Autoblog

The new issue of Winding Road has hit the 'net and they've assembled a panel of experts to speculate on the future of the Corvette. Some of the discussion centers on the C7, while a sizeable portion of the article focuses on a mid-engine variant of the iconic coupe – including the rendering above.

Additionally, WR is inviting subscribers to enter a contest, where three lucky readers will be able to have a three-on-two session with Corvette Team Manager Doug Fehan and the vehicle's chief engineer, Tom Wallace.

If you're not a subscriber click here, and if you win the contest, be sure to take notes and send anything you're not legally bound to keep secret our way.

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]

The enhanced version of Autoblog Podcast #66 is finally here, and it broght some pictures to the audio party. In part one, we talk Cerberus' purchase of the American icon turned German property Chrysler. In part two of podcast #66 we finished up the Chrysler talk, then we covered quite a bit of ground with the Malibu vs. Camry marketing campaign about to be waged by Chevrolet, Autoblog's spy shots of the Accord Sedan, and the upcoming Saab 9-3. In the last part of the podcast, we touch base on the Corvette Z07 or SS or Blue Devil or whatever, and we also break down the German dominance of the international engine awards. We crammed a whole lot into 30 minutes, and it's definately worth a listen. Remember, parts two and three of the podcast are available after the jump.

Check it out. Per your suggestions, we cut the podcast into three sections for smaller downloads, and we've also embedded sections two and three of the podcast after the jump. If you have any more suggestions on how to improve the enhanced version of the Podcast, let us know in the comments. We're working on a better distribution system than shoving all three in our current RSS feed of the audio-only version, so soon you'll be able to subscribe just to the enhanced version's RSS feed.

DOWNLOAD Part One to your desktop (Chrysler Sale)
DOWNLOAD Part Two to your desktop (Accord sedan, Saab 9-3, Chevy Malibu)
DOWNLOAD Part Three to your desktop (Corvette Z07, Engine Awards)

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SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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When we first saw the KGP Photography spy photos of a 2009 Corvette Z07 (or whatever the moniker di jour is) testing side by side with a Ferrari 599 GTB, our first thought was that a lightweight 'Vette with nearly 700hp could actually hold its own against a 599 in a strait line, but in the twisties, the competition would be tougher. Well, not so fast. These two vehicles have similar weight and length, both vehicles boast more than 600hp, front-engine layouts, and both companies employ the same magnetic damping from the embattled Delphi corporation.

In fact, the folks over at Straightline think Z07 engineers are testing their configuration of the magnetic shock absorbers against the best the world has to offer. Hey, if you want to make a world-beater, the 599 GTB Fiorano is a hell of a measuring stick

[Source: Straightline]
Thanks for the tip, Drew!

The standard, run of the mill 2008 Corvette LS3 carries 436 horsepower and hits 60 mph in just over 4 seconds. We were so excited about the upgraded Vette, we flew out to Bowling Green Kentucky on 24 hours notice just to get pictures of newest iteration of GM's affordable supercar. We feel the 2008 Corvette is worthy of travel within the continental United States, but for the much-rumored Z07, we'd fly to Mars.

We'd been hearing rumors about the vaunted Blue Devil Corvette for well over a year now, and when we saw that the 2008 Viper would have a domestic-best 600 HP, we knew an even more powerful Corvette was as inevitable as death and taxes. The folks over at Corvette Fever have published nine terrific shots of Chevy's most anticipated vehicle, and it's looking pretty darned close to being ready for production.

The Z07 is lower to the ground than even the Z06, and the tires and rims are larger, which kicks out the wheel wells by a few inches. There is also a huge chunk of plastic on the hood, which is probably helping to cool the beast's 7.0L, Supercharged V8. Blogger Bob pegged the horsepower of the blown V8 at between 600 and 700, which we gather would be good for 0-60 times faster than that of the Ford GT.

After 55 years of production we think the world is finally ready for a $100,000 Corvette, and we're looking forward to taking one for a spin.

[Source: Corvette Fever]

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

One Mr. Chris Doane, under the employ of the illustrious Brenda Priddy, was able to capture some shots of what will be known as the Corvette Z06 R or the Z07 or the SS or the Stingray or [enter speculative name here]. Although the only discernable difference between the Z06 and this mule is the large and awkward pre-production scoop, there's a lot more beneath the all-carbon fiber body panels to get excited about.

According to the report given to Winding Road by Mr. Doane, the soundtrack to the new 'Vette confirms that something in the way of a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 resides under the hood, which is expected to easily produce power figures cresting the 650 HP mark. With that amount of power on tap, plus the extensive use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate panels that may reduce the overall weight to below 3,000 pounds, it's safe to assume that the "Blue Devil" will reach 60 in about three and a half seconds.

Winding Road asserts that the Z07 will be made available in late 2007 as a 2008 model, with a price expected to be in the $100,000 ballpark.

[Source: Winding Road]

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]