Corvette C7.R To Race In China For The First Time Ever

Corvette C7.R

What’s Chevrolet's latest move to increase sales for the Corvette overseas? Bring their coolest Corvette they have to race at places they haven’t raced yet.   

Corvette will close out the 20th season of FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its first-ever factory-run race in Asia. The Corvette C7.R Redline special edition will run the 6 hours of Shanghai on the weekend of November 16-18.

The Shanghai International Circuit is a venue that offers 16 turns in 5.45-km (3.38-miles) per lap. Like all WEC races, this track is designed to test the vehicle’s speed, endurance, stability, fuel economy and, of course, the driver’s skills. Built in 2004, the motorsports venue already host many racing championship circuits including the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.

“Corvette Racing has proven itself as a world-class racing program,” said the Chevrolet director of Motorsports Competition, Mark Kent. “Competing in the Shanghai race provides us with an additional opportunity to test ourselves against the top manufacturers and teams in the FIA WEC.”    

Chevrolet Redline Edition

Chevrolet's decision for making the move toward racing the Redline edition Corvette C7.R instead of the tradition yellow and black C7.R is because of their plans to sell the special edition Corvette in China and other countries in that region.

The Redline edition isn’t just limited to the Corvette. This special edition trim was first introduced at the 2015 SEMA Show and is implicated on select Chevrolet trucks, SUVs, sedans, compacts and sports cars. Some of these other special edition models will join the Corvette in the overseas sales campaign.      

Scott Lawson, general director of Chevrolet for SAIC-GM tells us, “Chevrolet plans on strengthening their brand in China by boosting their product lineup and their overall customer and ownership experience. We have been rolling out more youthful and sportier Redline editions to help reach younger customers, the ones that are most likely to branch out and buy a sporty looking Chevrolet.”

Either way, global exposure and sales will keep profits up and stock prices steady if not rising.

New Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to Pace the Indy 500 - Here’s Why It Gets the Honor!

Corvette ZR1 Indy 500 Pace Car

With its aggressive look and big bold front end and rear spoiler, this Corvette looks like it’s ready to take on every supercar on the planet, and with its overwhelming power and handling abilities, it is.

Let’s take a look at some of the 2019 Corvette ZR1 hard hitting numbers and influential features that helped it earn its right to be this years Indy 500 Pacecar.

The monster 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that sits under the aggressive looking hood of the Corvette ZR1 cranks out 755 horsepower. That horsepower combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission or a seven-speed rev-matching manual transmission pushes this ZR1 from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds at 134 mph. If that still leaves you a little under impressed, then maybe the 212 mph average top speed at the track in Papenburg, Germany can open your eyes to just how well this Corvette performs.  

What makes this LT5 ZR1 6.2-liter engine so much more potent than the Corvette Z06 6.2-liter V8? The engine the ZR1 gets has been upgraded with a bigger Eaton supercharger, bigger throttle body, a beefier camshaft and uses both port-and-direct fuel injection for an increase of 105 ponies over the Z06.

Helping this massive LT5 engine perform well even at high speeds for long periods of time is a much larger front fascia than the average Corvette. The ZR1 front fascia includes huge air dams and fender vents to help push as much cool air into the 13 radiators as possible. The ZR1 also offers plenty of other large exterior features. The front splitter is noticeably bigger than the Z06 front splitter and the ZR1 rear spoiler just dwarfs the ZO6 rear spoiler. Along with some other awesome carbon fiber add-ons, the 2019 ZR1 Corvette creates 950 pounds of downforce. Now it should be noted that if you don’t plan on doing any major competition circuit racing, you probably won’t need the massive rear spoiler, and if you think it looks intrusive, you can order your new ZR1 with a Z06 rear spoiler for a more reasonable look.    

So how does this turn-key race car drive as a daily driver with an average driver behind the wheel? When the Corvette is switched to Touring mode, you will get to enjoy a quieter exhaust, looser steering characteristics and a softer suspension. Outside of being very careful with the aggressive acceleration, this new 2019 Corvette ZR1 has the ability to offer you a very easy driving powerful supercar that leaves you confident in your driving abilities. And if you do want to test your driving skills at high speeds, the Michelin Super Sports tires and magnetic suspension offers you the same easy handling attributes at high speeds as it does in everyday driving situations. For a car that can reach 200+ mph and go 10 seconds in the quarter-mile, its ability to let you handle the car at ease at any speed is incredible. And of course, stopping has never been an issue with Corvette’s high performers. Six-piston carbon ceramic Brembo brake calipers are used in the front and four-piston calipers are used in the rear.  

Obviously, the interior of the Corvette ZR1 cabin is just as high-tech as the exterior and drivetrain. An eight-inch touchscreen infotainment center host all of the goodies and connectivity capabilities you would expect out of a high-end General Motors vehicle. Included with that system is a rearview backup camera, a front end camera so you don’t mash up your front splitter, and a powerful Bose system so you can jam away on long car cruises.

Coming Soon
The most powerful and capable Corvette ever built is now available at select dealerships. The full load of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupes and convertibles should be coming to all qualifying dealerships later this year/early next.

So what can you expect to pay for this 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1? Around $122,095 for the coupe and $126,095 for the convertible (no word on the extra cost for the Indy 500 Special Edition).

To see this 2019 Corvette ZR1 in action, tune into ABC, Sunday, May 27 for the official Indy 500 Race.

Yenko Camaro: Rare 1981 Turbo Z

 

1981 Camaro Yanko Turbo Z

Car enthusiasts, including knowledgeable Camaro enthusiasts, may believe one of two things: the last Don Yenko specialty car was the 1971 Chevy Nova Yenko, or it was the 2010 Chevy Camaro Yenko, but neither one of these beliefs would be true.

2010 Chevy Camaro Yenko - Not A True Yenko
The 2010 Chevy Camaro Yenko is in fact not a true Don Yenko car at all. Chevy obtained the rights to use the Yenko name on the 2010 Yenko Camaro, but that does not make it a Don Yenko car. Instead, unlike true Don Yenko cars that were customized at his dealerships, the 2010 Yenko Camaro is just a special edition factory produced Camaro, the Yenko franchise had nothing to do with it.

Stage I & II 1981 Camaro Yenko Turbo Z

The 1971 Chevy Nova Yenko may be the last memorable Yenko specialty car, but there is a true Yenko edition that came after the ‘71 Nova. The very rare Stage I & II 1981 Camaro Yenko Turbo Z may not have come out in the muscle car era when cars were known for their power, but like most of Yenko’s cars, these Camaros would be customized to be much more powerful than what they were when they were ordered from the factory.

Thanks to emission regulations, the 1981 350-ci.-in. Camaro Z-28 was choked down to a mere 175 horsepower, not nearly enough to be called a muscle car anymore. Don Yenko decided that one of his last adventures in car building would be to give the Chevy Camaro some much needed modern power that could be respected.

1981 Yenko Camaro Stage I & II

There was 19 Stage I & II Yenko Camaros built at Don Yenko dealerships. Three of those were the Turbo Z Stage II Camaros making them some of the rarest Camaros in existence. All 19 of these Camaros are still considered extremely rare and came with an abundance of visual and performance upgrades.

Not only did the 1981 Yenko Camaro come with enough performance upgrades to knock off about three seconds from its original Z28 quarter-mile time, it also came with all of the luxuries that could be ordered from the factory like leather, air condition, tilt steering wheel, and more. The only thing it did not come with was a radio - in place of the radio was a “Yenko Turbo Z” plate.

1981 Yenko Camaro Upgrades:

• 7 PSI. Turbocharger Added to the 350 cu.-in. Engine 

• 350 Turbo Trans

• G80 Positraction

• 3.08:1 Rear Gears                      

• Koni Shock Absorbers

• Stiffer Stabilizer Bars 

• IROC Front Spoiler

• Turbo Z Logo Specific Decals and Floor Mats

• Leather Racing Steering Wheel

So how much horsepower does this turbocharged 1981 Camaro Yenko produce? Well, no one is for sure, but experts estimate that it is probably somewhere around 210-225 horsepower.

Heading To Mecum Auto Auction
If you were thinking about shopping for one of these rare Camaros, especially the 1-of-3 Stage II editions, have fun finding one

But....

The upcoming Mecum Auto Auction does offer you a chance to bid on a Stage II. The week of Jan. 5-14, 2018, Mecum will have one of these rare gems rolling across the auction block - expect a price tag around $140,000.00.