Archive for January, 2013

Here are some new photos courtesy of Dave@Kerbeck, showing the C7 tail lights in operation at night, the parking assist screen, and HUD.

No official C7 Corvette Stingray Nurburgring lap times have been released by GM yet, nor in-car track footage, but they are surely on the way.

For now, see how it would look virtually [video] with this 7:27 Nurburgring lap from Gran Turismo 5, courtesy of a C7 and GT5 enthusiast.

January 17, 1953 was the date that the first prototype Chevrolet Corvette (the EX-122, world’s oldest Corvette) was first revealed to the public at the GM Motorama in New York City’s historic Waldorf Astoria hotel.

60 years later, the 2014 Corvette Stingray has returned to NY to celebrate the 60 year anniversary with the Motorama Experimental Prototype Corvette, as well as one Corvette from each of its previous six generations.

Here are some photos from the event. The Corvette has come far from the experimental prototype!

According to this report (from Autoweek), we won’t have to wait long to see the droptop version of the C7 Corvette Stingray. That’s because it’s now reportedly due to be unveiled at the 2013 Geneva auto show in early March.

It may strike some as peculiar to debut the convertible version of an American automotive icon at a non-US show, but according to the report, the rationale is that since the C7 Stingray was engineered to compete with the world’s best and brightest, why not have an international debut for it.

There’s also precedence for such a move. The Geneva auto show was also the venue where GM debuted the C6 Corvette Convertible, back in March 2004.

If you paid attention in the recently posted GM video explaining the Corvette Stingray’s exterior design, you’ll have gotten a small preview peek at the C7 Convertible in the sketches/drawings behind the car.

We’ve put together a visual comparison between the Corvette Stingray Concept shown at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and the just debuted 2014 Corvette Stingray debuted at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

See INSIDE for the comparison gallery.

Watch GM engineers and designers explain in this video how the 2014 Corvette Stingray’s distinct aeronautical lines and intricate ventilation systems results from its sleek, sculpted finish. See how purposeful aerodynamic design yields a fully functional exterior and a totally new breathing experience.

Italian brake company Brembo has expanded its Homer, Michigan facilities to ramp up for the production of brakes for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

This is the first generation of the Corvette for which Brembo will supply all models with its lightweight high performance brakes. Previously, Brembo supplied small numbers of brakes to the C6 Corvette ZR1. Brembo will assemble the brake discs and calipers into corner units that include bearings and knuckles at its Michigan plant.

We’ll probably never see a real life matte black C7 Corvette Stingray with ski rack/case attached, but it does look great (and unique).

Rendered by Glacius Creations, via Stance Nation facebook.

Click image below for full image.

Is GM cooking up something designated L88 for the C7 Corvette Stingray? If a recent trademark filing is any sign, just maybe…

According to GMauthority:

The automaker filed two trademark applications for the L88 name. The first was filed on August 4, 2012 for “exterior and interior badges for motor land vehicles”, while the second was filed on September 18, 2012 for “decals”. The trademarks were then published for opposition in October of 2012 and subsequently approved to the USPTO principal register on January 15, 2013.

The General used the L88 designation in a very select amount of Chevrolet Corvettes from the late 1960′s, of which currently go for over $500,000 at auctions. Essentially, it was a racing engine that could be directly ordered from GM from the factory that boasted 427-cubic-inches (7.0-liters), and is often hailed as the ultimate Corvette engine that’s ever been made to date.

Specifically, it was a modified big block with lighter heads and bigger ports, a more aggressive camshaft, aluminum radiator, smaller flywheel, and a massive Holley four-barrel carburetor. Oh, and an absolutely crazy 12.5:1 compression ratio. Again, we’re talking about an engine that was from over 40 years ago. This sky-high compression was achieved through 103-octane racing fuel, and was officially rated at 430 horsepower, though claims as high as 560 horsepower have been made.

Read on INSIDE….