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.