Chevrolet Bel Air Reviews

The Corvette Stingray will feature among several other General Motors products in the sequel to the 2007 action movie Transformers to be released here in June (see trailer video at end of story).The Stingray concept has been tipped as the shape of the next-generation C7 Corvette with wide shoulders, four tailpipes, vertical headlights and sculpted fenders.However, GM is tight-lipped about it going into production as a Stingray or the C7.GM Global Design vice-president Ed Welburn said the idea of the Stingray Concept was to incorporate past design cues in a futuristic shape."By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives," he said.The car plays the character Sideswipe in the movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.In the original cartoon, Sideswipe was one of the original crew members of the ARK, although it was a red Lamborghini.GM has had the exclusive contract to provide cars for both the original movie and the sequel. GM cars in the sequel include the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car, Camaro production muscle car due here in 2012 and the Beat and Trax subcompact concept cars which are intended to go into production.Chevrolet North America vice president Ed Peper said the first Transformers movie helped GM reach younger car buyers in the 18 to 34 age group."Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years," he said."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."Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is about humans caught in an intergalactic war between armies of giant robots that can change into cars, planes and other technological creations.Stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox return as Sam and Mikaela, who know the secrets of the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime.In the sequel, they are under attack by the evil Decepticons because of something Sam has learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history on Earth.The US Department of Defense gave its official stamp of approval to the Michael Bay-directed film, in the hope it would lead to recruitment interest.Movies such as Top Gun, regarded as a major boost for recruitment in its day, and the recent Robert Downey Jr. blockbuster Iron Man also received military cooperation for the same reason.US military, some just returned form active duty in Iraq, were involved in the massive battle scenes for the movie.The film crew was allowed on the dunes of the Army's New Mexico missile range and to follow jets and fighter planes through the sky from nearby Holloman Air Force Base.More scenes were shot on the Navy's aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and Marines fill the ranks of the strike team battling the invading Transformers.The film's Army liaison, Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, said: "As far as I know, this is the biggest joint military operation movie ever made, in terms of Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. I can't think of one that's bigger."Military equipment used include two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" tank-killing jets; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armoured Humvees; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team; two Abrams tanks; two Bradley tanks; two missile-launcher vehicles; two armoured personnel carriers; and a quarter-mile of the missile testing range, cleared of unexploded ordnance and built into an Egyptian town and temple. 

It's the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the first car has just landed in readiness for a right-hand drive work-over. The ZR1, called the 'King of the Hill' in America, is the personal property of a man who makes his living turning left-hand drive dream machines into a down-under drive. "This ZR1 is my personal toy. But if someone wants to buy one we'll be happy to assist them, bring it in and then convert it for them," says Peter Whiston of the Corvette Clinic in Melbourne. He has been doing the left-right switch hit on 'Vettes since the early 1980s and is looking forward to the new challenge with a car that's called the 'King of the Hill' in America. The ZR1 has a supercharged 6.2-litre aluminium V8 that produces a brutal 476 kiloWatts and 819 Newton-metres of torque. The two-door coupe is a genuine supercar with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.4 seconds, a top speed of 330km/h and a Nurburgring lap time of 7 minutes 26.4 seconds - which Chevrolet claims as a production car record. Whiston says the first ZR1 conversion will not be easy - with everything from a new dash pad to relocation of the air-conditioner and drive belts on the job list - but he is looking forward to the end result. "It's all going to be a bit of a bunfight, unfortunately. I'm 58 and I'm past all that. Once I would have enjoyed it, but now I'm looking to the result," he says. "It's early days with this car. It's going to be two or three months to get it converted. And now they've changed the steering ratio on the car, so it's totally different again." But Peter and Kane Whiston know Corvettes and know conversions. "We registered the business in 1981. Corvettes are all we do. I started with doing cars from '69 onwards," he says. "Over that time we've probably done about 500 cars. We are coming up to 30 cars with the latest C6 model." But the Corvette Clinic is not a retail store. "Our prime business is conversions for people. We do it under orders. We don't have a heap of stock," Whiston says. That's no surprise when a C6 conversion is $49,500 and the ZR1 will be worth around $400,000 by the time it is ready to roll. Whiston says the company's conversions are not costed on an hourly work rate, but an all-in price for a drive-in, drive-out service. "The hourly rate has nothing to do it with it. The car comes in left- hand drive and goes out right-hand drive," he says. Business is good because the Corvette has always been an American classic, although the recent drop in the Australian dollar and regulations which allow older classic cars to continue with left-side steering have cut the waiting time at the Corvette Clinic. "Business has slackened a little since the Aussie dollar took a dive. But we've still got plenty of work. We're probably got six months of work at the moment." That includes the complicated process for the ZR1, which must be certified under low-volume compliance regulations. Older cars get by under rules for a Registered Automotive Workshop, but all-new cars are different. "We'll have to update the compliance. It's noise, it's brakes, it's the engineering on the conversion," Whiston says. "But that's what we do. And this is the first car, so once that's done then anyone who wants a ZR1 can be taken care of."  

Two-time winner John Bowe leads the pilgrimmage - heading a group that includes Glenn Seton and Jason Bargwanna and Brad Jones and Neil Crompton - for a unique tilt at the Mountain.They are all chasing victory in the 12-hour Bathurst Showroom Enduro with cars which are much closer to stock than anything in The Great Race in October.The entry for the half-day grind is dominated by turbocharged Mitsubishi Lancers and Subaru Imprezas, with a sprinkling of fast Fords and Commodores and BMWs, and Bowe will be trading his traditional blue-oval cap for Subaru overalls.Bowe has never raced an all-wheel drive car before, but a shakedown at Eastern Creek in Sydney last week has him pumped for another run at Bathurst."I did 23 Bathurst 1000s so any opportunity to drive on that track is special. It's always good. It makes the rest of our Australian tracks look pretty second-rate," Bowe says."I'm not sure what to expect in the Subaru, but it looks like it will be a bit of fun. We still have a bit of work to do on our car but I can understand why people are drawn to this sort of car - you just put your foot down and it drags you around the corner."Bowe has battled since retiring from V8 Supercars at the end of 2007, but the 50-something racer re-invented himself last year as the one to beat in historic racing with a thundering V8 Camaro."I really like that series and the car I'm driving. It reminds people that you are still around," Bowe says.He was quickest qualifier in every race he contested with the Camaro, although his target is more modest at Bathurst."The aim is always to finish in the top 10. But with a 12-hour race you never really know," Bowe says."I'm with a good team run by Jim Hunter, and he and Gavin Bullas can both drive, but the first thing in a long-distance race is to have a reliable car. Subaru builds a pretty solid car so I'm hopeful."The Bathurst 12-hour runs from February 20-22 and is the start of a mixed year for Bowe."I'm doing the Biante series again in the Camaro, I have plenty of corporate work with Dunlop and Rare Spares and Wilson Parking, and driver training. I'd also like to do the odd drive in an historic open- wheeler or sports car."So I'm retired, but not retired, if you know what I mean. I still love racing and I want to keep buys. That's what Bathurst is all about, with the chance of a bit of a good result if we're lucky." 

News cruisers are parked-up and beaming pictures before 6am as the temperature hovers around minus 10 and snow flurries drift through the pre-dawn blackness.By 9am there are union workers carrying placards in support of the Big Three outside Cobo Hall in downtown motown, as the great and the good from the world's motor industry arrive for the first major event of 2009.The buzz is down from recent years, with less security and fewer journalists jetting in for the action, but still there are major unveilings, technology, important speeches and so much more over the first two days.The North American International Motor Show is more than just glitz and glamour for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2009 - this is the day when they have to deliver for the first time on the promises in Washington which have earned a government-backed rescue package.That means GM opens the action with a rolling cavalcade of 17 models which promise exactly what the government wants - hybrids, electric cars and regular production models which do better than 10 litres/100km in fuel economy.The headliner once again is the Chevrolet Volt, except this time it is wrapped in Cadillac bodywork and called the Converj - with the added bonus of a plug-in connection to its onboard battery system.Lexus is next and does its number around the brand's first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, which was originally only planned for America but will now go to more than 80 countries.Then Ford becomes the second of the Big Three to present its position for 2010 and beyond, with an all-new Taurus family car - perhaps a pointer to something on the Falcon front - and the promise of an all-new electric car with a 160-kilometre range by 2011.Company chairman Bill Ford takes the stand to deliver on the company's promises to Washington, even though it was the only local not to take a multi-billion dollar loan."Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge," Ford says.Then Chrysler, which many American analysts believe cannot survive the global economic meltdown, gets its turn and does a top job with the great looking new 200C family car and a range of electrics which shows it has not given up hope.It's best looker is the Dodge Circuit, which is most like a battery-powered Lotus sports car."The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment,” says the vice-president of design at Dodge, Ralph Gilles.By now, after just two hours of the first press preview day, the pattern for Detroit '09 is set.The home team is going big on the cars it needs to make - even if Americans are still buying BIG with the drop in pump petrol prices - but there is more sizzle than steak because they have started way behind the Japanese and Europeans.And Cobo Hall looks sparse. There are fewer brands, fewer cars and none of the bold-and-brassy unveilings - Chrysler has always led the world in motor show stunts - which have been a signature of the Detroit show.“All I know is we took about 50 per cent out of the cost of our stand,” says the car boss at General Motors, Bob Lutz.“We took away a lot of the structures, such as salad bowl-shaped Saturn stands, and towers with holographic displays.”But he still applies some positive spin as everyone talks up the chances for the Big Three, even in the face of a selloff of the Hummer and Saab divisions at GM.“The fact that we don’t have any of that stuff gives our stand a much more businesslike and cleaner appearance. I think they cluttered up the stand. I imagine it’s going to be much the same around the show," Lutz says.As usual, the 80-plus former fighter pilot is right.BMW joins the hybrid rush at Detroit with news of its petrol-electric X6, thankfully with the all-new Z4 sportster to provide some glamour, as Volkswagen provides the best looking car of the show with its Concept BlueSport.The gorgeous VW is most like a Mazda MX-5, but promises Prius-buster fuel economy in the 4.3 litres/100km range and, without any promise of production, it clearly could have a future.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability," says Volkswagen.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability.”The next big mover in Cobo Hall is Kia, which shows a funky pick-up built on its baby Soul. The Soul'ster is never going to be an Aussie workhorse but will hit the Gen-Y button for America, and California in particular.As the first day in Detroit winds into darkness and more frigid weather, Subaru kicks the action with a preview of its new Liberty - called the Legacy in the USA - Jaguar runs out its high-performance R version of the landmark XF and Volvo shows the most adventurous concept car in its history, pointing to the next S60."The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise," says Volvo boss, Stephen Odell.Ford goes again to start day two at Cobo, with its Lincoln-Mercury models, then its back to Maserati and then GM pushes the home game hard with an announcement that the batteries for its Volt will be built in the USA. It's a boost for local jobs, more hard news on the Volt, and just what Washington will want before the Big Three report back on their survival plans at the end of March.And then there is a shock - at least for the Americans - as Chinese cars make the mainstream in Detroit for the first time and little-known BYD confirms it will be selling the world's first production plug-in electric car by 2010.The last big event of Detroit '09 is the one everyone already knows about - the new Toyota Prius.The list of 'firsts' is impressive as the car is unveiled, from its drag co-efficient to more luxury and a more-efficient battery system. But Honda has already undercut the third-generation Prius on price with its Insight, which is headlining for the brand in Detroit, and there is no sign of a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery pack.But the Prius has solar-powered air-conditioning to cool the car when it is parked, is bigger and quieter inside, and is certain to become the world's best selling hybrid. The car comes with more than 1000 new patents on technology and a claim of 3.9 litres/100km economy."Prius is more than a hybrid, it’s a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car," says Bob Carter of Toyota USA.There is other stuff to see in Detroit, and some things are obviously missing _ the Mercedes E-Class was an invitation-only event and Rolls-Royce is holding its all-new RR4 for the Geneva Motor Show in March - but the overall verdict on 2009 is surprisingly positive.Cars are still big news, look good and make promises of a better and more enjoyable life on the road.But the big question remains. Did the Big Three do enough, and show enough in Detroit, to convince the American government that they deserve the support it will take to get them through the biggest crisis in the history of the automobile? 

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M

The reborn muscle car was yet to be confirmed for sale Down Under but it was likely given that it has been designed and engineered by Holden in Australia.

I know because his wife, Alice, tells me. And I have years and years of proof.The one-time star of V8 Supercar racing shows absolutely no sign of slowing down as his personal odometer clicks through the fifties.He was second in this year's Biante Championship for classic muscle cars, racing a bellowing V8-powered Chevrolet Camaro he reckons is far more fun than anything in the V8 Supercar series.Bowe also also just parked a 1960s Jaguar E-Type in the garage, after clearing space by selling his Porsche Cayman, as he continues to spin the automotive merry-go-round in search of something new and exciting.Which brings us around to his newest business venture.Bowe already has an advanced driving operation which is run by his hard working brother Terry, but now he has moved into a program to put ordinary punters behind the wheel of a racecar.He is using his three-year-old energy to spearhead a national expansion of V8RACE, which has 80 dates booked for 2009 in every state - except Bowe's own, Tasmania."We are making driving a V8 race car on a race track affordable and it's an experience that will stay with you forever," says Bowe."For a couple of hundred bucks you can have a shot and see how you go. They look and sound like a V8 Supercar but are easy enough for anyone to drive."There are more than 20 V8-powered Fords and Holdens in the V8RACE Experience fleet and Bowe has given the program a tickle with a 'Treasure Hunt' boost that's good for free rides, extra laps and discounts.Hot laps in the V8RACE program start at $99 and drivers are prices from $229 to $299.

No.. but we are closer than we have ever been.Even more than architecture, fashion and aircraft, cars are the most visually represented statement of our possible future. From Rust Heinz’ 1938 Phantom Corsair to Syd Mead's Spinner in Blade Runner, the car has been central to our dreams and the imaginations for our potential.The 1950's saw the emergence of a style of design exemplified by Nuccio Bertone, Virgil Exner and Harley Earl, that while it may be considered visually naive now still has profound influence on our perception of future possibilities. GMs Motorama of 1956 was the major showcase for this style of design that lasted into the early seventies, the over-riding feature being the human interpretation of function as driven by form.. The last truly great examples of this period; the Coke bottle Corvette of 67-73, the Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Muira and E-Type Jag are now revered as works of art by car cognoscenti and their prices reflect their stature in the motoring world.. All of these cars display a human’s perception of the flow of air over metal; the mind as a virtual wind tunnel. Post these cars we saw a period of design that was quite - well...., square.The second coming of car design emerged around ten years ago and has been going from strength to strength. While the Futuristic period of the 50's set the visual benchmarks and boundaries for current designers, the designers of the period did not have the shackles of the oil, financial or environmental crisis to deal with. They also did not have the technology available that allowed them to add the function to the form efficiently. At the very heart of the current design period is the evolution of human possibilities that advancing technology and social dreams and responsibilities allow and dictate.. What we are seeing is art meeting and merging with technology to create form with function. If the 50’s were the golden era of car design we have now reached platinum. The Veyron, the 599, the DBS, 997, Murcielago and yes, still the Corvette – all are incredibly beautiful and also capable of 200 mph in relative safety.As exciting as car design presently is the Futurama period is hard to let go of, hence the number of Retro-future cars we continue to see. From the Mini to the Mustang good design should be celebrated, honored and mimicked. The re-interpretation of a classic design when made relevant to the current situation is not something to scorn as it just adds another variety, another choice - and there is nothing wrong with that.For a lot of current designers the benchmark for futuristic design was set in the 70's by Syd Mead  ...Visually we are there. Technologically we are close.We are at the dawn of the alternate propulsion era. We have broken through the political and financial barriers of the oil era. In many ways we can thank the current financial crisis for that. Electric is on the way, which will be an enthusiasts dream with its full size slot car performance and environmental friendliness.Let’s just not get to the point we ban petrol cars from our roads, let them naturally evolve out.With the future - we are almost there, but our past is continuing to remain with us longer. - Thankfully.The last turn of a V12 on a public road should be put off for as long as possible.Rod Halligan

Martin placedJohn Martin put in his best performance of the season in the latest round of the A1GP series. The Australian driver finished eighth in the sprint race and improved to fourth in the feature race. Team Ireland took over the points lead after winning the feature race and finishing fifth in the sprint. Trouble shooterPaul Laskazeski has moved a step closer to winning this year's Australian Formula Ford title after a fighting performance at Symmons Plains last weekend. He had to fight back after a troubled opening race but still managed second for the round. He was beaten by chief rival Nick Percat, the only driver capable of stealing the title. The pair are separated by 53 points with 61 on offer at the Oran Park finale. Rossi skilled at F1MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi (below) believes he could have been good enough in Formula One had he decided to make the switch. The Italian spent two days testing with Ferrari in Italy last week. But despite lapping less than two seconds off Kimi Raikkonen's pace he remains committed to MotoGP. Ford beats ChevyThe world's wildest off-road race, the Baja 1000, has been won by Roger Norman and Larry Rossler. The pair, driving a Ford F-150 Trophy Truck, beat the Chevrolet of B.J. Baldwin, who tackled the 1000km course solo. The high-profile Volkswagen Touareg Trophy Truck driven by Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero finished 13th. Champ goes downYamaha's Jay Marmont ended Chad Reed's domination of SuperX last weekend in Townsville. The local rider beat the two-time world champion in the semi-final of the new man-on-man format. Marmont then beat Honda's Daniel McCoy in the final. Reed holds a 14-point championship lead over Marmont going into this weekend's final in Brisbane. 

If it wasn't for the fact that our environment and financial institutions are falling apart, and the current big 3 CEO’s can’t manage their way out of a paper bag, we car enthusiasts would currently be in 7th heaven.Every car manufacturer and model type that matters is currently available, or about to be. For the first time since the 70's the Chev Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger are in the showrooms at the same time. For those of us that grew up watching Moffat and Geoghan race against Bob Jane, the potential of another race series such as the re-introduction of Trans Am is just too good to be true.Staying with the American theme, we also have the Viper, Corvette and Ford GT. Actually the GT has just ceased production and who knows what's in store for the Viper, but they were recently all available. What a missed opportunity for the big two and a half to do a three way GT race series. Forget the GT3 and GT2 series, what we needed was an original 1950's style "Drive the car to the track series". It only requires three rules, the race driver has to drive the car to the track from the registered base, the engine should be sealed from the time it leaves the workshop until the end of the race and the car must be able to be registered in California. Imagine the dealer show rooms with the Shelby, Saleen, Yenko and Callaway derivatives for sale the day after the race. But as usual the big two and half’s CEO’s did not have the foresight to push for anything as exciting as this. Forget that NASCAR rubbish the manufacturers support, it’s just so not relevant.Moving to Europe we have Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati and Lamborghini all building their best cars ever. Spyker is staying afloat, Bizzarini is on the way back and Alfa has just built the 8c, a worthy successor to the original, which itself was one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. McLaren has a new car coming. Morgan is strangely getting better and better and Rolls and Bentley are more appealing than ever. Aston is back starring alongside Bond, and Jaguar stands a chance of succeeding. Lotus has just delivered their cleverest car yet, which is saying something….Just don't mention MG.There have never been so many specialty manufacturers, and the cars they built have never been so good. We have Zonda, Koenigsegg, Ascari and a dozen others and most are viable competitors to the establishment.The Tuner sector remains strong with many companies such as 9ff becoming manufacturers in their own right. High-end Tuners such as Brabus and AMG are diversifying into hybrids and electrics.Japan has built a car to compete with Porsche. Here in Australia we have the best affordable performance sedans in the world, and Elfin and Bolwell are back....To cap all this off Mercedes is about to launch a new Gullwing.It just doesn’t get much better.It's such a shame we all know we are watching the start of the end. We are going to see regular knee jerk management decisions and we will all end up driving electric Smarts. Or Dumbs as my kids like to call them.What we need is responsible management of the evolutionary period we are in. Us car enthusiast care about the environment and realise things have to change, however I don't believe we trust any of the current senior management teams to be capable of managing the transition.Lets sack the current CEO's and CFO’s (who flew into Washington yesterday in their private jets begging for hand-outs from the US government to fix the mess they created) and put some realistic staged global emission targets in place. Hand management on to the current crop of Project Engineers, who are obviously delivering.Let's enjoy things while we can. Buy, buy, buy – now – you have plenty to choose from. If you don’t there might not be anything worth buying in 5 years.