Auto News
AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.

07/02/2012 | By: Sami Haj-Assaad

What better way to sell  your car than an outrageous YouTube video?

Lettrage Perfect Design, a company in Lavaltrie, Quebec that sponsors modified cars is seen here with a C6 Corvette, and way too much spare rubber.

Watch as this driver creates a smoke show in front of a small crowd. The driver then does a few donuts and calls it a day, but not after showing us a fresh pair of (probably) rear tires that are ready for “the next show.”

Continue Reading…

18/01/2012 | By: Luke Vandezande

8_full.jpeg

The automotive enlightened ones know that when you really need to turn heads, going for a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati might work but it’s nothing compared to pulling up in something nobody has ever seen before.

For your consideration, the Falcon F7. It’s the second supercar to come from the company that built their name making special body panels for Dodge Vipers. Last year Falcon Motor Sports debuted the Mach7 at the Detroit Auto Show, jump forward 365 days and we have the F7, an evolution of its predecessor.

The F7 is powered by a 7.0-liter V8 sourced from the Chevrolet Corvette. That mill churns out 620 hp and 585 lb-fit of torque, put to the wheels via a six speed transaxle. What’s more impressive about this car than the horsepower rating, is the fact that it only weighs 2,785 pounds, making it lighter just under 80 pounds lighter than the tiny Honda S2000 thanks to a carbon fiber body.

Falcon estimates the car will jump from 0-60 in 3.3-3.6 seconds with a top speed of about 200 miles per hour. For brakes it gets six piston calipers in the front and four piston calipers in the back that help it squeal to a stop from 60 miles per hour in less than 100 feet.

The F7 won’t be winning any awards for luxurious interior design, but it still comes with the goodies that are standard in modern cars, like GPS iPod docking and bluetooth connectivity. These cars will be available by the end of the year, but not for cheap. They start at $225,000 and go up from there based on bells and whistles.

GALLERY: Falcon F7

22_full.jpeg23_full.jpeg24_full.jpeg25_full.jpeg26_full.jpeg9_full.jpeg

15/01/2012 | By: Jason Siu

Shoving small block engines into short bed, half-ton trucks is nothing new. But a supercharged LS9 from a Corvette ZR1 into a Chevrolet Silverado pickup? Now that’s something worth checking out.

Aside from the side exit exhaust on the truck – which is a pretty common modification on Silverados – absolutely nothing else has been done to it on the exterior, giving no hint as to what waits underneath the hood. The video shows off the acceleration of the truck as well as a dyno pull, whipping down 510-hp and 504 lb-ft of torque. That’s at least 205-hp and 169 lb-ft of torque over the most powerful factory powerplant Chevy offers in their four-wheel-drive Silverado.

Check out the video after the break.

[Source: Bang Shift]

Continue Reading…

15/01/2012 | By: Jason Siu

2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_1.jpg

When the Chevy Corvette celebrated its 50th birthday back in 2003, many enthusiasts were hoping for a special edition model to be released. Chevrolet for the most part failed to deliver, only offering a version with custom paint and an emblem package. The aftermarket decided to take things into their own hands, coming up with a limited edition appearance package that commemorated the 50th anniversary.

Developed by Advanced Automotive Technologies out in Rochester Mills, Michigan, a 1953 Commemorative Edition appearance package features retro C1 styling with a then-new generation C5 Vette – in this case, a 2001 model. Only seven total C5 Z06s got converted, and this is one of them. In total, only 200 of the 1953 Commemorative Edition packages made it onto C5s worldwide.

Packed with 405-hp, this very hard-to-find creation sports only 8,049-miles on the odometer and has an asking price of $69,900. Other than the retro-styled appearance package, most everything is what you’d expect on a C5 Z06, so no huge surprises under the hood or inside the cabin except that it’s all immaculate. Nonetheless, the aesthetics are what makes this car so unique, with it completely torn down to everything but its doors and roofs for the remake.

The fiberglass panels for the 1953CE kit were aligned to factory perfection before the entire body got resprayed Torch Red. To complete the transformation, new lights and red metal accents were added to the car. The result is a retro-style Vette with modern technology under the hood and a modern body to preserve it for many years to come.

Check out a video highlighting the car after the break.

GALLERY: Corvette Z06 1953 Commemorative Edition

2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_10.JPG2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_11.JPG2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_12.JPG2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_15.JPG2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_16.JPG2001_corvette_z06_commemorative_2.JPG

[Source: RK Motors]

Continue Reading…

16/12/2011 | By: Danny Choy

x11chcr003.jpg

Those who feel especially generous this holiday season can get a bargain on what’s probably the best Christmas gift anyone could ever ask for.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette earned the #1 spot for the best new car deal of the holiday season. For the last couple of months, GM offered attractive rebate and incentives for the 2011 and 2012 Corvettes which have no doubt helped Corvette move up along the KBB list. This includes a $3,000 rebate and a choice between 0% down financing for 60 months or 2.9% for 72 months. What’s more, current Corvette owners that wish to expand their collection can get another $3,000 rebate towards the purchase of a new Corvette.

However, car dealer Kerbeck Corvette reminds us that GM will discontinue the $3,000 rebate by January 3, 2012. Other promotions that will end soon are the $1,500 dealer cash incentive as well as the $2,000 lease conquest rebate. Hurry!

09/12/2011 | By: Luke Vandezande

gGMBRANDMARK_blueflat.jpg

General Motors is taking steps to make carbon fiber a major component in their future production vehicles by working with Teijin Ltd. of Japan.

Carbon fiber is a labor-intensive product, meaning it is expensive to implement in production vehicles. That expense generally restricts its use to low-production models like the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. That will all change in the future thanks to a new process that allows Teijiin to make carbon fiber products much faster than previously possible.

“Our relationship with Teijin provides the opportunity to revolutionize the way carbon fiber is used in the automotive industry,” GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky said in a statement. “This technology holds the potential to be an industry game changer and demonstrates GM’s long-standing commitment to innovation.”

Teijin’s new technology uses thermoplastic material to allow carbon fiber parts to be molded in less than a minute instead of the traditional method, thermoset, that takes ten minutes or more per piece.

“It’s easier to handle and quicker to mold,” Jim Hentschel, GM’s executive director for body and exterior, said in an interview. “That’s what allows us to be able to introduce this technology into more mainstream, high-volume vehicles.”

Carbon fiber is stronger and ligher than aluminum and steel, making it a valuable asset for GM as it tries to increase fuel efficiency in new models.

The specifics behind the deal aren’t available yet, but neither company is exchanging equity in the process. Teijin will, however, be opening a U.S. techincal center to handle their business with GM.

[Source: Automotive News]

01/12/2011 | By: Luke Vandezande

Chevrolet is offering more for less by adding direct injection to their upcoming line of Gen-V small block engines.

“The Gen-V small block is an all-new, state-of-the-art engine family that will offer more efficiency and refinement than any other small block in its more than half-century of production,” chief engineer Jordan Lee said to Left Lane News. “For customers, that will mean cars and trucks that deliver more while using less gas to do it.”

Direct injection technology delivers more power and lower fuel consumption by making each engine stroke more precise. That increase precision allows for higher compression ratios and consequently more power out of a smaller machine.

Though official numbers havent been released, it’s speculated that the version of the Gen-V going into the Corvette will shrink from 6.2 to 5.5 liters. Despite that it will meet if not exceed the current engine’s 430 horsepower rating.

Chevrolet’s commitment to the new engine line is more than good news for consumers, it also means more jobs. The company is devoting $1 billion to the project, creating or sustaining 1,711 positions. There isn’t a firm date yet, but Chevrolet says the Gen-V will be available in the near future.

[Source: Left Lane News]

28/11/2011 | By: Jason Siu

2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-005.jpg

Set to compete in the 2012 Grand-Am Racing Series and making its debut at the upcoming Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Race, Chevrolet’s Corvette Daytona Prototype was caught testing at Daytona and there’s plenty of videos showing what it can do.

The footage includes some fan-shot videos that really show off what the car is all about and loud its V8 rumble. Four different teams will be campaigning the new Corvette Daytona, and Chevrolet hopes that one of them will claim the 24 Hours of Daytona Race, where the last time a Corvette has won was back in 2001 with a C5-R.

Check out the videos after the break.

GALLERY: Corvette Daytona Prototype

2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-002.jpg2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-003.jpg2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-004.jpg2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-005.jpg2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-006.jpg2012-chevrolet-corvette-daytona-prototype-008.jpg

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue Reading…

24/11/2011 | By: Jason Siu

Autocross is generally the safest form of motorsport you can participate in. Most courses are setup to focus on skillful driving rather than high speed passes, leveraging your vehicle’s handling and brakes more than its horsepower. Unfortunately for this Chevrolet Corvette, a cold track with cold tires meant a long, unintentional sideways slide into the curb.

And of course all the action is caught on video and immediately uploaded onto YouTube for the world to see. We’re going to guess this accident is partly driver error and partly (albeit, much smaller) bad course design. Even though the ‘Vette doesn’t seem like it’s going at any real fast rate when the accident occurs, there’s definitely some significant damage to the car, especially to the chassis.

Check out the video after the break.

[Source: Autoblog]

Continue Reading…

14/11/2011 | By: Jason Siu

 

One of America’s most iconic sports car is due for a refresh and now renderings of the new Chevrolet Corvette C7 has hit the Internet thanks to hours of hard work from Jalopnik who got a glimpse of the next generation

They decided to do all of us automotive nuts a favor, whipping up renderings rather than leaking the actual photos – to protect their sources – and confirms that this render is as accurate as it can get with the next-generation ZR1.

Jalopnik also confirms that they’ve showed the renderings around to different sources at GM, all of which have confirmed that it’s an accurate depiction of what we can expect from the Corvette C7. Obviously we’ll be seeing the base model Corvette hitting the market first, but the ZR1 variant is expected to bow sometime shortly.

There is quite a bit going on with the new C7 in terms of styling changes. At first glance it looks as if Chevrolet’s merely updating the Corvette’s look and feel, just as it has every other generation prior. But clearly there’s some Camaro-inspired design cues going on, and who can blame Chevy given how successful the Camaro has become.

Check out the link to Jalopnik below for more Corvette C7 renderings

 

[Source: Jalopnik]