Bought a new 2012 Callaway Grand Sport
04-13-2012, 02:28 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Member Since: Mar 2005
Location: Madison Wisconsin
Posts: 3,639
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
6 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08
Bought a new 2012 Callaway Grand Sport
Well, after putting over 52k miles on my 08 silver widebody and not really liking what I'm seeing for the upcoming C7, I decided to pull the trigger on a new 2012 Callaway Grand Sport. Over the years I have pestered Callaway Chris with questions (still am in fact) on the Callaway and it's engineering. I drive my Vettes, on trips, to work, pretty much everywhere until Winter comes along and they go into storage. I always wanted a supercharged street car but wasn't sure of their reliability long term. Having raced Alcohol Dragsters for many years in the past I wanted something that would at least push me back in the seat a little and just give me a fraction of the acceleration I had become accustomed to in the world of NHRA/AHRA drag racing. I know I will never again experience anything of that magnitude of acceleration again but I wanted something that would put a smile on my face when I stood on the go pedal.
After running into Callaway Chris at several different events and getting to drive his car several times, that of course induced more questions. I have to say that Callaway was very smart putting Chris in one of their cars and sending him all over the country attending events, running on road courses, drag strips, lending it to the car magazines to beat on, and never having a mechanical failure, is brilliant marketing. It sold me.
Most of my drives in Chris's car were done in places where you really couldn't wail on it long so it was never conclusive on exactly what it would do. A couple years ago at Autobahn Country Club road course I was given the opportunity to take it around the South course on some "paced" laps so again really couldn't get a feel for what the car could really do but was fun never the less. Mike Zoner from Callaway was there that day as well and offered me a "real ride" with him on the North course at full speed along with other Autobahn members blasting around the track. That's when I really got a taste at what the car is capable of. There was a ZR1 on the track that day as well and after my ride I continued to watch Mike run the Callaway around that North course. He was putting down faster lap times than the ZR1 which I just attributed to Mike being a better driver than the other guy. But when they were on the straights at the same time nose to tail, neither of them were pulling away from the other. So, pretty fast car when you are in ZR1 territory. Again, I asked alot of questions to Mike and Chris that day, part of my engineer plus gearhead nature I guess. I like to know how things work. I left that day knowing that Callaway doesn't just bolt on a blower and some fancy badging, there is some real enginnering in this package. They have made the power tractable and useful and that doesn't happen by accident.
Fast forward to today and I am now the proud owner of my own Callaway. Yes Mike and Chris, I still have more questions, you aren't off the hook yet. A big thanks to Brent Baker and Bill Stasek at Stasek Chevrolet in Wheeling, Illinois for a painless exchange of vehicles. Ok, I know you guys, don't mean crap without pictures right....
My 08 and the Callaway
After running into Callaway Chris at several different events and getting to drive his car several times, that of course induced more questions. I have to say that Callaway was very smart putting Chris in one of their cars and sending him all over the country attending events, running on road courses, drag strips, lending it to the car magazines to beat on, and never having a mechanical failure, is brilliant marketing. It sold me.
Most of my drives in Chris's car were done in places where you really couldn't wail on it long so it was never conclusive on exactly what it would do. A couple years ago at Autobahn Country Club road course I was given the opportunity to take it around the South course on some "paced" laps so again really couldn't get a feel for what the car could really do but was fun never the less. Mike Zoner from Callaway was there that day as well and offered me a "real ride" with him on the North course at full speed along with other Autobahn members blasting around the track. That's when I really got a taste at what the car is capable of. There was a ZR1 on the track that day as well and after my ride I continued to watch Mike run the Callaway around that North course. He was putting down faster lap times than the ZR1 which I just attributed to Mike being a better driver than the other guy. But when they were on the straights at the same time nose to tail, neither of them were pulling away from the other. So, pretty fast car when you are in ZR1 territory. Again, I asked alot of questions to Mike and Chris that day, part of my engineer plus gearhead nature I guess. I like to know how things work. I left that day knowing that Callaway doesn't just bolt on a blower and some fancy badging, there is some real enginnering in this package. They have made the power tractable and useful and that doesn't happen by accident.
Fast forward to today and I am now the proud owner of my own Callaway. Yes Mike and Chris, I still have more questions, you aren't off the hook yet. A big thanks to Brent Baker and Bill Stasek at Stasek Chevrolet in Wheeling, Illinois for a painless exchange of vehicles. Ok, I know you guys, don't mean crap without pictures right....
My 08 and the Callaway
04-13-2012, 03:14 PM
#4
Former Vendor
Those pics came out great! Have fun this summer in the new Callaway, we'll be sure to find a loving home for the '08 and I look forward to hearing about the odometer reading at the end of the season when you put it into storage for the Wisconsin winter!
04-13-2012, 03:16 PM
#6
Team Owner
Awesome, have fun and enjoy it.
04-13-2012, 03:35 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
Member Since: May 2005
Location: Cape Coral FL
Posts: 6,612
Received 240 Likes
on
135 Posts
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Steve,
That car is fine. Congrats. Can't wait to see it at the Bash.
BTW, I bought 2 GS's from Stasek last year. Great folks to deal with.
David
That car is fine. Congrats. Can't wait to see it at the Bash.
BTW, I bought 2 GS's from Stasek last year. Great folks to deal with.
David
04-13-2012, 03:37 PM
#14
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Member Since: Mar 2005
Location: Madison Wisconsin
Posts: 3,639
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
6 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08
Thank you everyone, and Brent, I will do just that, thanks for everything.
Artic, look forward to meeting you at the Bash, or more likely first at Montanas.
Artic, look forward to meeting you at the Bash, or more likely first at Montanas.
04-13-2012, 03:48 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Member Since: May 2011
Location: Tampa FL (formerly Justinjor)
Posts: 5,022
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes
on
9 Posts
Tech Contributor
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14
That thing is sexy. I saw a Callaway grand sport on the interstate this weekend and the car looks gorgeous going down the road. I'm not normally a fan of raised hoods but that one delivers.
Congrats
Congrats
