First 2015 Corvette Z06s on Their Way to Customers

Most capable model in Chevrolet’s history now shipping from Bowling Green

2014-12-01

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Chevrolet is now shipping the all-new 2015 Corvette Z06 coupe from Bowling Green Assembly and some early customers could receive the much-anticipated supercar later this week.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to work on Chevy’s most capable model,” said Jeff Lamarche, plant manager of General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly plant, “It truly is an amazing car, and we’re thrilled to get them into the hands of our eager customers.”

The new Corvette Z06 offers the most choice for customers in the model’s history. It is the first Z06 to offer an available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and, thanks to a stronger aluminum frame, a removable roof panel. In addition, it is the first time since 1963 that the Z06 is available as a convertible – which will arrive in early 2015.

The new LT4 supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine is SAE-certified at 650 horsepower (485 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque (881 Nm) at 3,600 rpm – making the 2015 Corvette Z06 the most powerful production car ever from General Motors and one of the most powerful production cars available in the United States.

To balance performance and efficiency, the LT4 leverages a trio of advanced technologies – direct injection, Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and continuously variable valve timing –with a new, more efficient supercharger.

The LT4 helps make the Corvette Z06 the most capable car in the brand’s history. The Z06 accelerates from a rest to 60 mph in only 2.95 seconds when equipped with the all-new, available eight-speed automatic transmission – and achieves it in 3.2 seconds with the standard seven-speed manual transmission.

A quarter-mile sprint takes just 10.95 seconds with the eight-speed automatic and 11.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual. With both versions, the Corvette Z06 hits 127 mph at the end of the quarter-mile.

When it comes to braking performance, the Z06 can stop from 60 mph in only 99.6 feet. That’s the best braking performance of any production car GM has ever tested. Additionally, the Corvette Z06 achieves 1.2 g in lateral acceleration compared with the Corvette’s previous best 1.13 g.

All test results were achieved with Z06 coupes fitted with the Z07 Performance package, which adds Brembo carbon ceramic brake rotors and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The Z07 package also features the most aggressive aerodynamic package available on the Corvette Z06, which delivers the most downforce of any production car GM has ever tested.

The Z06 also offers the industry-first Performance Data Recorder – or PDR – which enables users to record high-definition video, with telemetry overlays, of their driving experiences on and off the track. The racing-derived system is included with the available navigation system

Pricing for the 2015 Corvette Z06 starts at $78,995 including destination, while the convertible model will start at $83,995.

Editors’ Note: Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price includes destination freight charge but excludes tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Buick due to add crossover, dose of fun

Coming off a quiet 2014 — with no new vehicle launches — Buick will get busy next year by adding a mid-sized crossover, a potential volume model slotted between the tiny Encore and jumbo Enclave.

General Motors also appears ready to add some fun to Buick’s lineup by bringing over the Opel Cascada convertible from Europe. Sources say GM is readying the car for the United States, possibly by early 2016.

Buick next year also should reveal its next-generation LaCrosse sedan, which is slated for a launch by the end of 2015 or in early 2016. The compact Verano redesign should follow, by early 2016.

Here are highlights of Buick’s plan for the 2015-17 model years.

Verano: Buick’s compact sedan will have a relatively short life cycle of about 41/2 years with an expected redesign in early 2016 as a ’17 model. It will ride on the same compact architecture as the next generation of its close sibling, the Opel Astra, and the Chevy Cruze. A turbocharged version of GM’s new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine is a prime candidate for the base engine. The existing 2.0 turbo should remain.

The Regal is due for a redesign in mid-2017.

Regal: The Regal, re-engineered with an improved 2.0-liter engine and all-wheel-drive option for the ’14 model year, is scheduled for a redesign in mid-2017 as a 2018 model, following a redesign of its European sibling, the Opel Insignia.

LaCrosse: A redesign of Buick’s flagship sedan is expected in late 2015 or early 2016 as a ’16 model. GM executives have hinted at a revolutionary design to position the LaCrosse as a more premium player and separate it from the Chevy Impala. The sedan will be the first vehicle built on the newest iteration of GM’s Epsilon mid-sized vehicle platform, dubbed E2XX, which also will underpin the next generations of the Chevy Malibu, Chevy Impala, Regal and others. A smaller engine than the current 3.6-liter V-6 is likely.

Encore: The small crossover that debuted in early 2013 will be due for a freshening in 2016. A redesign isn’t expected until 2018.

Envision: Shanghai GM confirmed in July that it will unveil the mid-sized crossover this year for China, with a likely launch by early 2015. Sources say a version for the United States will be ready in the second half of 2015, as a ’16 model. It’s unclear if the Envision will be sold under the same name in the United States. GM said the China version will have “a new-generation powertrain” with a start-stop system and awd, although the Chinese Envision’s engine likely will be small — possibly a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder. For the U.S. vehicle’s engine lineup, GM’s 2.5-liter, four-cylinder and the 2.0-liter turbo used in the Malibu and Regal are likely candidates.

Enclave: A redesign of the large crossover is scheduled to start production in spring of 2017, its first major makeover in the decade since its launch. A new, lighter platform — which also will underpin the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Cadillac SRX — will allow GM to downsize from the 3.6-liter V-6 engine. A new 2.7-liter is a possibility. The Enclave should get GM’s new nine-speed transmission, due in 2016.

Opel’s Cascada may join Buick’s lineup.

Two-door convertible: All signs point to GM bringing Opel’s two-door Cascada convertible stateside as the latest Opel-to-Buick sync-up. It will likely appear in Buick showrooms by early 2016, with the same 2.0-liter engine found in the Regal and Verano. It’s unclear whether Buick will keep the Cascada name.