Saturday, June 4, 2016

Chevrolet Grand Prix - Belle Isle, Detroit



What a great way to shine a bright light on Detroit and General Motors than having the Belle Isle Chevrolet Grand Prix play out on the backdrop of the cities GM Renaissance Center building in the city where GM headquarters resides.

With many great race events creating plenty of competition all weekend long, there won't be a dull moment for any race fans that come to the festivities. But if you do find yourself in the stands needing a break from the fast cars zooming by, there are plenty of infield events to keep adults and youngsters alike loving every minute of their stay at the Belle Isle Grand Prix. Between the autograph signing sessions, extreme sports demonstrations, live music, monster truck rides for kids, car shows and of course great food, there will be entertainment for everyone around every corner.

As always Penske Racing has put a huge helping-hand into making all of this work and without a doubt there will be plenty of Penske Racing Teams involved in these great events. But there not to overshadow some of the other great sponsors like Quick and Loans, Meijer who brings the Fan Zone, Motor City Hotel brings the live entertainment and of course Chevrolet and many other sponsors.

All of this great sponsorship just proves how much everyone believes in a city that has made some major changes in the past few years and are still working on making it just an all around great place to come and visit. Whether it is for a sporting event or just to paint the town red while hitting the Casinos, the great eating destinations, clubbing or pub and bar prowling - whatever suits your fantasy - you'll find it here in Detroit.




So I hope that everyone goes and does what I plan on doing - take some great pictures, but enjoy as much of the Belle Isle Chevrolet Grand Prix without an electronic device occupying your eyes and your every movement throughout the day.









Thursday, June 2, 2016

Mid-Engine Corvette Going To Happen - Update




Updated Again: 10/8/2018

Update
So a quick update on what could be one of the most exciting automotive days in my life. Living in the Motor City there has been a lot more talk that seems to be more fact than fluff about the new Mid-Engine Corvette.

Car and Driver, The GM Authority, Auto Week, Jalopink.com, etc. has all been posting on what might be - but I like facts. From sources I can't mention, the word is there should be renderings from Corvette designers (renderings that matter) out as soon as later this year and prototypes at the North American Auto Show in January of next year. And if anyone knows how Corvette does business, when they put something in the North American Auto Show, even if it is a prototype, that means unless something goes drastically wrong, it's going to make it into production.

My hope is Corvette (GM) takes a page out of the Ford Motor Company's play book and does something similar to what they are doing when it comes to purchasing-eligibility for the 2017 Ford GT supercar. Clients who want a chance to get put on the waiting list for the limited-edition Ford GT supercar have to fill out an application. The idea behind the application is to make sure that people who purchase one of Ford's limited-edition supercars will drive it, take it to car cruises and car shows and not stick them into their personal museums to be dusted off 20 years later and sold at an auction for profit. 

Along with the above-mentioned reason, most auto companies that create such wonderful works of art usually store a few of those priceless cars in their own museums anyway. Ford Motor Company, as like most auto companies want to see their vehicles driven, they want to see their beautiful designs being used for what they were designed for, having fun in them.  

But time will tell what happens, the closer Ford comes to getting their supercar out, Corvette will push harder to get their mid-engine Vette rolling and hopefully the competition will roll on harder than ever. 
6/1/2016


I have talked about the mid-engine Corvette in the past, its possibilities of finding its way into the Corvette lineup and what it would mean for GM, Chevrolet and Corvette. After many exciting years of maybes, it's possible, it's just a cool thought and nothing more – the Godfather of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, has made it pretty clear that the public will see a Mid-Engine Corvette revealed possibly as soon as the L.A. Auto Show late this year.

Although this would be new to the public eye, it is a well-known fact that Corvette has been working on and has come up with a pretty permanent version of a Mid-Engine Corvette. The drivetrain solutions are said to include a seven-speed manual transmission and an LT1/LT4 700-hp twin-turbocharged engine.

Unfortunately, the many renderings I have seen, which is not much to my surprise, looks almost just like a Ferrari with Corvette badges. And I say not much to my surprise because if you look at a 2016 Corvette Z06 and compare it to a 2016 Ferrari F12, put them in the same color, you can very easily mistake them for one another from a distance (my opinion).  

When this does happen, the word out is that most of the front-engine Corvettes will still be very much a part of the Corvette lineup and most likely none will be bumped out as a result of an extra Corvette coming in. The front-engine Corvette is part of the iconic brand as we know it. If anything, the Mid-Engine Corvette will be more for just breaking track records, giving the Ford GT and other Mid-Engine competitors a run for their money, and or to sit in a rich person's car collection.



When the Mid-Engine Corvette does become an available vehicle for the public to purchase, you won't be able to just go to any dealership and buy one or have one serviced by any dealership under warranty. Selected dealerships with a great reputation for sales and customer service will be high on the list of places that will have the honor of selling and promoting the Mid-Engine Corvette, and of course, three other things will help decide where they will be available at – location, location, location.

The price tag for one of these Corvettes is going to most likely be out outrageously high. That is why location will be a huge part of deciding where they will be sold. If Corvette is thinking about competing with the Ford GT, and when has Chevy ever not tried to compete with Ford, the price tag will likely find its way up into the $350,000 to $400,000 range. That is a supercar status price tag, but Chevrolet has yet to fail on any attempt to make a sports car or supercar worth every penny in the past 10+ years.

3/16/2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

Need Hennessy Power For Your Camaro SS

Hennessy Camaro ZL1

Update

As promised, Hennessy has been hard at work taking not just the Camaro SS and making it unstoppable, but they have also added Hennessy Camaro ZL1 versions, four-cylinder turbocharged versions, LE versions (including the V-6), and they have their own recipes for new Corvettes and Cadillac CTS-Vs. 


So if you are someone that is lucky enough to have some money left over after you buy one of these sweet rides and needs something a little extra, let Hennessy Performance hook you up with something just a little more awesome. 

5/27/2016

Like most of us excepted, Hennessy Performance Engineering got their hands on some 2016 Camaro SS sports cars and came up with a few different Hennessy versions, and anybody who has been around the aftermarket auto industry for a while definitely knows that Hennessy only puts their badges on vehicles that represent what they stand for – badass performance.

Although the Camaro SS already comes with 455-hp and 455-lb.-ft. of torque, for some people that just isn't enough. So Hennessy did what they do best and outlined eight different high-performance Camaro SS versions for customers to opt for if they so choose, including a 1,000-hp supercharged version that puts out 887-lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200-rpm. Other versions include the naturally aspired HPE500, 600, and 650, and the supercharged HPE650, 700, 750 and 800.


The 1,000-hp 2016 Hennessy Camaro SS will get a total reconstructed engine that will be stroked out from the original 6.2-liter engine to a 6.8-liter engine. Making sure that the engine can handle the massive 1,000-hp, Hennessy adds forged aluminum pistons, billet connecting rods, ported cylinder heads and hollow-stem valves to the engine rebuild. Of course, that horsepower would not be obtainable if it weren't for the massive supercharger, the heavy-duty intercooler, and a brand new engine management system.


Even if you don't opt for the 1,000-hp version, but something a little more realistically streetable, all Hennessy Camaro SS versions get a few visual bonuses that include incognito badges placed around the outside of the vehicle, Hennessy specific floormats and a numbered plaque on the dashboard to distinguish its authenticity and rareness. Needless to say, with the tame visual effects, you might be sitting right next to an HPE Camaro SS without even recognizing it.

If a 1,000-hp Camaro sounds like something you are willing to spring for, know that after you buy your 2016 Camaro SS, you have to have an extra $65,000 lying around, because that's how much you will have to send to Hennessy to have your Camaro spruced up to a HPE1000. Prices for the less upgraded versions of the HPE Camaros can be obtained by a quick call to Hennessy and a little chat with their tech guys.


All Camaro upgrades come with a 36,000 mile/one-year drivetrain warranty to give you a little time to tear up the road and break the drivetrain before you're responsible. They are also compatible with the manual transmission and the automatic transmission, even if you upgrade to the supercharged Hennessy versions, both transmissions are said to perform flawlessly.

Although these upgrades are specifically for the Camaro SS, I'm sure if you talked to the guys at Hennessy about your Camaro LE (V-6, V-8), you would be able to talk them into hooking you up with a pretty sweet little performance package.

2/28/16




Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Camaro's Most Powerful Muscle Car: The 2017 Camaro ZL1



Later this year, Camaro will be adding a new ZL1 performance package to their 2017 lineup. Being held out of the lineup for 2016, Camaro plans on making up for its absence with a 2017 Camaro ZL1 that can take care of business on every level - from power and performance to style and comfort.

The 2017 Camaro ZL1 will come equipped with the supercharged motor that the Corvette ZO6 is currently using. This will boost the horsepower from the 580 horses the 2016 Camaro ZL1 produced to 640 horses for 2017. The badass 6.2-liter motor will come connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or a ten-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifting abilities.

No need to worry about peeling out before fishtailing into a tree as the Camaro's power is converted back to an electronic limited-slip differential with an adjustable performance traction management system. Although if it is a burnout that you are out looking to do you can always turn that bad boy off and go crazy. But if you are just looking to sprint forward in a straight line with virtually no steering responsibilities, the Camaro ZL1 traction management system will help you do just that.

As with just about all of General Motors high-end vehicles, you will receive the Magnetic Ride Control active suspension. This will without a doubt let you carve corners effortlessly on your Good Year F1 Eagle tires while comfortably seated on the inside secured to deep leather and sued-upholstery racing Recaro seats. And comfortably is always an understatement when it comes to Camaro or any GM vehicle for that matter, as all the interior creature comforts that come with all other Camaro trim models are also standard here.


Outside of obvious power, the next biggest difference you will see between the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and the other Camaros in the lineup is the appearance package. A huge front grille lets in much-needed air as a vented hood helps release the air keeping the front-end of the Camaro down at high speeds. Wider side skirts and a bigger front spliter are easily noticed along with a rear spoiler that is definitely needed to help keep the vehicle planted when hitting corners at the road course.

No price tag has been yet announced for the 2017 Camaro ZL1, but one would have to imagine it will be a little bit more than the original price tag on the 2015 Camaro ZL1 which came in at $57,000.00.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Introducing the 2017 50th Anniversary Camaro





Way back in September of 1966, Chevrolet introduced what would soon become one of the most iconic American sports cars of all time - the Camaro. It was Chevrolet's answer to the Ford Mustang and their foot in the door to the poor man's sports car market.



With September 2016 right around the corner, Camaro recognizes the importance of the date and the need for a 50th Anniversary Edition Camaro. To celebrate 50 years of the sports car, a 2017 50th Anniversary Camaro Edition will be available for order as soon as this summer.

So what will be so special about this 50th Anniversary Camaro, as far as performance goes it does not sound like there will be any upgrades in that department. But you will have your choice of having any of the three engines placed in them that Camaro already offers: the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the 3.6-liter V-6 and the 6.2-liter monster V-8. Each engine setup will come available to you with the option of a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching technology or the eight-speed automatic with the excitement of steering wheel paddle shifting.

Some other great things that Camaro leaves up to you as options are all of the 50th Anniversary Camaros can be ordered as a coupe or in convertible version and in the 2LT trim or SS trim package. Each Camaro will come with a Night Fall Grey Metallic paint job with two orange and black stripes that will break up the paint job by running down the hood and trunk lid. Added to the appearance of the Camaro will be the very famous and iconic RS visual package that adds on many cool looking upgrades. Some of those upgrades included are a new front splitter with a mesh front grille and chrome accents, 20-inch alloy rims with “50th Anniversary” center caps, HID headlights, LED tail lamps and rear trunk-lid spoiler. Along with that comes painted brake calipers that match the stripes (only in front on 2LT models) and added special "50th Anniversary" badges on the front fenders and rear bumpers. 



The interior, although no photos have been produced of it yet is said to be just as nice. Black leather with orange contrast stitching is what will surround you and what you will be seated on. The seatbacks, steering wheel, instrumental panels and illuminated sill plates will all get special “50th Anniversary” treatment. Add that in with the suede inserts and all of the other creature comforts the Camaro offers its drivers and you have a 50th Anniversary Camaro that will not only be fun to drive, but also fun to take around to all of the local car shows. 

Prices have yet to be talked about but will probably be soon mentioned as summer is quickly approaching. In my opinion, since there is no power upgrades and no limited edition numbered models to be mentioned, I can't see them being priced much more than an average Camaro.



Tuesday, March 1, 2016

2016 Autorama Exits of Some of the Most Beautiful Vehicles

The Autorama in Detroit is always a great place and time for Michigan auto enthusiast. After a few months of cold weather and a few more to go, the huge indoor car show in February is a refreshing break in the action for car, truck and bike lovers to see some awesome pieces of automotive machinery come out of hibernation.

One of the best parts of the event is the leaving of the vehicles. Brand new high-end sports cars to classic restorations and everything in between take their final stroll out of Cobo hall and probably back into their garages for at least another month.

Take some time to take a look at the exits of some of the most beautiful vehicles that came to Detroit for this year's Autorama.



Another part of the action that came along with the 2016 Detroit Autorama was the star of "Counting Cars", Danny, from on A&E, performed with his band "Count 77".





Friday, February 12, 2016

2017 Camaro 1LE V-6 and V-8 Packages

Image result for camaro 1le 2017

As the Chicago Auto Show gets on its way this weekend, Chevrolet will be introducing some special 2017 1LE Camaros that will be available for Camaro enthusiast to purchase. Although the 1LE Camaro package has been an option for Camaro shoppers since 1989, the 2017 Camaro 1LE will host two different engine options next year.   

The 2017 Camaro 1LE package will be available for purchase on the V-8 Camaros, like in the past, but for 2017 it will also be available on the V-6 Camaros (1LT and 2LT). In the past, owning a V-6 Camaro or Firebird gave you the looks of a sports car, but when it came to power and handling, even braking, you definitely did not have much to brag about.

Now Camaro is stepping up to change that and give even Camaro V-6 owning's a sports car experience. If you order or buy a 2017 Camaro 3.6-liter V-6 you will be getting a Camaro that is 100-lbs. lighter than its V-8 big brother, while still pumping out 335 horses. Along with that horsepower, you also get a bunch of other goodies that come along with the 1LE.

Here are some stats to look forward to:
Camaro 3.6-liter 1LE
- The 335 horsepower V-6 comes matched up to a six-speed manual transmission
- The FE3 suspension components come from the Camaro SS and includes dampers, rear cradle mounts, ball-jointed rear toe links and stabilizer bars.
- 20-inch forged aluminum lightweight wheels come wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 - 245/40R20s for the front and 275/35R20s for the rear
- Front Brembo 4-piston brake calipers for major stopping power
- Mechanical Limited-slip differential with 3.27 ratio
- Standard track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Suede steering wheel for easy grip and shorter-throw shifter for quick gear selection
- Dual exhaust system comes standard
- The Camaro SS fuel system is put in place for higher-load cornering capability
- A Satin wrapped black hood along with a front splitter and a smooth looking three-piece rear spoiler are some of the styling features of the Camaro
- Unique high flow upper and lower grille with satin black accents
- Optional Recaro seats and Chevy's performance video and data recorder



Camaro SS 1LE
The SS 1LE comes with the new FE4 suspension that is track turned for high-performance corner cutting lap times. The Magnetic Ride dampers, springs and stabilizer bars are most likely courtesy of the Cadillac ATS.

Copping one of these SS Camaros will also get you:

- A 455 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 engine that comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. (no automatic offered)
- Magnetic Ride Control (most of GM's high-performance high-end vehicles have this suspension)
- Special forged aluminum wheels: 285/30ZR20s in the front and 305/30ZR20s in the rear
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires with a compound and construction developed exclusively for the Camaro and carving corners like a supercar
- Brembo brakes with new six-piston monobloc front red calipers and two-piece rotors. Measuring 14.6 inches in diameter, the front rotors are 7% bigger than the regular Camaro SS rotors and feature the 1LE Camaro emblem on them.
- Segment-exclusive electronic limited-slip differential with 3.73 ratio
- Track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Comfortable suede steering wheel with a shorter-throw shifter
- Dual exhaust system
- Recaro front seats with aggressive bolsters optimized for shifting and steering comfort
- Satin black wrapped hood and front mirrors to match along with a unique three-piece rear spoiler
- Satin Graphite front splitter and rear diffuser
- Chevy's performance video and data recorder optional.



Al Oppenheiser, Vehicle Chief Engineer of Camaro says that “the Camaro SS 1LE sets the new benchmark for the segment, lapping the Big Willow track at Willow Springs three seconds faster than the standard Camaro SS.” He also went on to say the V-6 1LE has been making lap times at the Willow Springs Race Way that keeps up with the V-8 Gen-5 Camaros. As of right now the V-6 pulls .97Gs of corning grip, while the V-8 pulls 1G of corning grip.

So what about the four-cylinder turbocharged Camaros that are even lighter. There is no word if they will make a 1LE package for the four-cylinder Camaro yet, but you can bet that you will be able to buy the 1LE components from GM Performance and have them installed. That would be a pretty fun little four-cylinder sports car to drive around.