed Rear-Wheel-Drive Transmission Variant In Ypsilanti For Heavy-Duty Pickups
YPSILANTI, Mich. – General Motors’ (GM) Ypsilanti Transmission Operations is producing a new variant of its Hydra-Matic rear-wheel-drive six-speed transmission. The new 6L90 six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission is standard in the all new 2007 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado heavy-duty pickups.
Advantages of the new 6L90 transmission include improved fuel economy, performance and handling:
- The 6L90 transmission has a wide overall ratio spread of 6.04, compared to 3.31 in the previous 4L80 used in the heavy-duty pickup trucks. This allows a “steep” 4.03 first gear, which provides an improved performance launch feel.
- With this wide ratio spread, there are smaller steps between the gears, optimizing the gear ratio for towing, providing good shift quality, and maximized acceleration and fuel economy.
- With two overdrive gears – fifth and sixth – engine rpm is reduced by approximately 19 percent at 60 mph – a reduction of about 400 rpm. A lower engine speed reduces engine wear and improves fuel economy. Engine noise is also lower during cruising.
- The 6L90 has the capability for Driver Shift Control (Tap Up/Tap Down), Tow/Haul Mode, Auto Grade braking and uses DEXRON VI premium fluid, which has been validated to improve durability and provide more consistent shift performance in extreme conditions.
The GM Ypsilanti Transmission Operations (YTO) has produced nearly 200,000 transmissions since it opened in January 2003. The plant employs 500 people. YTO currently produces the 6L80 six-speed transmission for the Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT; the Cadillac XLR and XLR-V; the Cadillac STS-V; the GMC Yukon Denali; and the Chevrolet Corvette. It also produces the 6L50 six-speed transmission for the Cadillac STS and the SRX.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally.
Corvette of Europe announces Victory Edition……… February 12, 2007
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There is yet another Special Edition Corvette that has been announced to the public. This particular Corvette will be available in Europe at the beginning 0f March 2007.
Below is the actual Press Release from General Motors Europe:
Victory Edition Corvette celebrates Le Mans success
Limited edition of 250 Corvette Coupes will arrive in Europe at the beginning of March
To celebrate the success of Corvette in sports car racing – and in particular the prestigious Le Mans 24-Hour event, a limited series of just 250 ‘Victory Edition’ Corvette Coupes is being produced. Since Corvette Racing made its debut in 1999, the team has won over 50 races, including five class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2001 and 2006.
The Victory Edition Corvette is based on the Corvette C6 Coupe which shares strong links with the Corvette C6.R race car and the high performance version Corvette Z06. The Victory Edition offers the LS2 6.0L V-8 engine producing 297kW (404 hp) and 546 Nm of torque, matched to a rear-mounted transaxle that helps improve vehicle weight distribution. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with the option of an electronically controlled 6-speed Paddle Shift transmission with automatic modes.
The Victory Edition Corvette is available in two colours reflecting the Corvette racing heritage; Black or Velocity Yellow Tintcoat, distinguished by Competition Grey aluminium wheels, 18-inch front and 19-inch rear. A body-colour wide rear spoiler is a further distinguishing feature.
The interior features two-tone leather seats with Corvette flag emblems and contrasting stitching. Cars with the black exterior feature an ebony and red theme while ebony and titanium grey colours mark the interior of Velocity Yellow cars. Both interiors are further enhanced by Competition Grey door sill plates, a carbon-look interior trim package and a unique, numbered ‘Victory Edition’ badge.
The Victory Edition Corvette features a DVD Navigation System with touch screen and voice guidance, along with a Luxury Package. This includes heated seats, a memory package with presets for two drivers for the 6-way power driver’s seat, exterior mirrors and powered telescopic steering wheel. A head-up display including G-force meter, auto-dimming inside rear view mirror and a premium Bose® 7-speaker sound system.
Every Corvette Victory Edition will get a numbered car identification interior badge. And, as part of their ownership experience, buyers are invited to participate in a 1 day free Corvette Drivers Training event with professional instructors at selected race tracks across Europe.
The Corvette Victory Edition will be available in Europe at the beginning of March 2007.
The Chevy Enthusiast
Blue Devil Corvette confirmed………. February 12, 2007
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The Corvette Blue Devil (or insert any other tag name here) has recently been confirmed to the public by Bob Lutz. While we knew a while back that this car is going to be produced, it is energizing for all Corvette enthusiasts to see their dream ultra vette is truly coming.
GM product guru Bob Lutz has finally confirmed out loud to the press that the Corvette most commonly called the Blue Devil will be coming out as a limited production high performance level vehicle. It will have a minimum of 600HP and carry styling cues to set it apart from the current Z06. The price will be in the $100,000.00 U.S. range (Canadian pricing has not been set as of this post)
This sudden eagerness to talk about a the secretive Blue Devil project is in response to Dodge trying to get the upper hand in the performance car wars. Dodge even skipped the 2007 model year and is offering their new 2008 Viper with 600HP. This was the Dodge response to the gauntlet being thrown down by Chevrolet with the 2006 release of the 505HP Z06, with it’s superior handling and elegant styling.
Let me say, that after having driven several Vipers and the various versions of the Corvette Z06 , the new Corvette Blue Devil (Sting Ray, SS, Z07, Manta Ray, insert any name here) will prove to be the superior performance car.
Corvette is already a legendary marque that has reached an iconic status amongst performance car enthusiasts. With a history that includes names like Fuelie, Tri-Power 427, L-88, Gran Sport, ZR-1 and Z06, C5-R and C6-R the Blue Devil (or whatever they call it) will be next natural progression.
As I have said before, we are ready………………Bring It On!
The Chevy Enthusiast
Ron Fellows Special Editions……….. February 9, 2007
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This week Ron Fellows was at the Chicago Auto Show to unveil the Z06 Corvette Special Edition that bears his name. Ron has been justifiably honoured by this special vehicle and has acquired the first Ron Fellows Edition produced for his own use.
To add to the accolades, the Paul Reed Smith guitar manufacturers have given Ron an award of their own. The PRS group have been supporters of the Corvette Racing Team throughout the 2005-2006 seasons. Their logo can be found on the C6-R race cars. They felt that since Ron is a guitarist himself that he would appreciate this one off Ron Fellows Special Edition PRS guitar. It is painted with the same distinctive Z06 Arctic White colour and emblazoned with the same “hash marks” that mark the actual Z06.
Check out the news link at Paul Reed Smith Guitars
http://www.prsguitars.com/news/2007/2607_fellows.html
The Chevy Enthusiast
Great Progress……… February 9, 2007
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The building construction is nearing completion of the outside structure. They have installed almost all the windows and doors, including all the large shop doors. Over the last few days the construction team has been installing the Lucabond trim around the top of the building. This completes the look and gives the building a great street presence.
Meanwhile other teams are finishing the interior of the building. Having been for a recent tour of the inside, I can tell you that it looks spectacular. Very open concept with a true vision towards ergonomic use of space. The architecture lends itself to the ease of client flow within the building and creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
There are many more wonderful features of this new dealership building but I will save the rest until it is nearer completion. Then we will have more pics of the interior to dazzle you with!
The Chevy Enthusiast
The Ontario Camaro Club……… February 7, 2007
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The Ontario Camaro Club is a well established club that is deeply involved in the Camaro hobby. If you you have a Camaro or are interested in getting one in the future, here is their website for your reference.
http://www.ontariocamaroclub.com/
Our own John Wilson recently hosted their first inaugural Monthly General Meeting at our new facility. John is seen in the photo above, receiving a plaque of appreciation from the OCC Executive. We are proud to announce that the Ontario Camaro Club has decided to make our dealership their official meeting place for their monthly club meetings. You can check out the schedule on their website.
As true Camaro fans, we look forward to meeting all the members and seeing their cars.
The Chevy Enthusiast
2007 Corvette Racing Drivers …….. February 27, 2007
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There has been some changes to the Corvette Racing Drivers roster. Below you will find a press release from Corvette Racing.
Corvette Racing Announces 2007 Driver Lineup
Magnussen Teams with O’Connell as Fellows Takes on New Responsibilities; Papis Joins Gavin and Beretta for Endurance Events
DETROIT – There will be familiar faces in different places when Corvette Racing returns to the American Le Mans Series in 2007 to defend its drivers, team and manufacturers championships. Corvette Racing officials have announced a revised driver lineup for the two-car Chevrolet factory team.
Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen will drive the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R in all ALMS events. They will be joined by Ron Fellows for three endurance races (Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans) as Fellows takes on new roles and responsibilities with GM Racing. Defending GT1 champions Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta will drive the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, teamed with Max Papis in the three endurance events.
The six Corvette Racing drivers have a combined total of 109 ALMS victories and 11 championships. They’ve won races and championships in series ranging from karts and touring cars to open-wheel formula racers.
“The changes in our driver lineup will give us two strong and balanced entries that will both be racing for victories,” said Steve Wesoloski, GM Road Racing Group manager. “We are very excited that Ron Fellows will be taking on new roles and responsibilities with GM Racing. We’ll continue to benefit from Ron’s vast racing experience as he drives the No. 3 Corvette C6.R in endurance races while he begins a new phase in his career as an ambassador for Corvette and a valued advisor to GM Racing.”
Fellows, a charter member of the championship-winning Corvette Racing team, did the initial testing and development of the Corvette C5-R. He scored Corvette Racing’s first ALMS victory in 2000, and has won 25 ALMS races and three GT1 titles with the team. Recognized as one of North America’s most versatile road racers; the Canadian ace has also won in NASCAR and SCCA Trans-Am competition. A fan favorite, Fellows was voted the ALMS “Most Popular Driver” three straight years in 2004-06. On February 2, 2007, Chevrolet announced the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06, the first signed special edition in Corvette’s 54-year history.
Fellows will attend all ALMS events, serving as Corvette ambassador and providing technical input to the team’s engineers and drivers. In addition to driving in endurance events, he will compete in the Grand Prix of Mosport, the ninth round of the ALMS series, at Mosport International Raceway on Aug. 26, 2007. Fellows will appear at key Corvette marketing events and shows as his schedule allows, assist in driver development for a variety of GM road racing programs, continue to drive for Team Cadillac in selected SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT races, and compete in several NASCAR events.
“Ron has excellent relationships with the fans, with the media, and with the race organizers,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “He brings a wealth of experience that we can put to good use, and that’s what we intend to do.”
Magnussen will move from an endurance-racing role in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R to a full-season drive in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R alongside O’Connell. The pair previously raced as teammates in a Panoz LMP1, scoring an overall victory at Mosport in 1999. Papis will shift from the No. 3 Corvette C6.R to the No. 4 Corvette C6.R driven by two-time GT1 champions Gavin and Beretta.
“Jan and Johnny are similar in physical size and they like a similar setup in the car,” Wesoloski noted. “We think it’s a good combination and a strong entry. We’re very pleased that Max will have a full-time ride in a Daytona Prototype with Krohn Racing as he helps Pontiac pursue a championship while he also drives for Corvette Racing in the three endurance races.”
Corvette Racing’s revised driver lineup will make its debut in the season-opening round of the 12-race ALMS series, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, on March 17, 2007.