QUICK SHIFTS: Track Set-Up Video, Living with a C8, 1000+ HP Crate Motors, Electric Trucks, and a Homeless C6 Z06.

Welcome to Quick Shifts. Quick Shifts is a content feature here at CorvetteBlogger featuring links to Corvette and automotive-related stories of interest. The ‘net was a bit light on Corvette content this week but we were able to round up enough stories of interest to jumpstart our C2 for a nice, 4-speed cruise. The stories we have hand-selected for you this week include setting a C8 up for track days, living with a C8, no ‘Vettes at LeMans, another option in the thousand+ HP crate club, good reads, electric trucks, and C6 Z06 comparisons.

FIRST GEAR:

We will start the final June edition of QS with a pair of Corvette videos, or ‘Vette Vids, if you will, starting with an excellent clip from our favorite (Canadian) dealership employee, Morgan Crosbie. The Cros is back to show how a certified GM dealership preps a C8 Corvette for track duty. Be sure to follow all of these steps before heading out to terrorize 911s on your next HPDE event.

SECOND GEAR:

Shifting into a triple-header of a second gear, we begin with a great write-up about living with a C8 from Cars.com. The most recent batch of ME Corvette reviews has really elevated the car in our book, first impressions almost always err on the side of excitement but the fact that the eighth-generation of America’s sportscar continues to impress, and even find new ways of doing so, with people who are getting the car on their home turf for greater lengths of time, only adds to the aura of the C8!

For the middle of the second, we have a fascinating look at a special, “death defying” ’58 Corvette (that could be yours at Mecum’s 2020 Indy sale) via Hagerty Media. Be sure to check out this outstanding piece!

Finally, it is official, the field of 62 cars for the 88th running of the 24 Hours of LeMans in September has been released and there’s nary a Corvette among them for the first time this millennium. A blurb from Classic & Sports Car brought this to our attention, and we agree with them, the ‘Vettes will be missed!

THIRD GEAR:

We brought you news of Katech’s new 1,159 horse LT5 crate motor earlier this week but it looks like the famous Corvette Racing engine suppliers have some serious competition coming their way in the four-digit HP LS/LT space. According to Muscle Cars & Trucks, California based, Nelson Racing Engines is putting the final touches on a 1,200 pony LS of their own. The blacked-out beast displaces 7 liters (427 cubic inches), features fully forged internals, and is the home to a Whipple Supercharger that brings another 4.0L to the party. It also ships with a tuned ECU, all of the necessary sensors, and a wiring harness and the icing on the cake is that $26,000, it’ll likely undercut the price of the Katech LT5. NRE also brings some renown to the table that is capable of competing with Katech. They provide power plants to American hypercar manufacturer, SSC. Specifically, Nelson builds the 1,750 twin-turbo mill used in the most recent contender for the title of ‘world’s fastest car,’ the Tuatara. Impressive stuff; the only question now is, which would you rather bolt into your next project; the Katech LT5, or this 427 from NRE?

FOURTH GEAR:

Fourth will serve as the good-reads section this week starting with an exceptional article about… the Buick LaCrosse? Trust us on this one, it is absolutely worth a look! It has it all; a behind the scenes chat with the Corvette team, a call to action for GM, and even some words of truth for our current, crazy world. See it all for yourself in the latest edition of Avoidable Contact.

Jason Cammisa also called out GM this week, and for good reason; Cadillac’s most recent method for naming their cars is completely out of control! See how the whole trend began in Germany and how Caddy became the worst offender in the industry over on Road & Track.com.

While we are on the topic of R&T, there was exciting news from their parent company, Hearst Autos. This week, they announced that our favorite auction/car community website, Bring a Trailer, is joining R&T, Car and Driver, and Autoweek in the Hearst family. Congrats to both parties, it should be a beautiful partnership!

We will close with your author’s favorite piece of the week. Hagerty did a special countdown of the 25 Greatest Mustangs in history and staff member, David Zenlea decided to crash the party with an ode to the Camaro that easily outshines (and out-burns) the much larger ‘Stang piece.

SUPER CRUISE

A couple of weeks ago we included the absurd-sounding news that Tesla Motors is nearing Toyota as the most valuable automaker on Earth, even though they have turned an annual profit exactly zero times in their 17-year existence (happy birthday to them on July 1st, enjoy the R-rated movies!). Now, comes the even more outrageous news that Nikola, the company that un-creatively adapted the other half of the alternating current (AC) electrical supply system inventor’s name, is worth more than FCA, in spite of having no vehicle deliveries to their name. We will give them this though, their electric truck (rendering) is easily the best design among the lifted electric hopefuls. For comparison, and in descending order of attractiveness, the others are; the Ford and Amazon backed Rivian R1T, the hideous but kind of cool in its own way, Cybertruck, and finally, the Lordstown Endurance, which is/will be built in its namesake (former) GM factory in Ohio. Looking around at the competition, the General has to feel pretty confident about their upcoming, 1,000 HP Hummer Electric Truck. It’ll be interesting to watch the seemingly endless supply of upstart “start-ups” duking it out it in this cutthroat business, it’s like the early days of the automobile all over again!

REVERSE:

Well guys, I nearly pulled the trigger on a Daytona Sunset Orange Z06 this week and during my phase of excitement, I returned to a host of my favorite reviews and comparison tests from when the C6Z was new. What a machine it was! The two that I want to share come from the one-two punch of Motor Trend and Automobile. Each pits the 7.0L beast against its contemporaries from the other members of the Detroit big three, the Viper SRT-10, and the Ford GT. See how the American Supercars stacked up here and here.

Enjoy, Corvette Nation, and could one of you please give that Z06 a nice home for me?

Previous Quick Shifts:
Base C8 Corvette Review, C8 Z06 Pipes, New Mustang and a Mercedes Wagon, C5 Corvette Lifespan and More!
C8 vs Shelby GT500, C8 Markups, Buy Your Own Racetrack, C8 Z06 Rumors, Tesla Domination, and More!
C8 Style with Brett Golliff, C3/C6 Buyers Guides, Jordan Taylor, GM Corporate Espionage, and more!