Chevrolet Corvette 2008

The new Chevy Corvette coupe and convertible will get a little bit closer to its extremely fast Z06 brother performances. In 2007, the LS2 6.0 liter V8 has been removed from the fibre glass engine compartment and replaced with a brand new, with enhanced structure, all aluminum 6.2 unit.The new engine LS3 has SAE certification and its technical specifications are 430 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque with the standard exhaust system, or 436 hp and 428 lb-ft with an optional dual-mode exhaust. This engine is, at 6200, only400 rpm far away from Z06 (7000-rpm maximum speed).The LS3 has borrowed some of the technology from the Z06’s LS7 7.0-liter (like the cylinder head design and the fuel injectors) and it has the same stork as the previous 6.0 liter. It has an increase in displacement, which originates from an increase in bore from 101.6 mm to 103.3 mm and a new camshaft lifts 5 percent higher the intake valves which are also larger than the old engine (with 9%).The engine cover and the acoustically tuned intake manifold will provide the LS3 with a better, more refined sound, which is piped through an exhaust tubing system of 2.5 inches (half inch smaller than that from the Z06).The base Corvette has now a coefficient of drag of and 290 mph and improvements do not end here, because there are also tactile enhancing on both six speed transmissions. Shifts in the automatic can be changed a whole lot quickly now, reaching a 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds which represents the highest reached by a 2-pedal Corvette.The wheels on the 2008 model are measuring 18 inches diameter infront and 19 inches in the rear. They are made from aluminium and they bring another improvement on the list: steering feel is better and that is also due to the improved machining process.Now, on the interior, the list of improvements continues. Starting from the brushed aluminium accents, XM radio equipment, auto dimming mirrors and finishing with the iPod jack for cars without navigation, they all bring a great feel of elegance combined with sporty utility.The colours available are Jetstream Blue Metallic Tincoat and Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat.Corvette proves once again that it can face all the technological changes in the supercar world and with the continuous changes it becomes a great alternative for supercars fans, as it usually costs two and sometimes three times less than many supercars.

More...