Category Archives: Manufacturer news

Corvette’s Jake Logo Revised

With the introduction of a new generation Corvette, the C7, it figures that a new Jake design would be in order.

Jake is the logo for Corvette Racing and featured a modernized skull with the corvette crossed flags as the eyes.

jake-c6r

Image 1 of 1

Jake Updated

The C7.R (the full on racing version of the Corvette) will make its track debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, 2014.  This is the day after its unveiling at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 25, 2014. When the C7.R takes to the track, it will sport an all-new Jake logo, which has become the unofficial mascot of Corvette Racing.

corvette-c7r-jake-mascot

Image 1 of 1

Jake logo Black and White

The History of Jake


Jake first appeared in the early 2000s, when the Corvette Racing team was gaining momentum and winning multiple ALMS championships and the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. The team began uniting behind a rally cry of “Take No Prisoners” and a flaming skull logo that represented its unrelenting drive for victories.

It wasn’t until after the C5.R completed the final 24 Hours of Le Mans that the unofficial logo was born. Urban lore claims that the sketch started on a cocktail napkin as a skull with crossed flags for the eyes and was named after Jake, Jim Belushi’s character from The Blues Brothers.

Jake Concept Edition

Jake even was honored with Chevrolet concept car that was shown at SEMA in 2010.  It was based on a Grand Sport edition and was liberally covered with sedate Jake logos.

The new Jake, with the seventh-generation Crossed Flag logo for eyes, is more modern and more aggressive just like the C7.R will hope to be.

Artwork courtesy of © General Motors

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

Bumble Bee Camaro Tire with Hollywood Magic

Bumble Bee -the Star of the Transformer Movie Anthologybumble-bee Camaro

The Bumble Bee is one of the main characters in the Transformer Movie Series and is a bright yellow Camaro.  Chevrolet certainly enjoys the publicity that is garnered by the Bumble Bee and Hollywood studios are known for accepting cash or product for a movie “placement”.

bumble-bee-hood

SEMA 2013

At the recent SEMA show, the three “stars” of the upcoming Transformers 4 movie directed by Michael Bay were showcased by Chevrolet at a standalone display.  Present were a new sleek Corvette Stringray, an urban looking Sonic and the yellow Bumble Bee Camaro.  They were highlighting the upcoming Transformers 4 release next summer.

bumble-bee-side

The same three cars were present at Chevrolet’s Media Event.  But after Monday’s event some sharp eyed spectators noted a slight change in the “shoes” the Bumble Bee was wearing. pre-close-up Bumble bee tire It turns out the Hollywood magic must have worn out and the painted on Goodyear logo and Eagle name were removed showing the true brand of these tires – Pirelli.post-close-up Bumble Bee tire

Ah, the magic of Hollywood!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

COPO Camaro, Gas Monkey Garage and Build Your Own

The COPO Camaro is what legends are made of.  And if you watch Fast N’ Loud, the Gas Monkey franchise on Discovery, you’ll learn more about them soon.  They recently sold a Gas Monkey decaled COPO Camaro in Reno, through Barrett-Jackson Auctions.  And are doing some more  by way of Chevy’s “Build Your Own” program.

COPO Camaro

Back in the 60’s, slick dealers could order cars made by Chevrolet in unique configurations using a Central Office Production Order (COPO).  A dealer, Fred Gibb in Illinois, thought making a 69 Camaro with an aluminum 427 ZL1 power plant making 425 horsepower was a great idea.  So ultimately he ordered 69 of these fabled cars, with Chevrolet requiring a minimum of fifty to make a COPO.  With a price tag of over $7,200 (twice what a stocker cost), Gibb could only sell thirteen at his dealership and he sent the others out through a network of dealers.

These cars were intended for racing on the strip and they are rather rare and pricey.  I first saw one owned by Reggie Jackson back in the 90’s.  One sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2012 for $451,000

2012

copo-2012-drivers-side

In 2012 the COPO name and concept was revived by Chevrolet at the SEMA show and was introduced with a white paint job.  Only 69 ( a recurring number you see) were produced.  It sold starting at $89,000 and was strictly for the NHRA’s strips with no VIN being issued and lacking a bunch of NHTSA mandated stuff.  You had a choice of three engines; a 427 V8 or a 327 V8 with a either a 2.9L supercharger or a 4.0L supercharger

2013

copo-2013-convertible

In 2013 it again premiered in SEMA, this time in a unique convertible (which most tracks wouldn’t allow)!  It started at $86,000 and offered again three engine options.  a 352 horsepower V8, a 375 Horsepower 6.5L V8 or a massive 7L V8 making again the 425 horsepower.  Plus along with the racer’s standard Powerglide it came in a 4 speed manual.  The convertible was later sold at auction with only one other convertible made in 2013.

2014

copo-2014-drivers-side

Yet again for 2014, Chevrolet trotted out their COPO at SEMA in a light blue color.  This year, lucky winners can choose from a 427 V8, a 350 V8 with a 2.9L supercharger, or mere V8’s with either a 350 or 396 cubic inch displacement.  For 2014 a solid rear axle appears in place of the independent rear end.

Build Your Own

Each year only 69 COPO’s are offered by way of a lottery system.  But that is not the only way to get a COPO.  Chevrolet has offered a “Build Your Own” program were you can open a parts book and build up from a rolling chassis.  Again these are designed for the strip and lack a VIN and are definitely not “street legal”.  For 2013 they were offered at a starting price of $55,000.

That’s essentially what Gas Monkey Garage did.  They got their hands on twenty of these babies and offered them for $89,000 minus a engine and transmission.  So far they have sold 14, with one more set to be auctioned in January at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale AZ.  Keep an eye out for more information about the COPO on their show soon.  In the mean time, enjoy some views of the recent editions of the COPO Camaro

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cruise at SEMA Show on Friday Night

Friday Night Cruise

Cruise SEMA BannerFor the past three years, at the end of the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show on Friday, some of the cars on display drive out of the show onto the surrounding street in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center.  It has become known as “The Cruise” and has become very popular, even amongst weary, dog tired show goers.

Origins of The Cruise

In fact, the cruise started years earlier as an unofficial event.  After the show closed on Friday afternoon, some cars would drive off to get to their trailers and either get locked up for the night or head back home.  So locals and attendees would camp out along the drive ways and watch some of the cars drive away.

cruise22

You can admire the individual cars and appreciate a static display of cars, but nothing beats seeing them now drive off, under power, lights on and with exhaust bellowing.

Sanctioned Cruise

The Cruise just sanctioned this drive off and became a recognized, official event.  Early Friday afternoon, before the show closes at 4 PM, portable bleachers are maneuvered into position along a driveway that had been the point of access for the taxi’s.  The stands fill up hours before the cruise starts and the actual driveway gets lined with interested folks as well.

Cruise EmceeThis year SEMA had an emcee and a DJ spinning some tunes.  Because it gets dark early in Las Vegas, SEMA even arranges for some portable lights so the cars can be easily seen.

Cruise with Chip FooseSome cars tossed out sponsor t-shirts or hats to the crowd and Chip Foose came over to say hi and thanked the crowd for attending.  SEMA was even selling a limited number of hats, embroidered to commemorate the Cruise

Cruise Hat for Sale

The Cruise and the Stars

Of course, the stars of The Cruise are the cars.  Now most of these cars have already been parked outside of the convention center and on display all week long.  But nothing takes the place of seeing the cars actually start up and drive off.  We saw the WyoTech Ford truck/roadster, that we had previously highlighted, make a pass through the crowd after maneuvering out of the indoor display hall.

Cruise WyoTech's Ford

I never had seen so many LED’s on some of the 4X4’s and they were all blindingly lit.  The cars were often packed with more than just the driver, so their friends could enjoy the experience.  And of course many vehicles had more than one camera attached to their car, probably to help make a video for YouTube?  There was even a drone flying overhead.

cruise-drone

Many media folks were there including our friends from Hot Rod magazine.  It was refreshing to see so many gear heads come out to see the cars cruise, and great to see so many owners take their cars on the road!  Even the French builder of the 57 Bel Air themed Harley Davidson motorcycle drove out.  This is a great way for SEMA to wrap up the week and was one of our highlights.

Enjoy some of our selected shots from the SEMA Cruise.  Which is your favorite?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Dare to be Different at SEMA and the Hot Vehicles Winners

This year’s SEMA Awards for the top trending vehicle models in four categories were announced on Tuesday November 5, 2013 at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Ford Mustang was named Hottest Car, the Scion FR-S took the Hottest Sport Compact honors, the Ford F-Series won Hottest Truck and the Jeep Wrangler received the Hottest 4×4-SUV award.

I was pulling for the Chevy Silverado and the Corvette Stingray, so I guess I struck out; there but no complaints with the Scion FR-S and Jeep Wrangler winning.

Dare to be Different

One of the fun parts of SEMA, is the over the top, just because I can, attitude of many of the cars.  Enough said

Enjoy the Views

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

 

Chevy Cranks Up for SEMA

At the world’s largest convention of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories, the SEMA Show –Specialty Equipment Market Association – one of the highlights is the Chevrolet display; and the chance for a sneak preview at the Media Party held on Monday night before SEMA opens.

Besides catching up with various executives and seeing some great cars, Chevrolet brings in a few celebrities to spice up the night.  Fortunately these celebrities have straight connections to the cars featured at this press event.

This year NASCAR racers Ricky Carmichael (and AMA racer and X Games champ) and Jeff Gordon were there to delight the crowds. Some of the featured cars were:

Ricky Carmichael’s Chevy All-Activity Sonic concept

The All-Activity Sonic concept was introduced by Carmichael and had a cold air induction, a lowered suspension and enhanced braking.Spark EV Tech Performance concept

Sonic Chevy
Ricky Carmichael’s Sonic

Chevy Spark EV Tech Performance concept

Chevy “powered up” this all-electric tire smoking mini-car, the Spark, with an instant on 400 lb-ft of torque –http://route66pubco.com/wp-admin/post-new.php more than the classic 1969 Camaro SS muscle car with a 350 V-8 – for exhilarating acceleration. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in only 7.5 seconds.

Electric car
Amped up Chevy Spark

2014 Chevy COPO

It seems that Chevrolet always has a new version of the legendary COPO drag cars for SEMA, and they didn’t disappoint this year with a light blue version.  Very well designed and ready for the drag strip as is.  This year will feature new front and rear fascia and be limited to the fabled 69 cars.

Light Blue drag car
2014 COPO Camaro

Gran Turismo C7 Corvette Stingray

A flat blue Corvette that will be featured in the latest version of Playstation’s Gran Turismo was promoted.  All week at the Chevy display show goers will be able to play an advanced version of the game.

blue Corvette
Corvette Stingray from Gran Turismo

Restored 1978 pick up

This truck was a restored beauty and featured a new crate engine package from Chevy.  The E ROD 5.3 L package is a plug and play emissions compliant powertrain.

Black truck
Restored Chevy Pickup with E ROD power

Jeff Gordon’s SS

His SS came with a red satin (flat) finish was an awesome car with subtle power touches.  A LS3 engine and a 6 speed automatic transmission were the power plant for the SS.

Red SS
Red Satin SS from Jeff Gordon

2014 Camaro Z28

The road worthy Z/28 in all black was released at this event.  Featuring Brembo brakes, less weight and a LS7 engine helps make this track car a worthy competitor and lives up to its namesake.

Black camaro
Black Z/28

Transformers 4

Three cars from the 2014 Transformer movie were on hand to be admired; a new Bumble Bee Camaro, a Sonic and bright Green Corvette Stingray

 

Green Corvette
Green Transformer Staingray
Yellow Camaro
Transformer 4 Bumble Bee Camaro
white Sonic
Chevy Sonic from Transformer 4

Good times, good cars, good people.  SEMA cranks up in full power mode in a few hour son Tuesday November 5th.  More details at Chevy Performance.

 

 

Predictions for SEMA Show 2013

SEMA Signage
SEMA

SEMA – the Specialty Equipment Market Association – show starts officially on Tuesday November 5, 2013 in Las Vegas.  Car Nirvana is spread over 2 million square feet of interior space and even more cars are positioned outside.  I figured if Hot Rod Magazine can prediction what the SEMA 2013 will highlight, I can predict too.

Predictions for SEMA

I’ll be more modest and only give you five trends to be spotted at SEMA this year.

Prediction #1

Car of the Year – Has to be the Corvette Stingray.  This is the after-market convention after all and there has been no more pent-up demand, than seeing the Corvette C7 hit the streets.

prediction corvette is SEMA's car of the year
Corvette Stingray

Prediction #2

Flat is back.  We’ve seen variations of flat paint jobs in the past, and that trend is going to explode.  Both from the mainstream manufacturers but also the specialty shops.  And contrary to some opinions, it takes as much prep work on a car body to spray it flat as it does for the shiny clear coats.

Prediction #3

Step up the transmissions.  Used to be standard to row through four speeds, but not that Detroit is issuing out sheet metal with 7 speed transmissions to help up the EPA gas mileage, so will the aftermarket.

Silver truck
Sweet Trucker

Prediction #4

Truck of the year?  Got to be the Chevrolet Silverado.  Demand is back up for trucks, that’s where the money is and that’s where General Motors has hit a home run.  It might be apolitical to have two winners from the same manufacturer, but the Silverado deserves it!

Prediction #5

Retro is back with a passion.  Clothing, accessories, and cars will all be showing an old fashioned look.  Woodies, rat rods, salt wagons will all be highly visible.???????????????????????????????

Stayed tuned and we’ll see how many of these predictions you might agree with after Friday and the show wraps up.

 

 

Nissan Rogue unveiled with candid pictures

One of the advantages of being in Arizona for car guys is the chance to see new, unreleased “mules” on the road.  Arizona is home to most of the car manufacturers for proving grounds.  But these cars don’t just stay inside the fenced grounds, as these spy shots of the Nissan Rogue show.  “Mules” are test cars used by the makers to test things out in real road conditions.

They wander around the Arizona geography and get a chance to try out these prototypes on twisty roads, interstate highways and with elevations changing from sea level to high mountains.  Of course the area is known for the opportunity to test in high heat conditions, but the cars get a chance to experience all of what Arizona climates offer.  They often are loaded up with plenty of telemetries recording all sorts of feedback from a myriad of sensors.

Of course the manufacturers aren’t keen on the public recognizing these cars.  Besides sporting manufacturer plates these cars often have geometric black and white wraps to help disguise the final shape and design of the cars.  But plenty of photographers go out on the hunt to track down a shot of these beauties.

2014 Nissan Rogue

Recently two Nissan Rogues, which will have a new release in 2014 were seen out and about on the Arizona highways.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It’s rare to see these cars stationary, but the drivers have to take a break on occasion!

Gas Monkey Garage COPO Camaro Sold at Barrett Jackson

Gas Monkey Garage

Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman team up in Dallas, Texas to form Gas Monkey Garage.  Their “Fast N’ Loud” TV show is a hit on the Discovery Channel, where Richard buys a relic; Aaron and his crew update the ride and then “flip” the car to a new buyer that keeps Richard in beer money.  The show gets great ratings, has a loyal following and has a familiar format.  Grab a car, make a ridiculously short deadline and stand back to watch the resulting havoc.

Barrett-Jackson Reno, Nevada

At the January 2012 Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona one of their creations, a 1931 Ford, was auctioned off for $12,870 by one of those buyers.  So I guess that seller flipped a flipped car?  And at a loss, since the buyer on TV bought it for $21,000.

Gas Monkey Garage decided on a different plan for the just concluded Barrett Jackson auction held at Reno, Nevada last month.  They took a brand new 2013 Chevrolet COPO Camaro added some decals and auctioned it off for $137,500 (We always list the selling price of an auctioned item with all related buyer’s commissions.)  Not bad for a car that isn’t street legal.

COPO Camaro

COPO stands for Central Office Production Order and was used by Chevrolet to offer limited runs of unique setups of their cars to selected special dealerships and those “in the know”.  The most legendary COPO was the 1969 Camaro made for Fred Gibbs, with 69 cars sporting an aluminum ZL1 monster motor.  In muscle car collections; this is the mother lode.  In 2012, Chevrolet resurrected the COPO Camaro but with a severely limited run of only  69 cars.  These COPO’s are not street legal, lacking most of the NHTSA safety requirements, and are strictly designed for the drag strip.  They are lean and mean.

SEMA

At the 2012 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association) show, the GM folks showed off their only COPO convertible, painted in Inferno Orange.  Of course having a drag car racer, without a hard top, might make it hard to pass a tech inspection but it looked great; once you cleared off the slobber marks!

front view of 2012 COPO Camaro
Only convertible COPO Camaro

 

2013 Gas Monkey COPO

Well Chevrolet said let’s do it again, and made a limited run of 69 COPO Camaro’s for 2013 and Richard Rawlings got his hands on one and added a few extra touches and decals before auctioning it off in Reno.  This COPO might be featured in an upcoming episode of their television show and I’m guessing Richard Rollins took advantage of the engine build option and went back to Michigan to be part of building “hands on” the LS7 427 cubic inch engine for the 41st Camaro.

The Camaro was fitted with a NHRA chorme-moly cage and a solid rear axle and looked mean and lean.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Selected photos courtesy of Barrett-Jackson

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Porsche 911 Celebrates 50th Anniversary

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911.  For perspective the Corvette is celebrating 60 years with their seventh generation of the American sports car.  This is presently the fifth incarnation of the 911 and is treasured for both its sleek design and focused engineering.  The first model was labeled a “901” but due to trademark issues had to change it to the now iconic 911.

911 Porsche
911 comparisons

Porsche 911’s Humble Beginnings

It is rare for a model to stay in constant use for half a century, but even the original first generation was known for setting the industry standards for superior engineering.  Imagine that in 1963, the first 911 came with such advanced features as overhead cams, dry-sump oiling, seven-main-bearing bottom end, 5-speed transaxle, 4-wheel disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and advanced independent suspension. There are even cars being manufactured today that can’t hold a candle to that design.

Porsche always had a high level of engineering design but ironically, the fir

st generation Porsche 911’s were blinding fast but treacherous to drive, but over time the handling was improved.  The exterior lines of the 911 seem timeless and stately.

Porsche 911 Celebrations

Across the globe various venues are hosting events to celebrate the 50th Anniversary epoch.  The Silverstone Classic in July had a great event.  Originally hoping for 911

Porsche’s to roar along the circuit, they couldn’t stop the demand and ended up with over 1200 cars hitting the race track. Here’s the details on the event.

You just had to know the Frankfurt Auto show in Porsche’s backyard would do the 911 proud and the factory pulled no punches with a knockout event. Porsche had a driving party at their test track at Weissach,Germany.  And their museum is having a special exhibition as well

Daily Driver Capable

Thanks to its own 50-year racing history, today’s Teutonic 911 is one of the highest-performance cars, but still is tame enough to be a daily driver.  Few cars can claim to be favored by three generations of drivers.

 

Photo courtesy of Porsche