Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/21/first-test-2010-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-launch-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/21/first-test-2010-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-launch-control/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/21/first-test-2010-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-launch-control/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Aside from the addition of the Grand Sport model, the biggest upgrade to the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette lineup is arguably the addition of launch control. The Corvette is by no means the first sports car to get launch control, but judging from our first impression of it this week, it may well be the best system out there.

Unlike a certain Japanese competitor, General Motors' Corvette chief Tadge Juechter made it eminently clear this week that use of the car's launch control will in no way kill your warranty. In fact, he explained that while a highly skilled driver could potentially beat the launch control system by a bit, the vast majority of drivers will find themselves getting of the line much more quickly and with markedly better consistency. Let's take a look at how the system works after the jump.


Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

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Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control

First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 launch control originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bertone Mantide - Click above for high-res image gallery

Perspective is a curious thing. Some look at the Corvette ZR1 and think it's a bargain compared to the exotic European machinery that it's capable of trouncing. Others look at the six-figure price tag and wonder how a Chevy could possibly cost that much. Then comes along Stile Bertone, the restructured coachbuilder now under the creative direction of former Pininfarina designer Jason Castriota, who has re-skinned the ZR1 as the Mantide. As if its radical styling wasn't divisive enough, news of its price tag and production run have now surfaced. One's big, the other small. Guess which one's which. Take your time, we'll wait.

Give up? The Bertone Mantide will sell for $2 million, but with that kind of sticker price it won't sell many: Castriota says they've already received between three and five (let's call it four) firm orders for the exclusive supercar, and they'll produce a maximum of ten examples. Think the Mantide and its exclusivity is worth a nearly 2,000% mark-up over the $103k "stock" ZR1? Express yourself in the comments below, and check out the updated gallery of high-resolution images below if you need help making up your mind.


Gallery: Bertone Mantide


[Source: NYTimes Wheels]

Exclusive by Design: Bertone Mantide priced at $2M, only 10 will be made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 May 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mildly mutilated Corvette ZR1 on eBay - Click above for an image gallery

We figured it was just a matter of time before a cracked-up Corvette ZR1 found its way onto eBay, and thanks to (we're assuming) a ham-fisted driver hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, a slightly marred example of Chevy's hottest Corvette can be yours for the Buy-It-Now price of $97,500.

According to the listing, the Cyber Gray ZR1 sustained damage to the driver's side rear, and while the bumper cover is torn and the left-side lower control arms are bent, we're more concerned with the cracks in the rear tub (see the arrows in this pic). Assuming the structural damage is repairable and the carnage is limited to the replaceable suspension and body bits, the ZR3 Premium Package-equipped ZR1 - with a clear title (?) and only 1,200 miles on the clock - could be Humpty-Dumptied back together for a reasonable sum. But for us, those cracks in the tub mean only one thing: track toy. Strip out the interior, mount a pair of lightweight buckets, a Stack display and a cage, then proceed to the nearest track -- but not before you try to crash (no pun intended) GM's two-day ZR1 driving school first.


Gallery: eBay Find: Damaged Corvette ZR1


[Source: eBay via CorvetteBlogger]

eBay Find of the Day: Damaged ZR1 on the cheap originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 May 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Corvette ZR1

The car that Top Gear liked to drive, if not exactly to look at, has a price they definitely won't want to pay. At an on-the-road price of £109,000, the ZR1 costs nearly £48,000 pounds more than a Z06 in the UK. As if that weren't problematic enough, that price puts the left-hand-drive-only ZR1 £8,000 past the 911 Turbo and a colossal £55,000 beyond the GT-R Premium Edition. True, that's still the base GT-R, but Nissan has a whole lot of room to play with when it prices the V-Spec.

True as well, the price of the ZR1 also includes a driver training course and a 3-year / 60,000-mile warranty, which should count for something. Perhaps not £55,000, though. Luckily for Chevrolet UK, it will only have to sell two of them this year, and single digits in the years to come. You can read the full press release after the jump, and then decide if you'd rather have one lump of incredible American metal or a GT-R and a Swiss bank account.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Corvette ZR1


[Source: GM]


Continue reading Corvette ZR1 to cost £109,000 in UK

Corvette ZR1 to cost £109,000 in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click either image for a high-res gallery.

Leading up to the official reveal of the Corvette ZR-1, a rare week went by when we didn't see spy shots of the General's new super coupe eating up the Nurburgring. But still images don't tell the whole tale, so InsideLine sent its spies to the North Loop with a video camera to capture an uncloaked ZR-1 making the rounds on the 'Ring. According to the men behind the lens, they were able to clock the 620 hp, supercharged 'Vette running laps "in the low 7:40s," easily within reach of supercars costing substantially more than the ZR-1's estimated $100k price tag. But what about the elephant on the 'Ring in the room? The Nissan GT-R V-Spec.

As reported earlier this week, spies caught the GT-R V-Spec lapping the Nordschleife, and with stopwatches at the ready, they were able to time Godzilla's lightweight (by an estimated 330 pounds), more powerful (70 hp or so) sibling at an unbelievable 7:25 per lap. According to the crew that crudely timed the ZR-1, the track was damp, so that 7:40 time could easily be improved by at least four or five seconds. But that's still a long way off.

Obviously, both lap times should be taken with a grain of salt considering the less-than-accurate way in which they were captured, but that won't stop the smack-talk. Keep it civil folks.

Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1


Gallery: Nissan GT-R Spec-V - spy shots



[Source: InsideLine]

Corvette ZR-1 'Ring times in low 7:40s, GT-R V-Spec amused originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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