The ultimate (factory) Corvette

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2007-03-09 03:57pm

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/2360

I've always been intrigued by the highly secretive Corvette "Blue Devil" project, now supposedly to be called the Corvette SS when it hits production. There has been no confirmation by GM except that it will be built for MY2009, but they are tight-lipped on details.

Several test mules have been spotted over the last two years, but this is the first time we've actually seen under the hood: The photos in the link above were taken by a Lufthansa shipping clerk in Michigan (who apparently has since been fired) of a modified Corvette test mule being shipped to Germany, almost certainly for track testing at the Nürburgring. As suspected, it has a supercharged engine (likely of lower displacement than the 7.0L LS7 used by the Z06; probably 6.2L) that will produce between 600-650 horsepower (knowing GM's notoriety for conservative horsepower estimates, expect the final figure to be closer to the high end). There are other indications that this will be more than simply a Z06 with a new engine dropped in, such as the ceramic brake discs on this test mule.

One thing that I wonder is how long it will be before the Corvette's RWD-only chassis (an AWD version of the current Corvette is not possible thanks to it's drivetrain layout, which uses a front-mounted engine and a rear-mounted transaxle) won't be able to use all that power because it's tires can't put it all to the pavement effectively: Even the massive 325/30ZR-19 tires currently worn by the Z06's rear wheels spin very easily under all that power, so I can only imagine how it'd be with SS 'Vette, which will not only be more powerful, but will supposedly also be lighter, thanks to even more extensive use of exotic materials than the Z06.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » 2007-03-09 04:18pm

I. Want. This. Car.

OK, had to get that out. I hadn't heard anything about this car in awhile, (forgot to renew my subscription to C&D) so thanks for posting this. So its gonna be a supercharger, I remember hearing some earlier rumors about possibly going with a twin turbo. I like the decision to go with the supercharger much better.

God I wish I could afford it, shit, I wish I could afford a regular vette. I love my Camaro SS but its not a vette, no matter how much I wish it was.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2007-03-09 04:25pm

If they can get it under the 3000 pound mark, it'll be goddamn scary fast to the point where only pros can handle it, it'll probably be almost as fast as the current C6R which cleaned up the endurance racing circuit. The current Z06 is already way more car than most people can handle, you'll run out of guts & skill way before reaching the car's limits. I've driven a Z06 around Mosport and things were happening so fast that I could barely keep up, and I barely took the engine above 5000rpm. I kinda wish they stuck with a naturally aspirated engine though, the LS7 screaming towards redline under wide open throttle is something which every car guy must experience.

Sam Or I · Post by **Sam Or I** » 2007-03-09 06:33pm

With the Viper being bumped to 600 HP, the new Vette had to keep up if not surpass.

HP nowadays is crazy and scary. Your family sedans are now making 300 plus HP.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2007-03-09 09:03pm

aerius wrote:If they can get it under the 3000 pound mark, it'll be goddamn scary fast to the point where only pros can handle it, it'll probably be almost as fast as the current C6R which cleaned up the endurance racing circuit. The current Z06 is already way more car than most people can handle, you'll run out of guts & skill way before reaching the car's limits.

GM is supposedly considering making buyers of this UberVette (and possibly even the Z06) attend a special driver training course before they're allowed to take delivery of the car (the cost of the course would most likely be included in the car's MSRP).

Sam Or I wrote:HP nowadays is crazy and scary. Your family sedans are now making 300 plus HP.

Yes it is crazy. To put it in perspective, this car will be as powerful and (if they can get the weight below 3,000 lbs) as fast as the McLaren F1, which once held the title as the fastest car in the world, but was ten times as expensive as this car will be (assuming the rumors of the $100K pricetag are true). Sometimes I wonder how many years it will be before we see a Vette as powerful as the Bugatti Veyron...

Burak Gazan · Post by **Burak Gazan** » 2007-03-09 09:29pm

Holy Crap

The driving course sounds like a vital survival skill for this beast. I hope GM has tweaked the handling some, everything I've read on the Z06 describes it as somewhat squirrely near the left-hand corner of the envelope. Just adding more power might make it a rocket (as long as the tires dont melt) but woha

600 hp though, thats getting into Lambo and Ferrari territory

salm · Post by **salm** » 2007-03-10 05:10am

Wow, impressive.

Even though design wise they´ve gone the ferrari way and made it look boring. The only cool looking modern sports cars in this league seem to come from lamborghini these days.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2007-03-11 08:51pm

That intercooler is HUGE! I can't wait to see an actual production model and not some chopped up Z06 prototype.

tim31 · Post by **tim31** » 2007-03-12 12:21am

Well, I'm pleased to see Chevrolet is looking after its fans more so than Nissan. Skyline-owners-for-life are not going to forgive them screwing with the GT-R in a hurry.

Burak Gazan · Post by **Burak Gazan** » 2007-03-12 02:11am

I'm sticking with my BMW 335i for now, but this beast looks stupid fast

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2007-03-12 11:46am

Col. Crackpot wrote:That intercooler is HUGE! I can't wait to see an actual production model and not some chopped up Z06 prototype.

I wonder how many PSI of boost that blower is going to deliver? My guess is it'd need at least 10-12 to get to 650hp (judging by the fact that the current 6.0L and 6.2L small-blocks get around 400hp naturally aspirated), about the same pressure as the 469hp 4.4L supercharged Northstar used on the Caddy STS-V, which itself has a pretty big intercooler. Since this engine has to suck in over 50% more air to get the same pressure, it's no wonder the intercooler would have to be that big.

Burak Gazan wrote:I'm sticking with my BMW 335i for now, but this beast looks stupid fast

You have a 335i? Lucky you. That's a sweet ride, faster than the previous-generation M3 if I recall correctly.

Burak Gazan · Post by **Burak Gazan** » 2007-03-12 12:04pm

You have a 335i? Lucky you. That's a sweet ride, faster than the previous-generation M3 if I recall correctly

Yes, I traded in my olde Mustang GT

At the time, I didn't know the precise performance numbers, but that didn't last long

The damn thing is an M3 in disguise, and plenty fast for me. The twin-turbo 6 pumps out 300 hp in a 3.0 litre engine, 25hp more than the Mustang did and in a car that only has a curb weight of just over 1600 kg.....

I'm kinda curious what the next-gen M3 is going to be like, it's supposed to have a V-8 powerplant and all the associated M division toys