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Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Specter Werkes has announced plans to introduce the Corvette GTR at the SEMA Motor Show in Las Vegas.
Based on the Corvette Z06, the GTR is outfitted with a 7.0-liter twin-turbocharged LS7 V8 from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. While details are limited, the engine produces a stunning 800 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque. Other performance goodies include a StopTech STR braking system (with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers) and a Corsa exhaust with unique tips.
In terms of styling, the Corvette features an aggressive body kit, a matte black rear fascia, and lightweight HRE CF40 carbon fiber wheels (they only weigh 22 lbs a piece) with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Zero Pressure tires. Inside, the car boasts "Spinneybeck hand-tipped leather interior accents" and various other special touches.
According to the president of Specter Werkes, Jeff Nowicki, "From the BASF pearl paint and HRE carbon wheels, to the Lingenfelter engine, there's never been a GTR like this one and we think it will resonate with sports car enthusiasts of all stripes."
Yes, we are fully aware of the GT-R's best-known nickname, "Godzilla" -- so called because the automotive press found previous generations as ferocious and all-conquering as Japan's fire-breathing monster. But following a full week of intensive evaluation in Nissan's new sports car, we here at Motor Trend now lay claim to a more suitable GT-R moniker -- Ichiban. From Japanese, ichiban translates to "number one." In Motor Trend vernacular, however, it simply denotes: 2009 Car of the Year.Every September, it seems a few editors comment, "This is the toughest field I can remember." Sure enough, as this year's testing drew to a close, several staff members expressed those same sentiments. And for sound reason-the competitive set is more imposing than Jamaica's Olympic track team. From the jumbo-shrimp Honda Fit and the discount-Lexus Hyundai Genesis to the quicker-than-a-Cayman BMW 1 series and the cat's-meow Jaguar XF, this year's pool runs deeper than any of recent memory. Yet, no contender proved as profound, awe-inspiring, or, more important, able to fulfill our criteria as the GT-R. How did Nissan so competently clinch the calipers?
