GM releases its most powerful Corvette ever
General Motors may be in trouble trying
to sell off its fleet of SUVs, a market that the ordinary
motorist is now shunning, but the performance area is
queuing up to gets its hands on the new Corvette ZR1.
Corvette
ZR1
The new Chevy performance flagship costs the same as a
Porsche 911 GT3 in America, so the automaker has decided to
price its offering alongside that from Germany. GM says the
Corvette ZR1 will carry a sticker price of $US105,000 -
including dealer delivery charges and gas-guzzler tax - when
it goes on sale in America this northern summer. The fuel
consumption tax reportedly accounts for $US1700 of the
price.
Compared to the Corvette, the Porsche GT3 retails for
$US107,500 in the US.
Just two options are offered in the ZR1 - chrome wheels for
$US2000 and a premium interior package that includes
ZR1-logoed leather trimmed sports seats, side airbags, Bose
stereo and satellite navigation. This adds $US10,000 to the
price.
However, the buyers of the Corvette do so for the
performance, not the cosmetic extras. And the ZR1 has
performance by the bucketload. Try such figures as a 0-100
km/h sprint in 3.5sec, beating the previous 7.0 liter
Corvette Z06 by three tenths of a second. If you think that
is fast, try 0-160 km/h in 7.0 sec, a full second quicker
than last year’s car.
The engine of the ZR1 is a supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 V8
with an Eaton TVS Supercharger and intercooler that kicks
out a monstrous 476 kW (638 horsepower) and 818 Nm of
torque. Remember that horsepower numbers sell cars, but it
is torque figures that win races (see item on the Le Mans
race this year).
The ZR1 can run up to 330 kph (if you can find a road long
enough), and comes with massive Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brakes
to try and haul it back from those speeds. It is, by the
way, the fastest Corvette ever.
The price of a Porsche GT3 in this country is somewhere
around the 20 million baht region, so I would expect the
Corvette ZR1 to be about the same. Totally ridiculous on
Thailand’s goat tracks, but I certainly wouldn’t kick one
out of my garage!
Of course there are the Ferrari fanatics who are singing the
praises of the new 599 GTB Fiorano, saying it is the fastest
naturally aspirated two seater in the world. OK, that’s all
very well, but the Ferrari performance comes from its 6
liter V12 developing 456 kW at 7600 rpm and 608 Nm at 5600
rpm. That is a lot less that the Corvette numbers. With all
its F1 race-bred technology the Ferrari 599 Fiorano covers
0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and 0-200 km/h 11 seconds. Enzo
must be revolving in his grave, as that is not as quick as
6.2 liters of American iron, and who cares how they get the
fuel into the engine. The Corvette will also be several
millions of baht cheaper.
What did we learn from
the French GP?
Well it seems as though the French have not
forgotten their defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
If he had stayed out there any longer, Lewis Hamilton
(McLaren Mercedes) would have been penalized for breathing.
The drive-through penalty for passing Vettel (Squadro Toro
Rosso) was nonsensical. Hamilton had already passed Vettel
before the corner in question. But ah well, the current crop
of French stewards are the sons of those who disqualified
the BMC Mini’s in the Monte Carlo Rally for the wrong
wattage in their headlight bulbs in 1966!
Massa (Ferrari) was lucky to win, as he was being completely
outclassed by team mate Raikkonen, until Raikkonen’s exhaust
fell asunder. However, you grab every win with both hands
and (pretend to) commiserate with the loser later. Ferrari
were the class act, no question about that, but there is a
question as to why Raikkonen was not pulled in for
examination of the flailing exhaust pipe. Being hit in the
face with 300 mm of hot pipe is potentially very dangerous.
But then again, the stewards were French.
BMW were nowhere, despite a valiant fifth by Kubica. He just
did not have the speed. His soon to be replaced team mate
Heidfeld finished thirteenth, having never been seen all
afternoon.
Red Bull’s Webber (6th) looks as though he still has a
season or two, but Coulthard is looking doubtful. I think he
will be playing Maitre d’ in one of his Monaco hotels next
year.
With the GP being in France and the (name) Renault coming
from France, even though the team is based in Enstone in the
UK, national pride was evident with both the Renault drivers
hogging the majority of the TV coverage. The Sulky Spaniard
ran on two and a quarter spoonsful of fuel in qualifying to
make him seem more competitive, and was first in for fuel in
the race. The strategy did not work and Alonso had the
ignominy of being beaten by Nelsinho Piquet, with the pair
seventh and eighth.
McLaren-Mercedes did not cover themselves with glory either.
Hamilton did not drive like the boy wonder the press has
made him out to be, and Kovalainen was unable to pass
Trulli’s Toyota for the entire race. “Toyota beats Mercedes”
should be the headline to warm the hearts of all the Yaris
and Corolla drivers. Timo Glock in the second Toyota came
nowhere, however.
While still in Japan, Honda was back to being so far from
the points they may as well have stayed at home. Jenson
Button crashed again. Perhaps a referral to his local eye
specialist is in order? And Rooby was nowhere all afternoon.
He had been given a five place penalty after changing a
gearbox. Totally unnecessary, driving the ‘Earth Nightmare’
Honda is penalty enough.
Force India seems to have run out of curry powder, and we
did not see them for the entire race, or perhaps the TV
producer just missed them. Of course, the French don’t like
Indian food either. Eighteenth and nineteenth will not be
giving VL Mallya many jollies.
Squadro Roaring Tossers did have a Frenchman on board with
Sebastian Bourdais, but he’s not giving them much to roar
about. Seventeenth when his team mate Vettel was twelfth is
woeful. Toro Rosso is for sale, but they will need two
drivers for 2009. Nobody will want Bourdais and Vettel will
be snapped up by BMW.
If you think this sounds as if the French GP was dull, you
are correct. Perhaps the reason for questionable stewarding
is to add some excitement to the procession.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked how did famous body builder Pinin
Farina get his name? This was easy and even only a short
Googling would come up with the fact that Pinin Farina was
the tenth of eleven children, and his nickname, “Pinin”
meant the youngest/smallest (brother), in Piedmontese,
referring to his being the baby of the family.
So to this week. What was the first car to go into
production with a unitary fiberglass structure? And no, it
was not the 1953 Chev Corvette, that had a fiberglass body.
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email automania @pattayamail.com
Good luck!
What did we learn from
Le Mans?
What was demonstrated again was the fact that
horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races (see Corvette
ZR1 item above). The diesel engined race cars swept the
first six places, and the major reason was the fact that
diesels give greater torque than petrol engines.
Le
Mans 24 Hours
Whilst it looked as if the French Peugeots were the class
act, it was Germany’s Audi that took the outright placing,
giving the Ingolstadt based marque their eighth victory in
nine attempts, this time thanks to the trio of
Kristensen-McNish-Capello. The Danish driver, Tom Kristensen
also celebrated his eighth personal victory in this classic
race which establishes a new record. Peugeot completed the
podium by putting two of their 908 Hdi FAP models into
second and third place. The French constructor led for most
of the first half of the race, but their greater number of
fuel stops took its toll over the 24 hours, letting the Audi
slip by.
The Le Mans race is also split into different classes and
the LM P2 was won by the Porsche Spyders who came first and
second on their first visit to the Le Mans 24 hours. The LM
GT1 was taken by Aston Martin’s DBR 9 followed by two Chev
Corvettes and Ferrari annihilated the LM GT2 class with
their 1-2-3-4 placing.
It was a huge crowd (over 258,000) that braved the elements
for the 24 hour race, with recurring rain being a feature.
The spectators had to put up with some really appalling
weather conditions, never mind the drivers. This was the
76th running of the 24 hour classic, which has survived
being held in France, with some very parochial French
decisions from time to time. I was interested to see that
they are looking at changing the rules again next year to
slow down the diesel cars. If the Peugeot diesel had won, I
wonder if the rule change would have been raised?
Motor racing at Bira
this weekend
Local motor sport returns to Bira this weekend on
both Saturday 28 and Sunday 29. Promoted by Supercar
Thailand there will be the usual wide spectrum of classes
competing with the most powerful supercars (like IMSA USA or
Aussie Sports Sedans) heading the bill, plus a host of sedan
cars 1500 cc, 1600 cc and 2000 cc, plus (I believe pick-ups
and some other smaller classes). Full days racing from 10
a.m. until 5 p.m. More details on www.supercarthailand.com,
but it is all in Thai.
Toyota Altis
Supercar
