Tag Archives: Tadge Juechter

Automobiles

Official: Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green

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By Chris Paukert

2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible - last C6 built

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With all of the attention given to the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray lately, you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s already well along in production, yet tooling up for the new C7 has only just begun. In fact, production of the outgoing C6 generation in Bowling Green, Kentucky just halted on Thursday.

As the C6 has aged, production numbers have predictably ebbed along with demand, but this year, the addition of the 427 and 60th anniversary models resulted in an uptick in vehicles built – this, despite a model year shortened by around 25 percent to accomodate the new model changeover. The final C6 Corvette ever, No. 13,466 built this year, was a white 427 Convertible destined for the General Motors Heritage Center museum. The car’s 7.0-liter V8 heart was assembled by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter himself.

In total, Bowling Green pushed out 215,100 C6 Corvettes over nine years. If you’re still a C6 fan at heart and are hoping to get a good deal on a phase-out model, step lively – Chevrolet reportedly had about 6,100 unsold units, which Autoweek suggests is good for around five and a half months of supply at the model’s current sales rates. Given that demand will likely slacken even further as the C7 draws closer, that should be a big enough stockpile to keep dealers satisfied until 2014 Stingrays begin showing up on their forecourts in December.

Continue reading Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green

Final C6 Corvette built in Bowling Green originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible Breaks Cover In Geneva

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By Kurt Ernst

The 2014 Corvette Stingray will debut at the Geneva Motor Show - image: GM Corp

The 2014 Corvette Stingray will debut at the Geneva Motor Show – image: GM Corp

Do you prefer your Corvettes with a view of the sky, and your driving with wind through your hair? Here’s some good news, then: the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will make its official debut on March 5 at the Geneva Motor Show. Iconic in America, the Corvette is also revered in much of the world, to the point that Chevrolet’s president and managing director for Europe, Susan Docherty, calls the car “the face of Chevrolet the world over.”

Unveiling the Stingray convertible in Switzerland is likely a sign that GM will place greater emphasis on global sales of its halo sports car than in years past. Given the current state of the E.U.’s economy, though, we’re not sure that GM can count on the new Stingray adding much to Chevrolet Europe’s bottom line in 2013. There’s always China, we suppose.

Corvette’s chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, assures fans that the Stingray convertible will be every bit the sports car that the Stingray coupe is. In Juechter’s words, “Every Corvette is designed at the outset as an open car.” Fitting, since that’s how the Corvette began life in 1953.

Following the Stingray convertible’s Geneva debut, the first production car will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach, Florida, auction in April. Proceeds from the sale will go to support the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, and we’re pretty sure that the sale price will rival the $1.05 million paid for the first production 2014 Corvette Stingray at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona, auction in January.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

Video: Why does the Corvette Stingray have so many vents? Here's why

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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Just looking at the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, it’s not hard to see that the car’s design was created with aerodynamics at the forefront, but Chevrolet designers point out exactly what went into designing the iconic coupe in a pair of recently released videos. The videos show the Corvette going through early design phases, including clay models and wind tunnel tests, as well as talking to the car’s chief engineer, Tadge Juechter.

Both videos help explain various aspects of the C7 Corvette, but it’s the aero tuning of the car that is most interesting. This includes extra attention paid to the lower air dam and vented hood to help reduce drag and lift, while the rear quarter inlets are for differential and transmission cooling. Juechter said that some of these aero-tuned elements were inspired from GM‘s involvement in racing.

If you have about five minutes and you can’t get enough information about the new ‘Vette, then check out the videos posted below.

Continue reading Why does the Corvette Stingray have so many vents? Here’s why

Why does the Corvette Stingray have so many vents? Here’s why originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Report: GM CEO promises RHD Corvette, international operations boss says otherwise

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Affirmation, clarification, smack-down refutation – that was the order of responses when the issue of a right-hand0drive C7 Corvette came up at the Detroit Auto Show. When an Australian news outlet asked General Motors CEO Dan Akerson whether the new Stingray would get an RHD version, he answered “yes” and “soon.”

That same question was put to lead Corvette engineer Tadge Juechter, and he began by stating that they’ve been wanting Corvette to get to Australia and “Our plan is to make this a truly global car.” He then clarified Akerson’s answer with “It’ll be years away rather than soon.

Nevertheless, even after Juechter’s curb-your-enthusiasm answer and Holden chief Mike Devereaux‘s sidestepping the line of fire by offering no comment, the responses led to this headline in Australia‘s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “Finally, iconic American sportscar, the Corvette, set for Australian showrooms.”

Cue Tim Lee, GM‘s vice president of global manufacturing, president of its international operations and “the operating guy in charge.” When the same query was put to him the day after it was put to Akerson, Lee said, “I have no idea what [Akerson] said but we have no plan to put a right-hand-drive under that bonnet. The Corvette is a Chevrolet, it’s not a Holden, it never will be, next question.” He added that there isn’t even a plan for it, much less any engineering behind it.

His journalist questioners, sniffing blood in the contradiction, wouldn’t let it go. After being led back to the subject of Akerson’s “Yes” and Juechter’s non-denial again and again, Lee finally said “This is a non-story from my point of view. You can write what you want to write, I really don’t give a [expletive]. But it is not in the mainstream plan.”

So there you have… something. The Brits and Japanese will get the new Corvette because it’s legal to drive left-hand drive cars in those countries. For you Aussies, the 60-year wait continues.

GM CEO promises RHD Corvette, international operations boss says otherwise originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog