Tag: General Motors

  • 1999 Chevrolet Corvette on Jay Leno’s Garage

    Neither classic nor brand new, the C5 Corvette can be easily overlooked. But this generation has a lot to offer, Jay Leno explains in a rundown of his 1999 Chevrolet Corvette on his Jay Leno’s Garage YouTube show.

    Launched for the 1997 model year, the C5 was a pivotal moment for the Corvette. General Motors had let the sports car languish, keeping the aging C4 Corvette in production as rivals surpassed it. As documented in the book “All Corvettes Are Red,” the Detroit giant even considered killing off the Corvette, rather than spending money on development of a C4 replacement.

    The C5 did get the green light, and it introduced several key engineering features. It kept the fiberglass bodywork of previous generations, but added a stiffer chassis made with hydroformed rails, as well as a rear-mounted transaxle to improve weight distribution. That basic layout would carry over to the following C6 and C7 generations, only changing for the mid-engine C8 Corvette in 2020.

    1999 Chevrolet Corvette on Jay Leno's Garage

    1999 Chevrolet Corvette on Jay Leno’s Garage

    This generation also introduced the LS1 V-8, which made 345 horsepower initially. A Z06 performance model was introduced in 2001, with a more powerful version of the V-8 dubbed LS6. It made 385 hp at first, but was later upgraded to 405 hp.

    The C5 kept the pop-up headlights and general proportions of the C4 generation, but with smoother surfaces that gave the C5 a more modern look. The C5 launched as a fastback coupe with removable large roof panels; convertible and notchback coupe body styles were added to the lineup later.

    Leno, who got his C5 in exchange for driving the Indianapolis 500 pace car, seemed most impressed that Chevy could offer a car like this at a (relatively) affordable price, without pushing into the six-figure range. That’s still the case with the current Corvette Stingray, which offers 3.0-second 0-60 mph acceleration for around $60,000.

    Click on the video above for more on the C5 Corvette’s history and engineering, and to see Jay drive the car on the streets of Los Angeles. As always, it’s a pleasure to hear the growl of the LS1 V-8.

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  • Lingenfelter supercharged the Chevrolet Blazer to over 400 hp

    The current-generation Chevrolet Blazer doesn’t have the off-road capability of its predecessors, so Lingenfelter Performance Engineering decided to focus on horsepower when it came to tuning the vehicle. The General Motors-centric tuner is now offering a supercharger kit that should make this Blazer really blaze.

    First spotted by Muscle Cars & Trucks, the package adds an Edelbrock TVS1740 supercharger to the stock 3.6-liter V-6 engine. Specifications haven’t been finalized, but the blower is expected to boost output by 40% over the stock 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. That equates to around 431 hp and 378 lb-ft.

    Lingenfelter released photos showing some subtle visual changes, including stripes and “supercharged” lettering on the hood, but overall the modified Blazer looks mostly stock.

    Lingenfelter supercharged Chevrolet Blazer

    Lingenfelter supercharged Chevrolet Blazer

    The company hasn’t discussed any upgrades beyond the supercharger and graphics package, but suspension and brake upgrades seem like a good idea to handle the extra power.

    Pricing information hasn’t been released either, but Muscle Cars & Trucks noted that Lingenfelter offers a similar kit for the Chevrolet Colorado (which uses the same V-6 engine), priced from $5,550 for the standalone kit, or $6,995 with installation and dyno testing.

    Lingenfelter will also shoehorn a 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 into the Colorado’s engine bay. Normally found in the Camaro ZL1 (and the discontinued C7 Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V), the supercharged LT4 develops 650 hp from the factory, but Lingenfelter can upgrade it to 720 hp with an optional pulley kit. That swap would be much more difficult in the Blazer, because of its transverse engine layout, but we can dream, right?

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  • GM filed a patent for an in-floor foot-massaging system

    Massaging seats are nothing new, but General Motors has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on an in-floor foot massaging system.

    First spotted by Carscoops last week, the document describes the use of small air bladders placed in the passenger-compartment floor. Inflating or deflating them massages passengers’ feet. That’s how current massaging seats work, so it seems GM is just looking for a new application of existing technology.

    GM wouldn’t be the first automaker to offer a foot massager. The Audi A8 is already available with one, Carscoops noted, but it’s embedded in a footrest, rather than the floor. That footrest folds down from the front passenger seatback, so the function is only available to the right rear passenger.

    General Motors in-floor foot massaging system patent image

    General Motors in-floor foot massaging system patent image

    That makes sense in a big sedan like the A8, which is more likely to be chauffeur driven. It’s already standard practice to leave the front passenger seat unoccupied to maximize legroom for a single rear passenger, so this seems like the next logical step. While GM hasn’t discussed any production plans for a foot massager, it has a large luxury sedan of its own in the works.

    A feature like this would be a good fit for the Cadillac Celestiq, the brand’s upcoming all-electric flagship. Cadillac has already confirmed that the Celestiq will feature a four-quadrant glass roof and a massive display screen, and it will be mostly hand-built.

    The Celestiq will be Cadillac’s second all-electric model, after the Lyriq SUV scheduled to start production in 2022, and part of larger plan that could see the luxury brand go all-electric by the end of the decade. That means, if future Cadillacs get built-in foot massagers, there won’t be internal-combustion engines to mask whatever  sound they might make, though GM will likely deal with that as well.

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