Hasta La Gadget!

When it comes to decorating your home, it is always ideal to have a certain central theme to it, as it would make life a whole lot easier when purchasing new decorations and the like. Let’s just say that you like all things retro, especially from the 1950s and 1960s era, what are you going to do with the middle of your living room, now that you have decided to get rid of your life sized Elvis statue? This is where the $25,000 1959 Corvette Billiards Table would come into play. Sure, it does seem to have been priced ludicrously, but then again, you would be playing on a regulation billiards table that boasts of a base which has been molded from an original 1959 Chevrolet Corvette.

Originally constructed in the U.S., this particular billiards table will meticulously reproduce the classic convertible from real chrome bumper to actual chrome bumper. Not only that, you will have a plethora of other options such as a gleaming grille, curves, and working versions of the trademark four headlights that can be illuminated thanks to the included remote control. A quartet of full-size whitewall tires will boast of genuine steel rims and chrome covers that have been ornamented with spinners, while other authentic details include crossed racing flags in the cove area alongside Corvette emblems on the hood and deck lid. The car itself would arrive in the original ’59 Roman Red and Snowcrest White, and carries a tournament-size 4.5′ x 9′ pool table with a three-piece, felt-covered 1″-thick slate surface.
[ 1959 Corvette Billiards Table rolls back the years as you pocket them balls copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hennessey has been in the business of modifying sports cars and gaining even more performance out of them for over 20 years, and their latest project is the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 (also known as the Corvette Stingray). Hennessey has unveiled their plans for their Corvette C7 upgrade program, with a launch date sometime in October.

The upgrades will consist of an Eaton supercharger, custom CNC-ported factory cylinder heads, proprietary intake and fueling systems, and a re-tuned engine control unit that will give the Corvette C7 up to 700-horsepower, which is quite the jump from the factory 460-horsepower that you get if you buy the car off the lot.

We’re already expecting an enhanced version of the C7 directly from Chevrolet, known as the ZR1, but we have yet to hear anything about that, so it seems like Hennessey is taking things into their own hands.

As for external modifications, there’s a carbon fiber bodykit and upgraded wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. The whole performance upgrade will cost you $18,450, but that’s a small price to pay for almost double the horsepower, right? Plus, we have to say the exterior modifications make the C7 look extremely good.

If 700HP is a bit too much for you, but still want that Hennessey look and feel added to your new ride, the company will also offer kits that boost the horsepower to only 500 or 600, depending on the kit you want. However, they will also have 800HP and 1,000HP kits as well. Details on these kits specifically haven’t yet been discussed, but the 1,000HP kit is said to cost just under $70,000.

2014 Corvette C7 gets Hennessey treatment with 1,000HP tune-up is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Drivers of the 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray will get a little more grunt than they expected, with GM confirming that the car’s LT1 6.2-liter V8 is in fact good for up to 460HP and 465lb-ft of torque. Back when the striking two seater was first unveiled in January, GM estimated its power as coming in at around the 450HP mark; the new Stingray is good for a sub-4s 0-60mph time.

Although the LT1 might be good for 460HP, the Corvette Stingray itself will be SAE-certified at a little less: 455HP and 460lb-ft of torque, when outfitted with the standard exhaust system GM offers. Still, that’ll nonetheless be good for 26mpg in highway driving, though we’d expect that to take a significant hit if you drive it like it’s meant to be.

The 2014 car also sees some new engine features that are fresh to the Corvette range, many with efficiency in mind. Most obvious is Active Fuel Management, which can shut down half of the car’s eight cylinders during more casual driving, cutting gas consumption in the process. Get more energetic behind the wheel, and the rest of the LT1 instantly wakes up.

There’s also Direct Injection, which is said to improve combustion efficiency by ensuring the fuel-air mixture is correct. It works along with a new cylinder-head and new piston design, for higher compression.

Chevrolet’s ambitions for the Corvette C7 are believed to be considerably higher than 455HP, however. Previous leaks have suggested that GM is readying a revival of the ZT1 name, using a supercharged version of the LT1 engine for a newly-dubbed LT5 good for as much as 700HP.

That car, if real, isn’t expected to reach showrooms for some time, however – into 2014, the leaks suggested – while the existing C7 will show up on forecourts this fall. Its convertible sibling will arrive by the end of the year.

GM confirms Corvette C7 even more powerful than first promised is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the difference between generations in the Chevrolet Corvette have come down to the overall weight of the vehicles. In the 2014 Corvette Stingray, aka the Corvette C7, we’ve had our own up close and personal look and run-down of the vehicle straight from Chevrolet, complete with assurances that the interior of this vehicle has been given special care this time around. With the transition in parts and style, has Chevrolet made the C7 too heavy?

Additions like the Infotainment system in this year’s Corvette add a significant amount of weight – at 31.5 pounds on its own, this system weighs more than any other single totally new element in the vehicle. According to GM Authority, a list of items from bigger breaks to new structural safety requirements add their own bulk to the system. New seats come in at 17.2 pounds, a larger fuel tank adds 3 pounds, reinforced differential and half shafts at 18.5 pounds, and together a 35.2 pound addition is included in Active Fuel Management (AFM), variable valve timing, and direct injection.

The total estimated weight of the Corvette C7 coup without the Z51 package was confirmed this week by Chevrolet to be 3,298 pounds (1,496 kg), that is 90 pounds (41 kg) heavier than the standard 2013 Corvette C6 coupe’s curb weight. Weight additions in the Z51 performance package are not yet confirmed, but have been estimated at between 150 and 200 pounds on top of it all.

According to Chevrolet, the weight is not going to bring you down. On the contrary, they’ve made it clear that this model will be more capable and handle better than any model in the past, and they’ve made every effort to emphasize the luxury points throughout the vehicle since it was first revealed.

Corvette C7 ups C6 weight by 90 pounds: technology not feather light is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Indianapolis 500 will be taking place later next month, and it’s known as “the greatest spectacle in racing” and one of the biggest racing events in the world, right up there with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The pace car that will lead the pack to the green flag will be Chevrolet’s all-new 2014 Corvette C7 (a.k.a. the Corvette Stingray).

Of course, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve been following the Indy 500 the past few years. The race has used a Corvette as the pace car every year for the past 10 years or so, but this will be the first year that the Indy 500 will be using a brand spankin’ new 2014 Corvette C7.

The photo below is a spy shot of the pace car that will be used in the race next month. Obviously, it’s nothing too special, save for the blue and white paint scheme and the strobes plastered all over the car. We’re guessing that the car will eventually be suited with Indy 500 decals on the sides to make it look more official, but in the meantime, the car sports a rather plain look.

We took a look at the new Corvette last month at the New York Auto Show, where we also got to chat with the chief engineer behind the new car, as well as get a look at the interior since the outside of the car is only half the story. If you’re curious about learning more on the 2014 Corvette C7, we highly suggest you check out our in-depth look at the car.

[via Road and Track]

2014 Corvette C7 set to be Indy 500 pace car is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.