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Corvette Forum Archive (38 950 posts)
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Chevrolet Corvette C2
The Chevrolet Corvette C2 is a sports car produced by Chevrolet between 1963 and 1967 regarded as the second generation of the marque.
Overview
1963 would see the introduction of a new Larry Shinoda designed Sting Ray coupé with a distinctive split rear window and faux hood vents.
Inspiration was drawn from several sources: the contemporary Jaguar E-Type, one of which Shinoda's boss Bill Mitchell owned and enjoyed driving frequently; the radical "Mitchell Stingray" Mitchell designed in 1959 because Chevrolet no longer participated in factory racing; and a mako shark that Mitchell caught while deep-sea fishing.
The split rear window was discontinued in 1964 due to safety concerns, as were the hood vents. Early options available on the C2 included AM-FM radio (mid 1963), air conditioning (1963), leather upholstery (1963), telescopic wheel (1965), head rests (1966).
New to the 1963 Corvette was independent rear suspension. All 1963 and 1964 cars had 327cid engines, which made 250hp standard, with optional variants that made 300hp, 340hp and 360hp in 1963, and 300hp, 365hp, and 375hp in 1964. The most powerful engine was the fuel injected 327cid V8, which made 360 hp (272 kW), a figured that was raised to 375 hp (280 kW) in 1964.
1965 marked the introduction of the 425 hp Big Block 396 in3 (6.5 L) V8. Ultimately, this spelled the end for the Rochester fuel injection system, as the carbureted 396/425 hp option cost $292.70 to the fuel injected 327/375 hp's $538.00. Few buyers could justify $245 more for 50 hp (37 kW) less. When only 771 fuel injected cars were built in 1965, Chevrolet discontinued the option. It would be 18 years until it returned.
Four-wheel disc brakes were also introduced in 1965, and side exhaust pipes appeared as an option.
In 1966 Chevrolet would up the power ante with the introduction of an even larger 427 in3 (7 L), 430 hp (321 kW V8, creating what would be one of the most collectible Corvettes ever, the L88.
The 1967 model was originally intended to debut the C3 generation Corvette, however due to engineering delays and possibly to avoid internal competition with the new Camaro, the C3 was pushed back a year. The 427 was available with 1282 ft3/min (605 L/s) Holley triple two-barrel carburetor, or Tri-Power. Only twenty L88s were made.
In 2004, Sports Car International named the Sting Ray number five on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.
Grand Sport
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport raced by Bob Bondurant
In 1962 Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov initiated a program to produce a lightweight version based on a prototype that mirrored the new 1963 Corvette. Concerned about Ford and what they were doing with the Shelby Cobra, Duntov's program included plans to build 125 Grand Sport Corvettes to make them eligible for international Grand Touring races. After the GM executives learned of the secret project, the program was stopped, and only five cars were built. All five cars have survived and are in private collections. They are among the most coveted and valuable Corvettes ever built, not because of what they accomplished, but because of what might have been.
The cars were driven by famed contemporary race drivers such as Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt, Jim Hall, and Dick Guldstrand among others. The Grand Sports, however, were never fully developed; poor aerodynamics caused high speed handling problems that were alleviated by a number of modifications but never completely solved. Dick Thompson was the first driver to win a race in the Grand Sport 004. He won a 1963 Sports Car Club of America race at Watkins Glen on August 24, 1963.
The Corvette Grand Sports were raced with several different engines, but the most serious factory engine actually used was a 377 cubic inch displacement, all-aluminum, small block with four Weber side-draft carburetors, rated 550 hp (410 kW) at 6400 rpm. Body panels were made of thinner fiberglass to reduce weight and the frame was constructed of amazingly light steel tubes.
Rondine (1963)
Based on the 1963 Corvette C2 chassis, the Corvette 'Rondine' (Ron-di-nay) concept car was built for the 1963 Paris Auto Show, designed by Tom Tjaarda of Pininfarina.
Sold at Barrett-Jackson 2008 for $1,600,000.00
Last "Cars" Post on Wordpress:
Title: Will the IT save the car industry?
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:33:17 +0000
Author: reportingtheworldover
Future IT services might drive developments able to save today’s car-makers. For new technology to become reality, a much greater openness within the vehicle sector and a radical shift in the way vehicles are viewed is strongly needed.
” The vehicle industry currently views IT services as something that primarily concern the physical vehicle. However, a broader perspective provides the realization that a vehicle is so much more, it is a workplace, a cog in a complex transport flow, a financial asset – but also a cause of accidents and environmental impact,” says Jonas Kuschel, a researcher in applied information technology at the University of Gothenburg.
In his thesis, Vehicle Services, Jonas Kuschel studies the prerequisites for the development of future IT services for vehicles, so-called vehicle services. For example, IT solutions within the vehicle sector might make it possible for a vehicle to automatically book a time for service and repair via a wireless connection, but it might also entail supplying services to town planners to enable understanding of traffic patterns or current emissions levels. The list of potential services can easily be extended.
However, if the perspective is limited to focus on the physical vehicle, there is a risk that the vehicle industry misses out on a lot of new innovations. According to Kuschel, the capacity to develop new inventions and applications requires the vehicle industry to open up its innovation work and allow other actors to enter into the field of developing services.
“It requires the vehicle industry to move from perceiving vehicle services as a part of the product and instead to focus on the services as a part of vehicle usage within a network of actors. It is more important to focus on how a vehicle is used and which role it plays in society and people’s lives than on product development,” says Jonas Kuschel.
More on: http://reportingtheworldover.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/will-the-it-save-the-car-industry/
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