Dorkus Malorkus

Wow. Not sure I’m actually surprised by this, but GM’s engineers have made the 2008 base Corvette even faster. Click the link to see the full story and some high res photos.

As much as I looove how sexy the car is, and am drawn by power and speed, and have read about how this is an AMAZING, true sports car, I can’t get over decades of snobbery.

*sigh*

2008 Chevy Corvette revealed with new 6.2L LS3 V8 and up to 436 hp

Everything inside and out has been breathed on, but the headlining story is the LS3 engine. The combination of “Corvette,” “more displacement,” and “more horsepower” is the kind of word play that makes everyone’s heart sing, and GM hasn’t disappointed. The previous 6.0-liter becomes 6.2, and those 376 cubic inches equate to 430 hp, with torque bumped up to 424 lb-ft. In addition, there’s a new high-flow cylinder head, larger valves, an acoustically-tuned intake manifold, and new beauty covers that, of course, say LS3. If you need even more hp, a dual-stage exhaust system is available, half an inch smaller than the Z06 version, that utilizes butterflies in the two inner pipes. The exhaust adds another 6 hp and 4 lb-ft, but even better, it adds the kind of raucous, popping exhaust note — even on the automatic — that let’s everyone know you mean business. With all the mods, the top speed of the base Corvette gets up to 190 mph.

Inside, the sport shift has been retuned for quicker shifts and a more sporting feel, and offers a 0-60 time in just 4.3 seconds. There are also two full interior leather options, in Sienna and Linen, that raise the bar in the Corvette interior to that appraoching [sic]its titular competition.

Update: more details have come out on the Z07 :O

It was a happy day for Chevy when its cutting-edge Corvette Z06 was thrust by auto journalists into the same universe as the world’s fastest and most exotic supercars. It’s a luxury vehicle in only the purest sense — interior frills are minimal at best, and legend has it that many a Z06 engineer went home in a snit after the decision was made to motorize the convertible top because of the weight it added.

That’s right, folks, this baby is about pure performance — and perform it does. Its 505 hp 7.0L V8 engine launches the ‘vette to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, putting it well within reach of vehicles three times as expensive, including the Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLR McLaren and Aston Martin V-8 Vantage.

Chevy engineers can barely contain themselves as they work to top the masterpiece in the C7 (the seventh generation of the Corvette), but to tide us (and them) over, they’re taking one last crack at the C6 in the form of the Chevrolet Corvette Z07, expected to launch in time for the 2009 model year. Often referred to as the Blue Devil, the super-super Corvette will serve as a sneak preview for the 2010 C7 — a whopping 700 horsepower will likely be achieved by supercharging the V-8 in preparation for putting it under the hood of the C7, and powertrain components borrowed from the C7′s parts bin will grace the Z07′s infrastructure.

Supercars, beware.

I just read a great article on Yahoo about how to beat a traffic ticket. The most amazing part to me is that I haven’t been skeptical/cynical enough to really believe what I’ve suspected all along — tickets are viewed more as a revenue source than a measure to maintain good order in our society.
Read more »

Do hybrids save money? – Autoblog – www.autoblog.com:
Posted Oct 2, 2005, 6:00 PM ET by Stuart Waterman
Related entries: Hybrids/Alternative

No. That’s the conclusion of Joe White, Detroit Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal

White first looked at trading in his Subaru for a Prius, and found that at roughly $3 per gallon for gas, he wouldn’t recover his financing costs. Joe figured that at his annual mileage, he’d save about $746 a year in fuel costs, but it would take too long to recover the  premium he’d pay for the hybrid.

Next he looked at the hypothetical situation of someone without a car looking to buy either a Honda Civic or the Prius. In this case, the fuel savings were roughly $506 per year, versus a purchase price difference of about $8,000. Without even considering cost-of-money issues, it would take nearly 16 years just to break even.

The bottom line? Unless gas prices go a lot higher, or the government increases hybrid subsidies, or both, buying a hybrid probably won’t save you money. Of course, there are the intangible but real benefits of reducing your personal environmental impact, but then you have to ask yourself if you’re really getting the biggest bang for your environmental investment.

Interesting analysis.  Wifee and I were considering the benefits of having a hybrid around, but w/o doing any serious numbers, I was unaware of the price premium you’d have to pay for one. 

In our case, the wifee was considering getting rid of her SUV in favor of something that got better mileage, so the numbers would work out much better in our favor, but it’s still eye opening to read facts like this.

In the end, it was just too inconvenient to give up the “U” in SUV that she wants/needs in order to save some bucks at the pump, so I needn’t be too concerned, anyway.

Yep — I finally got it done. :)

I’m a little blah about it, though:  MD state law only allows 35% (the amount of light that gets through — lower numbers = darker tint), which is about enough tint to not be able to distinguish facial features, but not quite dark enough to hide the outlines of a person’s head.  I’ll post some pics tonight; possibly sooner. (Edit: pic added)

I’d like to go darker w/ it, but I remember my brother-in-law being pulled over quite frequently.  He had a red Civic coupe w/ rims, lowered, neon lights, etc etc…. I’m sure that had quite a bit to do w/ it, too.  The difference, I feel, is that I’m a long-haired man who has that “out of townâ€? look about himself — I don’t get “breaksâ€? when I get pulled over.  I never get asked, “You know how fast you were going?â€? or “Where’s the fire?â€? or told “I’m gonna give you a warning this time.â€?

Instead, the first words out of the cop’s mouth are “License, registration and proof of insurance.â€?  And they usually ask the question from about my 7 o’clock — NEVER at 9.  I’m not sure if you recognize the significance or implication of that — it’s a tactic that keeps the officer out of reach/sight of their suspect — the cop fears I’m a violence risk.

The next words I hear:  “I’m fining you ___; your court date is _____.  Slow it down.â€?  Keep in mind, I’ve been very, very careful to not get another ticket (it’s been a long while), but that’s because the lesson was hammered home long ago.

Non-white men don’t get breaks w/ the cops.

My wife?  She ALWAYS get a break, but then, she’s beautiful and has the most incredible set of … eyes (those, too).

I got a little off-topic here — I was going to talk about how the whole DC sniper thing has me a little paranoid, and the James Bond, super agent tint angle, but I’ve instead made this about prejudice.

Kinda makes my other points look stupid.  Damn.  I wanted to talk about James Bond.

It’s time to get my car tinted :D
I’ve been putting it off a while — I just wasn’t certain whether or not I wanted to do it, but I’m decided.  It’s time to do it.

I’m a little nervous about my choice of tinters — this one comes well-recommended, but there’s some baggage involved.  I don’t think this particular baggage will make a difference to me, but when it comes to having to deal w/ this kind of thing, I’d rather not.

Meh.

Edit:  Ok — today wasn’t the day.  The guy that was recommended to me wasn’t in today, so I’m going to go in tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 AM to get it done.