Listen if it’s a Corvette and you want to make it go faster…I’m fine with that. Who cares, why you want to make it go faster?
From http://www.corvetteonline.com
What would possess someone to create a Corvette with over 2,200 horsepower? Does it really matter? With an amazing feat like that, we didn’t think so. Take a look at the unbelievable Top Speed C5 Z06 that has over three times the amount of horsepower as a modern ZR1 at the April Ohio Mile event in the Wyldfantasies Media Studios video above.
Built by Hinson Motorsports, “Record Hunter” is among the most powerful Corvettes we’ve ever seen and there’s reason for that. Bringing the car to its astounding 2,246 HP rating at 7,800 RPM is a massive build the crew completed back in March.
Under the car’s hood you’ll find a 427 cubic inch RHS Aluminum Tall Deck Block assembled and machined by Butler Performance. Stuffed inside this block are aluminum connecting rods, Diamond pistons and a Callies Ultra Center Counter Weight Billet Camshaft, as well as a custom high capacity oil pan from Doug Lee Engineuity.
Making up the engine’s top end are TEA-ported Trick Flow 245cc heads, Crower roller rocker arms, COMP Cam pushrods, a custom COMP solid roller camshaft and a GM EFI carb-style intake manifold. But these components alone aren’t what gives Record Hunter its massive amount of horsepower.
That extra boost comes from an intricate custom turbocharger system featuring a 118mm turbo, custom air to water intercooler, Tial wastegate and blow off valves, and a 5-inch downpipe all working to the tune of 34 PSI manifold pressure.
Of course, a build like this makes for extra fuel needs, which the team has dialed in using a Holley Dominator EFI system and Bosch 160 pound-per-hour injectors, as well as a regulator and fuel pumps from Fuelab.
The whole build is backed by a RPM-built TR6060 transmission with a SPEC twin disc clutch and an RPM ZR1 differential with Quaife LSD.
Surprisingly, the Corvette looks relatively like the C5 production car it started out as, minus the modified hood, roll cage and custom adjustable rear wing, of course. But obviously, looks can be deceiving. And 18-inch wheels from True Forged Wheels wrapped in Hoosier R6 rubber make sure that as much of Record Hunter’s power as possible is delivered successfully to the ground to turn heads like no other C5 can do.
After completing the build in March, the Hinson Motorsports crew took Record Hunter to the Ohio Mile, an East Coast Timing Association event in Wilmington, Ohio on April 29th to see what it could do. As the first standing mile event the Corvette raced at since its build, the April Ohio Mile proved to be a great tuning opportunity for the crew since the mile race was speed-limited to 150 MPH.
It may not look too far off from stock, but Record Hunter packs nearly 2,000 more horsepower than a stock C5 Z06.
As the car’s name suggests, future goals for Record Hunter are to set new standing mile records. With a car potentially capable of topping out at over 250 MPH, we’re sure Hinson Motorsports will be making history with the car this season. Be sure to watch out for Record Hunter at any of the standing mile events this year. To check out some in-car footage of the first standing mile pass the Corvette did since its build, watch the video below.
It’s nearing the peak of summer, which means 2013 model year cars are only weeks away from being released. But before we can welcome in the last of the C6 models for next year, we owe it to the 2012′s to take a look back and see just how well the Corvette did this year. So here are some of the production numbers for the Corvette’s 2012 model year compliments of CorvetteBlogger, and some of them may just surprise you.
Just like in the 2010 and 2011 model years, the Grand Sport got the most amount of buys for 2012. Between the Grand Sport coupe (5,056 sold) and the GS convertible (2,268 sold) , the model made up nearly 63 percent of all Corvette sales. Coming in at a far second, was the base model with 2,820 coupes and just 651 convertibles sold to make up 29.5 percent of Corvette sales.
As far as the high-rolling Z06 and ZR1′s go, only 478 Z06 models were sold, making up 4.1 percent of total sales, and only a measly 404 ZR1′s were sold, making up just 3.5 percent of sales. In total, 11,647 Corvettes were manufactured for the 2012 model year.
Not surprisingly, the most popular color among the 2012 models was Torch Red with 19.5 percent of Corvettes sold sporting the color. The vibrant shade was closely followed by the Carbon Flash Metallic paint of the special Centennial Edition cars. Nearly 19 percent of Corvettes sold featured the special edition package.
Other interesting tidbits we found browsing through the 2012 production numbers were that 62.3 percent of Corvettes were sold with Ebony interiors while only 88 were sold with yellow stitching accents and 105 sold with blue stitching accents.
Option packages appear to have been popular with 2,416 Corvettes sold with the 1LT option package, 1,691 sold with the 2LT package, and 5,510, or 47.3 percent, sold with the 3LT package.
For more of the 2012 model year numbers, check out the full report from CorvetteBlogger.com.
I ran across on ton http://www.corvettereport.com and thought I pass it along. If only they made some of these!!! You got to check out the 1991 C4 body.
Hot rodder Shinoda teams up with Bill Mitchell and defined the “Corvette look.”
Perhaps it was “in the stars” that Larry Shinoda was in the right place at the right time. If you strictly look at Shinoda’s resume in 1956, you might ask, “How did this guy get in the front door?” As a young man, the only thing Larry ever graduated from was high school, Army boot camp, and the School of Hard Knocks. Twelve-year-old Larry had his life turned inside out when along with thousands of Japanese-Americans, he and his family were sent to interment camps for the duration of WW II. The experience had a profound effect on his personality. A self-professed “malcontent” Shinoda could be a little difficult to work with.
After his Army tour of duty in Korea, Shinoda attended Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles, but truly hated being there. He could see no purpose in taking the classes in design and the various art mediums, such as watercolor painting. He was a car guy/hot rodder and he wanted to draw and design cars! So he left Art Center without graduating and based strictly on his car illustrations, landed a job at Ford, then Studebaker/Packard. Just a year after starting his career, he landed a job as a designer at General Motors.
The rest is the stuff of legend. Street racing and blowing the doors off of Bill Mitchell’s souped up Buick and quickly being taken under Mitchell’s wing. Things like that happens, but rarely. There was obviously some chemistry between the two men, perhaps it was because both men could be brash and had strong opinions.
Shinoda got his first big break when Mitchell tapped the 28-year-old to translate the body design of the ‘57 Q-Corvette on to the mule chassis from Duntov’s aborted Corvette SS project. The finished car became Mitchell’s 1959 Stingray Racer, which formed the styling theme for the ‘63 Corvette. From there, Shinoda got one peach project after another. It’s worth noting that the design of the Stingray Racer is held in such high esteem that current Corvette chief designer, Tom Peters (C6 Corvette and late model Camaro designer) is on record stating that his ‘09 Corvette Stingray Concept (aka Transformers Corvette) was influenced by the ‘59 Stingray.
During his almost 13 years at GM, Larry designed numerous special Corvettes, Corvairs, and several race cars, as well as his usual duties working out the styling details of various production cars. Presented here are Larry Shinoda’s most important Corvette designs. Later this week, we’ll take a look at Larry’s very slick Corvairs, and race cars, including the body design for Pat Flaherty’s 1956 Indy 500-winning Watson-Offenhauser.– Scott
1959 Stingray Racer The 1959 Stingray Racer is still a stunningly beautiful car design. The idea of a “broad, flat top surface” was to create a reverse airfoil that would pull the car down. The problem was that the sharp leading edge was too high and at high speed, more air was knifing under the car rather than going over the car, causing a serious front lift problem. The production Sting Rays and even the Grand Sport Corvettes all had the same trouble. This could have been corrected with a slight forward rake, if the nose had drooped down a n inch or so, and a chin spoiled was added. The Grand Sport replica cars from Duntov Motors use these corrections and front end stays where it belongs at high speed – DOWN.
1963 Sting Ray Concept Art The road to fully worked out new car designs was littered with concept art – most of which was probably thrown away. Here we see a headlight treatment study. Sorting out the production car’s rotating hidden-headlight design was a brilliant but challenging project. Note the absence of hood lines and windshield wipers. It also looks like they were considering scoops on the back edge of the doors.
1961 Mako Shark I Showcar – AKA “The Corvette Shark”
With the basic Sting Ray design approved for production, Bill Mitchell had Shinoda design an exaggerated version for a teaser show car. Known today as the Mako Shark-I, the car’s original name was simply, “Corvette Shark.” 1961 was still the “Jet Age,” so the car was originally shown with a plexi bubble top. It was kind of “Jetsons” neat-looking, but would anyone really want one for their daily driver?
1963 4-Seater Sting Ray Split-Window Coupe
The XP-720 4-Seater Corvette Sting Ray was an exploration into the possibility of the Corvette competing with the much better-selling Ford Thunderbird. Ed Cole, head of the GM car and truck group, thought it was a pretty good idea. After all, GM is in the business of selling cars – LOTS of cars. Since the public bought 73,051 Thunderbirds in 1961, compared to 10, 939 Corvettes, it seemed like a no-brainer. The story goes that a tall executive got stuck in the back seat and needed quite a bit of help getting out. The 4-seater concept was quickly dropped. Good!
1963 Production Corvette Sting Ray Split-Window Coupe
Look at 1963 cars from America and Europe and there’s NOTHING like the Corvete Sting Ray. The split-window was one of Bill Mitchell’s pet design elements and was a one year deal. Although the design concept of a “split rear window” wasn’t new with the Sting Ray (the 1950 VW Beetle had a “split” rear window), the overall presentation of the Split-Window Coupe Sting Ray looked like NOTHING else.
1964 XP-819 Rear-Engine Corvette Engineering Study
The Corvair was the only production car to come out of Ed Cole’s ‘57 Q-Chevrolet initiative and was considered very exotic when it came out in 1960. But trouble quickly set in and it wasn’t just Ralph Nader’s doing. The early Corvairs were not good cars. But the “rear-engine” concept was very alluring to Chevy engineer Frank Winchell. Frank insisted that with the correct size tires the inherent oversteering problem could be corrected. Winchell envisioned a rear-engine Corvette and Zora Duntov said, “No!” To prove his point, Winchell had Shinoda design a pretty body to cover the big V8 engine hanging out behind the trans-axle. Upon seeing Shinoda’s rough full-size drawing, Duntov asked, “Where did you cheat?” Where he cheated was that there were no real rear bumpers or crash zone on the back end. The concept was quickly dropped. it was also discovered that the car did excellent wheelies!
1966 Running Mako Shark-II Showcar
Bill Mitchell verbalized the parameters of the design and Larry Shinoda and a small group of designers and stylists worked out the details. It was as if lightning had struck twice – first with the Sting Ray and a few years later with the Mako Shark-II. The exaggerated fender humps have become THE signature Corvette profile. A non-running full-size version was shown to GM’s management in ‘65 and received unanimous approval as the next Corvette. While the new body and interior designs were being worked out, a second “running” Mako Shark-II was built to keep the Corvette fans stoked. Almost 50 years later, the Mako Shark-II is still a jaw-dropper!
1991 Mears-Shinoda C4 Corvette Body Kit
Larry left GM in 1968, stayed at Ford for one year, then formed his own design studio where he worked on all kinds of automotive and non-automotive design projects. Corvette body kits and add-on parts became very popular though the ‘70s and ‘80s. Three-time Indy 500 winner, Rick Mears teamed up with Shinoda and businessman Jim Williams in 1991 to create and offer the Rick Mears Special Edition Corvette.
Arguably the cleanest full-body-kit ever offered for a C4 Corvete, the coupe version lowered the coefficient of drag on the car from .34 to .30. The complete kit cost approximately $5,200, plus $3,000 for installation, and around $1,000 for a new paint job. With a cost of just over 10 grand on top of a $32,455 new ‘91 Corvette, there weren’t many takers. But, it was a very nice design.
Shinoda C5 Sting Ray Concept
The all-new C5 1997 Corvette was released in the Fall of ‘96 and Larry Shinoda got right on it. Note the date on the rendering, “1-6-97.” Obviously, Larry wanted to see more “Sting Ray” in the new C5. If you’re a mid-year Corvette fan, Shinoda’s concept looks pretty good. Larry died the following November and to the best of my knowing, there was never an effort to make a full-body kit based on what may well have been Larry’s last Corvette design project. Any fiberglass fabricators out there that would like to take a shot at the Shinoda C5 Sting Ray???
No it’s not real Corvette – but the Collector’s Promo Revell Model. In the original box.
All you have to do is guess the year of the Corvette the part pictured belongs too!!! First one to post the answer gets 1 point. The first one that gets 4 correct wins the car.
No it’s not real Corvette – but the Collector’s Promo Revell Model. In the original box.
All you have to do is guess the year of the Corvette the part pictured belongs too!!! First one to post the answer gets 1 point. The first one that gets 4 correct wins the car.
Not only is there a ton of beautiful cars at Barrett-Jacksonauctions, there are also a lot of venders. Anything from car care products, to engine builders to custom building shops.
One of those was Karl Kustom Corvettes located in Des Moines, Ia. I had a chance to speak with Jim Hidy one of the reps for Karl Kustom at the auction this past January.
SWEET!!!!
Nice looking car, yes? HELL YES. But there some interesting things I didn’t know about these custom Vettes and how they are made.
I spoke with Jim at length and I have to tell you that how I thought these were made wasn’t even close and how they are made was pretty surprising to me. Jim set me straight.
Great Creation
These are of course C6 machines with the look of the 60’s Vettes. All the great handling and power of the C6 underpinning and classic looks. I thought ‘how cool they manufacture a body that snaps on the C6 frame. But that’s not how it’s done.
You just won the big game and received the MVP award, and with it, a brand new car! But it’s a Chevy, and you’ve been helping sell Toyotas for years… Awkward! Millions are watching live on TV as one of the major sponsors of the game presents you with the keys to a brand new 2012 Corvette Grand Sport convertible – what do you do? Keep it simple and classy, saying “thank you” to at least acknowledge the prize, without seeming like an entitled jerk who is worried about burning bridges with the foreign company that’s been writing you checks for years?
Nope! If you’re Eli Manning, you leave without a word or the keys…
Kevin and Bean of Los Angeles radio station KROQ performed a mock interview with the MVP this morning; according to their “correspondence” with the game winning quarterback the current plan is to use the C6 as a planter. It is unlikely that the Corvette will actually face such a harsh fate, but it does leave ‘vette lovers and football fans wondering will happen to the C6.
While playing in, let alone leading a team to victory in the Super Bowl is an achievement few of us could even begin to comprehend, and the pressure of post-game interviews and ceremonies must be enormous, how hard is it to say “thank you” and pocket the keys? Even if your fear of offending Toyota is so great that actually accepting and driving the gift is unthinkable, at least raffle it off for charity or something…
If anyone at GM is actually reading this, I am sure there are plenty of armchair quarterbacks who would graciously receive the Corvette and provide it with a loving home if Manning never does pick up the keys.
NOW…watch the video…..and see if Eli doesn’t say Thank You.
As the Washington D.C. auto show took place, President Obama decided to make a visit. Truly impressed with the American muscle & sports cars. Though he checked out many new models and the likes of the controversial most iconic American sports car, Chevy Corvette(photo above), it seemed like the new Ford MustangShelby GT500 Super Snake; or simply Shelby GT500; is what really grabbed his attention by stating, “This is sick”.
So I’m read a few articles online and a few have touched on Fiat and all the issues they are apparently having with bring the brand back to the US. There are some individual that say the 500 won’t be back and that they tried too
soon or that they didn’t have any dealerships lined up to handle the turn. But I don’t really care much, I’ll never buy a Fiat, unless is an older classic, and then maybe….ummm…naaahh…not even then.
But I did notice that they are now offering a race ready version of the 500 Abarth. That’s right 160 hps of rubber melting power, not too bad when you are starting out with 101 hp. Drop a turbocharger and you’ll get 160. They
tuned the suspension for the track and its light curb weight might make it a bit fun to drive..might.
160HP..enough said...HEY..who snickered???!!!
But the cool part is that included in the price is a ‘Track Day‘. Supposedly you will get (I think car will be available in the spring) a day at one of the Richard Petty Driving Experience events. What would be really cool is if you could return it right after that!!!
Anyway, I got to thinking if any other auto makers offer a track day. We all know that the Big Three are making track ready cars’ some for track only and some for street and track. Here is what I found out.
Fiat got the idea from Chrysler. They are offering a track day with the purchase of some of their SRT models (300 SRT8 and the Challenger SRT8).
GM via Cadillac offers their own at various tracks across the country.
Purchasing a Corvette ZR1 will get you a trip to Ron Fellows Performance Driving School or Bob Bundurant School of High Performance Driving, in Chandler, AZ. (OK….even you can’t afford the ZR1, sell the spouse’s daily driver, rent out your man cave (gal cave) and go to the Bundurant school.) They have a lot of classes at all levels and some fair prices. I did the Formula 1 event at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and it was outstanding. Here is a link: http://www.bondurant.com/?gclid=CJD93Luc2K0CFQduhwodNyU1mQ
2012 ZR1 Vette
Not to be out done Ford as a similar deal with the 2012 Boss Mustang. This is at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. I chatted with one of the Miller Motorsports reps at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale and he showed off some video of their facility and it is extremely nice. I’d make that trip.
2012 Boss 302
If you got to have an “import” (and the Fiat ain’t doing it for ya) Mercedes-Benz will be offering a track day at course across the US if you purchase their top of the line models. (Although I didn’t find mention of which ones.)
So if you are going to spring for a new car, you’ve got some options if a Track Day is part of the deal. Of course the Fiat will run you about $22K and the ZR1 about $108K, tough choice?
That extra boost comes from an intricate custom turbocharger system featuring a 118mm turbo, custom air to water intercooler, Tial wastegate and blow off valves, and a 5-inch downpipe all working to the tune of 34 PSI manifold pressure.
After completing the build in March, the Hinson Motorsports crew took Record Hunter to the Ohio Mile, an East Coast Timing Association event in Wilmington, Ohio on April 29th to see what it could do. As the first standing mile event the Corvette raced at since its build, the April Ohio Mile proved to be a great tuning opportunity for the crew since the mile race was speed-limited to 150 MPH.
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