txGarage » corvette

GAINSCO 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype

Adam Moore — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:33:00 +0000

GAINSCO 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype

Texas based GAINSCO has been testing it’s new 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype racecar for the coming Grand-Am series.

Check out their photos and page on facebook!

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Quick Drive: 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Edition

Adam Moore — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:12:04 +0000

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon by Non Stock Photography

We’ve driven a few Corvettes in our time including some random C5s, the C6 Grand Sport, and a Lingenfelter C6, but when the opportunity arises to drive another, we still jump at the chance. The Z06 is already one of GM’s fastest and most expensive Corvette models to ever hit the sales floor. With its massive 7 liter V8 dubbed the LS7 pushing out 505 naturally aspirated horsepower, you can see why. Chevrolet has since introduced the Supercar Corvette named the ZR1 with its supercharged 6.2 liter V8 and an even more staggering sticker price.

Never to let an opportunity pass, GM found they had a pretty big gap between the Z06 and the ZR1, in comes the Z06 Carbon Edition. As the name might indicate, this Vette has a lightweight, carbon fiber body. GM says it was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the Corvette at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but as the Corvette engineers pointed out, this car has much more power than the regulated Le Mans cars of today.

The disappointment of the event was the rain soaked roads. This didn’t give us the chance to really be able to ring the Z06 Carbon out. Driving it slow was as easy as driving any other Corvette, although you could feel the more aggressive suspension and carbon ceramic bakes doing their job. We’d love to take this thing back out in the dry and see what we can really do with it, but seeing as only 500 are to be produced, I’m not sure we’ll get another opportunity with it.

Thanks to our friends at Non-Stock Photography for the photos.

Car was driven and reviewed by Adam Moore at the Texas Auto Roundup in conjunction with the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Main Street in Motion: DFW

Adam Moore — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:37:14 +0000

Main Street in Motion

Sunday, we went out to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie to check out the GM sponsored “Main Street in Motion”. The parking lot was full of all types of cars, trucks, and SUVs parked out in front of makeshift tracks using orange traffic cones. There were only a few vehicles that we were really looking forward to driving, but this was a great opportunity to test many vehicles in the same segment back-to-back. Really, that’s the point of this whole thing: to let consumers test vehicles back to back in a non-sales pressure environment.
The first thing we jumped into was the GMC Acadia Denali. I’ve wanted to drive this ever since last year when we had the Buick Enclave. Next, we went over to the Buick tent where we decided to get a little precursor of what’s to come by jumping in the Buick Regal turbo. We’ll have this car next week for our full review, but we wanted to spin it around the track and give it a quick comparison to the Acura TSX, that was our next pit stop. The TSX felt a little smoother and more planted around the track, but we can’t wait to get in the Regal turbo for a week and see what it can really do. We also jumped in the Acura TL, and besides the looks, it didn’t disappoint either.
We are moving quickly so try and keep up because next was the HD Trucks. We hopped straight into the GMC Sierra 2500 and took it around the special “work site” course. This tests the suspension and handling of these big work horses. The Sierra did a good job. I’m by no means a truck guy, much less a HD truck guy, but it was pretty good. After the initial test in the Sierra, we drove the Ram 2500 and the Tundra. I’ll have to say that the Ram had the best interior of the bunch.
There were more vehicles we could have driven on the GMC / Buick side but it was time to move on, the Volt and the Corvette Grand Sport were calling our names. So we made the hike to the Chevrolet tent where we first stood in line for the new 1.4 turbo Chevy Cruze. We’ll have one of these for a full test soon too, but it was nice to check it out here. The guys at txGarage are split on what we really think about the Cruze, but all in all, I think it’s a great step forward for Chevy. You do notice the quietness of the cabin and the look and feel of the interior is a step in the right direction. Powering this car around the bends, however, wasn’t that enthusiastic. Whether it was the turbo lag or the lag from the automatic transmission, we’re unsure of at this point. Our signature led foots occasionally got the best of us, but by the time we got power to the wheels it was time to brake for the next turn. We’ll give it a more thorough beating soon enough.
After the Cruze, we took the time to hit up the new Hyundai Elantra. I’ve been excited about jumping in this car for a while and figured, what better time. For a compact car, the looks of the new Elantra are fantastic, and the interior is laid out well. The driving dynamics are on par with compact cars, but for the price and fuel economy, this will be a hard choice to pass up.
Next up, we took a ride to the big course, the cars everyone wanted to see and drive. This week we are reviewing the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS and drove the 2010 last year, so we already knew what to expect. We had fun on our test drive anyway. We’ve also had our hands on a Corvette Grand Sport and other C6 Corvettes before, but it was an amazing contrast getting out of the Camaro and into a Vette and hitting the same turns. The Corvette just blazed through the course with ease.
After we were done drooling over the Vette and Camaro, we hit our last stop of the day. The Chevrolet Volt was a big hit out here, and rightfully so. Unlike the rest of the cars at the event, the Volt had a big track, over a mile including a public road. This gave the test drivers the opportunity to really stretch the legs of the Volt. Our first impressions where that it was quite, styled nicely, and had good handling and acceleration; everything we wanted from an electric family sedan.
Main Street in Motion is a great idea and we had a great time out there. If you see that they are coming to a town near you, try and make it so you can check out some of these great cars. When we hear about another event headed to any city in Texas, we’ll let you guys know. If you made it to this one, leave us a comment about your experience, what car you came to drive, and what car impressed you the most.

The Lingenfelter C6 Corvette

NunsPhotography — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:16:21 +0000

Last week, we got an email from one of our avid readers who was going to be in the DFW area for some service work on his C6. There have been Corvettes featured on this site before, but we were anxious to check out this one for a few reasons. One is that I’m new here to txGarage and can’t wait to get my first post under my belt, but most of all, I was excited because this was no ordinary C6 Corvette. This was a supercharged Lingenfelter Corvette.

Our friend, and fan, of txGarage lives out by Austin, but drives all the way up to Dallas to visit the pros at Twenty-First Century Muscle Cars. This shop was founded by the daughter of John Lingenfelter, founder of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering.

The owner of this C6 you see here today was not happy with the stock 405 horsepower produced by the American sports car. After deliberating with friends, he decided on the Lingenfelter package offered by Twenty-First Century Muscle Cars. The package included a supercharger pushing 630 hp and 580 lbs-ft of torque, along with a new hood to fit over the supercharger, and upgraded suspension and brake components.

Riding in the car, you get the feeling that you will be hard-pressed to find a road that will allow you to unleash the fury that lies beneath the hood. A gentle tap of the accelerator sends you hurling toward the traffic in front of you. It is always comforting to know that you’re in a car that could basically eat anything you may encounter.

Check out my pics and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Texas Tuner Torches Cover of Corvette Magazine

Toby — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:56:14 +0000

Hennessey ZR700

The March 2010 issue of Corvette Magazine will feature the Torch Red Hennessey ZR700, quoting “The ZR700 idles and drives like a standard ZR1 at sane speeds, but when I finally got the chance to roll into the throttle hard, the Corvette really came alive.”

Hennessey has taken the already spectacular ZR1 and gave it an extra kick in the backside giving the LS9 power plant some extra thrust. We are talking 705hp and 717 lb-ft torque, and that’s just the beginning. Hennessey is also making available a ZR750 package with, yep you guessed it 750hp!

Check out Corvette Magazine’s article here.

Or check out Hennessey Performance here.

Specs ZR700:

Power:

· • 705 HP @ 6,400 rpm
· • 717 lb-ft Torque @ 3,800 rpm
Performance:
• 0-60 mph: 3.1 sec.
• 0-150 mph: 13.9 sec. (stock = 17.1 sec.)
• 1/4 mile: 10.9 @ 136 mph (tested on factory Michelin tires)
• Top Speed: 217 mphZR700 Upgrade Package Includes:
• Supercharger Pulley & Blower Snout Upgrade (increases boost from 11 to 14 psi)
• Re-program Engine Management Computer
• Stainless Steel 1 7/8 inch Headers
• High Flow Catalytic Converters with Mid Pipes
• Hennessey & ZR700 Exterior Emblems (Optional)
• Hennessey ZR700 Premium Floor Mats
• Professional Installation at HPE
• Dyno Testing & Tuning

Update: 2010 Grand Sport

Adam Moore — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:31:58 +0000

Last month our friends at Burnout Radio gave us a chance to check out the all new 2010 Corvette Grand Sport, we posted on it here. We told you that soon enough we would have a post from Burnout Radio themselves with a full review on the car.

I think they did a fantastic job reviewing the car and making an entertaining video. Hope that everyone enjoys it and hope you get a chance to check out burnoutradio.com for more from Charlie and Nick.

hit the jump to see their video!

First Drive: 2010 Camaro SS

Adam Moore — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:06:06 +0000

The 2010 Camaro SS

During the GM media event last week for the State Fair of Texas, we were treated to a special surprise. After announcing and showing off the new GMC Terrain and the new Buick LaCrosse, we got a chance to check out the a car I have been wanting to drive for a while now. As you know, this is a car enthusiast site, and although the Terrain and LaCrosse are nice vehicles and there were things we liked and disliked about these vehicles, we wanted to jump into something a little more sporty. Well, the Camaro then.

We have to start with the looks of the new Camaro because it has been debated both ways, love it or hate it. In all honesty, I’ll admit that I have always been more of a Mustang fan over the Camaro but when I first saw this car it really took my breath away. This is what a muscle car should look like! The proportions are dead on, not too long not too short. The trunk is not massive and the front overhang is short and clean. The rear fenders flair out to cover the grippy rear tires completing the muscular stance. It is just every detail about the looks of this car seems to be dead on.

What about the interior? Well this is an American muscle car so people would forgive GM for putting a cheap and dull interior into the car so long as the power was good. Fortunately for us, and all automotive enthusiasts, GM did not skimp on the interior. The retro layout of the gauge cluster, the center console and the deep-dish steering wheel all fit into the muscular and passionate feel of the car. The seats and steering wheel were wrapped in comfortable thick two-tone leather with exposed stitching. Nothing about the interior, besides being styled in a retro theme, reminded me of Camaros of the past, and that’s a good thing!

So we have the excellent exterior styling and we have a comfortable and stylish interior, but what about the muscle? This is not just a car styled to look like a muscle car; it truly has the bite to back up the bark. The lower end RS that we drove at first has a 304 horsepower V6 using a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts pushing its power to the rear wheels. Although the car weighs just over 3700 lb. the direct injected 4-cam 3.6 liter engine never gives up on you. It will propel this muscle car from 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds and to a top speed of 155 mph. But hop in the SS and soon you will see how slow that really is. The SS Camaro is powered by the LS3 6.2 liter Corvette engine. The 426 horsepower V8 matted to a 6 speed manual transmission gets this car up to 60 mph in only 4.6 seconds. Step on the gas pedal and you will be thrown back into your seat and suddenly it all makes sense. The tires screech but grip fast and your off, the short and quick shifts feel seamless with the perfect weighted clutch and when you need to slow down the brakes are there like a brick wall. The four-piston Brembo brakes are responsive to say the least. They will bring this heavy muscle car to a stop like no other stock muscle car I’ve ever driven. After you hit the brakes and turn the wheel, the bolstered seats start to make sense. They don’t just look cool; they keep you in the seat when powering around the corners. I would have to say, even more than the power and the brakes, the handling shocked me the most. I have driven many Camaros in my life and wouldn’t trust any of them around a corner, but this car. Turn in, mash the gas, and the car just knows to grip and go.

Let’s just say that I was pleasantly impressed with the new Camaro. I almost think calling it a Camaro could hurt the fact that it’s such a sporty grand touring car. It took me so long to write this review because I could never come to grips with the fact or put into words that a Camaro built by Chevy was such a good car. I think they do have two problems though. The first problem I would say is the price. The V6 model, although being very good, pushes the high 20k range and the SS pushes the high 30’s. This brings me to the Camaros second problem, this problem has been around as long as the Camaro pulled off the factory lines in 1969. That would be the Mustang. As much as I love the looks and admire the effort they put into the interior and the power it gets, I would still take a Mustang for the price.

Hennessey Venom GT

Toby — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:21:39 +0000

Hennessey Venom GT

Our buddies at Hennessy announced a few years ago that they would be building a supercar of their own. Going from a tuning shop to producing your own supercar doesn’t happen overnight and now almost two years after their announcement they are telling us the car will be debuting at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010.

If you have been following the Venom GT you know it was supposed to be powered by the Viper V10, as Hennessey has a good relation with the Viper brand. We also heard that it would be weighing in at 2700 lbs with a 1,000 horsepower ratting. Now we are hearing a little different, but better, story. Hennessey is now saying that the Venom GT will be powered by a “Hennessey V8” the weight is down to 2400 lbs and horsepower is up to 1,200 bhp. This spectacular looking mid-engine supercar will be able to deliver the goods, but will it make a real splash within the supercar world? That we’ll just have to wait and see…

Let us know what you think!

2010 Hennessey Z700

Adam Moore — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:05:47 +0000

: 2010 Hennessey Z700

Looking for a Corvette? C6 just not doing it for you? Z06? Well the ZR1 surely will be enough to keep u smiling on a race track? No? Hennessey didn’t think so either! If you had the option to get a 911, a 911 GT3, or a 911GT3RS what would you pick?

Hennessey knows there is a market out there for taking a high performance Super Car and making it that much better for the track, so they give you the Z700. Power is jumped from 638 to 705hp and from 604lb-ft to 717 lb-ft torque. This isn’t just a horsepower monster Hennessey has also put the fat American car on a diet by adding more carbon fiber. They threw in some carbon fiber seats, carbon fiber wheels, and a new carbon fiber front splitter enhancing down force. There will be only 24 examples produced of this limited edition Corvette ready to drive home for only $207,150 Dollars. With numbers like 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and to 100mph in just 6.4 seconds it’s defiantly has the numbers to back the price.

Be sure you’ll see one of these on a track near you in Texas.

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[source: Hennessey]

2010 Z700

Hennessey Performance News

Hennessey Performance News

Adam Moore — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:25:38 +0000

When you think of the King of Kings in American after market powerhouse cars you have to consider our very own Houston based Hennessey Performance. With products ranging from Viper, Challenger, Camaro, Corvette, CTS-V, Charger, 300C, Ford GT, GTR’s, and even working on their own concept super car it is easy to see how they made this name for themselves. Not only are they producing great new power and designs with the new Camaro they have gone crazy fitting the LS9, Corvette ZR-1, motor into the Camaro pushing 705 horsepower and 717 lb-ft torque.

This car is insane! And we will be keeping you updated on all new news regarding this car! Here are a few Pics and a nice Video. Check out Hennessey’s site at http://www.hennesseyperformance.com

2010 HPE700 Camaro

World\’s First LS9 Powered 2010 Camaro SS

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