Autoblog

Just days after we became enamored with Jay Leno's E85-powered C6RS Corvette at SEMA this past year, Pratt and Miller announced it would be producing the cars for the public, providing you had a Corvette and $185,000 to do the conversion. Included with each C6RS is carbon fiber bodywork, an adjustable suspension, upgraded brakes, and a 600-horsepower 500ci V8, among many other modifications. Pratt and Miller set availability of the C6RS for April of this year, but the first has already been delivered in the form of a yellow convertible. Who's the lucky customer? None other than Jim Miller, co-owner of Pratt and Miller. We guess if anybody deserves the first one, it's him. Thanks for the tip, Fletcher!

[Source: Pratt and Miller]

The LA Times just ran a piece about how car collector extraordinaire and The Tonight Show host Jay Leno is seeing green these days. Not envious in the least, Jay in fact has several warehouses around Burbank that house hundreds of incredible vehicles that would incite lust in just about anyone with a car-loving bone in their bodies. No, the green here is the environmental push that is seemingly sweeping the world over. It seems that after spending more time with fellow celebs and enviro-warriors like Ed Begley, Jr., Jay has become enlightened to the needs of Mother Earth.

It should be pointed out that Jay has always had alternative vehicles in his collection. Most of those are early steam cars, but still, last year at SEMA he introduced the EcoJet powered by biodiesel and this year he rolled out the E85 Corvette C6RS by Pratt & Miller. People see high performance and the green movement as two diametrically opposed concepts, but Leno is one of those people who understands you can have both. Making a high performance vehicle doesn't have to come at the expense of the planet if you choose your motivation carefully. Cars like those mentioned above and Audi's diesel-powered R10 Le Mans racers come to mind. And the greening of Jay extends beyond the vehicles themselves.

Leno is investing in ideas like solar panels, wind turbines and grease-eating microbes, according to the article. He's also gradually making over his Big Dog Garage to incorporate self-generated power, energy-efficient heating and nontoxic cleaners. The article is a pretty good read, so check it out for yourself. The funniest bit in the story is Jay's half-serious, half-joking rationale for getting into the green thing:

"My thing with the green situation is: Even if you don't believe in global warming, don't you want to screw the oil company or gas company or utility company?"

Priceless.

Thanks for the tip Jay!

[Source: LA Times]

click above image for live shots of the C6RS from its debut at the SEMA Show

We just got a tip from a knowledgeable source that Pratt & Miller have all but acknowledged that Jay Leno's wild Corvette C6RS will go into limited production. We hear that 25 will be built at a cost of $185,000 plus a donor car. Although the Katech motor in the C6RS is a bit larger than the one in the Pratt & Miller Street Attack model, the E85 hook keeps power the same at 600 HP. Not a lot of other details are available yet, but we wanted to make sure we shared. We'll keep you posted when more info gets released.

Thanks for the tip Mike!