Autoblog

Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green

Chris Paukert — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM

With all of the attention given to the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray lately, you could be forgiven for thinking that it's already well along in production, yet tooling up for the new C7 has only just begun. In fact, production of the outgoing C6 generation in Bowling Green, Kentucky just halted on Thursday.

As the C6 has aged, production numbers have predictably ebbed along with demand, but this year, the addition of the 427 and 60th anniversary models resulted in an uptick in vehicles built - this, despite a model year shortened by around 25 percent to accomodate the new model changeover. The final C6 Corvette ever, No. 13,466 built this year, was a white 427 Convertible destined for the General Motors Heritage Center museum. The car's 7.0-liter V8 heart was assembled by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter himself.

In total, Bowling Green pushed out 215,100 C6 Corvettes over nine years. If you're still a C6 fan at heart and are hoping to get a good deal on a phase-out model, step lively - Chevrolet reportedly had about 6,100 unsold units, which Autoweek suggests is good for around five and a half months of supply at the model's current sales rates. Given that demand will likely slacken even further as the C7 draws closer, that should be a big enough stockpile to keep dealers satisfied until 2014 Stingrays begin showing up on their forecourts.

Continue reading Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green

Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1960 Ferrari 250 GT sells for over $8 million in record-setting RM auction weekend

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Earnings/Financials, Ferrari

Although the vast majority of eyeballs were tuned to the madness at Barrett-Jackson this past weekend, that televised car auction wasn't the only high-dollar game in Arizona. RM Auctions brought its usual gaggle of exotic wares to the desert, and the car that came out on top sold for much more than Barrett-Jackson's highest sale, the Batmobile.

Coming out on top at RM last weekend was Lot 164, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 'Competizione' that sold for a massive $8,140,000 - the buyer could've nearly bought two Barris Batmobiles for that chunk of change. Lot 122, a 1967 Shelby 427 'Semi-Competition' Cobra, stood at $2,007,500 in second place, just in front of Lot 145, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, which sold for $1,842,500.

After all said and done, RM reported $36.4 million in sales. That's a record for RM in Arizona, even though the total number of lots for 2013 was reduced significantly. Eight machines cracked the million-dollar mark, and you can see all of them in the press release right down below or peruse all of the auction results here. But first, be sure to scroll through our high-res image gallery of live photos above.

Continue reading 1960 Ferrari 250 GT sells for over $8 million in record-setting RM auction weekend

1960 Ferrari 250 GT sells for over $8 million in record-setting RM auction weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puritalia teases Shelby-inspired 427

Zach Bowman — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:16:00 EST

It looks as if the world is about to get a little bit sexier. An Italian company by the name of Puritalia is out to offer a new take on the Shelby Cobra 427. Like the original, the new machine will offer seating for two, boatloads of horsepower and not much else. Expect to find the same 427 cubic-inch V8 under the hood, good for around 445 horsepower. Word has it a more potent supercharged iteration will serve up somewhere in the neighborhood of 605 ponies after the roadster debuts. Puritalia says the 427 will bow in a little more than a month.

Otherwise, details are pretty scarce. We have no idea how much the 427 will go for once it lands or where it will be available. Still, we're all for a modern take on one of our all-time favorite sports cars. You can head over to Puritalia's website to sign up for updates, however.

Puritalia teases Shelby-inspired 427 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 May 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevrolet Corvette celebrates 60 years by making a wish

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet

What do you do to celebrate the 'Vette's 60th? Well, if you're Chevrolet, you crank out one more model year of the C6 Corvette before showing off your much-anticipated seventh generation car. And apparently, you make cute YouTube videos.

This one features the special 60th Anniversary 427 Convertible blowing out its candles in a fashion that's entirely apropos. And while we're making wishes, here's to hoping the next Corvette gets the interior overhaul it's deserved for about 15 years.

Click past the jump to see the full video.

Continue reading Chevrolet Corvette celebrates 60 years by making a wish

Chevrolet Corvette celebrates 60 years by making a wish originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy sending off C6 Corvette with 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary package

Zach Bowman — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:04:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Chevrolet

General Motors has something festive planned for the 60th anniversary of its Chevrolet Corvette. The automaker will mark the occasion with a special edition 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible, complete with hardware borrowed from the mighty Corvette Z06. Under the hood, a 427-cubic-inch LS7 V8 produces 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, making this the most powerful Corvette Convertible ever produced. The 60th Anniversary Corvette will also benefit from the same rear axle as the Z06, and magnetic ride control is standard as well.

The special edition convertible will come with 19-inch wheels up front 20-inch rollers in the rear, both wrapped in Micheline PS2 tires. A six-speed manual transmission is the only gearbox option, though buyers will be able to chose from the full gamut of available interior and exterior colors. General Motors says the vehicle will also benefit from a range of carbon fiber components, including a raised hood, fenders and floor panels. A CFZ carbon-fiber front splitter and rocker panels are also available at an extra cost.

All told, the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible tips the scales at 3,355 pounds. Combined with its lofty power figures, the droptop should be capable of doing the 0-60 mph dash in 3.8 seconds on its way to an 11.8-second quarter mile and a top speed of over 190 mph. The very first model will be auctioned off for charity at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson classic car auction. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Chevy sending off C6 Corvette with 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary package

Chevy sending off C6 Corvette with 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary package originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Giant aluminum chunk gets CNC'd down to 64-pound engine block

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Videos

The Ultimate Mill - Click above to watch video after the jump

If you're a billet aluminum fetishist, then today is your lucky day. Kirkham Motorsports loves aluminum and it uses the metal to build the bodies of its Cobra replicas and engine blocks. The engine blocks are billet pieces machined from a single block of aluminum - a 386-pound chuck of aluminum.

That piece of heavy metal is placed into a CNC machine where it's eventually whittled down to a 64-pound billet aluminum 427 engine block. The process requires 30 hours of CAD work, 50 hours of programming and finally 30 hours of machining. Put on your safety glasses and click past the jump to watch a replica Cobra heart born.

[Source: Youtube via The Knee Slider]

Continue reading Video: Giant aluminum chunk gets CNC'd down to 64-pound engine block

Video: Giant aluminum chunk gets CNC'd down to 64-pound engine block originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne

Alex Nunez — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Supercars, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, Holden, Australia, HSV

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427

The modern American auto show circuit has turned into a series of venues at which automakers try to out-green or out-crossover each other, with the occasional fire-breather thrown in. Down in Australia, it's like the late 60s or early 70s, with a power-mad pissing contest between GM and Ford going full-tilt. We already saw Holden's killer flex-fuel muscle concept, the Coupe 60. Now it's time for the skunkworks to unveil its newest street missile. We previewed it this morning, but here it is in all its glory: the HSV W427. The "W" is a nod to Tom Walkinshaw, whose TWR crew joined up with Holden in 1988 to create the Group A VL SS Commodore, a homologation special that marked the birth of GM's Australian factory performance division, HSV.

The 427 represents the engine's size in cubic inches, as in GM LS7 V8 cubic inches. The Corvette Z06's heart has been transplanted into the VE Commodore's body, which has been substantially modified with a unique blackened fascia (you might also call it "ugly," or more diplomatically, "menacing"); updated aero bits all around; new 20" wheels; and an immeasurable amount of testosterone. That's what the LS7 brings to the party -- no blue pills required. Final power numbers aren't yet available, but HSV expects them to be in excess of 496 horses and 472 lb-ft. That should make the W427 the fastest Aussie street-legal supercar ever produced. All the good Corvette trickery is in play, too: magnetic ride control, big brakes, and the bi-modal exhaust system are among the hidden goodies that make it the ultimate super saloon. Quantities will be limited, but lucky owners will feel like every road is Bathurst.

HSV's press release is pasted after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 HSV W427

[Source: HSV]

Continue reading Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne

Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Block Fever: First Anniversary 427 Big Block ZL-1 on the block at Barrett Jackson

Dan Roth — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Technology, GM

Monster motors were the order of the day in the late 1960s, and GM's 427 was a part of that class. The drawback to a big-block's burly output was, and still is, the increased weight of the engine. While big blocks are a hoot for straight line shenanigans, a small block car is often a better all-around performer. That goes out the window for most of us upon tapping that vast well of torque, and there was a solution direct from GM. The ZL1 was a 427 rendered in aluminum to save weight and carried a 430 horsepower rating. The ZL1 is the stuff of legend, commanding the sharp intake of breath when mentioned with the Corvette, and reverent silence should the COPO Camaro be cited.

GM Performance Parts is whipping up a limited run of all new ZL1s, built from the same tooling as the original. A total of 427 of the Anniversary 427 Big Block engines will be produced, creating a new piece of automotive unobtanium while leaving the ZL1 mystique intact. You might even argue that the new engine run will add to the lore. We'll get to see just how much of a clamor there might be for these new engines when the very first Anniversary 427 Big Block crate engine, serial number 001, goes up for bid at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction. The remaining 426 engines will be available soon from GM Performance Parts dealers, and will likely be snapped up like rabid moms going after Hannah Montana tickets.

[Source: GM via Winding Road]

Gallery: 427 Anniversary Big Block

Continue reading Big Block Fever: First Anniversary 427 Big Block ZL-1 on the block at Barrett Jackson

Big Block Fever: First Anniversary 427 Big Block ZL-1 on the block at Barrett Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schumacher buys a Shelby

Noah Joseph — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Auctions, Etc.

Oh, no. Il Commendatore would not have liked this one bit. Scuderia Ferrari's now-retired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has gone and bought himself a Shelby Cobra. Initial reports identified the car as one of six super-rare Daytona Coupes, but corrected reports confirm it was actually a 1967 Mk II Shelby Cobra 427 roadster.

Shelby set out with the mission to beat Ferrari in GT racing, and made the Daytona to achieve those ends. Only six were made, five in Italy and one in the US, and they're currently valued at about $4 million apiece. The Daytona met significant success in 1964 and 1965 before Ford and Shelby shifted their focus to the even more successful GT40. The Cobra roadster didn't have the same mission, but for the tifosi the Shelby name represents the antithesis of the Prancing Horse.

Schumi apparently bought himself the Shelby as a 38th birthday present. The exact sum the champ paid wasn't disclosed, but you can bet it was a big figure. Whatever it was, though, he can afford it: even after retirement, Schumacher is still one of the top-earning F1 drivers alive.

[Source: Motorpasion and Le Blog Auto]

Schumacher buys a Shelby originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves

John Neff — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Ford

If Ford had made all the Right Moves from around the turn of the century to the present, it wouldn't need a Bold Move to pull it back from the brink. This post will imagine a Ford lineup of today that could have been had the Blue Oval been bold back then. Such a lineup, we believe, would have made Ford a top contender today in terms of product. Instead, for many reasons, Ford is forced to turn itself around while mired in a product lineup that's ill suited for today's tastes. So let's put on our imagination caps and envision the lineup that Ford took a pass on.

Continue reading What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves

What if... Ford had made all the Right Moves originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AC Cobra returns to kill replicas in the U.S.

John Neff — Wed, 17 May 2006 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Supercars

British sports car manufacturer AC has signed a new a distribution deal to sell an updated version of the iconic AC Cobra called the Mk V in the U.S. A new factory located on the Mediterranean island of Malta will begin production of the Mk V soon that features an all carbon fiber skin on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, racing brakes and 16-inch alloys. Unique Performance based in Texas will handle sales of the car in this country, all of which arrive less the engine and transaxle just like the Noble. AC's chairman Alan Lubinsky is quoted over at Inside Line saying, " Why would anyone buy a replica when they can own an authentic AC roadster that is lighter and better for the same cost?" Official U.S. prices have not been released, but in Britain the Mark V goes for about $94,000 US.

[Source: Inside Line]

AC Cobra returns to kill replicas in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 May 2006 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda names Laurens Van den Acker new design chief

Chris Paukert — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Mazda, Mercury

Mazda has a new styling chief. Dutchman Laurens Van den Acker will be putting the rather cumbersome appliqué "General Manager of the Design Division of Mazda Motor Corporation" on his office door, replacing Moray Callum (design head since 2001) who has been appointed to Ford's automotive design director post.

Van den Acker comes to Mazda from parent company Ford, where he was the automaker's Dearborn-resident Chief Designer, Strategic Design. The gifted multilingual designer has had a hand in a number of Blue Oval concepts from the last few years, including the Bronco, 427, 24/7 and Model U. Production-wise, some of his influence can be seen on the Escape and Mercury Mariner.

In light of Callum's move, Patrick Schiavone will be Ford's Design director for trucks.

The promotions are effective immediately.

[Sources: Mazdanews.com; Ford; Mazda]

(Tip nod: Igor)

Mazda names Laurens Van den Acker new design chief originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 May 2006 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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