Our reaction to the official press shot of the Corvette ZR1 was a little guarded. The bright blue car that accompanied the lifting of the embargo left us thinking a bit more about Hot Import Nights than we were comfortable with. 0-60 Magazine recently had a photo shoot with another ZR1, and this one dressed nice. All the tungsten instruments around 0-60's ZR1 really play up the surface detailing of the C6 Corvette, and the handsome metallic gray hue made this particular ZR1 a stealth bomber. There's the minor detail of that polycarbonate skylight in the hood, and the humongous brake package peeking from behind equally huge rims is far more striking in person than pictures will ever convey, too. So, even in a subdued color, the ZR1 still manages to announce to the world that it's packing something special. There's nothing of any consequence in the video, it's a few walkarounds of one of the hottest cars extant. It's a nice holiday treat, so stop feasting on goodies for a couple minutes and hit the jump for some eye candy instead.
Autoblog Podcast #83 was judiciously held back until after the embargo cleared, but we can now talk freely. The biggest news this week is the official unveiling of the Corvette ZR-1/Blue Devil. Powered by the new LS9 supercharged small-block, the car's performance is sure to be astounding. After laying eyes on the un-camoflaged car, hood porthole and all, we have to ask: is it overwrought? From ridiculous speed to ludicrous wordsmithing, we talk about the Nissan FORUM concept mainly for the chance to bash the hilariously composed press release. Maybe it was written in Japanese and they just passed it through translation software before releasing the announcement.
While we're being scornful, we turn our gaze to the new Knight Rider. We've been keepig an eye on all the news, and let's just say we expect the show to fail. The new Mustang-based KITT, even in Attack guise, is no Super Pursuit Mode original KITT. We wrap up with some discussion of Hyundai's move toward a turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-inject engine (GEMA?) and take that off into a discussion about the expanded selection of good, inexpensive, and powerful coupes. The finale is some speculation about the rendering of a new McLaren supercar, as well as analyzing the absurdly high price of the BMW 1-series. 43 minutes will do it, see you next week!
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If you want to be among the first in the world to get your hands on the highly anticipated Corvette ZR-1 supercar, you'd better start planning a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, around mid January next year as the first car is tipped to be auctioned off there. Though everything remains unofficial, the guys at CorvetteZR1Forum.com are betting the car will be sold through Barret-Jackson auctions just days after its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.
As for the specs, most are surmising the car will in fact be labeled the ZR1 and should develop around the 650hp mark thanks to a supercharged version of the new LS9 6.2L V8. Recent spy shots of the car revealed new details such as 20-inch wheels, a hood intake and cooling vents on its flanks.
Considering the substantial performance leap the new ZR1 will have over the 'regular' 505hp Z06, we suspect there'll be an equally substantial price hike. You can bet the car being auctioned at Barret-Jackson, meanwhile, will go easily for more than a hundred large.
It's another slew of Corvette Blue Devil/SS/Stingray/Who-Really-Knows spy shots, this time in yellow with some modifications. Speculation continues that it will have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with a carbon fiber roof and hood, which probably does not include the transparent Plexiglas panel that was all the buzz a few months back. There's a new decklid lip, conjecture about a second vent higher up the front fenders, and a different shape for the lower rear fascia.
It also is possible that the uber-Corvette will ditch its Goodyears in the closet and slip into some Michelins for the big dance, a first for the Vette it seems. The rubber shoes in the photo contain markings and designs particular to each wheel. The rear rims -- the same staggered, double dual 5-spoke design seen before -- measure a whopping 20-inches, and slight mud flaps do little to hide their girth.
With all the rumors surrounding the hyped-up Corvette, Jim Dunne over at Popular Mechanics wanted to get some answers, so he went to the source – well, a source, at least.
According to the "largest Corvette dealer in Michigan" the Blue Devil/SS 'Vette will get a singular supercharger, will cost upwards of $100k and could possibly push out the current Z06 to be the dominant Corvette in the General's lineup. Only 3,000 abnormally-aspirated, Corvette supercars will be built over two years, with 1,500 units being allocated for sale each year.
The shocker? According to the unnamed dealer, none of GM's manual transmissions are up to the task of handling all the ponies produced by the blown powerplant. The solution: it's getting an automatic.
The one question that wasn't answered (or possibly even asked) is "when?" We're putting our money on Detroit or Chicago, but considering all the misinformation out there; we'd suggesting talking to a dealer.
Getting back in the groove, we bring you Autoblog Podcast #68. Starting us off is the battle of the inside sources, where we debate which GM mole is correct about the CTS-V. One rumor has the hottest little Caddy getting the Blue Devil's 600-horsepower 6.0L V8. The competing theory is that there'll be a 6.2L V8 with mid-500 horsepower, not the Blue Devil's mill. Either way, it will add up to M5 punch in an M3-sized wrapper. GM has more RWD goodies for us, as word of its Alpha platform replacing Epsilon cars like the G6, and Cadillac BLS replacement, which may come here, has us all atwitter. Our last bit of GM fodder is the passing of the Cobalt SS Supercharged. It was an entertaining car; but even though the supercharged Cobalt goes away, the un-muscled SS remains. We hope that GM's pledge to reinvigorate the SS badge so that it actually means something will get in gear soon.
We move on from GM to Chrysler and the Cerberus sale. Wolfgang Berhnardt is said to be an integral consultant to the deal, and he's looking for a homestead in the Detroit area as well as poking around the offices and design studio. Seems like Bernhardt is waiting for his noncompete with VW to expire while quietly orchestrating a turn of the Pentastar vessel. We detour into how fitting a Star Wars-themed Chrysler press conference would be (c'mon, you wouldn't really be surprised, would you?) before wrapping up with Hyundai's confidence-inspiring extension of its 10-year/100,000 mile warranty to Certified Pre Owned Vehicles up to five years old. They must feel pretty certain that their cars will hold up, as the warranty means they could possibly cover some powertrains for 15 years. That's it – 37 minutes of heaven!
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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 last couple of days, we've all been inundated with news of Chrysler's sale to Cerberus, and that's what we lead Podcast #66 with. As much as it makes analysts and pundits foam at the mouth, news about the sale is a pretty dry affair. We'll be keeping an eye on how things go with the newly independent Chrysler, though.
On a more amusing note, we marvel at the confidence GM has in its new Malibu. The suggested sales tactic is to put the new Malibu beside a Camry in Chevy showrooms and guide the customer through how the Malibu is better. Of course, it's mainly a sales stunt - as the only way to tell anything about a car is by driving it. We wonder if Malibus will start popping up in Toyota stores - it'd improve the scenery compared to all the Joe Camel-looking cars, that's for sure. Perhaps the most momentous item we cover this week is Autoblog's first purchased spy shots, capturing the new Honda Accord in the wild. On the spy shot tip, our discussion moves on to the Saab 9-3 and we eventually end up talking about cellphone shots of the Blue Devil. Betwixt the Saab and hot 'Vette, we briefly ponder why German companies are filling their trophy cases with engine awards. German Engineering, ja. We finish up with a simple request - that Motor Trend, Automobile and their sibling buff books be well treated by their new stewards, which devolves into a confessional about who bought a back issue on eBay that featured one of their favorite cars. It's a 36 minute affair this week, enjoy!
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We're back with #64 after being laid low by illness and schedule last week. Starting it off is some analysis of the 430HP LS3 Corvette, which we were lucky enough to see unveiled in Bowling Green, KY. 430 horses in the base car...nice. Speaking of rear-wheel-drive sports cars, there's yet another special Mustang, the Super Snake. It's upper limit of 725 horsepower has instantly rendered the GT500KR that debuted in New York totally irrelevant. Wake us up when the rollouts of special Mustangs are over. *Yawn* Of course, we still manage to talk about some hot 'Stangs for a few minutes. We wrap the whole deal up with the new Hyundai coupe based on the Genesis sedan's architecture. Whether it's the new Tiburon (finally a contender?), we don't know. Nor do we know if the rendering we've seen is anywhere near accurate, but Hyundai's continuing with their aggressive push, so we'll see where it leads. It's a tight 27 minutes this week, so enjoy!
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Another batch of pics have surfaced of the new Corvette Z07/SS/Blue Devil/Sting Ray/Grand Sport, this time from Popular Mechanics ace Jim Dunne. The car is virtually unmasked, save a cover on the front fender vents and over the hood. The only real differences we see on the outside are the ten-spoke wheels, a black roof and the covered-but-visible hood bulge. Oh yeah, and it's wearing a Devil Red paint job.
The roof is rumored to be carbon fiber to save weight and add strength, a trick commonly employed on a few BMWs. The hood might also be made of the carbon weave, and with or without scoop, PM confirms it's covering a supercharger. Even the wheels might be carbon fiber to save on unsprung weight. Whatever their made of, they look good and appear to be wrapped in even wider tires, especially at the rear. Other changes out back include integrated mudflaps and a revised spoiler lip with a restyled cyclops brake light.
The first Vette to possibly crack the $100,000 mark should be a real supercar, with between 600 and more likely 700 hp coming from its blown 7.0L V8. Click the Read link for several full-car shots from PM.
Our reaction to the official press shot of the Corvette ZR1 was a little guarded. The bright blue car that accompanied the lifting of the embargo left us thinking a bit more about Hot Import Nights than we were comfortable with. 0-60 Magazine recently had a photo shoot with another ZR1, and this one dressed nice. All the tungsten instruments around 0-60's ZR1 really play up the surface detailing of the C6 Corvette, and the handsome metallic gray hue made this particular ZR1 a stealth bomber. There's the minor detail of that polycarbonate skylight in the hood, and the humongous brake package peeking from behind equally huge rims is far more striking in person than pictures will ever convey, too. So, even in a subdued color, the ZR1 still manages to announce to the world that it's packing something special. There's nothing of any consequence in the video, it's a few walkarounds of one of the hottest cars extant. It's a nice holiday treat, so stop feasting on goodies for a couple minutes and hit the jump for some eye candy instead. 
Autoblog Podcast #83 was judiciously held back until after the embargo cleared, but we can now talk freely. The biggest news this week is the official unveiling of the 
Getting back in the groove, we bring you Autoblog Podcast #68. Starting us off is the battle of the inside sources, where we debate which GM mole is correct about the 
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