BigAls87Z28
06-29-2005, 10:56 AM
And they said there was no such thing...
Blue Devil Lives!!
When GM's vice chairman speaks of an ultra-performance Corvette, we listen
BOB GRITZINGER
Posted Date: 6/29/05
General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz won’t confirm this car exists, but he is not saying it doesn’t. We first wrote about Chevrolet’s ultra-performance Corvette—dubbed Blue Devil, most likely to catch the attention of GM CEO and Duke Blue Devil grad Rick Wagoner—shortly before the sixth-generation Corvette debuted at the Detroit auto show in January (AW, Dec. 22 and 29, 2004). We asked Lutz about the car during a recent exclusive interview with AutoWeek.
“Let’s just say [Corvette chief engineer] Dave Hill is not a guy who likes playing second fiddle to any high-performance car on the road,� said Lutz. “My guess is we’re going to find a way to do something beyond the Z06, that would be at a much higher price point, and which would compete with some of the leading high-performance cars of the world.�
Lutz said the car may be delayed while the company focuses most of its engineering might on pulling ahead profit-making vehicles like its next-generation large sport/utilities and pickups.
“But there is certainly no lack of desire on anyone’s part to establish the supremacy of the Corvette,� says Lutz.
Spied on the Nurbürgring, Blue Devil appears to be living up to the earlier hype. Eyewitnesses said the car sounds supercharged, confirming reports the engine is likely a blown version of the Z06’s 7.0-liter V8, producing upward of 600 hp. Look for lightweight carbon fiber body parts to reduce weight to about 2900 pounds.
Pricing will likely start somewhere around $100,000 if and when the car makes production in 2006.
Blue Devil Lives!!
When GM's vice chairman speaks of an ultra-performance Corvette, we listen
BOB GRITZINGER
Posted Date: 6/29/05
General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz won’t confirm this car exists, but he is not saying it doesn’t. We first wrote about Chevrolet’s ultra-performance Corvette—dubbed Blue Devil, most likely to catch the attention of GM CEO and Duke Blue Devil grad Rick Wagoner—shortly before the sixth-generation Corvette debuted at the Detroit auto show in January (AW, Dec. 22 and 29, 2004). We asked Lutz about the car during a recent exclusive interview with AutoWeek.
“Let’s just say [Corvette chief engineer] Dave Hill is not a guy who likes playing second fiddle to any high-performance car on the road,� said Lutz. “My guess is we’re going to find a way to do something beyond the Z06, that would be at a much higher price point, and which would compete with some of the leading high-performance cars of the world.�
Lutz said the car may be delayed while the company focuses most of its engineering might on pulling ahead profit-making vehicles like its next-generation large sport/utilities and pickups.
“But there is certainly no lack of desire on anyone’s part to establish the supremacy of the Corvette,� says Lutz.
Spied on the Nurbürgring, Blue Devil appears to be living up to the earlier hype. Eyewitnesses said the car sounds supercharged, confirming reports the engine is likely a blown version of the Z06’s 7.0-liter V8, producing upward of 600 hp. Look for lightweight carbon fiber body parts to reduce weight to about 2900 pounds.
Pricing will likely start somewhere around $100,000 if and when the car makes production in 2006.