2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z07 ” The Muscle Car”
If you think C6 Corvette was a phenomenon. Despite a substandard interior, its power, dynamics, and styling have given it international credibility the Corvette C5 struggled to achieve and the gold-chain-inspiring Corvette C3 and Corvette C4 could only dream of. Now it’s talked of as a competitor for Porsche 911, Aston Martin V-8 Vantage, various BMW Ms, and Mercedes AMGs. That 505-horsepower Corvette Z06 (the 2007 Corvette Z06 is pictured) hasn’t hurt.
But just before it’s replaced by the all-new Corvette Z07, the Corvette C6 will get one last shot at automotive immortality: around 700 horsepower and a new name. Word in Detroit is the long-awaited ber-Corvette, codenamed the Blue Devil after Rick Wagoner’s alma mater’s NCAA
If the thought of the new 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang hedging in on the505-hp Corvette Z06′s territory raises your blood pressure, don’t despair: Corvette chief engineer Tom Wallace has a 650-hp trick up his sleeve (a rendering is shown to the right.) Earlier rumors were that the new super Corvette will build on the Z06′s 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 that was developed in sync with the Corvette C6.R Le Mans racer, but recent photos have shown otherwise. We now believe that the SS will use a version of the base Corvette’s V-8-bored out to 6.2 liters of displacement-with a supercharger bolted to the top. Joining a new trend, an intercooler will be mounted above the supercharger rather than tucked away using a complicated series of tubes. You can expect the supercharged engine in the SS will produce around 650 feverishly sprinting ponies.
Specifications
Performance & Efficiency
- 7,008 cc 7.0 liters V 8 front engine with 104.8 mm bore, 101.6 mm stroke, 11.0 compression ratio, overhead valve and two valves per cylinder LS7
- Premium unleaded fuel 91
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- 18.0 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 15.0
- Power: 377 kW , 505 HP SAE @ 6,300 rpm; 470 ft lb , 637 Nm @ 4,800 rpm
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Four-wheel ABS
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Four disc brakes including four ventilated discs
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Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management
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Immobilizer
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Rear limited slip differential
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Stability control
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Wishbone front and rear suspension independent with stabilizer bar and leaf springs
