From: AutoWeek What the Devil's going on? Corvette team said to be working on Ford GT fighter By BOB GRITZINGER THE 2005 C6 CORVETTE hasnt even been officially introduced, but the Corvette development team is already hard at work on future, high-performance variants, including a wild 600-plus horsepower Ford GT-fighter known internally as Blue Devil. While chief engineer Dave Hill has publicly announced the Z06 version of the next-gen Vette due in 2005 will have 500 hp, his engine team wasnt sure until recently that they could actually achieve that impressive figure. Sources now say that it will be a case of nothing beats cubic inches with 95 extra horses (compared to todays 405-hp Z06) coming as a result of boring and stroking the next-gen Chevy small-block V8 to 427 cubic inches7.0 liters. Not since the late-1960s has that magic number of cubes been under a Corvettes composite hood (though there were some 454s along the way). More important, Chevy is clearly investigating an ultra-performance Corvette designed to do battle withand conquerthe mid-engined GT from rival Ford, as well as many supercars from across the pond. Called Blue Devil (no one knows why it has that namecould it be Chevy hopes to bedevil Fords blue oval?), unofficial stats make the name seem appropriate. Reportedly producing 625 hp, Blue Devils initial power will come from a supercharged 427 engineand it will use lightweight carbon fiber for key body parts, reducing weight by several hundred pounds to drop the super C6 to about 2900 pounds. The price indicated on the internal documents is $100,000 for Blue Devil, if and when it actually makes production in 2006at the earliest. We wonder whether the Devils chances of seeing light are further improved following product czar Bob Lutzs comments that hed like to see a Chevy-badged car like the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept. General Motors officials arent connecting the dots and saying this is a go, but the high-performance heart of Blue Devil is the kind of specialized, high-content engine project envisioned for the Generals new Performance Build Center set to open shop next year in Wixom, Michigan. The center is intended to attack projects with a sort of race team mentality, says Ed Koerner, vice president of GM Powertrain engineering operations. Patterned after low-volume race shops, the center could build up to 10,000 powerplants per year for very specific, high-end, high-performance GM vehicles. Koerner says engines from the shop should appear in showroom vehicles by 2005.
Wow. Nobody loves ultra-high performance cars more than I do, but this horsepower race is starting to worry me. With all these 500 and 600 hp cars running around, how long will be it be before the Feds decide enough is too much, and cap the horsepower like Japan? Gary
It's true- the horsepower wars are going on now- it dwarfs the 1960's horsepower wars. In fact, the only 1960's engine that makes enough NET horsepower (as opposed to the over-inflated gross HP numbers that used to be used) to impress someone today was probably the original HEMI (the real HEMI, not the new dodge HEMI's of today that are nothing more than a strong engine with a catchy marketing name on them)...maybe some of the tri-carb chrysler 440s and GM 427s too. Anyway, my guess is the insurance companies will start to use the high HP as an excuse to up the preiums like they did in the 1960's, which will decrease sales somewhat of these ultra-high powered cars. They will probably become lower-volume image cars, but then again I do see a lot of Z-06 corvettes on the road by me. And I was so impressed when the 550 came out with 485hp.... To tell you the truth, I liked it better when 485hp was impressive- it still is, but not as impressive when these cars have 500, 600+ hp... If I had the money, I would always take a 550 over the others though as Ferraris are not only about absolute HP and acceleration, to me anyway.
TWO WORDS: NOSE HEAVY... Secondly, you cannot sanitise and exploit properly 600+Hp if your car weighs more than 1400kgs...the SLR is another story...
Actually, the C5 is almost perfect 50-50 weight distribution. The C6 will be even better, I'd bet on it. Its a front engine (almost entirely aluminum and plastic) rear transaxle design built on one hell of a frame. Its not a Ferrari in the looks/ mystique dept, but it is not a slouch by any means. Don't underestimate one on the track, you will probably regret it. Ed
I was recently invited to a private gathering of auto enthusiasts in a "secret" location......actually a person's "garage" with over 100 cars in it. He has everything from Ferraris to Rolls to Isotta Franchinis...a truly incredible place and I felt very lucky to be invited. Anyways....there was an engineer there who is part of the Ford GT program and he basically confirmed what Wickeddeus has stated. Chevy is working on a super-vette project, kinda like a modern version of the ZR-1. And he said they were working very hard to keep the price to $100k or less. It sounds very promising to say the least. And on the subject of horsepower wars....yes it kinda scares me too. I agree you can never have too much power. But a car that truly makes over 500 hp is pretty scary to the average driver. Oh you always hear the talk of big hp, but a car with a true 500+hp is quite a handful. The Enzo with it's 650hp just blows my mind. Who would have thought that we would ever exceed the old muscle car days by such a wide margin? And the top dog being the Bugatti Veyron with it's other-worldly 987hp....!!! I really can't believe there isn't some kind of regulation about an OEM car maker producing that kind of power for the street. I think it's gonna come crashing down soon..... But until it does.....these are the "good ol'e days"
carguy: I have actually heard the oppisite. A good friend of mine was speaking to one of the head of GM engineering and was told this is very false. The new Z06 will be a monster, but there is no such thing as a "blue devil". Too bad, as I think if General put their knowledge into it, you could have a car that would be better then the McLaren F1.
Yes there are some great US cars now like the Z06, Viper, S7 & the Mosler. I heard the new Z06 will have 500 hp & a cf body. I'm still considering getting an F40 in 05 but we'll see what else comes around the corner between now & then. My race car weighs 2800 # with 475 hp & thats bloody terrifying. I think people should be required to get special training at the minimum before getting the keys to a monster like these.
