Blue Devil Corvette

[Blue_Batmobile]

from Autoweek:




Blue Devil Lives!! When GM's vice chairman speaks of an ultra-performance Corvette, we listen
BOB GRITZINGER
Posted Date: 6/29/05
General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz won’t confirm this car exists, but he is not saying it doesn’t. We first wrote about Chevrolet’s ultra-performance Corvette—dubbed Blue Devil, most likely to catch the attention of GM CEO and Duke Blue Devil grad Rick Wagoner—shortly before the sixth-generation Corvette debuted at the Detroit auto show in January (AW, Dec. 22 and 29, 2004). We asked Lutz about the car during a recent exclusive interview with AutoWeek.

“Let’s just say [Corvette chief engineer] Dave Hill is not a guy who likes playing second fiddle to any high-performance car on the road,” said Lutz. “My guess is we’re going to find a way to do something beyond the Z06, that would be at a much higher price point, and which would compete with some of the leading high-performance cars of the world.”


Lutz said the car may be delayed while the company focuses most of its engineering might on pulling ahead profit-making vehicles like its next-generation large sport/utilities and pickups.

“But there is certainly no lack of desire on anyone’s part to establish the supremacy of the Corvette,” says Lutz.

Spied on the Nurbürgring, Blue Devil appears to be living up to the earlier hype. Eyewitnesses said the car sounds supercharged, confirming reports the engine is likely a blown version of the Z06’s 7.0-liter V8, producing upward of 600 hp. Look for lightweight carbon fiber body parts to reduce weight to about 2900 pounds.

Pricing will likely start somewhere around $100,000 if and when the car makes production in 2006.

[coupin827]

Yeah I saw that today in my issue. I was like holy ****.

That thing is a beast.

[arizonag35coupe]

No doubt the car will be an absolute beast from a performance standpoint. I would just wonder if chevy can make any changes to the interior so its up to the level of a $100,000 car + car.

[xswl0931]

I was thinking the same thing. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Blue Devil, Z06, and base Corvette.

[kenchan]

wow! that's a nice looking machine.

im really starting to want one of those new vettes. I'd just do the standard
coupe with Z51 sus package or whatever they call it. I only drive on street and
some spirited runs occassionally.

[Z06ified]

Originally Posted by xswl0931

I was thinking the same thing. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Blue Devil, Z06, and base Corvette.

This is mostly media hype and speculation. Those photos are may or may not even be pictures of a prototype Blue Devil. The only thing they have to go on is the supercharger whine (which hasn't been confirmed - some who have heard said it sounded no different to them than a regular Z06), and the black wheels (current Z06's being tested on the 'ring have production aluminum color wheels, and GM traditionally tests prototype Corvettes with black wheels). But, those photos could just as easily be a regular Z06 in blue with black wheels. A reporter sees it and thinks he hears a supercharger whistle, and claims "there's the blue devil!"

It is possible that that car does have a supercharged LS7 under the hood for testing the motor for the blue devil in a regular Z06 platform. That doesn't mean the blue devil will actually look just like a regular Z06 when it goes to production. For $100k, you can count on the body work to be significantly different. That bodywork is something they would hide until the very end. But they can test most of the hardware under the skin of the regular Z06. Kind of what like they did when they tested the engine and transmission and suspension of the C5 prototypes in the mid-1990's: They managed to graft a Camaro body onto the C5 Corvette frame and engine and tranny, to disguise the hardware underneath and fool reporters and spy photographers. They called them "Cormaros". They also installed C5 engines and transmissions into existing C4 Corvettes for testing to diguise the hardware.

I'm pretty sure the Blue Devil does exist in prototype form. I'm not so sure that blue car that was photographed is nothing more than a regular Z06, and at most it does have a supercharged LS7 with 600+hp for the Blue Devil for testing. But if the Blue Devil does go into production, don't count on it looking exactly like a regular Z06 with black wheels. It'll probably look significantly different. Or at least it should.

BTW, the Blue Devil is only a nickname that I think a reporter came up with. They will likely call the car Corvette Super Sport or SS, or possibly bring back one of the old performance option codes like ZL-1.