Car and Driver is back with its annual Lightning Lap roundup for a sixth year, with 20 of the world's best vehicles taking to Virginia International Raceway to lay down the quickest time around VIR's 4.1-mile Grand West Course.

Included in this year's running is a suitably diverse spread of sports cars and sedans, ranging from the lowly Volkswagen Jetta GLI to the formidable Porsche Panamera Turbo S � a difference of 350 horsepower and over $168,000. And, just to add a bit more spice to the festivities, C/D introduced a new class (LLT) to include two trucks in the running: the BMW X5 M and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

But what C/D gives, it taketh away. Gone is the LL5 class ($250,000 and up) and so are the LLU cars, like the Mosler MT900S, the current Lightning Lap champion. And we're perfectly okay with that. After all, we're more interested in how the Lotus Evora S hangs with the Porsche Cayman R and where the BMW 1 Series M Coupe stacks up against the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca � and not just for convoluted naming conventions.



Source: AutoBlog via Car and Driver

That's what you get for showing off. WARNING: Extreme language. And the video is pretty damn loud when they scream.

How would your mom react? We'll show you how Darius' mom did.

General Motors announced that it will be investing $131 million in its Bowling Green plant to support production of the next generation Chevrolet Corvette. However, the question remains – when will we see the next-generation Corvette?

GM said that the plant will continue building the current generation Corvette for at least the next two model years, including the 2012 model year that begins this summer. During that period, the investment will start to take effect, preparing the facility for the next-generation Corvette.

Source: eGMCarTech

Should have specified flatbed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riEUNA7cZMg

To see details on the suit, Click Here

Replogle, 30, of Oklahoma City, was arrested Monday on two complaints of reckless driving in connection with the pair of YouTube videos, West said. He has not been charged and has since been released on bail.

The videos, taken from inside the car, show it rocketing past other vehicles as if they were standing still, the Corvette's engine roaring as the driver accelerates and shifts gears.

West said the patrol received an e-mail from someone complaining about the videos, which were posted by someone using the YouTube handle “cody111280” and boasting of driving more than 195 mph. Replogle's date of birth is Nov. 12, 1980.

Patrol officials decided to try to track down the person who posted the videos, whom West identified as Replogle.

Replogle told troopers he is the owner of the car, described in the videos' descriptions as having an engine with more than 1,000 horsepower, and was driving it when the videos were taken and that he was responsible for the YouTube posts.

Source: YouTube via NewsOK

Yesterday, GM announced the release of the General Motors Performance Parts Z06X Corvette and SSX Camaro. These uniquely track-equipped versions of the Corvette and Camaro will be built by GM and Pratt & Miller Engineering (of Corvette Racing and Camaro race car fame). Pfadt Race Engineering was selected as the exclusive and premier manufacturer for the suspension equipment on both vehicles. The Performance oriented packages will be available to the public through every GM dealer as part of the GMPP (General Motors Performance Parts) catalog. Boasting of select carbon bodywork, lightweight components throughout, increased horsepower, upgraded brakes, wheels and tires; this Corvette Z06X is the real deal track machine.

Hit up the source for more info!

Source: CorvetteForum

One is an American-bred land rocket and the other a Teutonic track terror. They are the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo, and Motor Trend has pitted them head-to-head.

Former Autoblog scribe and known flip-flop aficionado Jonny Lieberman provides the voice work and the words for the buff book's latest supercar comparo, with Herr Lieberman calling the 911 Turbo "the fastest manual transmission car we've ever tested." Acceleration is one thing, but what about sex appeal? According to Jonny, "... both cars were alternately parked in front of my house for two weeks, but I discovered pink lipstick marks only on the Corvette's windshield. That's right, someone kissed the ZR1."



Source: MotorTrend via AutoBlog

Remember that driver of the red Corvette who authorities say was zipping along in northern Minnesota at 178 miles per hour?

The cops say he was drunk at the time.

Michael James Johnson, 40, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.12 percent while roaring along a county road on July 9 near the tiny town of Menahga in Wadena County, according to court records. The legal limit for driving in Minnesota is 0.08.

Johnson, who lives in Menahga, is charged with fourth-degree drunken driving and careless driving, County Attorney Kyra Ladd said Monday.

He has a court hearing Aug. 30, but he retains his driver's license in the meantime, Ladd said. "He can be out there driving right now," she said.

Johnson has "flown under the radar" and hasn't had a moving traffic violation for the past nine years or so, Ladd said, but he had "a lot of speeding violations" and other tickets before that, Ladd said. "He's been fairly busy here."

Johnson wasn't actually caught on radar going 178 mph, but the passenger in his two-seat sports car reported that speed, according to the State Department of Public Safety. A telephone message seeking comment was left at Johnson's home Monday.

Source: StarTribune

Karl Stracke, General Motors VP of global engineering, has unequivocally denied the recent rumors about a mid-engine version of the next-generation Corvette with a wet-dual-clutch transmission. Stracke spoke with editors at Automotive News and Autoweek and addressed the latest batch of rumors. For decades, speculation about what will be done with a next-generation Corvette invariably pops up almost immediately after a new model is introduced.

For example, a mid-engined Corvette has reportedly been on the cards since at least the mid-60s, thanks in part to a string of concept and experimental models of that configuration. The last Corvette-badged mid-engine concept was the 1990 CERV-III, but that hasn't stopped the speculation – especially in recent years as the Corvette has gained increased respect among the ranks of high-end sports cars. According to Stracke, "There is no mid-engine in the plans."

The same goes for a the story revealed by a Saab engineer about development of a wet DCT. Automakers are increasingly moving away from wet-clutch gearboxes to dry-clutch units because they are less expensive and more efficient. While Stracke shoots down the wet DCT, no mention is made of a dry-clutch unit... if Chevrolet follows Ferrari and Porsche down the dual-clutch path, that is almost certainly the type we will see.

Stracke also put the kibosh on a V6 Corvette. GM has already announced a direct injected small-block V8 is coming soon for its full-size pickup trucks and the Corvette will no doubt follow. Stracke did acknowledge that a hybrid is a possibility for the sports car and since competitors are going that way it wouldn't be out of place.

Source: AutoBlog

General Motors CEO and Chairman has officially confirmed that a new Chevrolet Corvette is in the works. Whitacre said that the new Corvette “looks quite different. It’s totally redesigned inside and out.”

In a separate report, sources have confirmed that the next-generation ‘Vette will be mid-engined. Saab sources said that its engineers have developed a double-clutch transmission for a “mid-engined version of the Corvette.” The insiders also said that the wet-clutch transmission was designed to cope with up to 590 lb-ft of torque.

It was originally said that the mid-engined Corvette concept was dropped due to the credit crunch of 2008. It seems like that the layout is now back on the agenda for the ‘Vette and should appear in 5-years time. It is also reported that executives are considering downsizing to a V6 engine with turbochargers.

Source: eGMCarTech

The team at GM Performance Parts has a few screws loose if you ask us – but that’s just the way we like them. Without their noggins being properly bolted together, they come up with performance packages like the new LS9 Supercharger Package which just screams insanity. If you’ve been searching for some type of power adder to bolt up to your LS3-powered Chevy since you drove it off the lot, the search is over. This bad boy of a kit will make your factory monster LS3 V8 seem docile as the package can make your seemingly stock Camaro or Corvette put out up to 650hp with the properly paired components.

The official press release hasn’t hit the wire yet, but we know some people that know some people and we got the hook up for you all so you can be the first at the parts counter to order yours and surprise the heck out of your friends. When you step up to the counter just tell them you need part number 19244103 and make it snappy, there’s fresh tires on your car that you need to break in! The kit will include all of the components to make the kit work right out of the box of course and will carry the same warranty that all GMPP carry which make this kit knock the funk out of the competition.

When the official release gets out, we’ll update you all here with the full statement for your enjoyment. Thanks for the tip, Davs_3800!

Source: GMTunerSource

While overall auto sales have recovered somewhat from the depths of early 2009, things are still pretty slow compared to their peaks. General Motors has done a decent job of avoiding too many customer rebates since it emerged from bankruptcy a year ago by controlling inventories. However, that's a lot harder to do with low volume cars like the Corvette and especially the ZR1. Balancing adequate dealer stock and too many cars is tough when the numbers are so modest to begin with.

With the 2010 model year winding down, GM reportedly still has about 500 ZR1s in stock and is now offering $3,000 cash back or zero percent financing on 2010 models. If you look hard, you may even find one of a dozen or so 2009 models left over which will get you $5,000 off the sticker price. Unfortunately the 2009s aren't equipped the very effective and easy-to-use launch control system that became standard on the '10s, but it's still a deal if you can get one.

Source: AutoBlog

Here's the thing about a car that produces 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. These staggering numbers are superb ammunition for bench-racing, but reality tells us that of the few who can afford a $109,130 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, far fewer can actually drive this car anywhere near its potential.

Chevrolet knows this.

Even as forgiving as the Corvette ZR1 is when it comes to handling, it makes enough power to demand specialized, exacting attention to the use of its throttle. And that kind of attention is something that's often beyond the capability of the very people who find themselves piloting one of these latent liability cases.

It is this knowledge that has motivated Chevrolet to integrate many of the subsystems already in use within the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to create its new-for-2010 Performance Traction Management (PTM) system — an advanced, adjustable combination of chassis control systems designed to enhance the ZR1's performance in the hands of any driver. Full read and video at the source!

Source: InsideLine