Tag: Chevrolet

2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible Sold for $600 000

The fastest Corvette convertible – the first 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition was sold on Saturday for the amount of $600,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale. The model is going to be at dealerships in the U.S. this summer, and is designed to blend the elements of the Z06 and ZR1 models. In this auction was sold the car with The Vehicle Identification Number ending in 001. In details, it has the 427-cubic-inch (7.0L) LS7 engine taken from the Corvette Z06. More importantly this is the most powerful engine ever installed in a production Corvette convertible, with the astonishing 505 horsepower (377 kW) and 470 lb.-ft. of torque (637 Nm). On the other hand, like the Z06, the model is only available with a six-speed manual transmission, which puts an emphasis on the joy of driving.

2013 Corvette 427 Convertible at Barrett-Jackson

It is interesting information that the Corvettes made between 1966 and 1969, powered by the 427-cubic-inch are some of the most-coveted and collectable ones ever produced. In this auction, Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports have collaborated with four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick, to raise a total of $700,000 for the AARP’s Drive to End Hunger food relief program. This special cause, called Drive to End Hunger is part of a multi-year sponsorship for Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet. The aim is to raise money and build awareness on the Americans who face the threat of hunger. It calls on racing fans, corporations and charitable organizations to actively participate in the cause.

Source: Chevrolet

January 23, 2012
“Chevy Happy Grad” Advertisement – The Winner of Route 66 Super Bowl Ad Contest [VIDEO]

The advertisement called “Chevy Happy Grad” deserves some special attention, indeed. This ad won the Route 66 Super Bowl Ad Contest among 198 other choices. It was created by 26-year old Long Island resident Zach Borst. It will be aired officially during the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI. What is more interesting here is that the ads submitted for this contest gained more than 32 million total online views between December 22 and January 14.

The requirement for the filmmakers was to depict a life’s journey and how Chevrolet is there along the way. “Happy Grad” ad not only answers this requirement but also shows the passion that Chevrolet elicits. Moreover it is hilarious and lot of families can relate to similar situations, where expectations actually don’t meet reality. Some great news for the filmmaker Borst is that the audience on Super Bowl Sunday is expected to exceed 110 million television viewers.

"Chevy Happy Grad Ad"

Borst filmed “Chevy Happy Grad” near his home on Long Island during a weather window that offered Zach, his cast and crew only four hours to complete the project. They did spectacular job, didn’t they! Furthermore is that the story was inspired by his dad’s efforts to buy him a car for his graduation. Although it was used, it was very special gift. This lead Borst to the idea, what it would look like if he got a brand new Camaro as a graduation gift? And this is how the ad was born.

You can watch the video below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae52ourE3Pw

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Chevrolet

January 20, 2012
Chevrolet Malibu driven 1 million test miles across globe

A very interesting experiment has been done on the all-new Chevrolet Malibu. Engineers have driven over 1 million miles (1.6 million km) with the vehicle. The aim was on-road development testing. However, to achieve this goal of 1 million miles, it took them about 22 months and sent them on six continents. Of course, this extensive road development and validation process served as a guarantee for the new Malibu’s overall ride and handling, comfort, quality and durability. We have to admit that with this experiment, Chevrolet has made a great advertisement of the new model. The new Malibu will be sold in 100 countries on six continents, making it Chevrolet’s first truly global midsize sedan.

Interesting information to be considered here is that driving 1 million miles in 22 months is equivalent of: 66,66 years of driving a car 15,000 miles (24,140 km) annually; 201 round-trips between New York City and Los Angeles; or two trips to the moon and back.

Chevrolet Malibu in Dubai

In details, the early prototypes of the model were hand-built by General Motors in the United States and shipped around the globe. They were driven at GM’s proving grounds around North America, as well as on the freeways, highways and back roads of the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, China, the U.K., Dubai and Germany. In this development stage the Malibu pre-production cars represented meant the powertrains, suspensions and other core elements of the cars were already green-lighted for production. More importantly this test-driving have helped a lot for the final refinement, upgrade and fine tuning of the overall dynamics in performance, interior quietness, seat comfort and drivability of the Malibu. In addition the Malibus were driven through Death Valley in the hottest summer days to validate the air conditioning performance. Of course, to make the picture even more clearly, the vehicles were also driven to the top of the Rocky Mountains for high-altitude tests. Furthermore the Malibus were went through hundreds of miles of stop-and-go rush hour drives in Chicago and Seoul; and through the winding hills of North Carolina to evaluate seat comfort and other long-drive factors. And when driving on the concrete dry road surfaces there is generated a considerable amount of noise. However the Chevrolet Malibu engineers have made it possible to develop the car in such way that it can Malibu soaked up those grooved roads quietly. Important fact as well is that the final chassis tuning for the European variant of the Chevrolet Malibu was finished in the Germany. The evaluation involved putting the car through its paces on a former air base which today serves as a test facility. And around 3,000 kilometers were accumulated in order to determine which chassis set-up is best suited for European roads. Additional testings were made around Europe, which were focused on engine and transmission calibration, or on navigation and radio systems.

On the other hand there was also some not so “far-away-driving” development of the Malibu models. For example the development cars in the U.K. and the U.S. were run through salt water troughs and placed in a chamber to simulate years of corrosion and winter road driving. In addition to these experiments, other Mlibus were parked in the Arizona sun to see how the interior materials held up to extreme heat. Of course not everything went so smoothly. Engineers found a few areas of the vehicle that required a bit more attention. For example there was a need of change in the application of liquid sealer to steel parts of the body structure, which helped produce a quieter ride.

This is Chevrolet’s eighth-generation Malibu. It will serve as the brand’s flagship vehicle in China, Korea, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world. In addition, in Europe, the Malibu will be equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter diesel or a 2.4-liter gasoline engine. The gasoline models will be at dealerships in several markets in the spring of 2012. The diesel version, however, will be launched in the second half of the year.

Chevrolet Malibu in Australia

Source: Chevrolet

January 19, 2012

2013 Corvette 427 Convertible – Rare and Commemorating

Chevrolet have announced that a 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition will make it’s debut on January the 21st and will go on sale this summer. This is big news for we are talking about the first Chevy ever, that can be both a collector and a commemorative edition at the same time Yes, Chevrolet are celebrating their 60th birthday this year and what better way to mark the occasion than producing a convertible, more powerful than the gravity of Jupiter.

Under the hood one can find an LS7, 7.0 liter (427 cubic-inches) engine, rated at 505 horsepower (377 kW) which sends 470 lb.-ft. of torque (637 Nm) trough a compulsory 6-speed manual. The connecting rods in the LS7 are all titanium and so are the intake valves while high-flow cylinder heads and a dry-sump oil pump add to the performance. The 427 is rear-wheel driven just like the Z06, the battery is at the back for better weight distribution and it comes with a Magnetic Selective Ride Control so the suspension is clever too. The front 19-inch and back 20-inch machine-face Cup wheels (ZR1 Black Cup or chromed also available) are fitted with ZR1 Michelin PS2 tires. To save weight, the hood, fenders and floor panels are all made from carbon fiber. That diet has resulted in the Corvette weighing only 3,355 pounds (1,522 kg) which by itself means a power-to-weight ratio of 6.64 – or one horsepower for every 6.64 pounds of vehicle mass. That’s more power than any other convertible can offer including the Ferrari California Convertible, the Audi R8 5.2 RSI Spyder, the Aston Martin DBS Volante Convertible and even the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. Predictions suggest a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of just 3.8 second and top speeds exceeding 190 mph.

Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition (2013)

For the commemorative spec on any Chevrolet, one does need to opt for the 60th Anniversary Package which includes a color theme of “Arctic White” on the outside with Blue Diamond leather seats inside and gray-painted brake calipers. Convertibles will also get a blue rooftop. Other enhancements include a ZR1 rear spoiler, a “CFZ” carbon fiber front splitter and rocker panels and branding on various places to let you know you are driving a novelty. If one feels the need to spend even more money a graphics package includes racing stripes that slice trough the whole car while a Build Experience option allows customer participation in the construction process of the vehicle… which, doesn’t make any sense if the customer is as inapt as me when it comes to technology.

Here is a full spec-list of the 427:

Overview

Overview
Model:	Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition
Body styles / driveline:	two-door convertible; rear-wheel drive
Construction:	composite body panels, hydroformed steel frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components
Manufacturing location:	Bowling Green, Ky.

Engines

Engines	7.0L V-8 LS7 (Z06)
Displacement (cu in / cc):	427 / 7008
Bore & stroke (in / mm):	4.125 x 4 / 104.8 x 101.6
Block material:	cast aluminum
Cylinder head material:	cast aluminum
Valvetrain:	overhead valve, two valves per cylinder
Fuel delivery:	SFI (sequential fuel injection)
Compression ratio:	11.0:1
Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm):	505 / 377 @ 6300*
Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm):	470 / 637 @ 4800*
Recommended fuel:	premium required
Estimated fuel economy (city / hwy):	15 / 24 (no guzzler tax)

Transmission

Transmission	six-speed manual
Application:	std.
Gear ratios (:1):
First:	2.66
Second:	1.78
Third:	1.30
Fourth:	1.00
Fifth:	0.74
Sixth:	0.50
Reverse:	2.90
Final drive ratio:	3.42

Chassis/Suspension

Front:	short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper and lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber; Magnetic Selective Ride Control
Rear:	short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone, cast aluminum upper and lower control arms, transverse-mounted composite leaf spring, monotube shock absorber; Magnetic Selective Ride Control
Traction control:	electronic traction control; Active Handling

Brakes

Type:	front and rear power-assisted disc with ABS with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, cross-drilled rotors;
Rotor diameter x thickness (in / mm):	front: 14 x 1.3 / 355 x 32 rear: 13.4 x 1 / 340 x 26
Brake swept area (sq in / mm):	front: 309 / 1994 rear: 269 / 1735

Wheels/Tires

Wheel size:	front: 19-inch x 10-inch aluminum rear: 20-inch x 12-inch aluminum
Tires:	front: 285/30ZR19 rear: 335/25ZR20

Dimensions

Exterior

Wheelbase (in / mm):	105.7 / 2685
Overall length (in / mm):	175.6 / 4460
Overall width (in / mm):	75.9 / 1928
Overall height (in / mm):	48.7 / 1236
Curb weight (lb / kg):	3355/ 1522
Weight distribution (% front / rear):	50 / 50

Interior

Seating capacity	2
Interior volume (cu ft / L):	52 / 1475
Headroom (in / mm):	38 / 962
Legroom (in / mm):	43 / 1092
Shoulder room (in / mm):	55 / 1397
Hip room (in / mm):	54 / 1371

Capacities

Cargo volume (cu ft / L):	11 / 295 (top up); 7.5 / 212 (top down)
Fuel tank (gal / L):	18 / 68.1
Engine oil (qt / L):	10.5 / 9.9

Source: Chevrolet

January 13, 2012

Chevrolet Code 130R and Chevrolet Tru 140S Concepts

Chevrolet has just introduced today their two new concept vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show – Chevrolet Code 130R Concept and Chevrolet Tru 140S Concept. The first car is a four-seat coupe with a simple upright profile. It is painted in red metallic paint with matte anodized gold wheels. Moreover Code 130R includes heritage performance-inspired styling and rear-wheel drive. It also has an extremely appealing look thank to its aggressive front fascia, Chevrolet fender flares, straight body side and Chevy crossflag emblem. The designers have worked on the engine as well. They decided that the turbocharged engine will be tuned to work in tandem with eAssist technology. Thus they have managed to balance turbocharged performance with fuel economy simply by shutting off the engine at stops, recapturing braking energy, and smoothing torque during acceleration. Hence this concept takes the automotive electrification to the next level.

Chevrolet Code 130R Concept

The second concept is Tru 140S and it is a front-wheel-drive, “affordable exotic” four-seat sporty coupe. Furthermore it is a three-door hatchback and obviously it was designed to be an attractive-yet-affordable sports car. As we can see Tru 140S is designed to look confident, exotic, expensive and fast, thank to the paint finish in matte white with Chevy performance chrome wheels featuring crossflag emblems. In addition Tru 140S is based off the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze and the groundbreaking Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. The goal of the designers here was to demonstrate technologies typically found in more expensive cars, including direct injection and a starter-based stop-start technology, balancing internal combustion and electrification in order to deliver high value and improved fuel economy.

Chevrolet Tru 140S Concept

Furthermore the new concepts feature options which nowadays are extremely appreciated. First of all they have sedan-sized functionality in performance coupe form that seats four passengers. Secondly, the interior connectivity and convenience feature innovative storage, WiFi, smart phone integration with Chevrolet MyLink and heads-up display. Next, the highlight is the 40 MPG with a 1.4L Turbo Ecotec engine with approximately 150 horsepower (110 kW). And eventually there is the chance of possible production price range in the low $20,000s!

CHEVROLET CODE 130R CONCEPT COUPE SPECIFICATIONS

Overview

Model:	Chevrolet Code 130R Concept Coupe
Body style / driveline:	four-passenger coupe, rear-wheel drive
EPA vehicle class:	compact car

Engine

	1.4L Ecotec turbocharged DOHC I-4 w/ eAssist
Displacement (cu. in. / cc):	83 / 1364
Bore and stroke (in. / mm):	2.85 x 3.25 / 72.5 x 82.6
Block material:	cast iron
Cylinder head material:	cast aluminum
Valvetrain:	overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing
Ignition system:	individual coil on plug
Fuel delivery:	sequential multi-port fuel injectors with electronic throttle control
Compression ratio:	9.5:1
Horsepower (hp / kW):	150 / 110
Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm):	148 / 200
Recommended fuel:	regular unleaded
Max engine speed (rpm):	6500
Emissions controls:	close-coupled and underfloor catalytic converters; Quick-Sync 58x ignition system; returnless fuel rail; fast light-off O2 sensor
Estimated fuel economy (hwy):	40

Transmissions

	6-speed automatic	6-speed manual
Application:	standard	optional

Wheels/Tires

Wheels:	20-inch matte gold
Tires:	P245/40R20

Dimensions

Exterior

Wheelbase (in / mm):	109.3 / 2775
Overall length (in / mm):	173.1 / 4396
Overall width (in / mm):	71.5 / 1816
Overall height (in / mm):	54.7 / 1390
Track (in / mm):	front: 60.4 / 1535rear: 61.8 / 1569

Interior

Seating capacity (front / rear):	2 / 2
Headroom (in / mm):	front: 30.7 / 780rear: 33.1 / 841

CHEVROLET TRU 140S CONCEPT COUPE SPECIFICATIONS