WhichCar.com Blog Provides the Scoop on C8 Corvette Cluster Headed up by GM Boss

Last week in this video posted by California-based realtor George Kenner, six C8 Corvettes are spotted driving along a road in Yuma, Arizona. Covered in camouflage as many spy shots and videos are, you can still make out enough visuals to stoke the imagination a bit and envision how exciting the fantastic and high-powered C8 will be when it arrives on the lot here at O'rielly Chevy of Tucson. Just after the 8:38 mark is where Mark Reuss can be spotted with a hefty smile on his face, enjoying the raw ability and power of the C8, and obviously enjoying killing it at his new responsibilities after being appointed president of GM earlier this year.

At the tail end of the fleet is the current C7 Corvette model, which the videographer thought for a split-second was an Audi R8, due to the clear mid-engined proportions that catch your eye first. Reports gleaned previously from Motor and Wheels Australia have gradually alluded to the final word regarding the next-generation Corvette, which has already been officially shown to Chevy dealers nationwide. Different leaked documents and computer-generated drawings lead many experts to believe that 4 different V8 engine configurations are likely for the C8.

The 6.2-liter LT1 V8 will most likely be one option, and a turbocharged 5.5-liter unit with a hybrid system will also likely be in the works. The folks on duty at the Road and Track blog had a great feature last month chock full of details regarding the arrival of the C8, and here you get to see a cool video of a fleet of five C8s testing in the snow-covered mountains of California. At this point, we are still under the impression that the car won't debut until early summer of this year, and some are keeping their eyes on the New York Auto show in April.

When we mull over the many various reasons we have to be thrilled about the coming of the C8, the time spent innovating and designing the engine is one of the elements at the top of the list. Many hours of studying and testing were put into the design of the cover that has been made with aiding cooling in mind, which may be why the rear of the car was always seen covered so frequently during testing. Another batch of photos featuring the C8 testing on the famed Nürburgring track revealed two very distinct cut lines on the roof, which makes us wonder if a removable roof panel will be part of this very exciting and track-ready contender.

Another patent that was dug up while gleaning the various newswires was one that GM filed for a clutch-by-wire system: it could potentially replace the traditional hydraulic master-and-slave cylinder mechanism by means of a high-tech electronic actuator situated in the transmission. A system like this would ultimately result in a much simpler actuation of the clutch, which would be of great benefit to a prototype featuring an engine located in the middle of the frame. We are definitely excited about the potential of seeing a run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans once this slice of heavily-horsepowered heaven hits the market, and we will all soon see the vision materialize that spanned half a century and many various drawing boards during the making!

Electric Chevy eCopo Camaro Makes Waves at Wild Horse Pass Strip

Customers that come to talk to us about a new vehicle purchase here at O'Rielly Chevy have been asking more and more about electrification lately: even though daily drivers like the Volt have gained popularity, are the prized members of the muscle club going to ever fully convert? As little as two years ago, just about every racing enthusiast out there would have said that the raw power and excitement felt by use of gas-powered engines could never cross over to electric-power, and now it is becoming evident that things are changing faster than ever before.

Even though it is probably a bit frustrating to those who never wanted to see the progression of electric power find its way to the sports car category, Motor Trend themselves provided the scoop regarding the new Chevy eCopo Camaro's antics on drag strips just like the ones quarter-mile maniacs frequent. In an exciting moment at Arizona's Wild Horse Pass drag strip, an electrified Camaro “from the not-so-distant future” was seen strutting its stuff. The first pass was taken at just half of the Camaro's variable ramp rate, and even in this setting, it was able to nail down a 10.14-second quarter-mile. Once the motors had been dialed up the entire way to 100, it succeeded at nabbing a 10.03 second time, with much of the credit given to the eCopo's two amazing dual-stacked electric motors, that are capable of generating a whopping 800 horsepower, and 634 lb-ft of torque.

Instead of the Tesla's design that incorporates two motors hooked up to each axle, the Camaro has them arranged in the same spot as the engine, and connected directly to the automatic transmission. The 32 kWh battery pack is charged up before every run, ensuring the existence of a very “wicked brew” of high-tech engineered power before every run. This eCopo Camaro is a part of GM's shift towards a more environmentally-friendly future, touting no crashes on the road, congestion, and the ultimate goal of zero emissions.

During the 2019 SEMA show, Chevy first teased audiences with a view of the current 2019 concept, then published a video here showing the electric drag racer doing a burnout minus any noise at all from the engine. The staff on duty at The Drive.com claims that the eCopo “does all the things that you expect a drag monster to do,” including pulling wheelies off the line, and crushing the opposition stealthily. The car can usually complete three quarter-miles passes before the battery drains, then needing about 30 minutes of charge time to power up once again. Watching this much power hit the track with the full-on spirit of dire racing competition is truly exciting, and it is amazing to witness the silence ensuing around such high levels of performance.

Camaro and Corvette ZR1 Top “21 Quickest Production Cars Motortrend Tested in 2018” List

Every year when car performance lists of various sorts come out, here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson we are sure that our vehicles will make the list. It is always certain that year after year, our sedans and sports cars will make waves and dominate against the various forms of competition out there. Every year the folks on staff at Motor Trend take on the duty of testing more than 200 car, truck, and SUV varieties to properly evaluate every new vehicle there is on the market. From budget-priced compacts to the most luxurious high-end vehicles, they were on the hunt last year to find the quickest out there, based completely on the 0-60 MPH drive time.

One of the initial surprises came from the Dodge club: we fully recognize that the 2018 Challenger SRT Hellcat Wide Body is one fine vehicle, in literally all ways. But it placed 20^th on the list, as a 3.9-second 0-60 time ultimately keeps it held back a bit on the list. What's mind-blowing is the difference one second can make: engineers and designers have been trying for decades to create the ultimate pony and track-commanding car that can blast through this particular endurance test, while still providing other features within the realms of tech and safety.

The most powerful Porsche 911 ever sold to the public snagged the number one spot: the amazing and incredibly powerful 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS nailed down a track time for the 0-60 mph trot that was simply astounding: a lightening-fast 2.6 seconds. Our prized Corvette ZR1 snagged the 4^th place spot on this list of fearlessly fast contenders, coming in at a 3.0-second 0 to 60 mph gallop. The well-seasoned staff at Car and Driver proclaimed recently that “We went 183.3 MPH in the new Corvette ZR1 at the Texas Mile, and not once did we feel guilty.” With greatly noticeable power and chassis improvements over the Z06, you'll notice very minimal drawback downforce during speed runs, as well as enjoy the capability for the incoming Corvette to be perfect for daily drives.

Up a bit higher in the list is the 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1: it pulls off the 0-60 sprint in just 3.5 seconds, situated in a comfy slot just above the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R. The quarter-mile time for the ZL1 sits at 11.5 seconds, and the automatic transmission it sports is the one to nab if you are looking to achieve rocket-fast speed while in a straight line. This is the always exciting, well-priced car that is a true legend in its own rite, which Car and Driver stated has “a glorious engine sound.” The supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 is good for 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, and half of the chassis performance is derived from aluminum-bodied spool-valve dampers.

The rear subframe and multilink suspension are now insulated with aluminum pucks, and the rear anti-roll bar can be adjusted to three different positions. Make sure to check out the available navigation system and carbon-fiber interior trim, two of the extras that up the level of excitement in a vehicle that already has a massive presence in the no-holds-barred racing category!