The 2020 Corvette is Chevy's first American supercar

[captaincranky]

And there were these two:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Pantera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_X1/9
More RIP mid-engine cars

Yeah, the Pantera had a total run of 9000 cars, as compared to the (surprising to me), 360,000+ copies of the Fiera minted..

With very little to no experience to back it up, I always imagined the the Delorean was the best of that breed. But, it's considered, (one supposes because it truly is), a rear engined auto. It was, (IIRC) powered by the small block Chevy V-8

It had gull wing doors, similar to what Musk is peddling as his own innovation today.

Supposedly, the design is being resurrected, but with many difficulties with regards to modern safety and emission concerns..

I don't know if this is still ongoing, I didn't do a very deep dive on the car's current status.

One thing sort of stuck out when I checked out the Pantera's specs. The rear track was wider than the front. That seemed to fly in the face of Pontiac's, "wide track" ad campaign, which went on for many years.

Since we're more or less on the topic of "supercars", one in particular I've never heard a good word about, were the Jaguar XJ-12s (12 cyl V style engine). One of my bosses had one, and called it the biggest piece of crap he ever owned. He said it was, "always in the shop". The other belonged to an acquaintance whose XJ-12 had 60,000 miles on it, and he claimed the differential was shot.

 

[amstech]

The C8 is not Chevys first supercar, nor is it the first one called a Corvette.

 

[Misagt]

I wonder how often it will have to be in the repair shop...

I'm pretty sure the 60k is just the down payment, when you factor in the amount you'll spend each month on maintenance.

 

[netman]

Very ugly back end...

 

[wiyosaya]

And there were these two:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Pantera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_X1/9
More RIP mid-engine cars

Yeah, the Pantera had a total run of 9000 cars, as compared to the (surprising to me), 360,000+ copies of the Fiera minted..

With very little to no experience to back it up, I always imagined the the Delorean was the best of that breed. But, it's considered, (one supposes because it truly is), a rear engined auto. It was, (IIRC) powered by the small block Chevy V-8

It had gull wing doors, similar to what Musk is peddling as his own innovation today.

Supposedly, the design is being resurrected, but with many difficulties with regards to modern safety and emission concerns..

I don't know if this is still ongoing, I didn't do a very deep dive on the car's current status.

One thing sort of stuck out when I checked out the Pantera's specs. The rear track was wider than the front. That seemed to fly in the face of Pontiac's, "wide track" ad campaign, which went on for many years.

Since we're more or less on the topic of "supercars", one in particular I've never heard a good work about, were the Jaguar XJ-12s (12 cyl V style engine). One of my bosses had one, and called it the biggest piece of crap he ever owned. He said it was, "always in the shop". The other belonged to an acquaintance whose XJ-12 had 60,000 miles on it, and he claimed the differential was shot.

Lots of things to go wrong on these high-tech cars and its costly when they do, that's for sure.

Those came to mind when you mentioned the Fiero. Honestly., I am not that much of a car aficionado. I was briefly due to the influence of a ex-brother-in-law who had a taste for shiny things and powdery things. He's now in the great beyond - rest his soul.

I appreciate the tech that goes into them, but I am more of a practical car guy. Supreme speed, especially when there is no practical place to use it, seems somewhat flatulent - pun intended.

I do notice when I see something out of the ordinary - such as one of these I saw a few weeks back -

in that color, too!

And I saw a Bugatti a few years back.

 

[wiyosaya]

I'm pretty sure the 60k is just the down payment, when you factor in the amount you'll spend each month on maintenance.

And that $60K is the base price, too!

 

[Underdog]

I guess I'm with the "old farts" that won't be holding this one close to my heart. It does look too much like all the other euro supercars with its sharp edged scoops and slitty eyed lighting. I would prefer it with at least a couple of classic Corvette styling cues, like circular tail lights, and why oh why don't they learn how to shave a bit of weight off these things? I bought a spanking new C2 back in '66 with the 450hp rat motor in it that weighed in at over 3200lbs. Four on the floor and 4:11 posi axle. It was quick enough in the day but I always lost two or three lengths off the line against much lighter cars with half the horsepower. Shave weight guys. You don't need gimmicks and flashing lights to sell a Corvette. Just give it plenty of grunt that makes a nice noise when you kick it and paint it red.

 

[mailpup]

With very little to no experience to back it up, I always imagined the the Delorean was the best of that breed. But, it's considered, (one supposes because it truly is), a rear engined auto. It was, (IIRC) powered by the small block Chevy V-8

I think it was a Peugeot engine although I wouldn't be surprised if someone, somewhere shoehorned a Chevy SB in there.

 

[captaincranky]

I'm pretty sure the 60k is just the down payment, when you factor in the amount you'll spend each month on maintenance.

The $60,000 is more like the down payment on the car.

I strangely found myself at a car website a couple of years back, reading a :"the new Corvette" article. This was an automatic which in the year being discussed was bumped up from 9 speed the prior year to a 10 speed. I'd hazard an uneducated guess, that a step up wheel and tire package would be at least $5,000 alone..

The car's price with full option packages, was estimated at approaching $100,000, with somewhere near the starting price of this year's issue.

 

[captaincranky]

I think it was a Peugeot engine although I wouldn't be surprised if someone, somewhere shoehorned a Chevy SB in there.

Thanks for the correction, and a bit of a pique in my interest. I'll at least have to read the full Wiki article on the car. Results pour in for the car. I think I've only seen one up close in my entire lifetime. I have to admit, I was thoroughly impressed.

And then kidz, John Delorean put his principle product into plastic bags and up his nose, after which he went off to a "college" with a very uniform dress code.

As you may already suspect, I think it was either the DEA or FBI, which "made him do it".

At this point I"m tempted to post a video of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". Oh what the hell...

 

[captaincranky]

Lots of things to go wrong on these high-tech cars and its costly when they do, that's for sure.

Those came to mind when you mentioned the Fiero. Honestly., I am not that much of a car aficionado. I was briefly due to the influence of a ex-brother-in-law who had a taste for shiny things and powdery things. He's now in the great beyond - rest his soul.,

Were those "magic powders", ingested intranasally or intravenously?
-

I appreciate the tech that goes into them, but I am more of a practical car guy. Supreme speed, especially when there is no practical place to use it, seems somewhat flatulent - pun intended.

I do notice when I see something out of the ordinary -
And I saw a Bugatti a few years back.

Way back when gas was a dollar a gallon, I was out and about a lot more than I am these days. In the big city you do see a Ferrari or Maserati sport model from time to time. (I completely ignore the sedans they also market).

In typical male fashion, and I suppose out of jealousy / insecurity I (and many others), often begin the appraisal of the driver / owner as having too much money, erstwhile suffering from either a midlife crisis, or erectile dysfunction, or both..

 

[captaincranky]

@mailpup You are indeed correct that the Delorean used a Peugeot engine. In the performance sense, (and certainly by today's standards), it was a dog.

I believe John Delorean worked for GM or Chevy (same thing really), before starting his own company. Which is ostensibly why I made the leap to assume the Chevy small block might be his power plant of choice.

 

[Underdog]

I think it was a Peugeot engine although I wouldn't be surprised if someone, somewhere shoehorned a Chevy SB in there.

The smallblock would have been a very nice improvement. By all accounts the original motor was a bit of a slug. Oh, and the idea of a stainless steel body was not that clever either. Get into any sort of parking lot aggro and what does the body man do with it? Can't just do a quick tap and filler job. The workability of stainless is different to mild steel.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

"A supercar — also called exotic car — is a loosely defined description of certain high-performance street-legal sportscars."

I purchased a 2016 Dodge Hellcat Charger and a 2015 Jeep SRT. Obviously the Jeep can't be a "super car" due to it being an SUV - even if I'd bought the Trackhawk released recently...but I'd consider the Charger/Challenger to be supercars - especially considering they can take down the vast majority of smaller, lighter, less powerful "supercars" on the market.

If you're talking about MID ENGINED CARS then OK...but "supercar" it ain't.

The new Corvette is like GM's answer to the Acura NSX.

It's not "Corvette enough" and it's too expensive to be a Camaro - although it looks like one from a crap Transformers movie.

Frankly, I'm happy with my Charger Hellcat, but I'd really love Dodge to use the Maserati GT's body to make the new Viper.

More interior space and practicality with a ridiculously overpowered engine is all I want. I couldn't give a single God Damn how well it goes round a track.

 

[wiyosaya]

Were those "magic powders", ingested intranasally or intravenously?

For him, it was the intranasally ingested magic powder.
-

Way back when gas was a dollar a gallon, I was out and about a lot more than I am these days. In the big city you do see a Ferrari or Maserati sport model from time to time. (I completely ignore the sedans they also market).

In typical male fashion, and I suppose out of jealousy / insecurity I (and many others), often begin the appraisal of the driver / owner as having too much money, erstwhile suffering from either a midlife crisis, or erectile dysfunction, or both..

For me, its usually, "I bet that thing sucks a lot of gas!"

 

[learninmypc]

Another view , RTM's own Nick Calderone was in his element when he got the opportunity to attend the coveted unveiling of Chevrolet's all-new mid-engine 2020 Corvette. The 495 horsepower next-generation sports car is a sleek and stunning reimagining of a beloved American classic. This is one supercar we'd love to take a spin in. FULL ARTICLE

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]...More interior space and practicality with a ridiculously overpowered engine is all I want. I couldn't give a single God Damn how well it goes round a track.

The three things which immediately sprang into mind when I read this were, a lead foot, an airborne automobile, and a telephone pole.

As far as the Charger being in contention as a "supercar", you should have heard all the laughter and derision from the auto magazines, when Pontiac summoned the hubris to call their new Tempest model, "GTO". (Gran Turismo Omologato).

I think an almost direct quote is, "it will burn a lot of rubber to impress the locals, but as a touring or race course contender, spare us".

 

[captaincranky]

The smallblock would have been a very nice improvement. By all accounts the original motor was a bit of a slug. Oh, and the idea of a stainless steel body was not that clever either. Get into any sort of parking lot aggro and what does the body man do with it? Can't just do a quick tap and filler job. The workability of stainless is different to mild steel.

Wiki says something on the order of 135 HP from the Peugeot. You have to realize the year the the Delorean's release was round about 1980, well into the bizarre world of no leaded gas available, lowered compression, and catalytic converters.

In fact in 1975, when unleaded fuel was made mandatory, the Pontiac 350, produced only 155 HP (!!), when the 1974 model of the same engine, put out about 275 HP. Stock rear axle ratios dropped to about 3.08:1.00, with an automatic, and boy were they ever slugs.

You're likely right about bodywork on a Delorean. I'm guessing panels were intended to be replaced rather than repaired, you just had to avoid getting clipped in the rear quarters. Stainless doesn't even weld the same as mild steel.

The only Delorean I saw up close was indeed, painted canary yellow. Perhaps body work, as opposed to personal taste precipitated the paint job Having said that, a lack of personal taste might be responsible for the yellow. But back then, it was en vogue.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....For me, its usually, "I bet that thing sucks a lot of gas!"

I think, "it passes everything but the gas stations", was the colloquial phrase used most often.

I think the Arab oil embargo probably wasn't before your time, but it absolutely was before your time behind the wheel. He's a story from before that cataclysmic event

I worked at a gas station, which was situated next to a good old fashioned Italian family tavern. Pictures of Frank etched into mirror squares all over the place.

The patriarch of the family bought himself a spanking new 1965 Chrysler "New Yorker" (IIRC). In any event, he came straight from the dealer, pulled up to the pumps and said, "fill 'er up". I topped it off at something like 24 1/2 gallons. (It must have been running on what was in the carburetor bowls). So, the old man hands me a ten, and I gave him something like $1.36 to $1.65 change.

Then he looks at me, and with a straight face says, "hey, ! give you ten dollar bill"

 

[wiyosaya]

I think, "it passes everything but the gas stations", was the colloquial phrase used most often.

I think the Arab oil embargo probably wasn't before your time, but it absolutely was before your time behind the wheel. He's a story from before that cataclysmic event

My time behind the wheel was just after that. During the embargo, my mother used to say, "We have a Ford in the White House and no gas!"

 

[cliffordcooley]

Maybe they raised the bar on what entitles a Super-Car in America.