Build Your Own Engine Option Offered to Corvette Enthusiasts
Exclusive Program Lets Customers Help Create Their Own Corvette
DETROIT ? For enthusiasts who want to be personally
involved in creating their Corvette, Chevrolet’s new Corvette Engine
Build Experience allows them to literally build the engine for their new
car.
In what is believed to be the world’s most hands-on super car
program, customers who order a 2011 Corvette Z06 or ZR1 can choose an
option to help assemble their cars? LS7 or LS9 engines at General
Motors? Performance Build Center (PBC) in Wixom, Mich.
?Corvette owners are some of the most passionate ? and most involved ?
enthusiasts in the industry,? said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president,
Chevrolet marketing. ?The Corvette Engine Build Experience offers
customers an unprecedented opportunity to participate, hands on, in
creating the car.?
In addition to building their own engines, Corvette buyers can attend
driving school in Arizona or Nevada, take delivery of their vehicles at
the National Corvette Museum or watch their vehicles being built at the
Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky.
?In a way, this is a dream program for a Corvette customer. I would
have jumped at the chance to build the 427 in my ?67 ?Vette, and that
didn’t have half of what goes into one of these modern precision
engines,? said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product
Operations. ?Today’s LS7 and LS9 Corvette engines are pinnacle
achievements in engineering, and to personally involve our customers in
their final creation shows the depth of Chevrolet’s commitment to make
lasting connections with the customer.?
The Engine Build Experience is an option with a suggested retail
price of $5,800. When a customer selects the PBC option for a 2011
Corvette Z06 or ZR1 and the dealer submits the order to Chevrolet, a
special concierge contacts the customer to verify participation and help
coordinate arrangements. While travel arrangements to and from Metro
Detroit are the customer’s responsibility, the Chevrolet concierge helps
schedule the engine build; coordinates the customer’s activities at the
Performance Build Center; assists with booking local lodging and meals,
and arranges local transportation.
At the PBC, the customer doesn’t merely view the engine’s assembly;
he or she builds it under the supervision of and support from skilled
technicians. When the engine is assembled, a personalized nameplate is
added to the engine next to the builder’s name. It is then sent to the
Corvette assembly plant for installation in the customer’s car.
The Corvette Engine Build Experience is possible because of the
hand-assembly processes used at the 100,000-square-foot PBC. Technicians
hand-build the Corvette Z06’s LS7 7.0L engine, the Corvette ZR1’s 6.2L
supercharged LS9 engine and a variation of the Corvette Grand Sport’s
LS3 6.2L engine. The PBC incorporates the best practices of low-volume
niche manufacturers and the established quality and manufacturing
standards at GM to ensure the highest-quality specialized engines.
Like all engines assembled at the PBC, Engine Build Experience
engines are covered by Chevrolet’s five year / 100,000-mile transferable
powertrain warranty.
The Engine Build experience is the latest program Chevrolet offers
for Corvette owners. Other programs include:
1) Corvette plant tour, where customers can follow their
vehicle down the Bowling Green assembly line
2) Corvette Museum
delivery, where customers take delivery of
their new Corvette at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green
3) Corvette
ZR1 Driving School, which offers complimentary
attendance at either Bob Bondurant’s Corvette Driving School in Arizona,
or Ron Fellows? Corvette Performance Driving School near Las Vegas.
?Simply put, no other sports car manufacturer can match the level of
personal customer involvement that Corvette offers,? Campbell said. ?The
Corvette Engine Build Experience takes this personal involvement to an
unprecedented level.?
For more information, see facebook.com/corvette.
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about
3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides
consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver
high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the
U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as
Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs, such as
Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and
crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers
“gas-friendly” solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
model that is expected to deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway, and
2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer up to 40 miles of electric driving
and an additional 300 miles of extended range with the onboard generator
(based on GM testing). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety,
security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free
Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More
information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar
availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.