Danica Patrick, the stellar Indy car driver has signed a deal with JR Motorsport to drive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series starting this February 2010.  The Chevrolet race care is co-owned by Dale Earnhart Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports.

Having recently resigned with the Andretti Autosport to run the full 18 race season in the Indy Car series for 2010, she will be adding the NASCAR Nationwide Races to her schedule starting with the ARCA Race on Feb 6, 2010 in Daytona.  She will continue to be sponsored by Godaddy in both campaigns. Being the only woman to win an Indy Car Race, there will be a lot of people watching her progress in the #7 Chevrolet race car as she actively competes in NASCAR.

She has had a varied career during her Indy Car years and has earned 2005 Rookie of the year, Most Poular Driver 2005-2007 and won the Japan 300 in 2008

She certainly has talent and is not reserved.  This should turn out to be a great season to watch!

http://www.danicaracing.com/main.html

The Chevy Enthusiast

Porsche wheels turned into Corvette just before the crash

One thing is for sure, the last race of the 2009 ALMS Race schedule was very exciting.  Laguan Seca is an exciting track from a technical point of view with various elevation changes to the well known “Corkscrew” all on a surface that sometimes has windblown dust/sand on it.

When you arrive at the last event of any form of competition that involves a much heralded championship, the competition can become fierce.  Now if you add a larger field of competitiors, that are all quite evenly matched, the heat gets turned up another notch.  Just to make it really exciting the ALMS Series runs with multiple vehicle classes out on the track at the same time…..slow and fast!

Now liberally sprinkle this event with Tv coverage, sponsorship pressure, adrenalin, pride and douse it with testoserone……….you better pull your cooler of drinks and food closer to you because you don’t want to miss a thing!

This years event did not fail to excite the fans.  There was enough  action to keep even the couch potatoes focused.

While it was a great event all around, there was one incident on the last lap of the race that coloured the event.  The turnout of this last lap was terrific for Gil De Ferran who won in his last racing event as a driver but for Jan Magnussen of Corvette Racing this was a devastating lap.  While there is lots of controvery and armchair sports commetary about the last lap of the race, the result is the #3 Corvette crashed into the wall on the straight just before the finish line and J. Bergmeister in the Porsche claimed the win.

I have taken a few days to read all the comments, view the video, analyze the pictures and personally feel that there was an injustice done to the Corvette Racing team.  IMSA has come out and given both Bergmeister and Magnussen a two race probation during the coming 2010 ALMS Race season.

While nothing can be done at this point in time that will change the outcome of the 2009 Laguna Seca ALMS GT2 race, we can all look forward to a very exciting 2010 ALMS season.  One thing is for sure, the Corvette Racing Team that has dominated the ALMS GT1 series for the better part of a decade, will now have a newly steeled resolve to fiecely compete for the GT2 crown in the future.

All Corvette fans wish Jan Magnussen a speedy recovery.  His accident is a testament to the well engineered/built Corvettes fielded by Pratt & Miller.

I for one will attend any of the races that I am able to and for the rest of the 2010 schedule I will have my cooler of drinks and food close to me, my Corvette Racing shirt on and the TV up loud!

The Chevy Enthusiast

There are always ingenious folks out there that are capable of creating wonderful things.  Sometimes they are very useful, beautiful or just wild.  I have no idea who created this wonderful costume but it is very cool.

If your kids are still at the Halloween Trick or Treat stage, don’t let them see this video or they will want a costume just like this one!

The Chevy Enthusiast

Donna Mae Mims

Donna Mae Mims passed away on October 6th this year at the age of 82 after complications arising from a stroke.  She was a free spirit that will be missed by all the people that she met or influenced in her life.

She started out racing a  fuel injected Corvette in SCCA competition back in 1960.  She had purchased the Corvette from the famous Yenko Chevrolet where she worked as an executive secretary.  Ms. Mims later became deeply involved in the Yenko Performance Division of the organization.  Many of her later racing accomplishments were at the wheel of various Corvairs, MGs, TR3 and her famous Austen Healy  Bugeyed Sprite.

Donna Mae Mims was the first woman to win an SCCA Championship. She also competed in the Daytona 24hr and Sebring 12hr endurance races with team mates Janet Guthrie and Suzy Dietrich driving a Sunbeam Alpine.  Notably she competed in the Brock Yates’ much heralded Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in a pink ‘68 Cadillac Limo with co-drivers Judy Stopus and Peggy Niemcek.  Even after her active racing career, Donna Mae could be found volunteering at SCCa racing events.  Her favorite colour was pink and her cars, racing suit and clothing was always pink.   Her latest 1979 Corvette has an airbrushed image of Marilyn Monroe on the hood.

Her love of Corvettes brought her to be involved in Corvette Club of Western Pennsylvania, Steel Town Corvette Club and the Three Rivers Corvette Club.

Her love of motorsports and the people attached to the automotive hobby was so great that her request was to be displayed in her Corvette in the funeral home.  The funeral home was able to fit the car in for the funeral and there were over 50 Corvettes and many club members that participated in a procession to the funeral home.

 http://kdka.com/video/?id=63814@kdka.dayport.com      Click on the link to see the details

One thing is for sure, she lived her life to the fullest …passionately all out!

The Chevy Enthusiast

2009 ALMS GT2 Winners at Mosport

Jan & Johnny's GT2 Winning Corvette in Mosport Winners Circle

Any Corvette race fan that did not attend the ALMS Race at Mosport or has not seen it on video, is missing one of the best races of all time!  I was lucky enough to attend this race in person as a participant in the Corvette Corral.  There was already an electricity in the Corral right from the beginning of the event.  All Corvette Racing fans were very excited about the move to GT2 by the Corvette Racing Team and bouyed by the team’s recent podium finishes at previous races.

Jan Magnussen held off the Ferrari for the Win after Johnny O’Connell had run the #3 Corvette for the first part of the race.  This was the very first win for the Corvette Racing Team since switching to GT2 this year.  Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta took third place making this the first double podium finish for the team in GT2.

The weather at Mosport was the usual turbulent variable extreme example.  Going from sunny to heavy rains then deep fog changing to high winds and cold temps.  Many fans believe that Mosport has it’s very own weather sytem!  Race day was windy and cool.

The Corvette Racing team arrived thursday with their three trucks and set up with their usual precision and efficiency.  This group comes ready to race.  Racing is not a game.  Their “Jake” logo and “Take No Prisoners” motto are just the tip of the iceberg as to how this team approaches ALMS Racing.  Teamwork, expertise and professionalism are the hallmarks of Corvette Racing and the Pratt & Miller organization.  However, no group of this size, that has worked together this hard for a decade can survive without deep respect and camraderie within the organization.  Make no mistake, Corvette Racing is made up of wonderful team members that are closer to a family than a team.

The other aspect of the Corvette Racing organization, that is not lost on the fan base, is their belief in the Corvette enthusiasts!  The team members and the drivers are always very accessible and extremely polite and courteous towards the fans.  They are eager to share their excitement and knowledge in response to any fan’s request.  Pratt & Miller are fully aware of the impact that all Corvette enthusiasts have on the hobby.  After all, they are major Corvette fans too!

All this hard work and energy has resulted in a legacy of winning in GT1 for a decade and now is forging ahead in the highly competitive GT2 Class.  After the fantastic 2009 Mosport ALMS Race resulting in a double podium finish of 1st and 3rd, all the fans will be eagerly awaiting the next two races this year!

If you are a Corvette fan, then support Corvette Racing…………after all, they are fans too;-)

The Chevy Enthusiast

2009 Callaway RCSE Corvette

Supercharged & Intercooled 606BHP / 553 lb. ft. Torque

Callaway Console ID Plate #9 of 29 Built

Callaway RCSE Corvette Steering Wheel

Auto aficionados all have an affection for cars that stand out from the norm.  While style and image are important, the automobile must have character and advanced engineering.  In other words it cannot just be a pretty face, it better be able to back up the image with substance!

All Callaway automotive creations are held in high regard due to the company’s engineering prowess.  This is due to the dedication to excellence that runs through the hearts and minds of all the Callaway staff worldwide.  They all live, breath and strive to create automotive icons that not only capture the essence of elegance, but can also back up their claims of performance.   Callaway Corvettes are based on engineering concepts that are brought to life through the application of data and experiences honed through varied background such as FIA racing. OEM engineering programs and decades of specialty automobile creations.

Reeves Callaway is the founder and leader of this iconic firm.  In honour of their founder, the team at Callaway has brought a new iconic vehicle to their historic list of cars , the 2009 Callaway RCSE Corvette.  The Reeves Callaway Signature Edition Corvette represents everything that the engineers at Callaway strive for in a product, with  sleek functional styling with a heart of reliable power and handling.  The supercharged and intercooled RCSE has 606 BHP and 553 lb. ft. Torque just to remind all competitors that it is based on solid engineering and is not just a pretty face.  Performance levles speak for themselves.  0-60 MPH in 3.4 sec and  a blistering  11.0 seconds at 124 MPH in the quarter mile!

The 2009 Corvette RCSE will be a limited production run of only 29 Corvettes.  One vehicle for every Callaway Dealer in the World.  Each RCSE is identified with a Console ID Plate and backed up with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Reeves Callaway.  As Canada’s #1 Corvette Dealer and a Callaway Dealer, we are proud to announce that our Callaway RCSE Corvette will be arriving Monday August 24th.

This supercharged & intercooled LS3 V8 with 6 Speed Manual and Z51 Suspension car is an extremely driveable package with extremely good road manners.  The exclusive Callaway Double D Exhaust note will send chills down your spine.   This is the kind of car that is equally suited to take you and a friend downtown for dinner in style and comfort, spirited driving over twisty mountain roads or out to the race track to show off your tail lights to other drivers!  This is a seriously fast, powerfully engineered automobile.  Driving the Callaway Corvettes is always a heart pumping experince that will make you want one.  Beware, this car will attach itself to your heart and soul.  If you drive it, you will buy it!

The Chevy Enthusiast

GT2 Tech Sheet

GT2 EngineCorvette Racing GT2 Brakes

Both GT2 Corvettes on track

Corvette Racing GT2 Corvette side view

Corvette Racing GT2 Rear View

All Corvette Racing fans have been very excited waiting for a glimpse of the new GT2 Corvette C6R.  There has been lots of internet chattter about how the car will perform, what will be the construction parameters, what will the body configuration be and what will the paint scheme look like.

Well. our friends over at GM Racing have released the media information for these fantastic 2009 Corvette C6R GT2 cars!

The following Press Releases by Rick Vogelin will give you the clear and total details about these long awaited asphalt warriors.

For Release: Aug 4, 2009

Charting the Changes: GT1 vs. GT2 Corvette C6.R

The following is an overview of the differences and similarities between the GT1 and GT2 versions of the Corvette C6.R.

2009 Corvette Engine Specifications

2009 Corvette Chassis Specifications

For Release: Aug 4, 2009

Corvette Racing White Paper: Inside the Next-Generation Corvette C6.R

Technical Insights on Corvette Racing’s Production-Based GT Race Car

DETROIT – Corvette Racing is moving toward the future of production-based sports car racing with the introduction of the next-generation Corvette C6.R race car. With international regulations converging around a single GT class, Corvette Racing will continue its motorsports heritage by racing against manufacturers and marques that Corvette competes with in the marketplace. This white paper highlights the design and development of the latest version of the Corvette C6.R and spotlights its technical features.

The second-generation Corvette C6.R is the successor to the championship-winning C5-R and C6.R race cars that have dominated the GTS and GT1 categories in the last decade. Corvette Racing retired its GT1 Corvette C6.R race cars following the team’s sixth victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14, 2009. Corvette Racing will compete in the GT2 category of the American Le Mans Series for the remainder of the 2009 season, starting at the series’ sixth round at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 8. During this transition, Corvette Racing will test and develop the next-generation C6.R race cars in anticipation of a unified GT class in 2010.

PRODUCTION-BASED PLATFORM

The next-generation Corvette C6.R race car has strong ties to its production counterpart. Under the leadership of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the Corvette Racing program’s key objectives include reducing costs, encouraging independent teams to purchase and race Corvettes, and reinforcing the relevance of racing technology to production vehicles.

Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager: “Key elements in the decision to move to the new class were the strong visual and mechanical similarities between production Corvettes and the racing Corvettes, along with the increased production content in the GT2 race car. Corvette is a technological development platform for GM, and this move provided the opportunity to design and develop technology and components that would be relevant to future Corvettes and other GM vehicles. This connection drew the race team even closer to the production Corvette group and gave us new areas to explore together.”

Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer: “Behind the scenes, the race team and the production car team have grown closer together, finding numerous ways to support each other and to make both cars better. Most automotive companies give lip service to claims like ‘racing improves the breed’ or ‘race on Sunday, sell on Monday’. For team Corvette, it is a daily reality. It is now impossible to imagine one team without the other.

“The move to GT2 only strengthens the trajectory we were on. The Corvette race and production teams will grow even closer together, and so will the cars. Having more commonality will increase the synergies in the development process. Facing our market rivals on the track will be a thrill for race fans and strong evidence that potential sports car customers should buy a Corvette. I am confident that endurance racing in GT2 will be an enormous benefit to our customers and to General Motors.”

GT2 HOMOLOGATION

The regulations require the Corvette C6.R race car to be based on a production vehicle. This designated vehicle then determines the specifications for homologation (acceptance and approval) of the racing version. The GT1 version of the Corvette C6.R was homologated on the production Corvette Z06. A crucial step in the design of the GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R was the selection of the Corvette ZR1 as the basis for its homologation.

Doug Louth, Corvette Racing engineering director: “Early in the design process we had to decide whether to use the base Corvette coupe with its steel chassis and narrow bodywork or the Corvette Z06 or ZR1 models, which have an aluminum chassis and wider bodywork. We ran a number of simulations and CFD studies comparing the wide versus narrow bodies and looked at various track width options. In the end, the data favored the wider car, even at a high-speed, low-drag track like Le Mans. Fortunately that aligned with the marketing objective to showcase the ZR1 as the Corvette that offers the highest level of performance.”

ZR1 ROOTS

The Corvette ZR1 is an American supercar that has won accolades for its extraordinary performance and exceptional value. While the GT rules preclude the use of the ZR1’s supercharged 638-horsepower LS9 small-block V8 engine, they do permit the race car to take full advantage of the ZR1’s aerodynamic enhancements that were developed in concert with Corvette Racing. The production Corvette ZR1 has wide carbon fiber front fenders with dual vents, a full-width rear spoiler, and a front fascia splitter – features designed to enhance high-speed stability and driver control.

Fehan: “The ZR1 uses a different splitter and a different rear spoiler than other Corvette models, and both of these enhance the Corvette C6.R’s aerodynamic performance. The ZR1 was conceived as a 200 mph road car and it was developed with input from Corvette Racing. Race team engineers worked with Corvette chief engineer Tom Wallace and his successor, Tadge Juechter, providing track data and CFD simulations that had been done on the race cars. Working together they were able to develop an effective and balanced aero package for the Corvette ZR1.

“The Corvette C6.R race car is now virtually identical to the Corvette ZR1 street car in appearance. The rules in GT1 allowed us to section and widen the fenders, but the GT2 rules require production-type fenders with simple flares to accommodate wider tires. Consequently the race car looks like a production car, because it fundamentally is one.”

ALUMINUM FRAME

The GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R is built on the same aluminum frame that underpins production Corvette Z06 and ZR1 models. In contrast, the GT1 race cars used steel frames from the Corvette coupe and convertible. Both aluminum and steel production Corvette frames are hydroformed, a process that uses high-pressure hydraulics to form complex shapes.

Fehan: “The race team had been exploring the aluminum frame for several years. The traditional methods of connecting a steel roll cage to an aluminum frame simply didn’t provide a level of safety that met GM Racing’s stringent standards. Consequently we have developed a proprietary installation method that is consistent with GM’s commitment to safety.”

Louth: “The race car chassis retains all of the elements in the production chassis structure – the windshield frame, the hoop around the rear of the passenger compartment, the door hinge pillars, the drivetrain tunnel, the firewall, the floor pan – they’re all there. In the GT1 class, these components could be removed, modified, or trimmed down, but the ACO and FIA rules for GT2 require that we maintain all of the primary production chassis structure in the race car.”

AERODYNAMICS

Differences in the GT1 and GT2 rules account for many of the changes in the Corvette C6.R’s aerodynamic package. The front fender louvers used in GT1 are not allowed in GT2. The chord width of the rear wing was reduced 25 percent, from 400mm to 300mm. The diffuser now starts at the back of the rear wheel opening rather than at the centerline of the rear axle; strakes and sidewalls are not permitted, so the GT2 diffuser is a flat panel while the GT1 diffuser was effectively a tunnel. The production-based ZR1 splitter extends 25mm, in contrast to the 80mm splitter allowed under the GT1 rules.

Louth: “CFD (computational fluid dynamics) was the primary tool used to develop the aero package in the short time that was available. During the validation phase, the team performed high-speed straight-line tests and conducted a full-scale rolling-road wind tunnel test. We have been through all of our aerodynamic tuning options at the track, and the baseline aero settings meet all of the performance targets.

“As we developed the race car aero package, we went through a number of reviews with the Corvette design group. They were very interested not only in what we were doing, but what they might take away for future Corvettes. There was a two-way exchange of concepts and ideas, and it proved to be a very rewarding relationship.”

Fehan: “The production splitter we are using in GT2 does not require a massive rear wing to produce aerodynamic balance, and consequently there is less total downforce. This actually makes the car more predictable over a wide range of speeds. The GT1 version had tremendous downforce, but the downforce was directly proportional to speed. In slow corners the car behaved differently than it did in fast corners, so the drivers had to adjust for the amount of grip they would have at various speeds. With the GT2 aero package, the car behaves very predictably in low, medium, and high-speed corners. Consequently the drivers report that the new Corvette C6.R a very good race car.”

SUSPENSION AND STEERING

The GT1 Corvette C6.Rs were equipped with carbon brake rotors, while GT2 regulations require ferrous (steel) brake discs. The Corvette race car’s wheel and tire dimensions are the same in both classes, but the GT2 version uses aluminum rather than magnesium rims.

Fehan: “The production ZR1 has ceramic brakes, which we would love to use in the race cars. However, the series requires steel brakes to help contain cost.”

Louth: “Early in the GT1 program we ran steel brakes in the 24-hour Daytona race, so we did have some previous experience. We also received excellent information from our brake and pad suppliers, and input from GM’s other racing programs. Initially there was some concern about the switch from carbon to steel brakes, but in the end the braking performance is actually very good. Steel brakes don’t produce the absolute stopping power of carbon brakes, but the braking performance – repeatability, consistency and driver feel – hit our targets in fairly short order.

“The GT2 race car has a production steering column, with a fully adjustable steering wheel – a real convenience with as many as three drivers per car. The rack-and-pinion steering is also production.”

SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS

Safety is the No. 1 priority at GM Racing. The GM Racing safety research and development program was founded in 1992, and it expanded from its initial focus on open-wheel cars to encompass stock car racing, sports car racing, drag racing and off-road racing. The racing safety program is built on the foundation of GM’s world-class safety research and testing programs for passenger vehicles.

Louth: “Our chief concern was the aluminum chassis and the attachment of the steel safety cage. Analysis and physical testing of structural components suggest that this car is the safest GT car on the track. We carried over the energy-absorbing panels in the doors, the door bar structure, the crush structure, the right-side safety net, and other safety features from the GT1 Corvettes. These are not mandatory items, but we chose to add those components at a considerable cost and weight disadvantage because driver safety is our top priority.

“Driver ergonomics was not a big challenge because the cockpit layout and packaging is very similar to the GT1 C6.R. The production-based air conditioning system was carried over from the previous version because it had proven to be very effective, although improvements were made in the ducting.”

TELEMETRY

The GT1 Corvettes were instrumented with nearly 100 sensors that monitored everything from engine oil temperature to tire pressures. Much of this information was transmitted in real time from the car to the pit, where engineers and technicians could watch for developing problems. The GT2 rules do not allow telemetry, so this data must now be downloaded during pit stops.

Louth: “Without telemetry, the driver has more responsibility to catch minor problems before they become major problems. Obviously a driver is extremely busy during a race, so he may be less effective at monitoring data and seeing warnings than someone in the pits who is focused on a computer screen. Since we cannot use telemetry in GT2, we are working on our dashboard alarms to alert the driver when there is a problem without distracting him when operating conditions are normal during a race.

“The ban on telemetry is due to cost considerations. However, the downside of not having telemetry is that when something does go wrong, it can result in a catastrophic failure that costs much more. A blown engine, a seized transmission, or a punctured tire that causes a crash and injures a driver are failures that can often be avoided or stopped short with telemetry.”

CONSTRUCTION AND TESTING

The GT2-spec Corvettes were designed, built and tested on a compressed schedule. The program was approved and announced in September 2008, and construction of the first chassis began in early December. The first track test was conducted at Road Atlanta on April 8-9, followed by single-car tests in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and Sebring, Fla.

Fehan: “Testing has gone very well, and that’s not really surprising with all of the lessons we learned in GT1. In the initial track test, we rolled the car out of the trailer and ran for two straight days with absolutely no problems. It was incredible, and everyone was understandably very excited.

“Corvette Racing has the advantage of sophisticated computer models for aero and chassis development, and we have a library of suspension setups. In the first two days of testing, we hit all of the predictions dead on, which validated both our software and our design.

“In the limited testing we’ve done so far, we’ve been very impressed with the car’s durability, reliability and performance. We’ll continue to focus on those three factors in the upcoming races. We view the rest of this year as a development cycle, and we believe that our experience as a team in preparation, race strategy, and pit stop execution should allow us to be competitive even if there is a slight performance disparity.”

Gary Pratt, Corvette Racing team manager: “We’re not running for a championship this year, so the testing we’d prefer to do in private we do in the public eye. We’re looking at the next five races as preparation for 2010. Our goal is to learn as much as we can.

“In a perfect world we’d have the rest of this year to test and then come out with new cars at the start of next season, but we felt we just needed to get out there and race for the Corvette customers and fans. We think we’ll be competitive, but there are many good cars and teams in GT2. We know it will be a challenge, and we’re looking forward to it.”

The GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R will make its debut at the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 8. ABC will televise the race tape-delayed at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 9.

Camaro Transformers Emblem

Transformers Hood Stripe

Transformers Sill Plate Logo

Transformers Wheel Center

2010 Camaro Transformers Edition

It is a reality!  After lots of rumour and back door hints to it’s existence, Chevrolet has officially announced the release of the Transformers “BumbleBee” Camaro Edition.  Here is the Press Release from our friends at General Motors

Chevrolet announces the 2010 Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition 

DETROIT – Fans of the new Camaro and the blockbuster TRANSFORMERS movies can now combine their love of the car and the films with the Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition announced today at Comic-Con in San Diego.

“When the first TRANSFORMERS movie was setting box office records, we had countless customers asking to purchase the ‘BUMBLEBEE’ Camaro,” said Karen Rafferty, product marketing director, Chevrolet. “Now, they can buy one with the new Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition. Streets all over North America will be buzzing in no time.”

Features such as an EPA-rated 29 highway mpg on the V6-powered Camaro, Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB connectivity, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar combined with TRANSFORMERS design cues add to the car’s status as a 21st century sports car.

“Hasbro is thrilled to team up with Chevrolet and excited to see the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition come to market for our fans to enjoy,” said Samantha Lomow, Global Brand Leader for TRANSFORMERS at Hasbro. “The yellow Camaro with the black stripes has become so iconic and closely associated with the BUMBLEBEE character that this edition was a natural fit for both companies.”

While the aggressive styling of the Camaro is unmistakable, true TRANSFORMERS fans will notice some of the unique, but subtle features of the Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro TRANSFORMERS Special Edition includes the following:

• AUTOBOT® shield on the driver and passenger side panels
• AUTOBOT® shield on each of the four wheel’s center cap
• AUTOBOT® shield embroidered on interior center console
• “TRANSFORMERS” logo on driver and passenger doors’ sill plates
• “TRANSFORMERS” logo embedded into the hood rally stripes
• High-gloss black center rally stripe package
• Manufacturer’s suggested retail price of package: $995

Dealers are now taking orders for this car. Customers can order the TRANSFORMERS Special Edition as either a Rally Yellow LT or SS model. The optional RS appearance package can also be added.

The V6-powered Camaro uses a 3.6L engine with variable valve timing to optimize performance and fuel economy. It is SAE-certified at 304 horsepower (227 kW) and 273 lb.-ft. of torque (370 Nm). A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6L engine; a Hydra-Matic 6L50 electronically controlled six-speed automatic, with TAPshift control, is available.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission-equipped models receive the LS3 engine, SAE-certified at 426 horsepower (318 kW) and 420 lb.-ft. of torque (569 Nm). It is paired with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic transmission-equipped SS models. It is based on the LS3, but also includes GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature. It is SAE-certified at 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 410 lb.-ft. of torque (556 Nm). It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission that helps delivers an EPA-estimated 25 mpg on the highway.

General Motors has emerged from bankruptcy as of this morning!  It is true that “The road ahead starts here….”

Our friends at GM Corporate have issued this press release that I have added below.  The RE:Invention is in full swing.  We are all eagerly looking forward to continued change.

The Chevy Enthusiast

FOR RELEASE: 2009-07-10

CONTACTS

The New General Motors Company Launches Today

New GM to Focus on Customers, Cars and Culture

• GM gets back to the business of building great cars and trucks, serving customer needs
• New company created from GM’s strongest assets
• Four core brands backed by the nation’s largest and strongest dealer network
• Streamlined organization on a global basis for faster decisions, sharper focus on the customer
• Commitment to open communications

DETROIT – The new General Motors Company began operations today with a new corporate structure, a stronger balance sheet, and a renewed commitment to make the customer the center of everything the new GM does.

“Today marks a new beginning for General Motors, one that will allow every employee, including me, to get back to the business of designing, building and selling great cars and trucks and serving the needs of our customers,” said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO. “We are deeply appreciative for the support we have received during this historic transformation, and we will work hard to repay this trust by building a successful new General Motors.”

Created from the old GM’s strongest operations in an asset sale approved by the bankruptcy court on July 5, the new GM is built on:

• Four core brands in the U.S. and the largest, strongest dealer network in the country,
• A fresh lineup of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC cars, trucks and crossovers, each with leading-edge designs and technologies that matter to both consumers and the environment,
• A competitive cost structure, a cleaner balance sheet, and a stronger liquidity position that will enable GM to invest in new products, key technologies, and its future,
• A winning culture focused on customers and products.

“One thing we have learned from the last 100 days is that GM can move quickly and decisively,” said Henderson. “Today, we take the intensity, decisiveness and speed of the past several months and transfer it from the triage of the bankruptcy process to the creation and operation of a new General Motors.

“Business as usual is over at GM,” said Henderson. “Today starts a new era for General Motors and everyone associated with the company. Going forward, the new General Motors is fully committed to listening to customers, responding to consumer and market trends, and empowering the people closest to the customer to make the decisions. Our goal is to build more of the cars, trucks, and crossovers that customers want, and to get them to market faster than ever before.”

Committed to great cars and trucks

The new General Motors launches with a clear and simple vision – to design, build and sell the best vehicles in the world.

“A successful auto company needs to focus on both the cost and the revenue sides of the business,” said Henderson. “Success on the revenue side means building the stylish, high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles that customers want – and getting them to market fast.”

Despite the recent downturn, GM has maintained its cadence of strong new products. In the U.S., for example, the Chevy Camaro has surged past its rivals to lead its segment, while the new Chevy Equinox, Cadillac SRX, and Buick LaCrosse are earning strong initial reviews. Later this year, the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and GMC Terrain debut, followed next year by the Chevy Volt, Chevy Cruze and Cadillac CTS Coupe.

This emphasis on great new products is also reflected in the Chevy Agile now launching in Latin America, in the Chevy Cruze and Buick Excelle in Asia Pacific, and in the new Opel Astra in Europe.

Just last month, GM announced its intention to build a new small car at a plant in Orion Township, Michigan, which will add to GM’s growing portfolio of fuel-efficient cars and restore approximately 1,400 jobs.

GM also has moved aggressively to develop a full range of energy-saving technologies, including advanced internal combustion engines, biofuels, fuel cells, and hybrids. The company is also a leader in the development of extended-range electric vehicles, with its first model, the Chevy Volt, currently undergoing road testing and scheduled to launch in 2010. The new GM is also taking steps to make advanced battery development a core competency, and expects to make additional announcements on this matter late this summer.

“The success of our recent launches and the exciting new vehicles and technologies we have in the pipeline are evidence of our ongoing commitment to excel at everything we do,” said Henderson. “Our goal is to make each and every General Motors car, truck and crossover the best-in-class.”

Stronger brands and dealers

As part of its reinvention, the new GM has also focused its resources on four core brands and a stronger, more effective dealer network.

General Motors’ core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC – will have a total of just 34 U.S. nameplates by 2010. This emphasis on fewer, better entries will enable the new GM to put more resources into each nameplate, resulting in better products and stronger marketing.

In May, the company accelerated its dealer consolidation efforts, with the goal of reducing the number of GM dealers in the U.S. from 6,000 this spring to approximately 3,600 by the end of next year. Even so, GM will still have the largest dealer network in the U.S. and GM dealers have committed to continue to improve the total customer experience for GM customers.

“We’re also working on new ways to make car buying more convenient for our customers, including an innovative new partnership with eBay in California to revolutionize how people buy vehicles online,” Henderson said. “Customers will be able to bid on actual vehicles just like they do in an eBay auction, including the option of choosing a predetermined ‘buy it now’ price. We’ll be testing this and other ideas with our dealers over the next few weeks, and hope to expand and build upon them in the coming months. In all cases, our goal is to make the shopping and buying process as easy as possible for GM customers – on their time and their terms. Stay tuned.”

A pledge to regain trust and confidence

General Motors Company is primarily owned by the governments of the United States, Canada and Ontario, and by a trust fund providing medical benefits to UAW retirees. Specifically, common stock will be owned by:

• U.S. Department of the Treasury: 60.8 percent
• UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust: 17.5 percent
• Canada and Ontario governments: 11.7 percent
• The old GM: 10 percent

“We are very appreciative of the support provided by the stakeholders through the transformation process. Though General Motors Company will not initially be publicly traded, we will be transparent in our financial and other reporting to further strengthen trust and confidence,” said Henderson. “We expect to take the company public again as soon as practical, starting next year, and to repay our government loans as soon as possible. We are required to pay off the loans by 2015, but our goal is to repay them much sooner.”

Stronger balance sheet

General Motors Company launches with a strong balance sheet, a competitive cost structure, and a strong cash position, enabling it to compete more effectively with both its U.S. and foreign-based competitors here in the U.S., and to continue its strong presence in growing global markets.

The new company acquired old GM’s strongest operations and will have a competitive operating cost structure, partly as a result of recent agreements with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Canadian Auto Workers (CAW).

In the U.S., the new GM will be a far leaner company. By the end of 2010, the company will operate 34 assembly, powertrain, and stamping plants, down from 47 in 2008, and capacity utilization is expected to reach 100 percent during 2011. Overall U.S. employment will decline from about 91,000 at the end of 2008 to about 64,000 at the end of this year, creating a company sized to respond quickly to changes in the market, while still retaining the global scope necessary to develop world-class products and technologies.

The new GM will begin with a much stronger balance sheet, including U.S. debt of approximately $11 billion, which excludes preferred stock of $9 billion, and could change under fresh-start accounting. In total, obligations have been reduced by more than $40 billion, representing mostly unsecured debt and the VEBA trust fund that provides medical benefits to UAW retirees. The stronger balance sheet and lower break-even point will allow the new GM to reduce its risk, operate profitably at much lower volume levels, and reinvest in the business in the key areas of advanced technology and product development.

GM’s subsidiaries outside the United States were acquired by the new company and are expected to continue to operate normally without any interruption.

A new way of doing business

With the launch of the new General Motors, company leaders will work to change the culture of the company, making the speed and decisiveness that GM demonstrated over the past several months the new way of doing business, and adding an intensified focus on the customer.

Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., who oversaw the creation of the new AT&T, will serve as chairman of a GM board with a number of new directors. Henderson will continue as president and chief executive officer, working closely with Whitacre. He also will take responsibility for GM’s operations in North America, eliminating the GM North America president position.

To speed day-to-day decision-making, two senior leadership forums, the Automotive Strategy Board and Automotive Product Board, will be replaced by a single, smaller executive committee, which will meet more frequently and focus on business results, products, brands, and customers.

Bob Lutz has agreed to join the new GM as vice chairman responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships. Lutz and Tom Stephens, vice chairman, product development, will work together as a team, partnering with Ed Welburn, vice president of design, to guide all creative aspects of design. GM’s brands, marketing, advertising, and communications will report to Lutz for consistent messaging and results. He will report to Henderson, and be part of the newly formed executive committee.

“I am pleased to announce that we are ‘unretiring’ Bob Lutz so he can fill this important position in the new GM,” said Henderson. “He has a proven track record of unleashing creativity in the design and development of GM cars and trucks. This new role allows him to take that passion a step further, applying it to other parts of GM that connect directly with customers.”

General Motors will also end its regional operating structure, moving decisions closer to the customer. This eliminates the regional president positions and the regional strategy boards. Nick Reilly will be named executive vice president of GM International Operations (GMIO) which will be based in Shanghai.

GM is also removing layers of management – reducing the number of U.S. executives by 35 percent and overall U.S. salaried employment by 20 percent by the end of this year – flattening the organization and speeding decision making.

Additional details of the new structure and leadership moves will be communicated later this month, said Henderson. “These and other actions will simplify our organizational structure and reduce the level of bureaucracy that, in the past, has prevented GM from moving faster.”

More direct communications

Henderson also announced initiatives to open more direct communications between customers and GM employees at every level. “Beginning next week, we will launch a ‘Tell Fritz’ website where customers, or anyone else, can share ideas, concerns, and suggestions directly with senior management. I will personally review and respond to some of these communications every day.”

Henderson and other General Motors leaders will go on the road regularly to meet with consumers and others with a stake in the new GM. “In August, we’ll begin regular visits with customers, dealers, suppliers, employees and others – in the U.S. and abroad – who impact our relationships with customers. We’ll be listening to their ideas, and acting on the ones that will improve our ability to serve our customers better. And of course, other executives and I will continue to reach out to customers through our ongoing web and Twitter chats.

“Today we launch the new General Motors, and our promise is simple. We will be profitable, we will repay our loans as soon as possible, and our cars and trucks will be among the best in the world,” said Henderson. “We recognize that we’ve been given a rare second chance at GM, and we are very grateful for that. And we appreciate the fact that we now have the tools to get the job done.

“To our current customers, we appreciate the confidence that you have placed in us, and going forward, we’ll offer you nothing less than great cars, trucks and crossovers, with unmatched customer service. To those who have supported us through this challenging time, we are deeply grateful,” said Henderson. “And to those who have never tried a GM vehicle – or who have tried one and been disappointed – we look forward to the chance to win your business and earn your trust.”

The June Sales figures are in and it is a clear sales volume win for the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro!   The completely new Camaro held a strong lead over the restyled Mustang selling 9,320 units as opposed to 7,362 for the Ford.

During the pony car wars, Mustang and Camaro had been doing fierce battle for monthly sales superiority. The rivalry has been rekindled now after the lapse in production of the Camaro line after 2002.  The new Camaro has brought independent rear suspension, higher HP rating for both the V8 and the 6cyl, (the V6 Camaro is more powerful than the V8 Mustang), 6 speed manual or paddle shift auto trans all wrapped in a sleek body style.  This is not just a “Retro Design” pony car.  While the styling has taken some cues from the first generation Camaros, it is all new and making a bolder statement than any previous Camaro!

The team at General Motors listened to the enthusiasts and to their own dreams and built the 2010 Camaro as the ultimate “no excuses” pony car.  This is the Camaro of your dreams.

Most dealers report that they are unable to keep the new Camaros in inventory.  That is also our experience as they are selling just like they perform………..FAST.

The Chevy Enthusiast