For those wanting to own a top-down version of the Chevy Camaro, you migt have to wait for a little over a year before that one hits the market.

GM CEO Frtiz Henderson told live chat participants over at FastLane Blog that the Camaro Convertible will be a 2012 model that will be made available come first quarter of 2011.

The nice thing about the live chat is that some normal people (Camaro fans, mostly) get to pitch in with the questions.

When someone asked whether a four-door Camaro will be made, Henderson replied that GM does not “see a 4-door camaro in our future. We will continue to look for performance opportunities across our lineup, including in sedans. ”

GM does have a lot of damage control to do after the company delcared bankruptcy early in the year. It’s a good thing for them that many consumers still believe in Detroit over Euro-made cars.

But if there’s one thing that they should’ve learned is to boost their cars quality.

For those who are fearing that the fall of General Motors has brought about the doom of certain American classics, fear not. GM has announced that models like the Corvette will continue to see daylight. GM has confirmed the production of the next-generation Corvette – the C7 – by 2012.

The announbcement was made as part of GM’s two-year product plan for its four brands – Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. While GM has built a boatload of crap cars over the years, they have relied on their American classics to buoy their sales with sports cars like the Corvette and the Camaro.

The C7 is reported to retain the current Corvette’s front-engine RWD layout. The new car will have a smaller and lighter body made from carbon fiber and aluminum. Whether this is for performance or for econmentalist efforts, we still have to find out.

It is also rumored that the car might get a smaller engine which gives reason for them to put the car on a diet to continue to match the power-to-weight ratio of the current-gen Corvette. A supercharged engine is also believed to be part of the plans.

The car is expected to go on sale by 2012 as a 2013 model.

Chevrolet will be updating the Corvette sports car range for 2010 and is expected to introduce the new Grand Sport model. The entire line will be given updates, from the base trim up to the ZR1 supercar.

The Corvette Grand Sport model retains the LS3 engine, still good for 430 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft. of torque. The new version is faster, taking 4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. That’s about 0.2 seconds faster than the base 2009 Coupes. The model has wide-body styling along with a new racing suspension.

It takes the place of the Z51 model, but provides better handling thanks to wider wheels, wider tires, updated shock absorbers, new specs for the stabilizer bar and springs, and new gearing. There’s also an optional two-mode exhaust boost that boosts power to 436hp.

Kerbeck Corvette, the world’s largest Corvette dealer, revealed that the Grand Sport model starts off at $55,720, some $6,205 more than the base Coupe from 2009. If you want the convertible, it’s gonna set you back $59,530.

GM is working on some nifty upgrades for the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette, including a new Launch Control system that should be a staple in the manual variants.

According to GM engineer Tadge Juechter, this new Launch Control system will be able to provide drivers with the optimal traction when they start at full throttle. The system is also capable of modulating torque 100 times per second. Unlike in some other sports cars, Launch Control in the new Corvettes won’t be liable for voiding the car’s warranty.

The ZR1 model also gets new stuff. The main addition is a Performance Traction Management, which integrates systems such as Active Handling, Traction Control, and Selective Ride Control. Additionally, Chevrolet will be rolling out Z06 and ZR1 models in the reintroduced Torch Red color scheme. Side airbags, new interior colors and new interior trims will also be offered for all models.

Corvette will also be reintroducing the Grand Sport Model for the 2010 model year. It will have wide-body styling elements along with a performance-enhanced race suspension.

Source: Motor Authority

General Motors is still struggling to stay afloat but won’t stop delivering packages for their existing lineup. What we have here is the GT1 Champion Edition Package for the Chevrolet Corvette which is actually their tribute to the Corvette C6.R that competed in the Le Mans and American Le Mans GT1.

The package features a ZR1 full-width spoiler that matches the body color, chrome wheels and C6.R decals on the body. Inside, the car gets a leather treatment with race-y accent stitching and embroidery. The package is completed by a special engine cover, 45U Velocity Yellow or 41U Black headlights, and Z51 Performance Package and NPP Performance Exhaust for the coupe and convertible ‘Vettes.

The package is available for the Corvette Coupe 4LT, Convertible 4LT or Z06 3LZ, and will go on sale later this spring starting at $7,840.

General Motors has revealed a group of concept cars that will be included in the upcoming Transformers movie sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The Chevrolet Stingray concept and Chevrolet Beat concept, off to production as the 2011 Chevtolet Spark, were showcased at the Chicago Auto Show.

The automotive cast will feature four Chevrolets. The Camaro Concept-based Bumblebee banners the group, while newcomers Sideswipe (Stingray Concept), twin bots Mudflap and Skids (Beat Concept), and Jolt (Chevrolet Volt) spice up things a bit. General Motors vehicles riddled the first film, with Bumblebee, Ironhide (a GMC Topkick C4500) and Ratchet (a converted Hummer H2).

“Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years,” said GM North America vice president for Chevrolet Ed Peper. “‘Transformers’ gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image. The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there’s more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today.”

Source: Motor Authority

Remember when the ZR1 tried to run around the Nurburgring clocking a 7:40-ish lap? Too bad the YouTube gods weren’t too happy with it and the video’s long gone.

But here’s something new. Just last month, GM test driver Jim Mero released all hell from under the ZR1’s hood (possibly quite a lot of the 638 horses) and clocked a lap of 7:26.4 around the ‘Ring. That comfortably beats the Nissan GT-R’s lap time.

The new Corvette (yes, the ZR1) has created much buzz especially with all the hype about its LS9 V8 engine that pumps out 638 horses propelling the new ‘Vette from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds and 0-100 mph in 7.0 seconds. Impressive numbers indeed.

Now more of the numbers game with the release of the pricing. The car and those spiffy performance figures can be had for $105,000 dollars (inclusive of destination charges). And, on top of that, the tax for $1,700 since this baby would only get you a fuel economy of 14 mpg city and 20 highway.

So it’s a car for those with deep pockets and spare change to burn. It looks nice, it’s got the performance to boot. But are those enough reasons to purchase some American muscle? More or less $0.40 a city mile? And it’s not like you can push the car to its limits on an average day.

Source: Chevrolet

It’s got (not only Chevy’s) but GM’s most powerful engine to date under its hood. It’s capable of dishing out 638 horses. It’s the Chevy Corvette ZR1. Hear the roar of the LS9 engine in this video.

Now if this is to redefine American muscle. For its early debut prior to Detroit, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was speculated to pack 620 horsepower under the hood. Through a press released by Chevy, it’s now official – the ZR1 will pack not only 620 horses, it is capable of generating 638 hp through its supercharged LS9 V8 engine.

It’s also got a pull of 604 lb.-ft. of torque. That should make a beast out of this piece of metal. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission with race-hardened gears and dual-disc clutch technology for performance. Those translate to the ZR1 being capable of zooming to speeds of 200 mph.

Chevy General Manager Ed Peper claims, “One of the most amazing things about the Corvette ZR1 is the level of refinement that our designers and engineers have attained. Even with all that power, this car has road manners that will allow our customers to enjoy it on the streets as a daily driver, and on the track.”

Interesting claim. The ZR1 as a daily driver? Quite possible with all the refinements in cars nowadays. Heck, the GT-R is considered one, right? The ZR1 goes on sale this summer.

Source: Chevrolet

It seems that it has now become a trend that the Nurburgring be the proving grounds for performance sports cars. We’ve seen the Pagani Zonda F tear down the track, the Nissan GT-R, even the Lexus LF-A, using it as its test track. So who is King? That remains to be proven as there are still a lot of challengers willing to be the king of the ‘Ring.

This time, it’s the 620 hp sports car that is the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. So will it be the Americans who could give the rest a run for their money? Engineers say that test times around the ‘Ring clock at low 7:40s. Not bad at all.

Source: Inside Line YouTube Channel

I still remember that scene in that Clarkson DVD where they pitted an Ariel Atom with a US squad car in a “police chase.” Needless to say, the Atom bitch-slapped the squad car. So will all the performance cars on the road today, is there a chance for squad cars to get a decent upgrade and we’re not saying it’s the new K.I.T.T.

Last time we featured a police car here, it was the Carbon Motors E7. But with GM trying to look more cool ever since Transformers, they made a cop car version of the fastest Corvette ever. This Corvette ZR1 cop car with Michigan State Police insignias slapped on, is probably one of the most intimidating sights you’d see on the road. Though I’d like to see some cop try to pit maneuver someone in this $100,000 car.

Too bad for the State Police, they wouldn’t have their paws on this one. But just the thought of a cop car LS9 supercharged 6.2L V8 engine, getting 620 horsepower and 595 ft-lb of torque is quite frightening. That’s more than twice the power of the E7 and we thought that car was already scary.

Source: GM

Supposedly, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is set to debut next month in the Detroit Motor Show but the people from General Motors decided that they can debut the car earlier. And they did. No more discussions on whether it will be called “Blue Devil” or “SS”. It’s simply the Corvette ZR1.

It’s quite an interesting car given that US-made probably lacking the heritage and pedigree of Italian styling and German and British engineering. Nevertheless, it does boast of muscle with the American muscle car tradition, sporting a 6.2L supercharged V8. It is still under final adjustments though a target of 620 hp is set.

No translation to performance figures yet but 620 hp on an aluminum chassis is expected to be staggering. The ZR1 also gets new suspension tuning. The car will also be sitting on 19-inch rims up front and 20-inch rims at the back. And with that sexy blue paint. Corvette might just have a winner here.