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2008 LS3 Corvette spotted in Kentucky
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The official unveiling is apparently set for this Saturday, April 28 at the C5/C6 Bash at the National Corvette Museum in BowlingGreen, but thanks to a poster at Digital Corvettes, you can get sneak preview of the 2008 Corvette and its LS3 V8 right now. The new mill is expected to pump out 430 horsepower, and the '08 Vette will also sport new 5-spoke wheels and interior tweaks, among other things. We'll have to wait until the weekend for the full dog & pony show to go down, but one thing's certain: the presence of 430 standard horsepower will only further cement the Corvette's standing as an unbelievable performance value. Production of the LS3-powered Vettes is scheduled to start this week.
Thanks for the tip, Drew!
[Source: Digital Corvettes]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
felipe 9:00AM (4/24/2007)
shouldn't someone should blur out that plate #?
I was expecting more WOW. the interior is nice, kind of corvette typical (but i guess thats why you buy a vette.)
is the body the same? the rear looks the same to me.
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John P. 9:00AM (4/24/2007)
Four Hundred and Thirty NA Horsepower. Ouch that sounds fun. I wonder if there are any suspension tweaks.
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ANdy 9:05AM (4/24/2007)
I like those shiny minimalist rims.
Was the previous engine the LS2? What's the difference? I apologise for my lack of Corvette knowledge.
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DarkKnight67 9:46AM (4/24/2007)
The previous was the LS2, but I'm wondering if this is the rumored upgrade to the 6.2 engine with VVT and Active Fuel Management? If so, that means they are putting the materials in place for the '09 Camaro.
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Bob-o 9:36AM (4/24/2007)
Noo! They shoulda kept the LS2! Now finding cheap LS2's in junkyards is gonna be even more impossible.
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Ricardo de Sousa 9:45AM (4/24/2007)
where is the damn front pic?
european sport cars are much better than this plastic thing
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MikeW 9:51AM (4/24/2007)
Didn't GM say NO to cylinder shutoff for the corvette, because it makes the car sound like a subaru L L R R. 'objectionalble interior resonance' were their words.
That would be VCT not VVT unless GM has adopted coaxial camshafts.
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Yayaja 10:03AM (4/24/2007)
@ANdy
The LS2 is the current engine for the base corvette as well as the last generation GTO, and also found in some high end Cadillacs. It was also rumored to be the engine that will be in the future Camaro. It has 400 HP. BUT... If this is going to be in the base 2008 vette, it might also make an appearance in the Camaro, whenever the hell that thing finally debuts.
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Patrick 11:30AM (4/24/2007)
"5. where is the damn front pic?
european sport cars are much better than this plastic thing"
Find me one European car that can match the Vette for power, handling, and price. Oh yeah, I forgot, there isn't one.
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Johnnie 10:38AM (4/24/2007)
Those there changes to the Corvette look suuuweeet!
As soon as I get my mom to move back in with me, i'm going to get me one of those. It's been my dream car my whole life. I really want a set of Yosemite Sam mud flaps for it that say "Back Off". That would be rad.
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Evotec 10:49AM (4/24/2007)
@#5:
When it comes to performance-value the corvette is a very good choice.
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Aunt Jemima 10:55AM (4/24/2007)
I have a question:
The Corvette is undoubtedly a performance value, so how is GM able to offer such performance for such a low price (compared to Euro cars with similar performance)?
Are they taking a loss on the Corvette in order to maintain a Halo car? Are SUV's & pickup subsidising the R&D and production costs of the 'Vette?
Or is it they are simply sacrificing the mark-ups that the Euro competition is commanding in order to maintain the "affordable performance" aura that is associated with the car?
This has to be an expensive car to develop and build, especially when it's not being produced in mass numbers and across many platforms like other GM products.
Thanks.
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Nick 11:37AM (4/24/2007)
"with VVT and Active Fuel Management?"
None of the above on the LS3, but definitely possible for '09+
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naggs 12:12PM (4/24/2007)
#11
GM spends the money where it counts. not trying to squeeze 10 more hp out of a 6 cylinder or trying to reinvent the wheel. they have a superior starting point in the pushrod v8 and they have refined that rather than move onto something that costs more and adds complexity for complexity's sake. same goes for the fiberglass body, transverse leafsprings, and interior.
but everyone hates on it because the engineers have taken into account price. through simple refinement and solid engineering the corvette trounces cars that cost 50% more.
but some will always point out that it doesnt have a leather dashboard to match their european carry-all and their Giuchi boots...
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brimg87 12:17PM (4/24/2007)
#5
Yes, disregard the fact Corvette has proven itself internationally as a race winner.
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Proud Japanese 12:17PM (4/24/2007)
The new GT-R will crap all over this vette or the Z06. The next Z-Tune will crap all over the next Z06. That is all.
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bmw122487 12:18PM (4/24/2007)
also to #5
If european sports cars are so much better than why does it seem the only thing ferrari's for example can do lately it catch on fire? With the exception of porsche which i love lamborghini, ferrari, maserati etc. all cost more to run and fix that vette, and i am not even including the purchase price.
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Proud Japanese 12:19PM (4/24/2007)
#15: That's easy when there is almost no one else in the class and the fact that the corvettes are the only factory supported team. If you look at other series like fia gt etc where corvettes take part without factory support and with more competitors, they don't do too well.
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The FedEx Man 12:20PM (4/24/2007)
Why is everyone obsessed with this idea of more bang for your buck business?
The euro sports cars, especially the 911, match the corvette for real world perfomance (not every road is the Nürburgring and nor will you push as hard as the test drivers round there. Think how often the average driver will push a car to it's limits...) but they have the advantage of being a true everyday car - comfortable cruisers, with engine noise and tyre roar being unintrusive at motorway speeds, and suspension that doesn't break your back at the first sign of a pebble (...Z06). That's why they can command a premium. Oh and their interor don't look as if they've come from Fisher-Price.
If you really want bang for you buck stuff look at the Radicals (thats probably a bit extreme) or a Noble...actually come to think of it the Noble that's probalby the same price as the vette isn't it (i'm in the UK so i don't know the price in $)?
There you go no. 12 the answer you've been looking for...the Noble.
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Proud Japanese 12:23PM (4/24/2007)
Ariel Atom, powered by a Japanese engine, Radical SR8 powered by a Japanese engine. These will crap all over your American cars.
You might say they are track machines and are hard to live with on the road. But you can use the same argument with Corvette and Ferrari. The reason Ferraris are expensive is because they are a better package. For pure performance per buck there are better values than the corvette and none of them are American. If you bring in the subjective issues like living with it and stuff then the logic can be used to show that bugatti veyron is a better value than a 911GT2.
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