Just_me

Here are millions of dollars of development and thousands of hours of work laid bare for us to ogle. This Corvette caught by Fast-Autos.net forum member, Chikara83, definitely has some trick bits on it and apparently it's the real deal. There's a liquid/liquid intercooler perched atop the V8, and where the alternator used to be sits a supercharger. We can't tell what type of huffer it is, though -- positive displacement Roots-type or centrifugal.

The hood and front quarters are wearing camouflage to cover changes in those panels. The low-pressure area behind the front wheels makes the perfect location for extractors, which are likely fed by the high pressure area at the base of the windshield. Together they provide a good path through the engine bay for extra cooling air. That's a nice, tidy explanation for why the camo is where it is, too, so we're going with it. There's also a vent in the leading edge of the rear quarter panel, which we presume is for rear brake cooling. The burning question that everyone wants to know has finally been answered: the interior (of the mule, at least) is still kinda cheap. We are gonna be so embarassed if this is Winding Road messing with us again.

Many thanks to tipster Chris.





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The Emperor

Current Z06 is brutal in every possible way, can only imagine what'll this one bring...

Just_me

This is sick!!

Shipping company employee (POSSIBLY) carted off to jail for Corvette SS pics

We've just learned that EMO TRANS, the shipping company that was hired by General Motors to transport a Corvette SS mule to Germany for testing on the Nurburgring, has fired the employee who took pictures of the vehicle and posted them on the internet. In addition, the unnamed employee has been taken to jail, though we don't know what charges have been filed against him. For our part, we've removed the pics from Autoblog for fear of GM's wrath. The automaker has been reportedly approaching various sites all day requesting the images be removed, so rather than waiting for the phone to ring we've gone ahead and taken them down.

This clearly illustrates how seriously GM is taking the development of the Corvette SS, as well as how utterly embarrased and apologetic EMO TRANS must be for the actions of its employee. It's all fun and games on our side of the fence because we got to see some real, informative shots of this very special Vette, but it reminds us that there's a lot of money on the line. We're sure that GM didn't appreciate pics of this powerplant were available for every other automaker to peruse. Lesson learned, though harder for some than others.

We'll keep you updates as more concrete and verifiable info becomes available.

UPDATE: Josh over at The GM Source is reporting that the SShutterbug in question has not been placed under arrest, nor is he in police custody. GM has filed a civil complaint with the Romulus PD, and the matter remains under investigation. Whether or not the individual in question will be charged with a crime depends on the outcome of said investigation. Stay tuned. Full report here.

The Emperor

Osna, you should report here first!!!

Merc1

Hilarious. He even took a picture sitting in the car, IDIOT!

I have a friend that lives in Romulus, but he doesn't work for EMO TRANS, thank goodness.

M

Alx

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTERMotor Authority is reporting that General Motors' VP of Global Product Develpment, Jim Queen, revealed in an interview with Motor Trend that the next-generation C7 Corvette will produce up to 700 naturally-aspirated horsepower in its top trim. We haven't been able to find the interview on Motor Trend's website or in the current March issue of the magazine, and the April issue has yet to arrive in either digital or dead tree form, so we can't corroborate the information at the moment.

The news of a 700 horsepower Corvette certainly isn't shocking at this point, considering the 2008 Dodge Viper will be packing at least 600 horspower by the time the C7 arrives, if not more, and GM product czar Bob Lutz told reporters at the Chicago Auto Show that a 600-horsepower Corvette would arrive by summer of 2009. He was most likely referring to the C6-based Corvette SS that's been - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER on the internet lately. That car appears to be a supercharged version of the current Vette's motor, so it's interesting that they're going for 700 horsepower in the C7 without the use of forced induction.

Queen also confirmed that rumors about an all-wheel drive Corvette are false and that the iconic sports car, along with the Cadillac XLR, would remain on their own unique platform.

[Source: Motor Authority]

ree

Is this the same??!!

2009 Chevrolet Corvette SS engine revealed



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Just_me

or this

http://germancarzone.com/showthread.php?t=11371

bmwrules

No the 2009 Corvette SS is still a C6 based car. The C7 is the next model. Kinda of like E46 3er vs E90 3er. Also the car you reference is super charged while the one mentioned in the original post is naturally aspirated.

Merc1

If there is one car GM really does try harder with it is the Corvette. 700hp naturally aspirated hp is going to be off the charts for a Corvette! Such a car would likely be the replacement for today's 500hp Z06 model or a replacement for the upcoming SS model. I expect the base Vette to be around 500hp by then, right where today's Z06 is. Exciting stuff.

M

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