Αρθρο απο 17-12-2003

What the Devil's going on? Corvette team said to be working on Ford GT fighter

By BOB GRITZINGER

THE 2005 C6 CORVETTE hasn’t even been officially introduced, but the Corvette development team is already hard at work on future, high-performance variants, including a wild 600-plus horsepower Ford GT-fighter known internally as “Blue Devil.”

While chief engineer Dave Hill has publicly announced the Z06 version of the next-gen Vette due in 2005 will have 500 hp, his engine team wasn’t sure until recently that they could actually achieve that impressive figure. Sources now say that it will be a case of “nothing beats cubic inches” with 95 extra horses (compared to today’s 405-hp Z06) coming as a result of boring and stroking the next-gen Chevy small-block V8 to 427 cubic inches—7.0 liters. Not since the late-1960s has that magic number of cubes been under a Corvette’s composite hood (though there were some 454s along the way).

More important, Chevy is clearly investigating an ultra-performance Corvette designed to do battle with—and conquer—the mid-engined GT from rival Ford, as well as many supercars from across the pond. Called Blue Devil (no one knows why it has that name—could it be Chevy hopes to bedevil Ford’s blue oval?), unofficial stats make the name seem appropriate. Reportedly producing 625 hp, Blue Devil’s initial power will come from a supercharged 427 engine—and it will use lightweight carbon fiber for key body parts, reducing weight by several hundred pounds to drop the super C6 to about 2900 pounds.

The price indicated on the internal documents is $100,000 for Blue Devil, if and when it actually makes production in 2006—at the earliest. We wonder whether the Devil’s chances of seeing light are further improved following product czar Bob Lutz’s comments that he’d like to see a Chevy-badged car like the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept.

General Motors officials aren’t connecting the dots and saying this is a “go,” but the high-performance heart of Blue Devil is the kind of specialized, high-content engine project envisioned for the General’s new Performance Build Center set to open shop next year in Wixom, Michigan. The center is intended to attack projects with “a sort of race team mentality,” says Ed Koerner, vice president of GM Powertrain engineering operations.

Patterned after low-volume race shops, the center could build up to 10,000 powerplants per year for very specific, high-end, high-performance GM vehicles. Koerner says engines from the shop should appear in showroom vehicles by 2005.

Source: Autoweek

Αρθρο απο 17-12-2003

What the Devil's going on? Corvette team said to be working on Ford GT fighter

By BOB GRITZINGER

THE 2005 C6 CORVETTE hasn’t even been officially introduced, but the Corvette development team is already hard at work on future, high-performance variants, including a wild 600-plus horsepower Ford GT-fighter known internally as “Blue Devil.”

While chief engineer Dave Hill has publicly announced the Z06 version of the next-gen Vette due in 2005 will have 500 hp, his engine team wasn’t sure until recently that they could actually achieve that impressive figure. Sources now say that it will be a case of “nothing beats cubic inches” with 95 extra horses (compared to today’s 405-hp Z06) coming as a result of boring and stroking the next-gen Chevy small-block V8 to 427 cubic inches—7.0 liters. Not since the late-1960s has that magic number of cubes been under a Corvette’s composite hood (though there were some 454s along the way).

More important, Chevy is clearly investigating an ultra-performance Corvette designed to do battle with—and conquer—the mid-engined GT from rival Ford, as well as many supercars from across the pond. Called Blue Devil (no one knows why it has that name—could it be Chevy hopes to bedevil Ford’s blue oval?), unofficial stats make the name seem appropriate. Reportedly producing 625 hp, Blue Devil’s initial power will come from a supercharged 427 engine—and it will use lightweight carbon fiber for key body parts, reducing weight by several hundred pounds to drop the super C6 to about 2900 pounds.

The price indicated on the internal documents is $100,000 for Blue Devil, if and when it actually makes production in 2006—at the earliest. We wonder whether the Devil’s chances of seeing light are further improved following product czar Bob Lutz’s comments that he’d like to see a Chevy-badged car like the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept.

General Motors officials aren’t connecting the dots and saying this is a “go,” but the high-performance heart of Blue Devil is the kind of specialized, high-content engine project envisioned for the General’s new Performance Build Center set to open shop next year in Wixom, Michigan. The center is intended to attack projects with “a sort of race team mentality,” says Ed Koerner, vice president of GM Powertrain engineering operations.

Patterned after low-volume race shops, the center could build up to 10,000 powerplants per year for very specific, high-end, high-performance GM vehicles. Koerner says engines from the shop should appear in showroom vehicles by 2005.

Source: Autoweek

Αρθρο απο 17-12-2003

What the Devil's going on? Corvette team said to be working on Ford GT fighter

By BOB GRITZINGER

THE 2005 C6 CORVETTE hasn’t even been officially introduced, but the Corvette development team is already hard at work on future, high-performance variants, including a wild 600-plus horsepower Ford GT-fighter known internally as “Blue Devil.”

While chief engineer Dave Hill has publicly announced the Z06 version of the next-gen Vette due in 2005 will have 500 hp, his engine team wasn’t sure until recently that they could actually achieve that impressive figure. Sources now say that it will be a case of “nothing beats cubic inches” with 95 extra horses (compared to today’s 405-hp Z06) coming as a result of boring and stroking the next-gen Chevy small-block V8 to 427 cubic inches—7.0 liters. Not since the late-1960s has that magic number of cubes been under a Corvette’s composite hood (though there were some 454s along the way).

More important, Chevy is clearly investigating an ultra-performance Corvette designed to do battle with—and conquer—the mid-engined GT from rival Ford, as well as many supercars from across the pond. Called Blue Devil (no one knows why it has that name—could it be Chevy hopes to bedevil Ford’s blue oval?), unofficial stats make the name seem appropriate. Reportedly producing 625 hp, Blue Devil’s initial power will come from a supercharged 427 engine—and it will use lightweight carbon fiber for key body parts, reducing weight by several hundred pounds to drop the super C6 to about 2900 pounds.

The price indicated on the internal documents is $100,000 for Blue Devil, if and when it actually makes production in 2006—at the earliest. We wonder whether the Devil’s chances of seeing light are further improved following product czar Bob Lutz’s comments that he’d like to see a Chevy-badged car like the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept.

General Motors officials aren’t connecting the dots and saying this is a “go,” but the high-performance heart of Blue Devil is the kind of specialized, high-content engine project envisioned for the General’s new Performance Build Center set to open shop next year in Wixom, Michigan. The center is intended to attack projects with “a sort of race team mentality,” says Ed Koerner, vice president of GM Powertrain engineering operations.

Patterned after low-volume race shops, the center could build up to 10,000 powerplants per year for very specific, high-end, high-performance GM vehicles. Koerner says engines from the shop should appear in showroom vehicles by 2005.

Source: Autoweek

Αρθρο απο 23-12-2003

Bedeviled Vettes: Chevy mum about plans for 600-hp C6 supercar

By AUTOWEEK

Chevy is not confirming the existence of a super-high-performance Corvette called the Blue Devil (AW, Dec. 22), but officials acknowledge it’s possible that engineering and racing development prototypes based on the sixth-generation Corvette do exist and may have picked up the moniker.

And yes, as many AutoWeek readers have suggested, the Blue Devil name was chosen intentionally to catch the attention of General Motors CEO and Duke University Blue Devil alus Rick Wagoner.

Chevy officials say they have no production plans for the 600-hp, 7.0-liter V8-powered Blue Devil, despite information obtained by AutoWeek pointing to a 2006 production debut of the $100,000 sports car. The production C6’s worldwide premiere is just days away at the Detroit auto show.

Source: Autoweek

Αρθρο απο 1-1-2004

From the Car Connection from an article referencing the new C6:

The new Corvette will go into production in the third quarter of 2004. The Convertible will be announced this spring and will go into production in the fall. Later we expect an upscale Z06 with 500 hp and we have also heard rumours about a super-fast version with 700 hp, to be competitive with Ford's new GT, among other supercars.

Πηγη: Car Connection

Απο ενα δικο μου ποστ στις 30-7-2004 στο Acurazine forum:

There is an update in the MT Mag of September about the Blue Devil. They are saying that rumors that the chasis is that of a mid engined C7 based on the Cadillac Cien are not true. They say that development mules are using the C6's platform. The engine is the LS2 enlarged to 7 liters and now making 725HP (NA of course)! The target weight is under 3000 pounds and $100K is the target for the price.

No word on a green light for production. But if it gets the green light 'it will be several years after the Z06 C6 is out'. Which means 3 years from now or more. Damn!

Αρθρο απο τις 29-6-2005

Blue Devil Lives!! When GM's vice chairman speaks of an ultra-performance Corvette, we listen - - By BOB GRITZINGER - - Source: Autoweek

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.

Σημερινο αρθρο:

| Chicago Auto Show | - - By WES RAYNAL - - Source: Autoweek

Chevy officials at the Chicago auto show aren't comfirming that a higher-performance version of the Corvette Z06, called Blue Devil, is under development. But they certainly are not downplaying the possibilities.

'We'd love to have it,' said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager.

Sources say the Blue Devil might go with a supercharged 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 2007.

'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,'' GM vice chairman Bob Lutz told us last July.

Η δικη μου γνωμη ειναι οτι σιγουρα θα το 'κανουν' το αυτοκινητο και με αρκετα πανω απο 600 ιππους. Υπολογιζω 650 ιππους SAE Certified και με 2900 λιμπρες (1317 κιλα) θα ειναι ενα απο τα γρηγοροτερα οχηματα.