Autoblog

As the Official Vehicle of SEMA, we knew we'd see several variations of the Chevrolet Camaro on display, but the details had us aching to see them in person. While each has their own unique appeal, the LS7 Concept stood out most. Designed to be something of a throw-back to the glory days of the muscle car era when anyone in the know could walk into their local Chevy dealer and check the COPO box to order up a race-bred, fire-breathing 427 V8 in the engine bay, this LS7 Concept shows what 2010 Camaro shoppers might be able to do with a massive letter-writing campaign. The LS7, as its name implies, features the GM Performance Parts LS7 Crate motor tuned to produce 550 horsepower thanks to a number of GMPP performance accessories. As we told you in the preview, a Tremec six-speed manual handles shifting duties, Brembo brakes make it stop, 20-inch custom wheels help it look the part, and a lowered ride height gives it the final touch. As good as all that sounds, it looks even better in the metal, especially in the concept's Victory Red paint. Check out the press release after the jump and the gallery below for desktop wallpaper-sized shots.


Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

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

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. You could apply the same saying to the HSV W427 super-duper sedan just launched by Holden's in-house performance division. I mean, that front end has some serious issues, but the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 lurks behind it, and it's no joke, giving the four-door 500 horses and 471 lb-ft of torque. Production is limited to 427 units total, 90 of which will be produced this year. All of those have already been spoken for at a heady $154,500 Australian dollars, including luxury tax. Buyers also get the opportunity to tour the cars' production facility, and get a letter from Tom Walkinshaw, who started HSV some 20 years ago. The "W" in the car's name is also a tribute to him. HSV says that the W427's angry fascia emphasizes the cooling needs of the 7.0L V8. We think it mostly tells drivers who catch it racing up in their rearview to simply move out of the way...or be swallowed whole. We hear the car runs best when fed a steady diet of FPVs.

A slew of new photos have dropped in conjunction with the car's production launch, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.


[Source: 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.


[Source: HSV]

click above for more high-res photos of the 427 Limited Edition Z06

Beginning this spring, those of you with enough coin in your Corvette-shaped piggy bank can order the 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition Z06. The special edition C6 comes with with Crystal Red Tintcoat, new exclusive wheels, a titanium-colored leather interior, 427-embroidered seats and floor mats, and Z06 sill plates. Pedestrians will know how special your car is when they see the "427" badges and graphics adorning the exterior. Inside, Wil Cooksey, the soon-to-retire Bowling Green Corvette plant manager of 15 years, will personally sign each model's armrest.

Chevy will only build 427 of the cars for the North American market and another 78 for everyone else, for a total run of only 505. That is, not coincidentally, the horsepower rating of this American sports car. Buyers will have to come up with $84,195 to park one in their garage -- about a $13,000 premium over the mass-production Z06. Want nav? That'll be another $1,750. Thanks, Keith, for the tip!


[Source: GM via Corvette Blogger]

click above image to enlarge

The new issue of Motor Trend arrived in the mail and our eyes were instantly attracted to this story that just went live on motortrend.com. The MT crew has learned that the supercharged V8 slated for use in the next-gen Cadillac CTS-V will be none other than a "detuned" version of the 7.0L LS7 powerplant debuting in the Corvette Blue Devil, or rather, Corvette Z07. The MT editors expect the version used in the CTS-V to produce about 600 horsepower, or around 100 horses short of what the Z07 will produce.

Pick any possible competitor for the next CTS-V and it's obvious that all will come up short to Caddy's new mega muscle sedan. The BMW M3 and Audi RS4 both produce only 420 horsepower, while the horsepower happy AMG team stuffed only 503 in the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Even the BMW M5, which is larger than the CTS, will come up short with an upcoming horsepower bump into the low-500 horsepower range. In short, the CTS-V will offer the same amount of horsepower as the 2008 Dodge Viper, which is pure insanity. GM's got stones, folks, and Cadillac is clearly the prime beneficiary of its newfound fortitude.

Much thanks to Motor Trend editor-in-chief Angus Mackenzie for allowing Autoblog to republish the rendering above. The July issue (you can subscribe here) is thicker than a Thesaurus and our fave in a string of recent good issues from the MT team.

[Source: Motor Trend - pic used with permission, do not reproduce]

Corvette Racing's perennial success continued this season, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as sweeping the driver, manufacturer, and team championships for the American Le Mans Series GT1 class after battling their archrival Prodrive Aston Martin DB9Rs all season long. Now the postseason awards are beginning to pile up as well. Ron Fellows, who co-drives the #3 C6.R with Johnny O'Connell, won his third straight ALMS Driver of the Year award, while his crew chief, Dan Binks was recognized for his efforts and named GT1 Crew Chief of the Year.

And it doesn't end there. This week in Germany, the heart of the C6.R, it's LS7.R motor, was recognized as Global Motorsport Engine of the Year by a jury of 50 race engine engineers. When you consider the breadth of global motorsport and the number of outstanding engines competing on circuits week in and week out, the award becomes even more significant. You don't even need to leave ALMS to find another high-profile powerplant that garnered quite a few headlines of its own this past season.

The C6.R's relentless success and reliability stems largely from the excellence of the LS7.R that lives under its long hood -- a trait that is matched or exceeded by the dedication of its drivers and crew. If history is any indication, we can expect more of the same come March when the 2007 season kicks off at Sebring.

[Source: ALMS]

There are only a handful of car-exporting countries, even fewer building supercars. And Thailand ain't one of 'em. That'll all change in 2008 when the Galmer Arbitrage GT is scheduled to launch.

The carbon fiber supercar will be propelled by a Chevy LS7 V8 displacing seven liters and producing 500 horsepower, though the engine could be tweaked all the way up to 800. Redline-running will be managed by a six-speed transmission, and from the picture, it appears the car will run on carbon fiber rims as well.

The spacious cockpit is accessed via Enzo/SLR-style up-and-forward pivoting doors, opened with fingerprint readers. Inside the Galmer will offer a digital touchscreen panel to access auxiliary controls.

The car will be produced in a limited run of 350, a staggering 250 of which are destined for the US. Due to stiff costs associated with American homologation regulations, Galmer plans on shipping the cars semi-assembled. With a name like Arbitrage, it seems like Galmer hope to make some nice margins on the car. There are a lot of big thinkers with deep pockets out there dreaming of making their own supercar, but like all newcomers, the Arbitrage will have to post some impressive times to earn its cred.

(More pics after the jump)

[Source: Motor Authority]

With General Motors not providing any official information on the upcoming uber-Vette, rumors continue to fly around the automotive world. Automobile Magazine weighs in with its two cents, stating that the so-called "Blue Devil" will actually carry the significantly less satanic moniker of Z07 - or maybe Z06.R (with the "R" presumably standing for "Really hazardous to your driving record"). That seems somewhat more clumsy than the Sting Ray or Super Sport/SS names that we've heard tossed around, but would fit in with GM's long history of three-digit alphanumeric codes.

The 650 HP 6.2L supercharged GenIV V8 looks to be housed under a huge air duct, which is likely required by the addition of a air-to-water intercooler unit. Serious speed requires the shedding of serious heat, and so the car has also grown vents along the top and rear of the front fenders, and a NACA duct has appeared on the top of the rear quarter panels. Hit the link to see the full spy shot - we're anxious to hear what you think, as we're already in love.

The supercar is said to be on its way in 2008 as a 2009 model (giving us two more years to make inaccurate predictions), and will carry a price tag of around $100K. Given the Z06's superlative performance, we don't doubt for a moment that the Z07 will provide the biggest bang for the buck in its market segment.

[Source: Automobile Magazine]

There are a few power-addicted types on Autoblog's staff that aren't impressed with the stock Pontiac Solstice's output, and apparently the guys over at Hot Rod magazine feel the same way. Bless their hearts, they decided to stop complaining and do something about it-- by shoehorning in the ferocious 505 HP LS7 from the Corvette Z06.

The cool thing about this build-up isn't that it involves sticking far more motor into the car than was ever intended (although that has a beauty all its own). Instead of just doing one of those "look at the cool car we built that you'll never own" articles, Hot Rod is basically publishing a DIY manual for those interested in building a modern-day Shelby Cobra. So far, there appears to be a few areas that would present a challenge to most gearheads - custom headers definitely being one of them - but a surprising number of the components come straight from the GM parts bin, and we suspect that the aftermarket may step up to cover any remaining gaps. Forego the pricey LS7 in favor of a junkyard GenIII from a pickup truck, scrounge up the rest of the parts on eBay, spend some nights out in the garage with a TIG welder, and this swap starts to look downright affordable.

[Source: Hot Rod]