Chevrolet Bel Air Reviews

Let's go back 60 years to 1953 -- and the Waldorf Astoria in New York.  In main auditorium is a wondrous display of General Motors production cars and dream cars. For this is the 1953 Motorama. The centre of the crowd's attention is a smallish, white, fibreglass bodied sports car showing off a red interior. Its designer is Harley Earl and its engineer is Ed Cole. Both know the car by its code name, EX122. You and I know it as the Corvette. The Corvette is only a concept car, but the strong, visceral reaction of Motorama visitors causes GM Chairman Harlow "Red" Curtice, to order it into production. Within seven months the six cylinder speedster is in dealer showrooms. Also in the auditorium, is another engineer. He's Russian, born in 1909. He's seen the Tsar toppled and the communists come to power in 1917. He's worked in Berlin during the rise of Hitler and because of his Jewish faith, had to make a fast escape through Paris and Spain, where he boarded a ship that landed him in New York in 1939. His name is Zora Arkus Duntov, and 33 years later at the opening ceremony of the National Corvette Museum 120,000 Corvette devotes will give him a standing ovation for all that he has done to make the car one of the most iconic marques of the automobile world. A brilliant engineer, in 1953 Duntov was already well known in hot rodding circles for his development of cylinder heads for flat head V8 Ford motors which increased power by a stunning 60%. What he sees in front of him at the Waldorf is his future. He writes to GM asking for a job on the Corvette program and is hired to help with engineering issues. Then as sales slow, less than 4000 sold in two years, and GM top brass get cold feet about the car's potential. Duntov puts his corporate neck on the line and writes a memo to the key decision makers. It is a passionate call for the need to have a car in the Chevrolet line up that speaks to the youth of America and to provide the whole Chevy range some much needed pizzazz. He prevails, and the Corvette gets a reprieve. Duntov then sets about making some changes. He rips out the six and powerglide transmission and inserts the new Ed Cole designed, small block V8. He adds a four speed gearbox and fuel injection, tweaks the suspension and within three years his magic has transformed the Corvette from a stylish cruiser into a object of primal desire for generations of Americans. And the rest of the story you know. When he died in 1996 American columnist George Will wrote of Duntov: "If you do not mourn his passing, you are not a good American". David Burrell is the editor of Retroautos.com.au  

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible is just a day or so away from its official unveiling, but for the moment we get a sneak peek at the car as it rolls off the truck toward the show floor. Posted to Chevrolet Europe's Facebook fan page, the image shows what is clearly a roofless Corvette Stingray rolling down the ramp. Unfortunately, a car cover obscures the choicest details, but the general proportions of the rear end -- arguably one of the most important aspects of any convertible -- are clear. And they're good. Of course, we expected the Stingray Convertible to look good. Last month, what appeared to be a design study for the car leaked onto the web, and then earlier this month, Chevy confirmed the car for its Geneva debut. Following its debut in Europe, the first Stingray Convertible will be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson in April, with proceeds going to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in the US. www.motorauthority.com    

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was just unveiled at the 2013 Detroit motor show, and unless you've been hiding under a very large rock, you already know what it looks like and every other detail, too. Now, it seems the coupe's convertible alternative has leaked about a year ahead of its expected arrival.The images, posted by The Auto Insider, look to be authentic. In fact, if they are a digital manipulation of the coupe photographs, they're the best we've ever seen--and we see dozens of attempts daily.So, ogle to your heart's content--this is, if not the real deal, so close as to make no difference.It's worth noting, however, that we're disappointed these images leaked. It doesn't require much imagination to envision what a convertible version of the 2014 Corvette Stingray would look like, but there's something to be said for mystery, anticipation, and that mixture of fear and excitement over the unknown.Early leaks spoil the magic. By the time the actual Stingray Convertible rolls across an auto show stage, likely some time in late 2013 or early 2014, it'll be old hat.And that's just sad.www.motorauthority.com 

The dream of millions of Hot Wheels fans of all ages will come to life when the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition arrives at Chevrolet dealerships (overseas) early next year. This is the first time a full-size production Hot Wheels car has been offered for sale by any manufacturer. Blister packaging and orange race track not included. "Millions of us grew up playing with Hot Wheels," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "Offering a special production model of the Camaro Hot Wheels is an opportunity to bring those memories to life, for kids of all ages." The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition debuted at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Monday. A special run of the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition will be produced in the first quarter of 2013 and like the collectable toys on which it is based when they're gone, they're gone. "It's been nearly 20 years since I started designing cars for Hot Wheels and I have yet to drive one home," said Felix Holst, vice president of creative for the Mattel Wheels Division. "Personally, I can't wait to open the doors and see the Hot Wheels Camaro sitting in the garage." The appearance of the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition echoes the cues that Hot Wheels enthusiasts recognise, including a vibrant, graphics-accented metallic paint scheme. The result is instantly recognisable as a Hot Wheels. The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition is available in V8 coupe with manual or automatic transmission, blending exterior cues of the high-performance Camaro ZL1 with a Kinetic Blue exterior colour and unique graphics. The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition features a 6.2L V8 coupled with a manual transmission that churns out 318kW and 569Nm of torque, or an automatic which develops 298kW and 556Nm of torque. The latter features fuel-saving Active Fuel Management.  

When the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette arrives late next year, it will be powered by a technologically advanced, race-proven 6.2-litre V8 delivering an estimated 335kW and helping produce 0-100kmh times in under four seconds. The new Corvette LT1 engine, the first of the Gen 5 family of small block engines, combines several advanced technologies, including direct injection, Active Fuel Management (AFM) and continuously variable valve timing to support an advanced combustion system. “Our objective for the development of the all-new LT1 was to raise the bar for performance car engines,'' said Mary Barra, senior vice president, Global Product Development.' ‘We feel we have achieved that by delivering a true technological masterpiece that seamlessly integrates a suite of advanced technologies that can only be found on a handful of engines in the world. “What makes this engine truly special is the advanced combustion system that extracts the full potential of these technologies. The art and science behind that combustion system make the Corvette LT1 one of the most advanced V8 engines in the world,” said Barra. Output, performance, and fuel economy numbers will not be finalised until early next year. It will be: the most powerful standard Corvette engine ever, the quickest standard Corvette ever and the most fuel-efficient capable of achieving around 9.0 L/100 kmh.  Australia will get this engine sometime soon and hopefully, it will make its way into a V8 supercar replacing the decades-old pushrod V8s currently used....  

The annual Quote Challenge rally in Europe is a technicolour dream. The supercars taking part are covered with vinyl wraps featuring bright artwork – and vie to be the loudest in both looks and sound as they cross the start line. This year’s cross-Europe rally is taking the supercars from Velden am Wothersee in Austria to the French capital of Paris, raising funds for children’s charities. However that is all the drivers know as they set off. The route of the rally is kept secret and revealed to the car owners on a day-by-day basis. But with the range of top-end sports and muscle cars – including Porsches, a Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, a McLaren MP4-12C, Chevrolet Camaro and Ford GT40 – roaring around in their spectacular livery, they shouldn’t be hard to locate. Check out some of the bright decoration in our gallery, above. Also, check out the great photos and video from our friends at You Were Flashed: www.facebook.com/YouWereFlashed  

Remember T-Tops? They first appeared on the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette as a way to offer a convertible experience without the loss of chassis strength and rigidity. Soon every car maker seemed to have one T-Topper in their line up.Porsche 911 fans will point out that the 911 boasted a Targa Top as far back as 1966, but it was roll bar and a full width, removal roof section. No "T" there. Triumph devotees will go even further back, to 1961, and the TR4. It had fixed rear window with a removable canvas roof stretched between it and the front windscreen. No "T" either.The inventor of the real T-Top was Gordon Buehrig. Yes, the same guy who shaped 1930s Auburns and Duesenbergs, and the iconic 810/812 Cord. In 1948 Buehrig and some business associates decided to design and manufacture an all-American two seater sports car. They set up The American Sports Car Company, and used an acronym of the company name, Tasco, for the car.After some discussion it was agreed the Tacso ought to be a closed coupe, but with the open air experience of a convertible. That's where Buehrig's idea for T-Tops came in. The 2012 equivalent of $4,000,000 was spent to build one prototype which was shown across America to an underwhelming response. The projected price, $7500 in 1948 money, (about $500,000 in 2012) scared away most prospective customers and the weird styling took care of the rest.Very quickly the company folded and Buehrig went to Ford to head up one of their advanced styling studios, styling the first Crown Victoria hardtop coupe. The actual Tasco is still intact and in good condition. It sulks in a dark corner on the second floor of the Auburn Duesenberg Cord Museum in Auburn, Indiana.Buehrig was granted a patent on the T-Tops idea in 1951. He tried to interest Ford, Chrysler and General Motors but no one could see their value in a world full of real convertibles. Then came Ralph Nader's pivotal tome 'Unsafe At Any Speed', and suddenly the roll over safety of convertibles became a news topic.In 1968, Chevrolet released the Corvette with a T-Top option. Buehrig's patent was still operable so he sued GM and won some compensation for infringement of copyright. With the advent of rectracle steel roof convertibles, T-Tops have long disappeared. Buehrig himself died in 1990.www.retroautos.com.au 

f you’ve wondered why Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t had much face time on the big screen of late, the answer is simple: from 2003 until January of 2011, the bodybuilder-turned-action-film-star was busy

Driving simulators such as Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo and Need for Speed are well-known--and well-loved--here at Motor Authority.However, there is a new title in the works that may upset these video game heavyweights, and that’s GRID 2 from Codemasters.The sequel to 2008’s GRID, the focus of the new game is having arcade-style fun rather than creating a totally realistic driving experience.Nevertheless, the graphics are still as realistic as that of any of the rival games and the lineup of cars looks promising.The list includes the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, McLaren MP4-12C and the Pagani Huayra. The game’s creators say the total list of cars spans four decades and three continents.GRID 2 will be released early to mid-2013 and will be available for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC.Motor Authority  

Cruise falls about a foot short of the main character's bulky 6'5" but the Chevrolet Chevelle SS makes up for the missing muscle.