Both the Corvette Coupe and Convertible won their classes in the annual Strategic Vision Total Value Awards. The awards are based on an index which factors economic issues against the total new vehicle ownership experience. The factors that make up the index include reliability, a solid warranty, strong anticipated resale value, durability and innovation. The Corvette Coupe won its class of “Small Specialty over $25,000″ with an index score of 798. The Mercedes-Benz CL Class Coupe was second with a score of 790 and the BMW 3-Series Coupe was third at 784. The average score for the class was 762. The Corvette Convertible won its class of “Convertibles of $30,000″ with an index score of 789. The BMW Z4 Roadster was second with a score of 778 and the Porsche Boxster came in third with a score of 775. The average index in the Convertibles over $30,000 was 755. GM was the top domestic corporation and won 4 Total Value Segments, three of which were won by Chevrolet products. Other GM winners included the Saturn Vue, winning the Small SUV segment and the Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 which won the Heavy Duty Pickup segment.

“GM’s new warranty will bring new prospective buyers to the brand, who otherwise might have felt the quality, durability and value was missing,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision automotive research group. “If GM can communicate the right quality cues and value in current and future vehicles, then they will be poised for success in the near future.”

Our friends at DigitalCorvettes.com landed themselves a big one last night, as the first photos of the Blue Devil/Stingray/Z07 Corvette have finally been posted. Head over to read an interview with photographer Chris Doane, who needed 15-20 minutes just to get in front of supercharged ‘Vette to take some photos.

Ken Amrick is reporting in the Fall 2006 issue of On Solid Ground that the body from Corvette #002 may have been located. On Solid Ground is the publication of the Solid Axle Corvette Club. Many modifications and oddities about the early Corvette body appear to be consistent with records showing that body No. 002 served as a test car for production Corvettes, including whether the then-developmental small-block V-8 would work in the two-seater. GM records show body No. 002 was assigned duty as an engineering test vehicle (and assigned No. 3951), and was used in various V-8 design tests, as well as cooling system, 12-volt power, Powerglide and exhaust development. The body that was recently found was removed when car No. 3951 received a new body in May 1955. There are some interesting characterists to the body believed to be that of #002. They include: • The body has a one-piece floor, thought only to exist among the first 12 Corvette bodies. • The fiberglass finish is extremely crude, especially in trunk and behind seats, per early cars. • The right-side inner fender has been reworked to fit a 12-volt battery. • The brake pedal arm and emergency brake have differences from any other Corvette. • Several sets of holes in the firewall indicate multiple placements of heater motor and hoses. • The normal exhaust holes were covered with factory-type materials, and there is evidence that extra exhaust holes were cut in rear fenders, as on 1956-’57 V-8 models. An early photograph known to be of body No. 002 shows two sets of exhaust holes, and they are in the same location on the body of the car in question. The earliest known Corvette still existing is No. 003, which has been restored to show condition and sold at the 2006 Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale for $1 million dollars. Corvette No. 001 is known to have been destroyed in a burn test by General Motors. I’m hoping that there will be more details about this historic find including how, where and when. Keep in mind as well that we are not talking about a complete Corvette, only the original body. We’ll try to post more details when they are released. Source: Old Cars Weekly
Technorati Tags: Corvette

GM’s VP of Design Ed Welburn was on the weekly Autoline Detroit television show and discussed the increasing design synergy across Chevy models with a common design theme becoming obvious in the coming years. The host pointed out that the gold bow-tie emblem doesn’t appear prominently on the Corvette and Welburn responded by saying this is likely to change. “The gold bowtie will be there,” he said. “There is a strong signature grille that we are developing for all Chevys,” Welburn explained. “We will depart a bit in the grille area […] but that bowtie will be there on every Chevy.” Let me tell you two things that Chevrolet won’t do. There will not be an integration of a “common grille theme” on the Corvette, and second, the Chevrolet Bow-Tie will not be a predominant feature on the Corvette. Look at the photo. Because the Corvette depends on a massive flow of air, the design does not lend itself to having a traditional grille period. So yeah, you can bet your ass there won’t be a common grille theme on the Corvette. For 50 years Corvettes have had their own distinct logo. Everyone already knows that a Corvette is made by Chevrolet. The bow-tie is already integrated into the Corvette logo itself. As you can see at DigitalCorvettes.com, owners are already up in arms against the idea. As the photo illustration from CorvetteConti.com shows, it’s a pretty silly thought and should be dismissed by Tom Wallace immediately. Instead of logos and symbols, GM needs to transfer the attributes that made Corvette great (quality, performance and unique style) to the rest of the Chevrolet lineup. Source: Leftlane News Update
Here is a link to Autoline Detroit where the show can be viewed online.
Technorati Tags: Corvette | Chevrolet

We must be coming to the end of the year as I am sensing another round of the obligatory “Car of the Year” awards getting ready to be announced. And while I am not sure half these awards are worth the pixels used to promote them, if a Corvette is selected, than it is my duty as an American to report it! First up! The Motorist Choice Award from IntelliChoice.com and AutoPacific. This is a new award created from the surveys of both organizations that created “a new measurement that speaks to both the hearts and minds of car buyers.” Really, the survey boils downs to owner satisfaction with their vehicle combined with an analysis of the vehicle’s cost of ownership and value. Both items that the Corvette has excelled at in recent years. The Corvette was listed as winning the Sports Car category, but get this. There were 29 winning models by segment and class, 12 classes for cars, 7 classes for SUV’s, 8 truck classes and 1 van class. Here’s what each organization said about the Chevrolet Corvette:

AutoPacific Take on Corvette’s Win – The Chevrolet Corvette wins the first Motorist’s Choice Award® for Sports Cars. It also won top honors among Sports Cars in AutoPacific’s 2006 Vehicle Satisfaction Award®. Corvette’s strong image and vehicle reputation are reinforced by great Fun to Drive attributes like power, acceleration and handling. IntelliChoice Analysis – The Corvette, with plenty of horsepower on tap, is a true American “Triple Crown” winner. Not only a Motorist’s Choice and Vehicle Satisfaction winner, but also a repeat 2006 “Best Overall Value of the Year” winner. 5 year ownership costs are equally amazing at just $45,510, well over $6000 below it’s nearest competitor. The Chevrolet Corvette, as much fun to drive as it is to own!