Corvette Chiefs, Pt. 5 or 5: Tadge Juechter

Published on January 29, 2021 by Scott

Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter delivered the C7 Corvette, the C7 Z06, the C7 Grand Sport, the C7 ZR1, and soon the 2020 mid-engine C8 Corvette.

Dateline 1.29.21, Images: Graphics by the Author, Image from GM Archives – All five Corvette chief engineers contributed mightily and in their own unique ways. But only Tadge Juechter has the distinction of having done hard engineering on five generations of Corvettes. When Juechter went to work in 1993 as chief engineer Dave Hill’s right-hand-man, there were two objectives; keep the then-current C4 fresh and interesting; and design and develop the most revolutionary Corvette to that date, the C5. After Hill’s retirement, Tom Wallace was Vehicle Line Engineer (VLE) and chief engineer for the Corvette. Wallace accessed that because of Juechter’s 15 years of experience, he was the right man for the chief engineer position. Wallace stayed on as VLE and eventually took an early retirement offer.

While Juechter didn’t have the racing background that Hill and Wallace had, he was raised in a Porsche household and liked to tinker around with mechanical things. As a young teenager growing up in Chappaqua, New York in the ‘70s, Juechter built a prehistoric mountain bike with a full front and rear suspension. His folks even gave him their wrecked Cadillac to take apart.

During Juechter’s college years at Stanford, he worked two summers on a GM assembly line, an experience not to his liking. Juechter graduated with degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering and had no intention of working for GM. Then in 1978 a friend asked Juechter to tag along to a GM interview and ended up interviewing as well; and was offered a job. The late ‘70s and ’80 was a challenging time for the American car industry, but at least Juechter had a solid job. In the car business, if your ambition is upper management, an MBA is a must-have degree. Juechter earned his MBA from Stanford GSB in 1986.

By the time Juechter interviewed with Hill for the position of Assistant Chief Engineer, he was aware of the aging Corvette and impressed with the in-the-works C5. The C4’s plastic interior was a major bone of contention with Juechter. Hill was impressed and Juechter got the job. The jump from the early ‘80s designed C4 to the C5 was revolutionary. The creation of the Corvette Racing Team was the beginning of the deliberate merger of Chevrolet engineering and Corvette racecar engineering that was poured into the C5 Z06. Early on, Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins wanted an inexpensive Corvette that would appeal to racers; this became the ’99 Hardtop and the Hardtop became the C5 Z06. While the C6 was an evolved version of the C5, no one was expecting the 505-horsepower 427 Z06 with an aluminum frame and dry-sump oil system.

From 2005 to 2008 sales averaged 36,816 cars per year. In 2006 Tom Wallace was Corvette VLE and chief engineer. While Wallace was a racer, his Corvette experience was a little thin. When Wallace learned that Juechter and his team were working on a mid-engine prototype, he knew that Juechter was the brains behind the Corvette. Juechter was promoted to chief engineer, North American Corvette.

Juechter has said that he was shocked when given orders to make the C6 ZR1; the goal was to build the best possible Corvette for $100,000. A big-block was briefly considered but rejected because of its weight. All-Wheel-Drive was not possible on the C6’s platform. The Z06 was to be the track car and the ZR1 would be GM’s halo, Grand Touring supercar.

Then the economy stalled out and the in-the-works C7 was put on hold indefinitely. Wallace took GM’s early retirement offer, leaving the Corvette all to Juechter. When GM slammed into bankruptcy in June 2009, for a time it looked like it was curtains for GM. But it turned out that the government auditor that was looking into the Corvette was a car enthusiast and knew about the pending C7. Upon examining the books, it was discovered that the Corvette was one the few GM car lines that was making money. Juechter’s team was told to get busy on the C7. The Corvette and the Bowling Green assembly plant were spared.

By the time you read this, the C8 will have made its debut and will be the most revolutionary Corvette ever. Previously, the C5 had that honor because of its all-new engine and drivetrain, and its hydroformed perimeter frame and backbone center section. The C6 and C7 generations are both evolutionary versions of the C5. The C5 and C6 are Hill’s Corvettes; the C7 and C8 are Juechter’s Corvettes. As of this writing, we know the basics of the C8, but none of the hard details. So lets look a Juechter’s C7.

A big part of Juechter’s job as VLE is to make sure there’s a Corvette for everyone with a variety of price points, and a base car that offers outstanding visual and performance value. Juechter said, “It helps having worked on the C5 and C6 because you know where a lot of the land mines are.” With horsepower ever increasing, it’s critical that the car be made easier to drive. The base C7 has 455-net horsepower; way more than any big-block ever had; yet the C7 is a car that is easy to live with. The 755-horsepower 2019 ZR1 is absolutely astonishing; it can perform on par with exotic sports cars, yet be a comfortable, usable GT machine. Electronic suspension, steering, braking, rev-matching, paddle-shift 8-speed automatic and fuel management are responsible for a balance of extreme power and civility. Imagine trying to drive a Greenwood widebody racer on the street.

When the C7 was unveiled, fans were stunned to learn that the base model had an aluminum frame and that later the Z06 and ZR1 would be available as a coupe or convertible and with an 8-speed manual or automatic transmission. Another first was achieved; the 8-speed automatic was quicker than the manual version.

Corvette interiors have often been a bone of contention with critics and the C6 took big hits for its interior. To get C7’s interior spot-on, Juechter made sure designers had set-of-the-pants experiences of life inside a 1-G cockpit; to know what it feels like having skin pressing on hard objects. He also made surer there were no distracting infotainment systems; just important information for spirited driving. The C7 has received rave reviews for its interior.

Concerning the C7 ZR1, initially there were no plans to make the car, as designers didn’t think they could do more beyond the Z06. But after a few years, plus aero input from the Corvette racing team, a new plan emerged to make the ZR1 the most powerful, stable, advanced front-engine Corvette ever offered. Many speculated that Chevrolet might build the front engine and mid-engine Corvettes side-by-side, but that will not be the case. C7 production will end in summer 2019 and the last C7 will be a black Z06 that will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

While Juechter was an integral part of the C5 and C6, those were Hill’s Corvettes. Even though Juechter guided the C7, the C5, C6, and C7 all have Hill’s Corvette DNA. The C8, on the other hand, is Juechter’s Corvette. People expect more of everything today, and everything is riding on the mid-engine C8. – Scott

This concludes my Corvette Chiefs Series. Below are links to parts 1-to-4. Enjoy

Corvette Chiefs, Pt. 1 – Zora Arkus-Duntov

Corvette Chiefs, Pt.2 – Dave McLellan

Corvette Chiefs, Pt. 3 – Dave Hill

Corvette Chiefs, Pt. 4 – Tom Wallace

The above articles originally were published in Vette magazine as part of my Illustrated Corvette Series monthly column.

The Story of Carbon Fiber and Corvettes

Published on August 22, 2020August 22, 2020 by Scott

The Hottest Automotive Material Since Fiberglass

Dateline: 8.22.20 This article first appeared in the May 2019 issue of Vette Vues – UPDATE: Indulge me for two brief paragraphs on the subject of carbon fiber and Corvettes. First, two “known” secrets; 1. There will be a Z06 and a ZR1 version of the C8 Corvette. 2. GM is committed to electric cars, by 2023 they project over 20 all-electric vehicles and by 2030 almost all GM vehicles will be all-electric-powered. We don’t know how the electrical grid will be able to handle the extra load for electricity, lets hope there are some new technology tricks up engineer’s sleeves. The new C8 uses a 48-volt system; that’s a big jump from the previous 12-volt system that has been around since the 1950s.

Why the extra juice? Allow me to speculate.

The C8 ZR1 will have an all-electric, all-wheel-drive drivetrain with a combined electric motor power of 1,000-horsepower and 1,000-lb/ft of torque. Electric motors have their full torque starting at 1-rpm; that’s why diesel-electric locomotives are so powerful. Here’s the carbon fiber leap. Remember how we were stunned when the 2006 Z06 was debuted and we learned that the frame was aluminum. Next, all C7 and C8 Corvette have aluminum frames. To safely handle the tremendous leap on power, I predict that the C8 ZR1 will have a carbon fiber chassis. Think about it. We’ll see. Stepping off soapbox…

Image Credit: www.WikiCommons.com Caption: Take note of the smallest fibers. Each fiber has a tensile strength 200-times that of steel. When the thin fibers are twisted together they are similar to twisted steel wire used to suspend bridges. The twisted fibers are then woven into a mat fabric that is incredibly strong.

Carbon Fiber is without a doubt the hottest trend in automotive materials since the introduction of fiberglass in the early 1950s. Most car enthusiasts understand that racing technology typically precedes production technology. The first structural application of carbon fiber arrived in 1981 when McLaren built their MP4/1 Formula One racecar. McLaren engineer John Barnard built the car’s monocoque chassis/tub completely out of carbon fiber supplied by Hercules Aerospace, in Wilmington, Delaware.

**Image Credit: www.WikiCommons.com Caption: The tiny fibers are carbon fiber nanotubes. The tiny fibers are then woven into a wool-like strand.**

This was a radical departure from traditional monocoque-type construction that consists of a central “tub” structure that the front frame and suspension, engine, and drivetrain all bolts onto. Formula One competitors were suspicion of the new material and called it, “black plastic” fearing that it would shatter and vaporize in a crash situation. This misperception was dispelled at the 1981 Monza Grand Prix when driver John Watson became carbon fiber’s first “crash test dummy”. Watson’s car spin out and crashed was so violet that people that saw the crash on television cried, thinking the worst. But Watson climbed out of what was once a fine racecar and waved to the crown, unhurt.

Image Credit: www.RoadAndTrack.com Caption: This is a typical piece of carbon fiber mat. Note how each piece of the weave is made of many tiny thin fibers, each with the tensile strength 200-times that of steel at a fraction of the weight.

Watson said in an interview, “Had I had that accident in a conventional aluminum tub, I suspect I might have been injured because the strength of an aluminum tub is very much less than the carbon tub.” McLaren’s objective with the use of carbon fiber was to reduce weight and increase strength. Watson’s accident proved the point and almost overnight, Formula One car builders switched to carbon fiber tubs.

**Image Credit: www.RoadAndTrack.com Caption: This is the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 Formula One racecar, the world’s first carbon fiber racecar.**

In 1879 Thomas Edison is credited with inventing carbon fiber in his quest to develop the electric light bulb. Edison formed threads of cotton and bamboo slivers into a specific shape and baked them at high temperatures. Cellulose in cotton and bamboo is a natural polymer, consisting of repeating segments of glucose. The baking process “carbonizes” the material and becomes a carbon copy of the beginning material – a carbon fiber with an exact shape. U.S. Navy ships used the same filaments into the 1960s because they were stronger and more resistant to vibration than tungsten.

Image Credit: www.Jalopnik.com Caption: This is the carbon fiber tub of the McLaren MP4/1 Formula One racecar. Monocoque “tub” construction had been around since the mid-1960s and was exclusively made from aluminum to save weight. The carbon fiber tub design is lighter and stronger than aluminum and totally change Formula One racing overnight.

Modern carbon fiber was born in 1956 in a Union Carbide lab by physicist Roger Bacon when he was performing experiments with the triple point of graphite. This is where the solid, liquid, and gas are all in thermal equilibrium. Using a device similar to early carbon arc street lamps, Bacon observed that when he decreased the pressure in his device, the carbon would go from the vapor to solid, forming a one-inch long stalagmite-like structure on the lower electrode that he called “whiskers”. These whiskers were 1/10th diameter of a human hair that you could bend and kink, but they weren’t brittle. He called these long filaments the “perfect graphite.”

**Image Credit: www.RoadAndTrack.com Caption: This is the center section tub of a 2009 McLaren 12C. Note the attachment points for the front frame rails and front suspension points.**

Further experimentation developed the stiffest, strongest materials by weight that had ever been created. Steel has a tensile strength of 1-2 Gigapascals (GPa); Bacon’s fibers had a tensile strength of 20 GPa. Later development brought the carbon fiber’s strength up to 200 GPa. Bacon’s work eventually developed carbon nanotubes (CNTs); hollow cylinders of graphite with diameters on the order of single molecules. Today, CNTs are used in energy storage, device modeling, boat hulls, water filters, sporting goods, thin-film electronics, antennas, coatings, actuators, electromagnetic shields, and yes, automotive parts. Auto applications include; energy storage applications, batteries and superconductors; printable, thermoformable, capacitive touch sensors used to replace membrane switches in interiors; and polymer composites with mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and enhanced electrical connectivity.

**Image Credit: www.RoadAndTrack.com Caption: This is the 2009 McLaren 12C tub with the A and B-pillar attached.**

For performance fans, the use of CNT polymers means second-generation carbon fiber material. Consider the leap from C5 to the C5 Z06 with it’s bolted and bonded hardtop roof that increased structures stiffness by 12-percent, compared to the C6 Z06 with its aluminum frame that was 50-percent stronger in bending resistance; compared the C7’s aluminum frame that is 60-percent stiller than the C6’s steel frame. What levels of structural stiffness might we see with a carbon fiber frame, or better yet a carbon nanotube fiber frame?

Image Credit: www.BringATrailer.com Caption: Here’s the rolling chassis of the 2009 McLaren 12c. Notice how the front suspension attaches to the carbon-fiber tub. The engine and drivetrain attach to the rear section of the carbon-fiber tub.

Carbon fiber has two major downsides; 1. cost; and 2. recycling. Elon Musk’s SpaceX company is working on bringing down the cost of carbon fiber because large carbon fiber parts are an essential element in reducing the cost of space exploration. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space planes are made from carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is definitely “space-age” material. Another factor in why the cost of carbon fiber is so high is simple supply and demand. Nearly half of the airframe of the Boeing 787 is made from carbon fiber and offers a weight savings of 20-percent. The 787’s airframe is made of 20-percent aluminum, 15-percent titanium, and 5-percent other. Composite structures require less scheduled maintenance than non-composite structures.

The second big downside of carbon fiber is that it is difficult to recycle. Used material can be ground down, or exposed to very high temperatures and, or chemicals to recover the carbon fiber. Remember, the carbon fiber is embedded in resin. Unfortunately, the carbon fiber can be damaged and the matrix resin materials in the composites can be destroyed. Damaged carbon fibers can never be used again in carbon fiber applications.

In 2017 researchers from Washington State University developed a new recycling method using mild acids as catalysts in low-temperature ethanol to break down thermosets. To break down the cured material, researchers raised the material temperature to allow the catalyst-containing liquid to penetrate the composite and break down the complete structure; basically dissolving the material. This allowed the researchers to recover the carbon fibers and the resin material. The researchers have filed for a patent and are developing a commercial process to take to the marketplace.

So, there have been numerous reasons why it has taken so long for carbon fiber parts to integrate into Corvettes. The 1992 Stingray III concept car had a carbon-fiber tub as the central part of the car’s chassis. In 2004 the swansong Corvette special edition option was the Commemorative Edition. This was a beautiful option group with special trim, stripes, and dedicated paint that cost $3,700 for the coupe and convertible. The option was available on the Z06, but with one big difference; the Z06 version had a carbon fiber hood that weighed only 20.5-pounds, compared to 31.1-pounds for the stock hood; a savings of 10.6-pounds. The Z06 Commemorative Edition cost $635 and the carbon fiber hood was only available on the Z06 Commemorative Edition option.

When the 2006 Z06 came out, everyone was agog over the new LS7 427 engine with its dry-sump oil system; widebody; new wheels and suspension; aluminum frame; and magnesium engine cradle and roof section. It was easy to miss the carbon fiber body panels staring you in the face. The Z06’s front fenders, front wheelhouses, and rear fenders were carbon fiber and the interior floor was a carbon fiber and balsa wood sandwich. The carbon fiber components certainly added to the $65,800 price of the 2006 Z06 – $21,200 more than the base model coupe.

The 2009 LS9-powered, supercharged ZR1 was the Corvette no one was anticipating that caught everyone by surprise. From 2009 to 2015 the C6 ZR1 was the most powerful Corvette ever offered. But the ZR1 wasn’t just about power. The new ZR1 had more carbon fiber than any previous Corvette ever had. The ZR1 featured a carbon fiber raised hood with a clear polycarbonate window that showed off the LS9’s intercooler; the dedicated front fenders were painted carbon fiber; and the front fascia splitter; roof bow; fixed roof panel; and the side rockers were clear-coated carbon fiber.

From 2010 to 2013 Chevrolet played mix’n-match with parts, making specialty parts from the ZR1 and Z06 available on the very popular Grand Sport; making buying a new Corvette a boutique experience. In 2011 Chevrolet introduced the $90,960 Carbon Edition Z06. RPO CFZ Carbon Fiber Package for the Z06 was a $3,995 option that added black carbon fiber splitter, side rockers, roof panel, and a body-colored ZR1 rear spoiler.

Carbon fiber integration continued with the C7, but mostly as options. RPO C2M, the $2,995 Carbon Fiber Dual Roof Package, and the $1,995 RPO C2Z Visible Carbon Fiber Roof were available on all coupes from 2014 to 2019. From 2015 to 2019 RPO CFV, the $3,995 Carbon Fiber Ground Effects was available. And from 2014 to 2019 RPO FAY, the $995 Carbon Fiber Interior Appearance Package dressed up the C7’s interior.

The 2015 Z06 blew everyone away with a 145-horsepower raise from the C6 Z06. Carbon fiber parts included the dedicated raised hood and the removable carbon-fiber roof panel. Previous Z06 Corvettes had a fixed roof panel for additional rigidity. And all optional carbon fiber ground effects were available painted and unpainted.

In 2018 Chevrolet celebrated Corvette’s 65th Anniversary with the Carbon 65 Edition. Only 650 cars were offered on the Grand Sport 3LT and Z06 LZ models. The $15,000 package was dripping with special features. New to the lineup of carbon fiber features was the new rear spoiler and quarter ducts. Carbon fiber ground effects and the hood was also included in the package. And lastly, the $122,095 2019 ZR1 has a carbon-fiber halo hood and engine cover; adjustable high rear wing; front splitter and end caps; and steering wheel rim.

**Image Credit: www.HiPerformance.com Caption: If you doubt the strength of carbon fiber, consider that performance racing wheels are now being made in carbon fiber.**

Carbon fiber will only become more ubiquitous in the future. What might we expect to see soon? The C8 structure may well use some form of a carbon-fiber tub, or perhaps carbon fiber side rails and other frame and chassis components. Carbon fiber wheels and perhaps some suspension parts might also be in Corvette’s future. Check out the cars in the Daytona Prototype International class at any IMSA race this year, that’s where you’ll find the clues as to what to expect.

Yes, the mat weave of carbon fiber is a look that has taken over the modern automotive and motorcycle hobby. Today you can get nearly anything either made with carbon fiber or with the carbon fiber look. As the price of carbon fiber comes down it will probably become the preferred material for performance cars. Several companies are today making and offering carbon fiber wheels. Carbon fiber 3D printers are also on the marketplace, as well as carbon fiber vinyl wrap material. Indeed, carbon fiber has become the “look” of our time. – Scott

This story was originally published in the May 2019 issue of Vette Vues.

A one-year subscription is only $25.95!

Chassis History, Pt 5: Dave Hill Strikes Again! Delivers evolutionary, but superior C6

Published on January 17, 2020January 20, 2020 by Scott

Dave Hill’s 2006 Z06 stunned everyone with its stiffer than stock aluminum frame.

Dateline: 1.17.20 – Graphics by K. Scott Teeters, Images from GM archives: Corvette fans have been frustrated for years with Chevrolet’s evolutionary Corvettes. The “pie-in-the-sky” mid-engine Corvette has been around since the 1960s and anything less was evolutionary. The pending C8 aside, the C5 was the most revolutionary Corvette; because of the hydroformed steel perimeter frame, center backbone, all-aluminum LS1 fuel-injected engine, and transaxle. The C5 was the most solid Corvette ever offered and allowed engineers to vastly improve the basic suspension, the Z51, and the Z06. The racing C5-R won its class at Daytona in 2001 and 2003; won its class at Sebring in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and won its class at Le Mans in 2001, 2002, and 2004. This never would have happened without the superior basic C5 chassis. Dave Hill’s team got the C5’s chassis design so right that by 1999 they determined that a C6 needed to be started.

Whereas the C5 structure was revolutionary, the C6 was evolutionary. While the C6 chassis is different from the C5, it is essentially the same hydroformed steel perimeter frame with a center backbone, with the engine, torque tube, and transaxle all as stress members of the overall structure.

Let’s start with the basic C6 chassis. The chassis has a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase of 105.7-inches, but the overall length is 5.1-inches shorter than the C5 chassis. To achieve this, engineers shortened the frame rails 2.4-inches and changed the tube-formed front bumper beam to a unit made with two channels welded together to save 2/3s of an inch. The shorter frame with less overhang on the body achieved a total of 5.1-inches of length on the C6, over that of the C5. The shorter frame also increased the torsional stiffness. And to reduce squeaks, rattles, and vibrations, high-strength steel braces were added to the frame to improve structural rigidity.

Weight savings were picked up by using extruded aluminum beams in the interior instead of the cast aluminum beams from the C5. The instrument panel has additional brackets for the beam under the dashboard. Side-impact beams were made of aluminum and saved 4.5-pounds, plus the doors do not have traditional latch and lock mechanisms. Aluminum braces were used through the structure to improve crash performance. The front skid-bar in front of the radiator is also aluminum. An aluminum panel that saved 1-pound and increased stiffness replaced the steel driveline panel under the driveline torque tube. To increase upper rigidity, the windshield frame has extra gussets. And the trunk uses lightweight plastic braces. Corvette systems engineer Ed Moss said, “We are making it (the C6) smaller, lighter, but stiffer.”

The issue of stiffness in high-powered sports cars with wide tires cannot be under-estimated. Increased grip, torque, and horsepower will put tremendous added stress to a performance car’s structure. Imagine what would happen if a LT5 engine and big tires were applied to a stock C1 chassis. The C5 1999-2000 Corvette Hardtop, with its bolted and bonded hardtop increased the overall structural stiffness by 12-percent, enough to make it an excellent base to build the Z06 upon. The basic C6 platform offered a significant improvement in stiffness that made it an excellent platform to build the Grand Sport that used Z06 suspension parts and wide tires. Without any increase in power, the Grand Sport was a better Corvette. Stiffness matters.

While the C6’s suspension is similar to the C5’s, there are no carryover parts. The basic design of the short-long A-arms, transverse composite leaf springs independent suspension is the same. The control arms, springs, dampers, bushing, sway bars, and steering gear are all completely redesigned. New hub knuckles and dampers allow for greater suspension travel thanks to improved clearance. One issue with C5s was road noise and twitchiness on rough roads. To improve handling and ride, steering geometry and the progressive rates of the composite springs were improved.

Like the C5 the C6 offered customers three levels of suspension performance. Chevrolet calls the basic C6 suspension, “tuned for balance, ride comfort, and precise handling.” This is for the customer that wants a Corvette because they like “driving a Vette” with 400-horsepower on tap when they want a brief thrill, but aren’t interested in exploring the limits of tire grip.

The F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control was a $1,695 option with some amazing technology. Magnetorheological dampers use metal-infused fluid that controls the viscosity of the fluid with a magnetic field created by an electromagnet. This semi-active suspension adjusts the fluid via a computed to adjust damping rates based on road surfaces down to the millisecond. The active handling and antilock systems were smarter and less intrusive.

And for the enthusiast that doesn’t want to go for the serious big gun Z06, but wants the most from their base model Corvette, there was the $1,495 Z51 Performance Package. The F51 option has been around since 1984 with a starting price of $600 with prices fluctuating through to 1990. Then from 1991 to 1995 Chevrolet offered the $2,045 Z07 Adjustable Suspension Package. The Z51 option was back in 1996 but consisted only of stiffer springs and stabilizer bars for $350 from 1996 to 2003, then $395 in 2003 and 2004.

The Z51 was part of the C6 lineup from 2005 to 2009 and was a whole different animal. Costing $1,495 in 2005, then $1,695 from 2006 to 2009, the Z51 package was the most comprehensive Z51 package ever offered, consisting of; higher rate springs and shocks; larger sway bars; larger cross-drilled rotors – 13.5-inch diameter on the front and larger 13-inch diameter on the rear; coolers for the engine oil, transmission, and power steering; higher-grip Goodyear EMT tires; revised gear ratios for the 6-speed cars.

An interregnal part of the overall objective of a smaller, lighter, and stiffer C6 was the body. For the body part of the C6, designers wanted to improve the fit of the body panels and reduce weight. For the broad flat parts, such as the hood, doors, trunk lid and tonneau cover on the convertible, SMC – Sheet Molded Compound was used. This is a fiberglass mixed with resin that is compressed into a mold, with a chemical reaction and the heat from the compression curing the part. For more complex shapes, such as the front grille and the rear fascia, PRIM – Polyurethane-Material Reinforced-Reaction Injection Molding was used. The removable roof panel was made from Polycarbonate, either transparent or painted.

But the major breakthrough for the C6 chassis was the all-aluminum chassis for the Z06 and the ZR1. The basic chassis design is the same except that the hydroformed side rails are made of 4-mm 5745 aluminum alloy. The standard C6 steel frame thickness was 3-mm and weighs 502-pounds while the aluminum Z06 frame weighs 392-pounds; that’s 110-pounds lighter, or 22.5-percent lighter. The Z06 frame is 50-percent stronger in torsional and bending stiffness. The Metalso Metal Fabricator, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky manufactured the aluminum frames and then shipped them to the Corvette Bowling Green assembly plant. The engine cradle and fixed-roof panel are magnesium, and the floorboards were carbon fiber.

Everything tends to move upward in the world of Corvettes. When the Z06 debuted in 2006, no one imagined that the C7 base Corvette would ride on a C6 Z06-like chassis.

Scott

Corvette Chassis History, Pt 1 – C1 Chassis – HERE

Corvette Chassis History, Pt 2 – C2/C3 Chassis – HERE

Corvette Chassis History, Pt 3 – C4 Chassis – HERE

Corvette Chassis History, Pt 4 – C5 Chassis – HERE

Corvette Chassis History, Pt 6 – C7 Chassis – HERE

FINALLY! A Factory-Built ZR1 Convertible!!!

Published on December 24, 2017December 24, 2017 by Scott

The rumors were true! The new C7 ZR1 will be available as a coupe AND a convertible. TOP DOWN, OH, WOW!!!

Dateline: 12.24.17 – Images: GM Archives – Let’s briefly back up to 1990 in order to put the significance of the new C7 ZR1 convertible into perspective. When the first ZR-1 was released in 1990 there was no way that it could have been offered as a convertible. In order to even make the C4 a convertible, a large X-brace had to be added to the bottom of the C4’s chassis.

The C4 ZR1 had a nice run from 1990 to 1995. But when the C5 Z06 arrived, offering ZR-1-level performance at a fraction of the cost, the C4 ZR1’s star began to fade. What made the C5 Z06 such a track star was it’s strong structure. It was as it Corvette engineers discovered structural rigidity. Thanks to lessons learned in the C5-R Corvette Racing Team experience, the C6 Z06 took the concept of structural rigidity to a new level, and with an aluminum frame to boot!

Corvette performance fans were so jazzed over the C6 Z06 that no one was pinning for something more. So, when Chevrolet released the C6 ZR1, dripping with carbon fiber and the supercharged 638-horsepower LS9 engine, heads were spinning and Duntov sat up in his grave and said, “Vhat?!?!?” (There was no convertible version, but no one was asking for one.) The C6 ZR1 was everything that Corvette engineers could possibly do with the C6 platform.

When that happens, there’s only one thing left to do – start working on the next generation Corvette! Continue reading “

FINALLY! A Factory-Built ZR1 Convertible!!!” →

NEW!!! Corvette Report’s “Vette of the Month” Contest

Published on November 25, 2017November 27, 2017 by Scott

We are happy to announce the launch of Corvette Report’s “Vette of the Month” Photo Contest.
Here’s the deal.

Dateline: 11.25.17 – Send us your best photo of your Corvette and we will post it on our “Vette of the Month” photos page.

At the end of the month we will pick a winner, and announce it as a post here at Corvette Report.

The winner will get;

An “America’s Old Glory Sports Car” print of their year Corvette, signed and numbered by K. Scott Teeters.

PLUS! a feature story in Vette Vues Magazine.

After the story is published in Vette Vues, we will post it on CorvetteReport.com.

To enter, use the below Entry Form. Continue reading “

NEW!!! Corvette Report’s “Vette of the Month” Contest” →

ANNOUNCING! America’s Old Glory Corvette Tees & Sweats

Published on October 29, 2017October 30, 2017 by Scott

Show your Corvette passion
with a heap’n help’n of
patriotic American pride!

We have every year “Old Glory Corvette” layouts from 1953 to today,

available on tees, sweats and more!

Whatever year Corvette you own or love, we have a shirt for you.
Sizes Small to 2XL.

Prices start at just $13.95!

To start to order your America’s Old Glory Corvette shirt,
CLICK HERE. Continue reading “

ANNOUNCING! America’s Old Glory Corvette Tees & Sweats” →

Unique Quasi C6-ZR1 Corvette Roadster Daily Driver

Published on July 7, 2015August 4, 2015 by Scott

Scott McKay Creates Own Quasi C6-ZR1 Corvette Roadster Daily Driver!

SCott-McKay1-Front-Doors-Up-1-450

by Scott Teeters as originally published in Vette Vues

The Corvette community helps Scott McKay build his daily driver ZR1-like ’06 Roadster without breaking the bank!

Scott McKay was so happy with his new Corvette, he made the decision early on in his modification project that the car would be a keeper. Little did McKay, of Voorhees, New Jersey, know back in ’06 when he took delivery of his new ’06 Corvette convertible that the car would become a five year project car. Even today with the C7 Corvette available, Scott has no desire to sell his ’06 Roadster for a new Stingray. Continue reading “

Unique Quasi C6-ZR1 Corvette Roadster Daily Driver” →

Car Club USA: Corvette Homecoming – Video

Published on April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 by Scott

Here’s What Corvettes Mean To People

CorvetteHomecoming-600

The other day Joe Pruitt, the Event Coordinator/Owner of the National Corvette Homecoming event contacted me to tell me about their new event video by Efran Films that covered the National Corvette Homecoming 2014 event. This is a very touching video that captures what Corvettes mean to people. As we know, they’re not just “car” they’re something else. Actually, the people in the video say it perfectly. This video has heart! Enjoy! – Scott

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Book Review: Corvette Sixty Years – by Randy Leffingwell

Published on July 5, 2012April 10, 2020 by Scott

Dateline: 7.5.12

A Most Excellent Addition To Your Corvette Library

I’ve been collecting car magazines and car books since the mid-’60s. My library has gotten larger than I ever imagined. There’s one book that I accidentally bought three times. I have four different versions of essentially the same book authored by Randy Leffingwell and published by Motorbooks. All four versions are very nice books, loaded with excellent images and well written prose by Leffingwell. But each time I bought the book online, I thought I was getting a different book because the covers and sizes are all different.

So, when I saw that Motorbooks was publishing “Corvette Sixty Years,” I was holding out in hopes of a totally new book and not a shuffled around version of the previous “Corvette Fifty Years” with some updated C5 and C6 material. I was NOT disappointed! Leffingwell and MBI have delivered the goods! The book is, for me, a visual delight. You see, when you have as many books and magazines as I have, you’ve probably seem nearly all of the old vintage photos showing the design and development work on the Corvette. At least, that’s what I thought!

Continue reading “Book Review: Corvette Sixty Years – by Randy Leffingwell” →

Corvette Widebodys – Past and Present

Published on May 31, 2012May 31, 2012 by Scott

Dateline: 5.31.12

When it comes to widebody Corvettes, it’s all about BIG tires.

Check out the wide body Corvette prints at the bottom of this post.

1-C6R-Widebody-ZR1 — Special thanks to Corvette Racing for the very cool images. For tons of Corvette Racing fun, be sure to visit, www.corvetteracing.com/.

On March 16,2012 GMAuthority.com announced that for the 2012 racing season, the C6.R ZR1 Corvette would be wearing a new suit. We’re not talking about the livery, it’s still Competition Yellow with black graphics that seems to change every few races.

No, we’re talking about actual body parts. It was only six years ago that the production widebody C6 Z06 gave the new C6 that big, broad shoulders look that we love so much. It wasn’t long before lots of regular Corvettes were wearing Z06 outfits, and why not? It looks great, almost as if that’s the way the C6 should have looked in ‘05. But things evolve and we go from there. It wasn’t just a fad either. Chevrolet certainly noticed and and in ‘10 dished up the Grand Sport model, wearing Z06 cloths and a new set of front fender vents. The new look struck a chord, because in ‘10 the Grand Sport Corvette made up 49.5% of total sales and in ‘11 Grand Sports accounted for 58.7% of sales! That’s very impressive and the Corvette planners deserve credit for picking up on the widebody trend.

2-C6R-Widebody-Rear — Special thanks to Corvette Racing for the very cool images. For tons of Corvette Racing fun, be sure to visit, www.corvetteracing.com/.

But when ‘12 Corvette Racing season began, the ZR1-based race cars were wearing an even wider, wider body. And just like the original ‘70s widebody Corvettes popularized by John and Burt Greenwood, it was all about tires. Race car tires are a whole other interesting topic. If you go all the way back to the earliest Corvette racers, you can’t miss those painfully skinny tires. These were stock tires that were sometimes shaved a little. When you got into the late ‘60s tire sizes began to grow and L-60 series tires were considered enormous. Continue reading “Corvette Widebodys – Past and Present” →

Vette Videos: Hot Lap Action With the 2012 Indy 500 ZR1 Corvette Pace Car

Published on May 25, 2012 by Scott

Dateline: 5.25.12

Ryan Briscoe take a blast in the 2012 60th Anniversary ZR1 Indy 500 Pace Car – calls it, “One hell of a race car!”

This weekend is the 96th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Motorsports, the Indy 500. Over the years, some of the cars that pace the race have become stars themselves. And none more that the Corvette Indy Pace Cars. After all, the Indy 500 is America’s race and the Corvette is America’s high performance sports car, so the relationship is a natural. This will be the 11th time (‘78, ‘86. ‘95, ‘98, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, and ‘08) a Corvette has served as the official Indy 500 pace car.

The last time a Corvette served as an Indy 500 pace car was in 2008 when not one, but two unique Indy Pace Car Corvettes were on hand. A black and silver version was available as an option for Corvette buyers, with 234 Coupes and 266 convertibles sold that year. But the actual pace car was an experimental, Gold Rush Green Z06 running on E-85 fuel. This unique paint was a brilliant candy gold that changed into candy lime green depending on the light and angle of view. I thought for sure this might be a prototype paint for a possible Continue reading “Vette Videos: Hot Lap Action With the 2012 Indy 500 ZR1 Corvette Pace Car” →

The Most Powerful Indy 500 Pace Car EVER – 2013 60th Anniversary ZR1 Corvette

Published on May 11, 2012May 11, 2012 by Scott

Dateline: 5.11.12

Corvette paces the 2012 Indy 500 for the 11th time!

Every so often, a real bombshell goes off. Earlier this week, less than three weeks before the 2012 Indy 500 race, Chevrolet announced that a 2013 60th Anniversary ZR1 Corvette would pace the 96th Indy 500 race. This will the the 11th time a Corvette paces the Greatest Spectacle in Motorsports and the 23rd time a Chevrolet automobile has paced the Indy 500. No other manufacturer has paced Indy more times. And, if that’s not enough, 2012 marks the return of Chevrolet as an engine supplier for IZOD IndyCar Series.

C6 Corvettes have paced the Indy 500 in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, but this is the first time the 638-horsepower ZR1 will do the job. The ZR1 is also the most powerful car to ever pace the Indy 500. And just like most of the previous Corvette Indy pace cars, the Corvete needed no performance enhancements – just the addition of various safety requirements.

Arguably, the only bummer part of the story is for Corvette collectors. There was no announcement of an optional Pace Car Special. The livery on the ZR1 Pace Car consists of the production 60th Anniversary decoration, with the addition of the 2012 Indy 500 logo, “Official Pace Car”, Indy 500 logo, “CORVETTE” across the top of the windshield, and the safety strobe light bar on top of the B-pillar. The ZR1’s astonishing hardware aside, this is the tamest-looking Corvette Indy 500 pace car we’ve seen since 1986. But, we’re NOT complaining. Continue reading “The Most Powerful Indy 500 Pace Car EVER – 2013 60th Anniversary ZR1 Corvette” →