Month: April 2012

Want to purchase the GTE-Pro class-winning Corvette C6R from last year’s 24 hours of Le Mans? Well too bad, you can’t have that one, but can take home this yellow 2006 Z06 that’s decked out as tribute to Team Corvette’s epic triumph in France last summer.

We first stumbled upon this car at last year’s SEMA show. Currently listed for sale on the Corvette Forum, the bright yellow 2006 began life as a basic Z06 equipped with the 2lz option package, navigation, HUD, Bose, and other Z06-spec content.

Obviously turning a Z06 into a C6.R takes some tweaking. Some of the additions to this car include:

• A C6R graphite package
• CCW C14 Corsair black powder coated wheels (18×11 out front and 18×13 in back) with Toyo tires
• Pfadt Featherlight coilovers
• OMP steering wheel
• HTE race seat
• C5R Derin shift knop
• DBA 4000 front rotors
• Carbotech race pads
• Sharkbar harness
• Schroth Enduro belts on the driver seat
• Dewitt’s race dual roll radiator
• Blendmount radar mount with Valentine radar detector
• Custom one-off front splitter
• Side skirts
• CF rear diffuser
• Mild to Wild exhaust switch

The car itself has travelled 52,000 miles since new. Under the hood there’s a recently-installed LS7 crate motor. Inside of it is an ARE Stage 3 dry sump system, a Katech Hi-Vol oil pressure pump, and an ACT Twin disc clutch kit. That fresh lump carries a 3-year, 100,000 mile warranty with it. Outside there’s the Velocity Yellow paint, victorious #73 badging, a monster rear wing, and the related supporting sponsor decals.

So how much will it cost you to impersonate Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner, and Antonio Garcia? The asking price is just $55,000 which isn’t too shabby for a Z06 with a new motor and a ton of high-end modifications.

Now the next step will be to convince you coworkers to give a champagne shower each morning when you arrive at the office.

Source:
Corvette Forum

Related:
SEMA 2011: Corvette Racing C6.R GT1 Tribute Car
Corvette Racing Fan Creates Ultimate C6.R Tribute Corvette
Transformers Stingray Concept Clad in Corvette Racing Livery

 

An email we received tonight from a reader named Don Leblanc:

Attached is a photo of a watercolor painting I recently did. It doesn’t really have a name, other than just “C6″. I would like to share this with other Corvette fans.

Thanks again CorvetteBlogger.

Regards,
Don Leblanc

Click for larger image

Nice work Don. Thanks for sharing!

 

There’s a lot of activity happening in the Corvette world south of the border.

Here is a :60 second television commercial that (we believe) is running in Mexico to support the new Chevrolet Performance Stores which will sell the Corvette ZR1 and Grand Sport models. Chevrolet Mexico made the announcement last week that four of these Performance Stores will open starting this month to allow buyers to see the features and options available on new Corvettes as well as configure their own personal order.

As you will see, it opens with a Spanish version of the “Listen” commercial showing Corvette Racing’s Tommy Milner passing a Ferrari for the lead (and ultimately the win) at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. But from there, we see some performance driving and drifting of a Corvette ZR1 which a voice over describing some of the features of the car in Spanish.

Chevrolet Mexico also held a track day to promote the new “Performance Stores” and you can see those photos on Chevrolet Mexico’s Facebook page.

Source:
Chevrolet Mexico on YouTube

Related:
[VIDEO] Corvette AdWatch: Listen | Corvette Victory at Le Mans
Chevrolet Mexico Announces New Performance Stores to Sell Corvette Grand Sports and ZR1

 

Barrett-Jackson makes their annual Easter weekend stop in South Florida this Thursday, April 5th through Saturday, April 7th. Our friends at SPEED will have 21 hours of live coverage sprinkled across all 3 days.

The Palm Beach sale will have roughly 450 cars up for bid including 39 Corvettes which translates into about 9% of the total docket. Of those, all but 2 are being sold at no reserve.

Here’s a look at how the 6 generations breakdown:

And here are a few which we hope the Easter Bunny leaves in our basket this year.

Lots #650 and 650.1 1957 and 2007 Convertibles with matching VIN’s:
These 2 cars, offered as a pair, were born exactly 50 years apart, but have a lot in common. For starters they each wear VIN #247. Both feature white exteriors, red interiors, black convertible tops, and manual transmissions. The ’57 is well documented and has been displayed at the National Corvette Museum. The ’07 was custom ordered to match the ’57, was delivered at the NCM, and has just 10,000 miles on the clock. It was signed by everyone at the Bowling Green plant who worked on the car. These are the only Corvettes offered with a reserve this weekend.

Lot #686 1965 396/425 Corvette Coupe:
1965 was the first year for a big block Corvette from the factory. Lot 686 was decked out in St. Louis with the thumping L78 396CI motor, TI, heavy duty suspension, leather, side pipes, and knock-offs among other options. This frame off restored red/black coupe last sold at B-J Palm Beach in 2008 for $117,700. Though still highly desirable, we don’t think the seller will see that figure this time around.

Lot #60.2 1975 L82 w/ 4-Speed Corvette Convertible:
Finished in Dark Red paint and Dark Oxblood leather, this rare L82, 4-speed roadster shows only 7,900 miles on the odometer. 38,465 Corvettes left St. Louis in 1975. Of those, just 4,629 (12%) were convertibles and just 2,372 (6%) total cars – coupe and convertible – had the 205hp L82 between the front fenders. 1975 was the last year for convertible Corvettes until 1986. Other options on this unrestored example are A/C, power steering and brakes, hardtop, and rear defogger. Unrestored cars continue to sky rocket in popularity and this one with its low mileage and numerous options is right near the top of the 1975 Corvette food chain.

Vehicle sales begin at noon eastern time Thursday and 10am Friday and Saturday. SPEED’s live coverage will air Thursday 2-8pm, Friday 2-8pm, and Saturday 11am-8pm. Be sure to keep an eye out for our fearless leader, Keith Cornett, who will be there likely attempting to purchase every vette that crosses the block this weekend. (ok, maybe not every Corvette…) Be sure to watch our Facebook page and Twitter feed as we’ll be posting up a few pix from Palm Beach.

Source:
Barrett-Jackson

Related:
Mecum to Auction 1957 Smokey Yunick Corvette Racer at Indy Spring Classic
Corvette Auction Preview: Mecum Kansas City
Custom 1000 hp Twin Turbo Corvette Headed to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach

 

General Motor’s March Sales Report brings good news to the Corvette Team as sales for the month were up 18% over March 2011. Last month, GM sold 1,376 Corvettes vs 1,163 in March 2011. For the calendar year, Corvette sales are up 3.3% with 2,932 Corvettes sold in 2012 vs 2,839 Corvettes sold in 2011. This is the third month in a row that Corvette sales have increased over the previous month and the March total is the highest sales figure we’ve seen since April 2011.

So why the increase in sales during March? We think there are a number of reasons. First, you can’t discount the weather which has been unseasonably nice this year. Second, due to GM’s compressed production schedule for the 2012 Corvette, February was the last month to order a Carlisle Blue Corvette and March 1st was the last day you could order one of the Centennial Edition Corvettes. Many that ordered the Carlisle Blue and Centennial Editions would have taken delivery in March. And finally, GM released a new round of rebates and incentives on March 1st which we are sure are also having an effect.

Those rebates and incentives include a 0% APR up to 60 months on all new 2012 Corvettes and 2.9% APR for 72 months. Dealer cash of $1,500 is still in effect and can be combined with the 0% financing offer. There is also a $3,000 retention offer but you must be on the list. Check with your dealer for details. If you’re looking for a deal on a 2011, you can get 0% APR for 72 months or a $4,000 rebate. Unfortunately, the rebate cannot be combined with the 0% financing. These current incentives run through April 30, 2012.

Bowling Green Production:

• 2012 Model Year Production in March 2012: 1,359
• 2012 Model Year To Date Through March 2012: 10,341
• 2012 Calendar Year to Date through March 2012: 3,343

Our monthly GM sales reports are sponsored by Kerbeck Corvette in Atlantic City, NJ. If you’re interested in a new 2012 Corvette, talk to one of Kerbeck’s Corvette Specialists about a custom order to meet your specifications. Visit Kerbeck Corvette on the web at www.kerbeck.com or call Dave Salvatore at 877-537-2325.

Source:
GM.com

Related:
February 2012 Corvette Sales
January 2012 Corvette Sales
December 2011 Corvette Sales

 

What happens when you love Corvettes and making motion pictures, too?

Well, you’ve probably just entered the life of Michael Brown, who has become one of the best-known and most dedicated fans of Chevrolet’s fantastic sports car over the past few years.

Of course, he produced The Quest that debuted to rave reviews last year. The film recaps the beginnings of Corvette Racing while telling the emotional story of Chip Miller and then his son’s quest to find the 1960 class-winning #3 Corvette, restore it, and then return it to Le Mans in 2010, with one of the original drivers, legendary racer John Fitch, behind the wheel to mark the 50th anniversary of the car’s win.

But Brown’s love for Corvettes goes back much further. As a junior in high school, he fell in love instantly with the 1963 Split Window, vowed to own one someday, and finally fulfilled that dream more than 20 years after that “love at first sight” moment.

“Though I didn’t set out to have a collection when I acquired my first Corvette in 1985, it did evolve to that over the next 25+ years,” Brown says. “My initial Vette remains the cornerstone of the collection, a beautifully designed classic ’63 Split Window Coupe.”

The collection grew so much, in fact, that in 2006 he designed and built an amazing garage to house his collection of Corvettes, memorabilia of all kinds including signs, photos, and neon, and even a Corvette safe to hold the titles and paperwork to the cars. The garage is on his personal home site, so it’s not open to the public except on special occasions when he hosts area Corvette clubs and even the National Corvette Museum.

But now, thanks to a recently revamped website called hookedonvettes.com, you can see inside Brown’s garage and take a look at a little piece of “Corvette Heaven,” which features 13 Vettes from five of the six generations (no C4), ranging from a 1954 model all the way up to a 2012 ZR1 Centennial Edition. Those two cornerstones, by the way, were featured in a couple of commercials that Brown entered in Chevy’s recent Super Bowl ad contest.

The website not only features photos and facts about each of the Corvettes in his collection but also brings them to life by spotlighting each through videos of them on the road, with Brown planted behind the wheel. In fact, on sunny days, you still might just see one of the cars stretching their legs on the roads of Texas.

And like the rest of us, Brown is eagerly awaiting the introduction of the seventh generation Corvette next year. We have a feeling he’ll somehow make room in that garage for a 2014 model!

Source:
www.hookedonvettes.com

Related:
[VIDEO] “The Quest” Filmmaker Vies for Chevy Super Bowl Ad Contest
“The Quest” Documentary to be Shown at Corvettes at Carlisle
[VIDEO] All Corvettes are Black – The Bill Mullis Collection