From the March 2015 issue of Car and Driver
Fahrenheit Z06: The Maximum Operating Temperatures for the Corvette Z06 Are Insane! The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 posts some impressive performance numbers thanks to its 650-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. It also posts some impressive BTUs. A byproduct of that flame-breathing engine is heat, and lots of it, generated primarily by combustion, friction, and intake-air compression. These and other factors, such as the low hoodline and pinched frontal openings demanded by stylists and aero engineers, contribute to the complex thermal-management task faced by engineers working on nearly all of this car’s varied subsystems. To assure that the Z06’s maximum performance is attended by minimal risk of failure, GM performed heat-related stress analysis [...]
FLINT, MI — The Flint factory where the first few Corvettes were built fell to the wrecking ball in 2003, but for $25, you can still own a certified piece of that historic plant.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky, has been selling bricks from the small production facility that was located just north of the Flint Assembly Plant on VanSlyke Road for several years. A museum spokeswoman said there are plenty remaining.
Twenty-five-dollar bricks come with an engraved, numbered plate and certificate of authenticity, signed by officials for the museum.
For just $5, buyers can get Flint stones without the commemorative plates, and the museum’s Web site says special prices are available for buyers who want to buy in bulk.
“We’ve incorporated the bricks into our own building,” said museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli. Other buyers have used them for everything from fire pits to driveway accents.
Flint’s ties to the Corvette go back [...]
One year ago at 5:38 a.m. (Feb. 12, 2014), a giant sinkhole opened up and swallowed 8 rare and historically important Corvettes at the National Corvette Museum. The sinkhole measured about 40 feet wide and 30 feet deep and opened beneath the Skydome where a total of 25 cars were displayed.
The event garnered worldwide media attention, including The New York Times and BBC, putting the museum on the international stage. Security camera footage showing the floor’s collapse has been viewed about 8.4 million times on YouTube, visits to the museum increased 66 percent this year and revenue grew by 71 percent, according to the museum. Several visitors throughout the year said they hadn’t heard of the NCM until the sinkhole.
The cars were removed one by one and the damage was assessed. Sadly, only 3 are able to be restored (the 2009 ZR1 Blue [...]
General Motors 650 horsepower 6.2-liter LT4 V8 used in the 2015 Corvette Z06 is built at its Tonawanda Engine Plant in, you guessed it, Tonawanda, New York. The facility is also responsible for assembling its EcoTec3 4.3-liter V6, EcoTec3 5.3- and 6.2-liter V8s, Ecotec 2.0- and 2.5-liter four-cylinders and the 6.2-liter LT1 V8. Speed Academy recently took a trip to the plant, and of all the engine build processes they could have documented, they unsurprisingly chose the LT4.
The beginning of the LT4 build process starts when the machined block is treated by a special CNC machine. Then the pistons, rods, crankshaft and other key components are installed by hand, followed by the valvetrain, and of course, the 1.7-liter supercharger.
Speed Academy’s short documentary below explains the whole LT4 build process better than we ever could, so check it out below if you have 11 minutes [...]
We love our Veterans! Lot #3009, a 2014 Victory Cross Country 8-Ball Motorcycle, was purchased by Barrett-Jackson president Steve Davis for $90,000, with a matching donation from business leader and philanthropist Brett Torino. 100 percent of that $180,000 will benefit Ride 2 Recovery.
Ride 2 Recovery raises money to support cycling programs at military and VA locations around the U.S. to help healing heroes overcome obstacles they face. You can find out more about this amazing organization here » Ride2Recovery.com
