DETROIT- General Motors Co. unveiled its highly-anticipated 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible Tuesday at the 83rd annual Geneva International Motor Show.
The Detroit-based automaker said the vehicle will feature an all-new, fully electronic top that can be lowered remotely using the car’s key fob. The top can be opened or closed at speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h).
"This is a true Dream car," said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europes, when introducing the vehicle at the 2013 Geneva show, which officially started today with the first of two press preview days. "While the name is synonymous with Americana, the new Corvette is distinctively international in its design, technology and driving experience.
"That's why it's fitting we introduced the new convertible right here on this stage.”
The Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible arrive in global markets in late 2013, with left-hand-drive models to be offered in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Japan and Russia.
Changes to Corvettes for export vary only in equipment required to accommodate a respective market’s regulations, such as lighting, headlamp washers and outside mirrors.
GM previously pointed out that there are Corvette owner and enthusiast clubs in more than 100 countries, and 58 percent of the 1.1 million fans who “Like” Corvette's official Facebook page reside outside the U.S.
GM announced the vehicle will go on sale in late-2013, and features the same balance of technology, design and performance introduced on the coupe that debuted earlier this year in Detroit.
The unveiling -- at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time -- was live streamed online, and is expected to be posted by GM shortly. During the about 20-minute unveiling, a silver convertible drove out onto the stage, followed by a red coupe version.
Chevrolet will auction the first retail production model of the Corvette Stingray convertible at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach collector car auction to benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.
The first two-seater coupe sports car -- with the Vehicle Identification Number 0001 -- was sold for $1.1 million at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction last month in Scottsdale, Ariz. to NASCAR team owner and avid Corvette collector Richard Hendrick.
The vehicle features an all-new small-block,LT1 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers an estimated 450-horsepower and achieve 0-60 in less than four seconds.
GM resurrected the iconic Stingray moniker for the seventh-generation Corvette, which features a modern, more defined look.
The Stingray, or “Sting Ray” from 1963-67, has only been used on two other generations of production Corvettes in the vehicle’s 60-year history.
Docherty, emulating comments made by GM North America President Mark Reuss when unveiling the 2014 Corvette coupe, said GM knew the vehicle had to be revolutionary if it had the Stingray moniker.
"Stingray is certainly one of the most hollowed names in automotive history, and we knew that we couldn't use the Stingray name unless the new car truly lived up to the legacy."
Stingray was last used four generations ago on the Detroit-based automaker’s generation 3 Corvette from 1968-82. The name was first used on the 1959 racing car and again for the second-generation Corvette from 1963-67.
Click here for all the most-recent news regarding the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment