2009 Corvette Z07

[SilentNoise]

Automobile Magazine


"If the thought of the new 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang hedging in on the 505-hp Corvette Z06's territory raises your blood pressure, don't despair: Corvette chief engineer Tom Wallace has a 650-hp trick up his sleeve. A new super Corvette will build on the Z06's 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 that was developed in sync with the Corvette C6.R Le Mans racer. For this limited-production Vette, which might be called the Z07, Chevy will increase the LS7's displacement and bolt on a supercharger to bump output by 145 hp. The Z07, due in 2008, will be further differentiated from the Z06 by the use of more carbon-fiber body panels and a huge hood vent aimed at killing front-end lift. In true Corvette style, Chevy will undercut competitors by pricing the Z07 at about $100,000. This Corvette has been known within GM as the Blue Devil, after the mascot of GM CEO Rick Wagoner's alma mater, Duke, and also as the Sting Ray, but we think they'll go with Z07, or maybe Z06.R."

[Richard]

I still don't understand why American's make cars with such big engines, yet are still incapable of producing much more bhp then cars with a much smaller engine.

euro cars ftw.

[SilentNoise]

BTW, the spy pics of the Corvette that were posted under the Blue Devil name this past year have been reported to be a fake, all part of a joke put on by Winding Road

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/01/r...-winding-road/

[SilentNoise]

Originally Posted by Richard

I still don't understand why American's make cars with such big engines, yet are still incapable of producing much more bhp then cars with a much smaller engine.

euro cars ftw.

Bigger engines = bigger torque = faster acceleration

Horsepower's great and all, but it's the torque that throws you back in your seat and gives you that "HOLY ****!" feeling.
I'm torque junkie, so call me crazy, but a 2.0L engine that can put out 300 hp but only 150 ft-lbs of torque will never give me a woody the way a good ol' V8+ will.... and as far as towing (if you're doing that kinda thing), there's no comparison.

As for them being incapable of producing more power - it's not that they CAN'T make more the extra power, but they really love to leave those things to the aftermarket for some reason. The big thing that you should be asking about is, "why can't they get better fuel economy?". THAT is the real question.

[BlindDub]

that thing looks sick !

[Richard]

You do realise a BMW Z4M is as fast as a dodge viper SRT 10 around a circuit out in death valley (can't remember the name) ? That's how pointless the torque is in the end.

It's the fact that America has a fascination with going fast in a straight line, but neglect to remember that roads come with corners in every day life.

[SilentNoise]

True, but the Viper handles like a turd on wheels and inefficiently put power to the pavement. There's a reason it's only ever been known for it's engine and never for it's road capabilities - unlike the Corvette which can obviously go fast in a straight line, but also participates in and is incredibly competitive in races like the 24 Hours of LeMans, being able to hang on road track courses with cars that are 3-4x it's price tag.

It's true that North America is big on drag strip racing and it does take more skill to be successful on a road track, but the Vette can do both very well.

[Richard]

It's true, but the viper is awesome, it was the first car i properly liked, just for it's awesome looks and sounds. I read somewhere that it's capable of 220+mph if a tyre would allow it. Then the muscle cars with their raw power and sound, it's just immense, but I think I'd still go euro for a powerful car if I had to buy one for everyday use.

It's good to see 'the blue devil' wasn't just a rumour. Hopefully it can do a little bit better than the previous models.

-edit-

there's a reason the 'vette is worth 3-4x less than other cars, a lot of modern american cars are temporary, made of nasty plastic =P

[SilentNoise]

Ya, the Viper does definitely look and sound mean, but for that price, I'd expect more out of it for something that pricey - the Z06 Vette is almost half the price of a Viper and it'll kick it's ass all day long. Also, and maybe things have changed since then but, I drove a 1997 Viper RT/10 a few years ago, and I hated the interior with a passion. It's nice for the fact that you don't move because things are built to hold you, but because it was so tight, I found it really uncomfortable (and it's not like I'm a fat ass either - 6'0", 185 lbs). I only drove it for about 30 minutes, but that was enough for me. I can't imagine driving it for 3 hours from Calgary to Edmonton like my boss did that day.

That is true, North American cars are famous for cheap polyurethane body moldings but the Vette has always usually been ahead of that curve thankfully - back in the 50s when the car first came out, the designers made the body out of fibreglass even though people were all paranoid that it was going to fall apart (I find that really funny by today's standards. LOL.), and things have always kind of been that way all the way to the latest Z06 where they made good use of carbon fibre on some of the body - but they went with polyurethane for the nose piece. I'm actually really curious about what they're going to carbon fibre on this new one.

[madaz]

It looks to Ferrari for me, I prefer the older stylings of the Vette from the late 90's.