March & April Newsletter Table of Contents Page 1 CV&CCC February Events Page 2 CV&CCC Officers Page 3 Callaway Competition 2019 Driver Lineup Page 4 - 5 Mid-Engine Corvette on Autoline Page 6 - 7 C-8 to wear Stingray Name Page 8 2017 Camaro & Corvette Recall Page 9 - 11 Minty Fresh 1957 Corvette Page 12 0% for 72 Months on all 2018 Corvette Models Page 13 Hertz Selling it’s Fleet of ZO6 Corvettes Page 14 Key West Cruise Page 15 CV&CCC Royal Caribbean Cruise Saturday March 23, 2019 CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast 9:00 A.M. The Front Porch 12039 N. Florida Ave. Dunnellon Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than March 20th. Saturday March 23, 2019 Celebration of Life for Lee Holtman 1:00 p.m. 2860 S.E. 1st Avenue Ocala, Florida Friday March 29, 2019 Jackie & Carol Cancer Cruise In 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Love Chevrolet Music Provided by 3 Ring Circus Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than March 25th. Saturday April 20, 2019 CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast 9:00 A.M. Red’s 841 N. Carl G. Rose Highway / SR 200 Hernando Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than April 15th. April 23 - 27, 2019 Michelin NCM BASH Bowling Green, Kentucky We will depart on Tuesday April 23rd from Hampshire Boulevard & CR 491 at 7:15 a.m.
Transcript
M a r c h & A p r i l N e w s l e t t e r
Table of Contents
Page 1
CV&CCC February Events
Page 2
CV&CCC Officers
Page 3
Callaway Competition 2019
Driver Lineup
Page 4 - 5
Mid-Engine Corvette on
Autoline
Page 6 - 7
C-8 to wear Stingray Name
Page 8
2017 Camaro & Corvette Recall
Page 9 - 11
Minty Fresh 1957 Corvette
Page 12
0% for 72 Months on all 2018
Corvette Models
Page 13
Hertz Selling it’s Fleet of ZO6
Corvettes
Page 14
Key West Cruise
Page 15
CV&CCC Royal Caribbean Cruise
Saturday March 23, 2019
CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast 9:00 A.M.
The Front Porch 12039 N. Florida Ave. Dunnellon
Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than March 20th.
Saturday March 23, 2019
Celebration of Life for Lee Holtman 1:00 p.m.
2860 S.E. 1st Avenue Ocala, Florida
Friday March 29, 2019
Jackie & Carol Cancer Cruise In 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Love Chevrolet
Music Provided by 3 Ring Circus
Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than March 25th.
Saturday April 20, 2019
CV&CCC Monthly Breakfast 9:00 A.M.
Red’s 841 N. Carl G. Rose Highway / SR 200 Hernando
Please R.S.V.P. the CV&CCC Calendar no later than April 15th.
April 23 - 27, 2019
Michelin NCM BASH Bowling Green, Kentucky
We will depart on Tuesday April 23rd from Hampshire Boulevard
& CR 491 at 7:15 a.m.
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CV&CCC Officers
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
Callaway Competition’s Driver Lineup Sets Sights On 2019 Championship
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Callaway Competition is the oldest team in Europe’s ADAC GT Masters, and started in 1993 with a Corvette C4 at the ADAC GT Cup. Since then, the team has secured numerous driver and team championships, most recently, in 2017 with their blazingly fast Callaway GT3-R Corvette. So far, it has brought them nine victories since making its ADAC GT Masters debut. Callaway’s driver line-up for this year’s championship contention consists of two, seasoned veterans of the ADAC GT Masters. Marvin Kirchhöfer, who is under contract with R-Motorsport (Aston Martin) and is active in the international Blancpain GT Series, will also be available in the ADAC GT Masters as a driver for Callaway Competition. Markus Pommer, the 28-year-old from Neckarsulm, now joins Callaway Competition, where he replaces record ADAC GT Masters race-winner and former champion Daniel Keilwitz, who leaves the team after nine years. Markus and Marvin are both focused on winning the title this year for Callaway Competition. Putting it in perspective, Kirchhöfer gives some insight into the driving force for them to seek a title as a team, “I have a good teammate with Markus and we can fight right from the start. We’re both highly motivated, because we both just missed the title with different cars last year.” With the taste of a title so fresh on their minds, there’s no doubting this duo will surely be a force to contend with on the racetrack.
Mid-Engine Corvette Gets Some Seat Time on Autoline
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
Almost everyone is talking about the new, mid-engine Corvette variant that will likely be the next-gen, C8 Corvette. Recently, a panel of seasoned journalists sat down and discussed some of what we know, and THINK we know about this mysterious mid-engine car that has danced before our eyes for months. The show Autoline.tv frequently discusses issues surrounding the automotive manufacturing world. With so much going on within Corvette, it was just a matter of time before the subject came up during conversations. The panel for this podcast is a list of seasoned journalists who have been in the industry a considerable number of years. Enthusiasts will recognize most of the names on this list. Accompanying Autoline.TV’s host, John McElroy, is journalist Don Sherman, Peter DeLorenzo from Autoextremist.com and Gary Vasilash, Editor-in-Chief of Automotive Design & Production. Various hot issues of the C8 Corvette were addressed. For those who hope that a front-engine variant would still be available once mid-engine production begins, Mr. Sherman concedes that he believes for now, there will be both engine placement options. But don’t dawdle on the ordering forms. That’s not a long-term plan for production. For those who prefer to row their own gears, the outlook isn’t nearly as optimistic. No one on the panel even hinted that a standard transmission as we know it is on the books for the C8. Although, in keeping with Chevrolet’s value-for-dollar pricing of Corvette, both Sherman and DeLorenzo mention that starting price of the mid-engine variant should remain very close to what we see today. That said, Don Sherman allows that the initial offering of a mid-engine Corvette may use a push-rod engine to attain that level of buy-in.
Mid-Engine Corvette Gets Some Seat Time on Autoline
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The panel of automotive illuminati from left to right, consists of Don Sherman, John McElroy, Gary Vasilash and Peter DeLorenzo. All-in-all, the conversation based on what each panelist believes the next-gen Corvette will be, according to their experience. While that experience might be extensive, it is difficult to predict the future, especially when there isn’t sufficient precedent. No one can take away from these gentlemen’s experience within the auto industry, although some commenters willingly try to do so. One thing we know for sure, is that when the mid-engine car does finally arrive, it will be incredible, and the world will be waiting on the edge of their seats to see it. When might that happen? You can watch the video and listen as Don Sherman explains when and how he thinks it will all go down.
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C8 Corvette Variant to Wear Stingray Name
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
News on the industry’s worst kept secret keeps on surfacing, and the latest has to do with what the first-ever mid-engine C8 Corvette will be called. Or what at least one variant will be called, anyway.
According to a sleuth photo found on Carscoops, the all-new C8 Corvette will retain a familiar namesake, evident by the ‘Stingray‘ decal in the center of the cabin. The Stingray name is nearly as old as the Corvette itself. Originally debuting on a concept car designed by the legendary Peter Brock in 1959, the Corvette Stingray (also spelled Sting Ray back then) faded out in 1976 before coming back in 2013 with the launch of the C7. It continues to serve as the entry level nameplate of the Corvette family, which includes the wide-bodied Grand Sport, then 650 horsepower Z06, and topped out by the 755 horsepower Corvette ZR1.
The C7 Corvette Stingray comes from the factory with a minimum of 455 horsepower and carries an MSRP of just under $56,000. It is America’s bestselling two-seat sports car.
The C8 Corvette is not expected to be too far a jump in overall price appealing to much of the same budgets that feed the popularity of the marque.
But that’s where the similarities are expected to end. Along with the mid/rear-engine placement, it’s likely that the C8 Corvette will have a dual-overhead cam V8 engine instead of the familiar small block V8, based of videos of the car pacing the Nurburgring.
The C8.R Corvette race car also sounds wildly different from the C7.R, further pointing to a departure from engine traditions. Additionally, patent filings point to a dual clutch transmission system, and a clutch-by-wire electronic manual transmission system. These transmissions are also different from the 8-speed single clutch automatic, and familiar seven-speed manual we see today. The steering wheel on the C8 Corvette also has been spied with a flat top, mimicking the wheel of a race car.
GM trademark filings also point to other Corvette names likely to come. These include Corvette Manta Ray, Corvette E-Ray, and the mysterious Zora trademark – derived from Zora Arkus-Duntov, the “Father of the Corvette.” With these names in mind, along with the currently used Grand Sport, Z06, and ZR1, we could be in for a breadth of C8 Corvette variants for years to come. Stay tuned for more.
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
The Cadillac ATS and CTS are also implicated.
General Motors is recalling 26,772 cars because their electric power-steering system could fail, making it harder to steer and control the vehicle. The recall affects the 2017 Cadillac
ATS, 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017 Chevrolet Camaro and 2017 Corvette.
GM says the problem stems from defective control boards for the Bosch-supplied electric power-steering system. If the system fails, GM says that drivers will get an audible and visual warning about the error in the car's instrument cluster. Sometimes the problem will go away when the car is restarted. The good news is that even with the power-assist function down, the cars' steering will still work, so you would still be able to steer. Still, GM cautions that high steering effort could make it tougher for owners to drive the affected cars safely, especially at lower speeds, such as in urban areas and parking lots. Although in the case of a Camaro or Corvette, losing power assistance on a race track could be really problematic.
The recall investigation began in 2018 after report of steering problems with the 2017 Camaro. GM says the recall covers 13,944 Camaros and 6,259 Corvettes, as well as 2,875 Cadillac CTS and 3,694 ATS models. To correct the problem, GM dealers will replace the cars' electric power steering systems, free of charge.
Minty Fresh Eye Candy: 1957 Corvette From Steve’s Auto Restoration
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For those of you old enough to remember, restaurants used to have a dish of butter mints up at the front counter by the cashier. Sort of a palate cleanser after you finished your meal.
These little lozenge-shaped candies melted in your mouth and came in an assortment of pale pastel colors: pink, yellow, blue, and my favorite, a minty green. When I saw this pale green 1957 Corvette from Steve’s Auto Restoration out of Portland, Oregon, last month, it reminded me of the old school confection and was visually, the equivalent of the melt-in-your-mouth candy. We saw the mint green car at GNRS 2019 and had to linger a good long while to soak it all in. It takes huge balls to alter a single-headlight C1, but this is a meticulous build with incredibly thoughtful and appropriate tweaks to Harley Earl’s mid-century sports car masterpiece. The additions improve the car and enhance everything touched.
Minty Fresh Eye Candy: 1957 Corvette From Steve’s Auto Restoration
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
The body is sprayed out in a custom “Creme De Menthe” pearl, with a sting-
er hood, 1953 windshield, 1953 license plate receptacle, no door glass, and
custom bumpers and exhaust trim. The pastel paint has a ton of fire and
sparkle in it and was spectacular in person.
The car is running a GM Performance LS3 V-8, hooked up to a Tremec 5-speed sitting in an Art Morrison Sport GT C5 chassis. Rounding out the running gear are big black walls on 18- and 19-inch EVOD wheels, stuffed with Wilwood brakes.
Minty Fresh Eye Candy: 1957 Corvette From Steve’s Auto Restoration
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The interior introduces some whipped cream elements to the mix. Dan’s Auto Upholstery, also out of Portland, stitched this thing up right with leather seats, steering wheel, and dash. The custom machined steering wheel is a killer, and perfectly frames the Classic Instruments gauges. Finally, the car was presented flawlessly. Some folks think these high-end builds are fussy, unusable show cars. We say, “God lives in the details,” and seeing this thing in all its glorious perfection was breathtaking. A true achievement, and Power Automedia’s favorite restomod Corvette so far this year. The judges at GNRS agreed and awarded ‘Vette 2019’s “Best Sports Car Pre-’63.” Congrats to Steve’s
Auto Restoration for this delicious, minty fresh Corvette.
Chevrolet is Now Offering Zero Percent Financing for 72 Months on All 2018 Corvette
C i t r u s V e t t e s & C a m a r o s C a r C l u b
Last month our report on the excessive inventory of new Corvettes was featured in automotive news blogs around the world. And after selling just 800 new Corvettes back in January, perhaps General Motors has finally heard from its dealers that it’s going to take some cash on the hood to get Corvette sales moving again because there is finally a new incentive that should help! A check of Chevrolet.com’s current offers shows a new 0% APR financing offer for 72 months on all remaining 2018 Corvette models (Stingray/Grand Sport/Z06). Well qualified buyers must take delivery by 4/1/2019. It’s the first offer specific to Corvettes this year and we are happy to finally see some attention for dealing with the more than 9,000 new Corvettes available across the Country. However, the amount of 2018 Corvettes still available is relatively small compared to the number of 2019s as the 2018 model year was only produced for five months with a total of 9,686 Corvette made in the shortened model year. Meanwhile, 2019 Corvette production started over 13 months ago and make up the majority of Corvettes available for sale. We don’t have any hard numbers on inventory totals by year, but just for illustration, a search of new 2019 Corvettes at Cars.com shows 5400 match-es while the number of new 2018 Corvettes is only 353. Still, it’s a great offer for someone that wants a new Corvette right now, and with this being a buyers’ market, you should be able find a 2018 Corvette that’s been marked down by thousands off the MSRP. As always, see your dealer for details.
Hertz Will Soon Be Selling Its Fleet of 100 Special Anniversary Corvette Z06s
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What was once available for rent will soon be available to buy. Hertz has been celebrating its 100th anniversary since last August with 100 special Corvette Z06s that customers could rent at select Hertz rental locations. Now the party is nearly over for Hertz, so you’ll soon be able to buy one of these special Corvettes for your very own. Hertz says if you want one of its special Z06s, you’d better act quickly. The company hasn’t released a specific date when sales will begin but says once the cars are on the market, you’ll be able to begin the Hertz flexible financing process with an online application. Hertz also suggests having your trade-in ap-praised early, and “then once these Corvettes are offered, you’ll be well on your way to go through our No Haggle Price buying process.” The company says customers should keep an eye on the Hertz website to see if and when the special Cor-vettes will be at your nearest Hertz Car Sales location. Appropriately enough, all 100 of the 650-horsepower Corvettes are decked out in Corvette Racing Yel-low paint with dual black stripes, matching Hertz’s brand colors, of course. The cars are outfitted with eight-speed automatic transmissions, black aluminum wheels, yellow brake calipers, competition seats, and custom Hertz interior badging, including a personalized Hertz centennial anniversary plaque that displays the model number of the vehicle. The special Z06s were offered for rent at several airport locations across the United States, including At-lanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, and Tampa.
