Hotcars.com Details Chevy Corvette ZR1 Upgrade From Hennessey Flaunting 1,200 Horsepower

The article featured this week from Hotcars.com about the new upgrade for the Corvette ZR1 from Hennessey begins with the short list of cars that have 1,200 horsepower. The world's fastest is the Koenigsegg Agera RS, which boasts a startling 1,341 hp when running on race-grade fuel. Then there's also the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, the world's fastest car previously with its 1,200 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque. Hennessey even has their very own Venom GT, touting bragging rights to 1,244 horsepower, and what many in our circles here at West Chevy and beyond regard unofficially as the fastest-accelerating car on Earth.

Any Chevy fan should be absolutely thinking twice at the possibility of picking up something this fast at their local Chevy dealer for just a fraction of the price, and with the Hennessey 1,200 horsepower upgrade package for the C7-Generation ZR1, it's possible. This means of making a Corvette a hypercar is cause to celebrate: any chance at all of getting to 1,200 horses is a longshot in the beginning during the drawing board stage, and the list of duties to achieve success was long.

Hennessey had to take on upgrading the supercharger, acquiring an entirely new throttle body, upgrade both lower and upper pulleys, make a custom camshaft, port the cylinder's heads, upgrade valves, springs, and retainers, as well as get stronger pushrods to appropriately take on all that power. Midpipes, stainless steel headers, and a brand new catalytic converter are also all part of the package. Very detailed dyno and testing, a strengthened 8-speed transmission, and ECU upgrades are also part of this very high-achieving tweak, and most professionals are assuming that E85 fuel is what's needed, since 93 octane seems to top out at 1,100 hp. Unique Hennessey badging, serialized plaques and floor mats are all included as well, on top of a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty.

You can check out all of the fine details here on the official Hennessey website, where there are also some amazing pictures of the ZR1 in performance mode at dusk. If you happen to have the 7-speed manual, the transmission does not require an upgrade, and you'll be flying forward with glee in no time flat. The staff of Car and Driver took the 2019 Corvette ZR1 for a spin at the Texas Mile and went 183.3 mph, and still loved how the car possesses enough daily-driver traits to make it sensible on any street. They ran the Mill with traction and stability control on, but still metered the throttle before second gear.

Just three years ago when the Z-6 hit the road, 650 horsepower was plenty, but as every year brings new challenges and adventures, this exciting revelation from the Hennessey team should literally be a “mover of mountains” and a tremendously track-tuned great ball of fire!

2020 Trailblazer Details And “Bold Character All Its Own” Revealed Via GM Authority

This past week, many different outlets on the web finally made the official report that GM is planning to bring back the Chevy Trailblazer name for one of the two upcoming replacements for the current first-generation Trax. During the Auto Shanghai show this year, this very model was just announced, and you can see the 2020 Trailblazer in redline trimmings here. Many people are simply calling this a “mini Blazer”, but after a few prominent auto journalists test-drove it, they still claimed that it has a fresh character all its own. 

The body line of the Trailblazer puts to use very thorough surface styling, and offers up a final look that is very lean and smooth. The front end sports a pretty long hood, and a set of very thin LED daytime running lamps sporting Chevy's prominent accent lighting strip are separated by the very detailed surface styling of the front bumper cover from the forward lights. The very distinct dual-port grille is present, one of the traits that make our vehicles of the last few years stand out in a familiar and modern manner.

The side profile reveals pronounced plastic wheel cladding wrapping with a set of Redline Hash-marked 17-inch black wheels. The Chevy Trailblazer shown here on the GM Authority blog is based on the brand-new GM VSS-F platform, and is slated to completely replace the Trax namesake in North America. The seasoned writers at Cars.com dug deep and asked a very important question late this winter in regards to the Trailblazer's potential arrival: “Does the market really need another crossover-style SUV? Is the Blazer good enough to carve off buyers from its already popular competitors?”

When you think long and hard about this question, one very important point is that the car buyers of today want a very large amount of options presented to them: the rise of technological prowess and online shopping has made them eager to explore every single size option available, and the midsize category the Trailblazer resides in is perfect for many growing businesses and families.

The 2007 Trailblazer had turned many heads with its StabliTrak control system that helped provide a smooth drive no matter what the road condition, and many Jeep owners at the time had been swayed away from the popular outdoorsy off-road brand to the Chevy camp. Here at West Chevy of Knoxville when spring hits, we get excited about the bounty we have in campgrounds available to us here such as Windrock Park. Known for having the best in adrenaline-pumping off-road trails in the South, this is where you find 73,000 acres in Oliver Springs to test your shooting, mountain biking, and hiking abilities in a fun and challenging setting. As soon as the Trailblazer arrives onto our lots permanently, we will be anxious to show you the trim level that's a perfect match, and provide for you a test drive of Chevy's upcoming best!

1977 Chevy Nova Nascar Driven by Dale Earnhardt Up For Sale Via Barrett-Jackson

Well-preserved pieces of history are always of high interest to us here at West Chevy, and the entire decade of the 1970's provided almost too many muscle car gems to count! The savvy folks on staff at the GM Authority Blog reported this past week on one particularly memorable piece of racing history that will be soon headed for sale. The 1977 Chevy Nova driven by Dale Earnhardt in the Nascar Bush Series will soon be auctioned off during the 2019 Palm Beach Sale by Barrett-Jackson.

The car was originally built by Earnhardt's brother-in-law, Robert Gee Jr. Earnhardt. He drove the car for the initial race after the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series was re-branded as the Busch series in 1986, and took first at the beginning race in Daytona that year. According to auctioneer experts Barrett-Jackson, this chassis also was responsible for wins at Rockingham, Darlington, and Richmond. This was actually the car that began its life as Dale's Wrangler Jeans-backed Pontiac Ventura, but Gee made the decision to convert the car to a Nova due to the high-quality aerodynamic properties it boasts.

It boasts a NASCAR-spec 358 V8 under the hood, which makes around 700 horsepower, along with a 4-speed manual transmission. It is slated to be listed in “good running and driving condition”, but the seller suggests having a professional give it a detailed look before the owner decides to embark on any serious adventures, as it has taken up residence in a private collection for quite a few years. It has also made a number of public appearances: one of them was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England during 2005, 2006, and 2009. It was also shown at the 2014 Councours d' Elegance at St John's in Michigan, as well as participating in the 2012 Rolex Monterey Sports Reunion.

It's definitely very difficult to put an exact value figure on this awesome 1977 Nova, and it's also being offered here without reserve. The third child of racing driver Ralph Earnhardt, Dale began his career in 1975, driving in the prestigious Winston Cup Series. Absolutely regarded as one of the most significant drivers in NASCAR history, Earnhardt won an astounding total of 76 Winston Cup Races during his career, with one of them being the famed 1998 Daytona 500.

In 2001, Earnhardt was tragically killed in a collision that took place during the final lap of the Daytona 500, and has been mourned heftily and looked back upon fondly ever since. Someone will now get to permanently own this significant automotive artifact, and it will be of dire interest to see where it finds its new home after the Palm Beach event!

Road Show Indy 500 Coverage: Corvette Grand Sport Chosen For Pace Car Honor

This year will mark the 16^th time a Corvette has had the honor of handling pace car duties at the Indianapolis 500, as well as being the 30^th time overall for Chevy to lead the green flag for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. As the folks on duty at the Cnet Road Show blog pointed out this past week, it would almost be a bigger news story is a Chevy or Corvette was NOT pacing for the Indy 500! This year's leader will be the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport that just may be the sweet spot in the lineup with Z06 chassis hardware, and the 460-horsepower LT1 V8 shared with the base Stingray.

To look just perfect for this star-studded job, in pace car trim it will have an 8-speed automatic and wear a Long Beach Red Metallic paint job with dual silver stripes. It's barely noteworthy that this particular model is not as powerful as last year's ZR1, as the Grand Sport's performance chops will absolutely be enough might and muscle, boasting a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. On board to help it navigate through the demanding trials and turns that lie ahead is Magnetic Ride Control Suspension and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, providing amazing cornering capability.

To many making the pilgrimage this year to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they are poised in place to enjoy this all-important leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport. The Monaco Grand Prix and 24 hours of Le Mans are the other two events in this awesome racing-lover's feast, with permanent seating capacity upwards of 250,000. Pop-up infield patrons raise the race-day attendance to approximately 300,000, at this celebrated world-class event that celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2011. The most successful drivers in history are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr, and Rick Mears, all of whom have won the race four times each.

So much excitement always encompasses this annual event: drivers fervently race for 200 laps, counterclockwise around the circuit, with the grand distance total at 500 miles. We have always been overly proud here at West Chevy of our esteemed brand's presence in such a spectacle: the total purse exceeded $13 million in 2011, and it remains as one of the richest cash prize funds in existence in the sports arena with $2.5 million awarded to the winner. Built back in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track, the very first event was won by racer Bob Burman, on a treacherous surface that lead to two deaths during the first two long-distance events held here. As the 'Vette has developed and changed so much through the decades, it has been thrilling to watch as it is time and time again the leader of such a legendary and memory-making event in Indy!

           

2019 Chevy Silverado Diesel Efficiency Numbers Highlighted on Nseavoice.com

As we ease into the days of spring 2019 and begin to be excited about off-roading, hauling, and trips with various toys to the surrounding Tennessee lakes, the Silverado is a frequent topic of discussion. The manufacturer has not revealed the official fuel efficiency numbers for the diesel model yet, but was an image leaked lately that could provide information regarding what we can expect. According to this and a few other leaked documents, the upcoming Silverado with the turbodiesel engine could be offering about 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

If this turns out to be true, the 2019 Chevy Silverado will be “coming in hot” as the country music hit says, as the most powerful light-duty diesel in the market since the Ford F-150 model was only offering 250 hp, and the Ram 1500 line has not yet released a diesel version. The trim levels that will boast diesel availability are the LT, SRT, LTZ, and High Country trims. When you combine an entire century of truck building know-how with 7 million miles of testing, the result is anything but ordinary, and always stronger than its predecessors.

Chevy took the hardest-working part of the truck and had it completely redesigned to be stronger, lighter, and bigger: Durabed combines very high-strength roll-formed steel, more cargo volume than any other truck out there, and 12 standard tie-downs to offer the most functional pickup bed in existence. With the available Drive Mode Selector, you'll be able to adjust the truck's performance by simply turning a dial, with the Tour, Sport, Tow/haul, Off-Road, Terrain, and Snow/ice modes on standby to adapt to constantly-changing road conditions. Sport mode as always offers up a snarling-yet-precise means of getting the most out of the engine, and enjoying every turn in the road.

Obtaining the Z71 Off-Road Package is where things get even more exciting: you get the off-road capability needed to truly conquer the wild with confidence. Off-road suspension with Rancho shocks, Hill Descent Control, Automatic Locking Rear Differential, Skid plates, Heavy-duty air filter, and all-terrain tires provide the means to make the most of any mountain-meandering journey. Come down to visit us soon here at West Chevy and try for yourself the spacious cabin that “Rapidly goes from workday to weekend”. The redesigned cabin is larger in nearly every way, providing more shoulder room, rear passenger space, and segment-leading front head and legroom. From hands-free calling and texting to offering a mobile 4G wi-fi hotspot, Silverado offers the technology you need to be seamlessly connected from work to the wilderness!