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Fast-Autos.net Forum Member Photographs SS Test Mule

Rob

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Interesting photos:

AutoBlog.net said:
Here are millions of dollars of development and thousands of hours of work laid bare for us to ogle. This Corvette caught by Fast-Autos.net forum member, Chikara83, definitely has some trick bits on it and apparently it's the real deal. There's a liquid/liquid intercooler perched atop the V8, and where the alternator used to be sits a supercharger. We can't tell what type of huffer it is, though -- positive displacement Roots-type or centrifugal.

The hood and front quarters are wearing camouflage to cover changes in those panels. The low-pressure area behind the front wheels makes the perfect location for extractors, which are likely fed by the high pressure area at the base of the windshield. Together they provide a good path through the engine bay for extra cooling air. That's a nice, tidy explanation for why the camo is where it is, too, so we're going with it. There's also a vent in the leading edge of the rear quarter panel, which we presume is for rear brake cooling. The burning question that everyone wants to know has finally been answered: the interior (of the mule, at least) is still kinda cheap.
 
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After taking a look at these photos, they are interesting, however just keep in mind, this is nothing but a test mule set up for powertrain testing and validation.

What's even more interesting are the nature of the photos and the comments made by the photographer who supposedly took the car for a quick spin and stated that it definitely feels more powerful than the current Z06.

I find it odd that GM Engineers would toss the keys to a test mule to just anyone with a camera and basically say...."knock yourself out." :L

It will be interesting to see what kind of fall-out develops over these photos....if any...over the next week or two. ;)
 
That car has a targa top. Does the C6 Z06 have a targa top? It has the correct rear brake ducts, however.
 
All I can say is "yeah, right". GM just gave the car to any knucklehead with a camera and said go take some pictures of our next gen engine and please post it all over the internet...:boogie
 
When I worked at GM... Many of the test mules were easy to access. If we had a badge to the building... we could get into the mule areas with the same badge. I was sitting in the C5, 3 years before it hit the streets.

However, I didn't drive or take pictures of it.

Also, some photos are intentionally leaked early... to get the buying MOJO running. And to get some early public feed back from forums like this.
 
THE NEW CAR?????

I have to agree that the "circumstances" sound a little suspect, but you never know!!! Only time will tell, BUT....someone has certainly spent a few bucks on modifying this car.

It's interesting that there's a second car in one of the pictures.. I wish we could see more of that car to see what, if anything, had been done to that car.
They generally make more than one "mule" when they're testing and if the front car showed signs of new test stuff also.........then perhaps..... just maybe !!!
 
What is the black line across the roof?

The C6 Z06 is a fixed roof coupe. The panel is actually bolted down and is not removable. It is unlike the one piece roof structure of the C5 FRC/Z06.

The test mule below is based off of a Z06 Corvette off the line.

Below is an enhanced photo of what your questioning vs. a production Z06:

attachment.php


5X06CH_CR032.jpg
 
I don't know why, but for some reason I don't think chevrolet will go with a front-mount intercooler, unless that's the radiator I see thru there.
 
Interesting brakes!

I have to agree that the "circumstances" sound a little suspect, but you never know!!! Only time will tell, BUT....someone has certainly spent a few bucks on modifying this car.

It's interesting that there's a second car in one of the pictures.. I wish we could see more of that car to see what, if anything, had been done to that car.
They generally make more than one "mule" when they're testing and if the front car showed signs of new test stuff also.........then perhaps..... just maybe !!!


What I find interesting are the brakes, or better: the disks! They look like "carbon ceramic composit brakes" just like Porsche, Ferrari and the like are using! Would be great and was about time to use such a material. This is an interesting way to save weight where it "helps" most! Great!
 
From Edmunds.com:

It doesn't look like much, but the engine in this 2009 Corvette SS test mule could be the most powerful production V8 ever built by Chevrolet. Photographed by a Lufthansa shipping clerk in Michigan before the car was air freighted to Germany for testing, these spy photos appear to confirm some of the rumors that have been swirling around this new top-of-the-line Corvette for months.

Compared to the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 used in the current Z06, this engine's most obvious upgrade is the giant intercooler sitting on top. Built by Behr, a German company that has supplied intercoolers to the likes of Ferrari and Jaguar over the years, this intercooler looks as though it's mounted on top of the supercharger. Not the easiest way to arrange things, but with so little room under the hood the engineers at GM had few options. Even with the compact arrangement, the hood on this prototype is still cut out to make room for all the extra hardware.

Other changes include the relocation of the alternator to the passenger side and moving the power steering pump up higher. The main air intake is still front and center, although now it must arch over the radiator before making the plunge back down to the concealed blower mounted in the galley between the cylinders.

Although the rest of the car is a chopped up Z06, the engine itself isn't a blown LS7. Instead, GM is expected to use the all-aluminum 6.2-liter V8 currently found in the Cadillac Escalade. With more room between the cylinder walls than the LS7, the 6.2 is better suited to the extreme stresses associated with a supercharged engine. The 6.2 makes over 400 horsepower in standard trim, so breaking the 600 horsepower mark with the help of a blower shouldn't be a problem.

Clearly these wheels aren't ready for prime time, but those ceramic brake discs should handle serous track duty just fine.
 
brakes

What I find interesting are the brakes, or better: the disks! They look like "carbon ceramic composit brakes" just like Porsche, Ferrari and the like are using! Would be great and was about time to use such a material. This is an interesting way to save weight where it "helps" most! Great!

It's clearly what I first saw too. They look like the common silicon carbide that we now have on our daily drivers. :L
 
From Edmunds.com:photographed by a Lufthansa shipping clerk in Michigan before the car was air freighted to Germany for testing,
Although the pics seem more legit than the last batch of fakies, this could put a definite kink in GM's relationship with their shippers. Ya gotta figure they have contractual stipulations with the shippers about not leaking out photos and whatnot of sensitive information. :confused
As Rob said, seeing GM's response should be interesting...
 
Rumor is the the gentleman that took the photos has gotten fired and the photos are being taken down at the request of GM site by site.

Just a heads up on a rumor.

Thanks for posting the photos...

Glad I got to see this.

Cool ride!

JB
 

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