Autoblog: News Thread

[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: SAIC and Nanjing merge to form mega Chinese auto group

Filed under: China, Earnings/Financials
Industry analysts widely agree that one of the principal factors preventing Chinese automakers from succeeding outside of China is the local industry's fragmentation, with over 100 automakers vying for their slice of the proverbial pie. However, a merger announced Wednesday between two major Chinese automakers, Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp (SAIC) and Nanjing Automotive Group, stands a stronger chance of succeeding in the international car market as a larger group.
The merger, which has been long anticipated, involves SAIC paying $285.7 million for Nanjing. In return, Nanjing's parent company acquires 4.9 percent of SAIC Motor Corp.
The products of SAIC's joint ventures with GM and Volkswagen Group account for 14% of the domestic market in China, selling 1.25 million vehicles in the first ten months of 2007. Nanjing, meanwhile, sold less than 80,000 over the same period, making the acquisition a merger in the same sense as Mercedes had "merged" with Chrysler. Nanjing, however, owns MG Rover, whose plants in England SAIC hopes to use as a foothold into the European market.
[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: NYPD tries silent running with four Vectrix electric scooters

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Etc., Green, Motorcycles


The NYPD currently maintains a fleet of a few hundred gas-powered Piaggio and Yamaha scooters. As part of a trial program, they are going to try out some Vectrix electric scooters starting next month. The Vectrix scooters are heavier than the Piaggios and cost twice as much. They also only have a range of between 40 and 60 miles. However, they have a 60-MPH top speed, can be recharged in two hours at a wall outlet, and they are the first and only fully electric vehicles certified to travel on any road in America, including highways.

The pilot program is only running with four Vectrix rides. However, the NYPD was the first police program approached to take the scooter maker up on the offer, so the Vectrix will get its first test in what could be the toughest climate possible -- New York's punishing urban terrain and the Northeastern winter weather.

[Source: Newsday via AutoblogGreen]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Don't jump! Rotary-engine 'Vette prototype saved from rooftop

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Etc., Chevrolet, GM, UK


Back in the 70s, GM was looking to take its much beloved Corvette to the next level. The General charged John DeLorean with investigating the possibility of putting a mid-engine rotary under hood, and the 1973 GM XP897 was the culmination of his efforts. The steel-bodied Vette was built atop a Porsche 914 chassis, and GM poured millions into R&D. The problem was that the Rotary engine was just as thirsty as America's much loved V8, and it was an emissions failure. GM deemed the XP897 a lost cause, and the Pantera look-alike was relegated to an eternal parking spot on the 10th story roof-top of the Vauxhall design building.

Luckily for Corvette lovers everywhere, Englishman and Corvette historian Tom Falconer went out of his way to save the car he loved. Falconer received a phone call from former one-time Jaguar design chief Geoff Lawson about a steel-bodied Vette that was about to meet its maker. To save the XP897, Falconer flew to Detroit to beg GM execs to let him keep the Vette for his own. Luckily for history, Falconer succeeded, and to this day the mid-engine Rotary Vette sits in his Snodland, Kent museum. Since Falconer received the vehicle without its engine, it currently draws power from a Mazda 13B two rotor engine mated to a front-drive auto from Cadillac. With the recent unveiling of the 2009 Corvette ZR1, we see just how far the Vette has come since 1973. but the mid-engine debate still rages on. Can and will GM one day succeed where it failed 35 years ago? As long as the General keeps pouring money into the Corvette, we're all for taking chances.

[Source: Telegraph via Winding Road]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Quattro Valvole watch by Meccaniche Veloci

Filed under: Gadgets
Automotive timepieces keep getting closer to the cars they're inspired by in terms of design, mechanics and price. The latest to cross our radar screen is the Quattro Valvole by Italian watchmaker Meccaniche Veloci.If the model name sounds familiar, you're thinking back to the circa-1984 Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS Quattrovalvole, which incorporated the Italian name for the four-valve cylinder heads that the Maranello-based automaker pioneered. Meccaniche Veloci, literally "mechanical speed", recalls the still-prevalent technology with its wristwatch that features four distinct faces for tracking time in four different time zones, each with its own Swiss mechanical movement, all enclosed with titanium fixtures in a billet aluminum casing made in the same process as competition-spec pistons.
The Quattro Valvole watch is available in a wide assortment of color combinations, none of which are available without your dipping into Junior's college fund: its asking price is $5,500.

[Source: Meccaniche Veloci via Racer magazine]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Spy Shots: updated Maserati Quattroporte due early 2008

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Maserati
It would be hard to argue that Maserati has been getting lazy with the Quattroporte. Following its unveiling at the 2003 Frankfurt show, the Quattroporte went into production in 2004. Since then, Maserati has kept it fresh by introducing the Sport GT at Frankfurt 2005, the Executive GT at Detroit '06, the Automatica at Detroit '07 and the sharpest-yet Sport GT-S at Frankfurt '07.In today's market, however, not even the exquisite lines of the Trident marque's four-door sedan can go without a visual update for more than four years. To that end, Maserati is expected to debut a mid-cycle facelift for the Quattroporte sometime in early 2008 - and that's coming just around the corner.
This second set of spy shots, following the earlier ones we reported a few months ago, show that the focus of the exterior modifications will be at the front end, which is expected to follow the example of the Quattroporte's two-door stable-mate, the GranTurismo. The rear end is also anticipated to benefit from a little nip-and-tuck, and although the interior is one of the finest in the business, one might expect Maserati to rework some magic inside, too. The sonorous Ferrari-sourced V8 engine and smooth ZF-sourced six-speed automatic will likely carry on unchanged. (That's a good thing.)
[Source: Autowereld.com]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Chery enters joint venture with Israel Corp.

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials
Israel develops and produces a lot of things, from microchips to cosmetics. But, discounting the odd dune-buggy or army jeep, cars aren't one of them. So it came as a bi t of a surprise when Quantum, an American subsidiary of (the imaginatively named) holding company Israel Corp., announced it was embarking on a joint venture with an unnamed Asian automaker back in the spring.Israel Corp. has now won approval from China's still heavily centralized government to set up shop in partnership with Chery Automobile. The Israeli partner will take a 45% stake in the venture, worth about $225 million, with Chery presumably taking the other 55%. The news of the deal hit the wire shortly after the now-refuted
reports of an ambitious plan to put 10,000 electric cars on Israeli roads by 2010.
Chery was the first of a plethora of Chinese automakers that now manufactures outside of China, operating its own plants in Iran, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Argentina. While it's still not known where the new Sino-Israeli cars will be built, they could very well find their way to our shores as Chery gears up for its assault on the American market.
[Source: Detroit News]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: AutoblogGreen for 12.27.07



Usually, news about electric cars these days is some sort of variation on the "it's going to be delayed" theme. But, when it comes to the under-the-radar (or, at least, underhyped) Subaru R1e, recent news points to an earlier delivery date than expected. That's a pleasant surprise. The 100 cars Subaru expects to build in 2009 won't change the world instantly, but this could be the start of something very, very cool. And here Newsweek is saying that Maximum Bob is the EV's savior.

• Subaru EV could arrive as early as 2009
• Newsweek hails Maximum Bob as the savior of the electric car!
• Ford and U-Haul's eco-paint trucks now on the road
• VIDEO: Jeremy Clarkson goes from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank of diesel in an Audi A8
• Skybus offers 10 seats for $10 on every flight but ...
• Mexico looking to produce more biodiesel
• In honor of the Prius's tenth birthday, you can install an EV mode switch
• Videos: not-for-profit City Car Share has 15,000 drivers
• Public transportation around the world: India's Blueline buses dubbed "killer buses"
• Automobile mag picks Two-Mode Hybrid as technology of the year
• David Edwards blogs about the Vectrix
• Seat Ibiza coming in April, not March and for &pound;500 more
• Videos: NY Mayor Bloomberg test drives Javlon, Popular Mechanic test drives Aptera

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Pics Aplenty: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Euro, Mercedes Benz

click above for more images of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

We brought you a single pic of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG on Christmas Day, but Merc has released everything it's got on the &uuml;ber roadster and it looks like what we reported then was correct. The car doesn't receive nearly as thorough a refreshening as its slower siblings, but does get smoked headlamps and a different chin treatment, opting for the single blacked-out lower air intake rather than the F1-inspired split front apron on lesser SLK models. Out back the faux diffuser and dual quadrezoidal (we just made up that word) tailpipes are gone, replaced by a set of dual oval pipes flanking what looks like a skid plate of some sort.

Performance-wise the SLK 55 AMG carries over largely unchanged, which means you'll still find AMG's 5.5L V8 underhood producing 360 hp and 376 ft-lbs. of torque. The AMG Speedshift 7G-TRONIC transmission returns, as well. New this year is the SLK's direct steering system with variable servo assistance, which reduces the amount of turns needed to go from lock to lock and makes turning an easier effort on the driver. Also new are a set of 18-inch AMG twin-spoke wheels, on top of which the car can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Remember when that was supercar territory ten years ago? Now it can be had in a cut little roadster from Mercedes-Benz.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Gallery: 2009 SLK 55 AMG


Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Japanese car mags run amok: Nissan Silvia revival to get Renault power

Filed under: Coupes, Japan, Nissan, Renault
Japan's Best Car supposedly has yet another scoop on the Nissan Silvia revival, and while the image gracing the mag's cover is little more than a photoshopped pipedream, the information presented within deserves note.

According to one of the publication's editors, a source at Nissan has suggested that the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe could benefit from the Nissan/Renault alliance and fitted with a 2.0-liter engine lifted from the French automaker. Speculation is that the 225 hp turbocharged four-pot powering the Renault Megane Sport could be mounted up front, sending power to the rear wheels on a modified Z platform. Not only would that keep production costs low, but the motor could be shoved far back into the firewall, making it a competent corner carver in the process.

Best Car expects the S16 Silvia to be priced between $18,000 and $21,000 if and when it goes on sale in 2010.

[Source: GT Channel]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Detroit '08 Preview: Subaru reveals US-spec 2009 Forester

Filed under: Car Buying, Detroit Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Subaru

click above image for more pics of the 2009 Subaru Forester

Though the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) 2009 Subaru Forester was revealed on Christmas Day, Subaru waited until today to reveal the US-spec version of its car-like CUV. We all know the shape of things to come for the Forester thanks to numerous leaks and spied test vehicles that popped up throughout the month of December, but Subaru reveals today that US customers will have their choice of naturally-aspirated and turbocharged versions of the same 2.5L boxer four-cylinder engines offered before, though they've been worked over for more low-end torque. While no power figures have been released, we expect both motors to be virtually identical to those used in the Impreza, which means around 170 hp and 224 hp, respectively. It appears the same trim levels will be offered, which include the base 2.5X, Sports 2.5X, 2.5X L.L. Bean Edition paired with the NA engine and the 2.5XT, Sports 2.5XT and 2.5XT Limited offered with the turbo. New features for the 2009 US-spec Forester include available satellite navigation, standard Vehicle Dynamics Control and traction control, and Incline Start Assist on models with the manual transmission. We'll get detailed information on Subaru's decidedly more butch little CUV at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but until then you can check out the US-spec 2009 Forester in our gallery below and read Subaru's press release after the jump.

[Source: Subaru]

Gallery: 2009 Subaru Forester (US spec)

Continue reading Detroit '08 Preview: Subaru reveals US-spec 2009 Forester

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Ralf Schumacher unlikely to find ride for 2008, dumps manager

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings


The game of musical chairs is winding to a close, with most of the race seats for the 2008 Formula 1 season locked up. One of the few drivers left without a seat is Ralf Schumacher, who left Toyota at the end of the 2007 season.
Ralf, who has won less grands prix than his brother Michael has world titles, tested for Force India, the team that took over from Spyker, but performed poorly, forcing the German driver to admit he might have to take his brother's advice and sit the next season out.
With his 2008 prospects looking bleak, Ralf has fired his manager Hans Mahr. In 2006 Ralf parted company with his previous agent Willi Weber, who continues to manage Michael to great success even in his retirement. Mahr, a media expert with political and entertainment experience, is reportedly shifting his focus on a new media enterprise.
[Source: F1-Live]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Post-merger, Fiat ditches Nanjing joint venture

Filed under: China, Euro, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials, Chery, Alfa Romeo, FIAT

Hot on the heels of Nanjing Auto's merger with SAIC, Fiat has announced it has pulled out of the automotive joint venture it had embarked upon with Nanjing.
The Sino-Italian operation had been a money-losing enterprise for years. Fiat says that Nanjing failed to live up to its commitments to the joint venture after the Chinese auto group took over MG Rover, and that the divorce will enable the Italian automaker to re-strategize its business in China. Fiat is expected to partner instead with Chery Automobiles, which just announced another joint venture with Israel Corp. Fiat and Chery are in the process of setting up another joint venture to produce 175,000 cars annually starting in 2009, and leading to the introduction of Fiat Group division Alfa Romeo to the Chinese market.
The separation affects only the cooperation between Fiat and Nanjing on the production of passenger cars, and doesn't have any bearing on Fiat's truck-building division, Iveco, which cooperates with Nanjing to build vans and with Nanjing's new parent company SAIC on trucks, the two relationships will continue unhindered.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Wanna buy a Yugo? Serbian carmaker Zastava up for sale

Filed under: Economy, Etc., Euro, Hatchbacks

When the Yugo first arrived on our shores in 1985, it made headlines with its bargain basement $4,000 USD price tag. Of course, four large didn't buy you much of anything, except for a series of breakdowns and the laughter of virtually every motorist that easily passed you by. While the Yugo hasn't been sold in the U.S. since 1991, for the right price you can now bid for the distinct pleasure of owning Zastava, the Serbian company responsible for producing and exporting the biggest punch line in automotive history. The government of Serbia has announced that Zastava, the country's only automaker, is selling off over 90% of its shares this coming April for an undisclosed amount. While the eastern European automaker employs 4,000 workers and can build up to 60,000 vehicles per year, but currently the factory is only producing 15,000 units.

The Yugo was such a disaster when it hit the States, it seemed as though every comedian was required by law to make at least one joke about it. It didn't help that one Yugo owner was killed when the cheap compact became the one and only vehicle ever to be blown off the Mackinaw bridge that connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. If the price is right, though, we're sure someone will sop up the company, if only for the production capacity and cheap Eastern European labor.

[Source: Detroit News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: REMINDER: OnStar goes dark for analog subscribers on 1/1/08

Filed under: Tech, GM

If this affects you, chances are that you've already received a letter in the mail from General Motors and OnStar informing you that the analog network supporting older GM models with the OnStar service will be turned off on January 1st, 2008. The reason is because the Federal Communications Commission ruled in 2002 that cellular companies could stop supporting their analog networks in favor of digital ones, and OnStar was originally set up on an analog network owned by Verizon Wireless in 1996.

GM began selling vehicles with dual-mode (analog/digital) hardware in 2004 after all appeals to the FCC to overturn its ruling had failed. All GM cars and trucks are now likely sold with digital-only equipment. Some GM vehicles produced between 2002 and 2004 may have been equipped with analog hardware that is digital ready, meaning it can be upgraded to accept a digital signal. To find out if your vehicle is digital-ready, click here and have your VIN ready. If you do have equipment that can be upgraded, GM will do it for you, including parts and labor, for only $15 if you agree to a $199 1-year subscription to OnStar.

Nevertheless, it's a bum-deal for those GM customers with older OnStar models that can't be upgraded, as their service will ride off into the sunset on New Year's Eve thanks to the FCC.

[Source: Straightline, GM]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Celebrity Upskirt: Alfa Junior caught unawares

Filed under: Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Euro, Hatchbacks, Alfa Romeo

Overseas customers anxiously awaiting the upcoming entry-level model from Alfa Romeo have a little teaser to hold them over. The replacement for the three-door version of the long-in-the-tooth Alfa 147 is expected to debut at the Geneva show this coming March, but this is the first time we've actually seen it.

Unfortunately, all we can see is a bit of the front and rear bumpers, but like an unguarded celebrity pop idol getting out of a car, a little glimpse can be worth a lot. All that can be seen from the front shot is a fog-light flanking the front air dam, but the red cover betrays the iconic Alfa shield grille underneath. Around back is a better view of an intriguing overlapping double-oval exhaust peering out from what little rear overhang there is.
No word yet on whether the Junior (or whatever it will be called after Alfa bailed on its own online naming campaign) will eventually make it over the pond as part of the company's return to the American market, but we'll be on hand in Switzerland for the unveiling in three months.
[Source: Autoblog.it]

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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Used Audi R8 for sale cheap with couple dings

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Audi

click above for more images of this totaled Audi R8

The Audi R8 is an aspirational item for most, meaning that most will only aspire to own one and never get to park the actual item in their garage. We blame the $118,000 USD price tag, which is even more in other markets, for own own personal inability to attain one. What if someone were selling a slightly used R8 for cheap? This one's for sale in Germany at the going rate of 35,999 EUR, or just about $52,430 USD. Yes, it's been scratched... and the front end completely destroyed, along with the driver's side rear fender. But the glorious 4.2L V8 mounted in the middle is in pristine condition, and that's all that matters, right? Honestly, all kidding aside, not even Cooter could bring this car back to life, which means $52 grand would be a chunk of chump change for what is essentially a large German paperweight.

[Source: Mobile via Autoblog.nl via Carscoop]

Gallery: For Sale: Totaled Audi R8


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Top Gear totally smitten with Nissan GT-R

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Nissan, UK


The platitudes keep pouring in for the 2009 Nissan GT-R. Bill Thomas from Top Gear produced our favorite write up by far right before Christmas in which he pits the GT-R against its arch nemesis, the Porsche 911 Turbo, on the back roads of Germany before attacking the Autobahn. His description of accelerating to 190 mph on the 'bahn puts you right there with him riding shotgun as the twin-clutch transmission delivers terrifying levels of velocity with each snick. Thomas actually lays praise on the GT-R's gear box above any of the car's other components, including the twin-turbo VR38 six-cylinder producing 473bhp.

Of course, we all want to know what the Stig thought of Nissan's new supercar, and he fortunately (and mysteriously) walked out of a German forest and demanded a 20-minute drive before reentering the landscape and disappearing. The Stig, however, doesn't speak, so we'll have to wait until the car appears on the television show itself to see how fast it goes on the Top Gear test track with the Stig behind the wheel.

[Source: Top Gear]

Gallery: Nissan GT-R (US-spec)


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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: SAIC buys Nanjing, finally gets MG

Filed under: China, UK


The twisted saga of MG's resurrection from the ashes at the hands of Chinese automakers has come full circle. Last year both SAIC Motor Corp. and Nanjing Automobile Corp. fought tooth and nail for the right to build MGs in England, and Nanjing, the smaller of the two automakers by far, won. Since then the Chinese automaker has been trying to begin production of a new MG roadster at the company's plant in Longbridge, England. SAIC, meanwhile, accepted the defeat and instead purchased some MG production equipment and began building Rover sedans in China under the Roewe name (Ford had cleverly exercised its option to purchase the Rover name from BMW, which meant that SAIC had to name its Rover sedans something else).

SAIC has gotten the last laugh, however, with its recent purchase of Nanjing. Nanjing bought Rover for an estimated $100 million back in 2005, while SAIC reportedly has agreed to pay around $1.9 billion for Nanjing.This means that everything SAIC lost out on in the bidding war over MG it has gained by acquiring Nanjing. Most importantly, this includes the Longbridge production facility. SAIC already has an R&D center in Britain, which it will consolidate with the Longbridge facility and use to begin production of vehicles in Europe. The automaker claims production of the MG roadster, as well as other MG models, will begin soon, though SAIC can also use those facilities for development and production of new vehicles for the European market sold under its own name. Why is MG so darn important to these Chinese automakers? As an established European brand with some street cred, MG is a small company that offers the Chinese an easy way into the lucrative European market. Perhaps instead of Rovers, we'll soon see Roewe sedans on the streets of London.

[Source: Reuters]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: U.S. recalls climb 25 percent in 2007

Filed under: Maintenance, Recalls/TSBs, Safety, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen

Problems with older vehicles have helped recalls jump 25% from 2006 to 2007, with over 14 million owners receiving the dreaded notice this year. Topping this year's list with 5.5 million recalls is Ford Motor Company, due mostly to a cruise control problem. Volkswagen also saw a rise in recalls, with over 1.5 million notices. That number looks much larger when considering the relatively small U.S. sales numbers for the German automaker.

The silver lining in the up-tick in recalls is that most of the vehicles effected were older models, meaning newer vehicles are for now staying somewhat out of the headlines. Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis pointed out to the Detroit News that most of its 3.6 million cruise control switch recalls were for vehicles over 10 years old. GM, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Chrysler all saw a drop in recalls in 2007, though the Pentastar still had a hefty 2.1 million notices spanning 21 campaigns.

[Source: Detroit News]
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[monkeyboy]

Autoblog: Two Corvettes set to pace Indy, including E85 Z06

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Chevrolet

click image for hi-res gallery

GM announced today that not one, but two Corvettes will pace next year's Indy 500. A one-off E85-powered Z06 will be joined by a Corvette Convertible. The latter's color scheme pays homage to the first Corvette Indy Pace Car that led racers around the Brickyard back in 1978. Former Indy champion Emerson Fittipaldi will take the wheel of the flex-fuel Z06, which is mechanically stock save for its fuel system and PCM, both of which are modified to allow for the use of E85. The Z06 sports a garish green/gold color-shifting paint scheme that's augmented by a checkered-flag motif and a ridiculously large E85 ETHANOL decal across the front bumper.

The second pace car will spawn a limited run of 500 replicas, each signed and numbered by Emmo. Available in coupe and convertible bodystyles, the black-and-silver pace car clones really aren't much to look at (the inherent attractiveness of the C6 goes right out the window once you start decaling it up), but they're bound to be collectible. You can have a gander at both pace vehicles in the high-res gallery.

[Source: GM]

Gallery: 2008 Chevy Corvette Indy 500 Pace Cars

Continue reading Two Corvettes set to pace Indy, including E85 Z06

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