What’s your take on the video? Has big oil tried to get rid of electric cars? Can an electric car meet your needs?

Chevrolet plans to release a new corvette in 2009, well not exactly new, it’s and upgraded version of the ZR1 corvette from the 1980’s, and when I say up graded I mean up graded, more power, better handling, more comfortable, well yo get the idea, this car is the king of the hill, the best of the best that paragon corvette.

With it’s supercharged LS9 engine it is putting out about 650 horsepower, making it the most powerful car built by Chevrolet for a long long time, and making the corvette set salivate, waiting with anticipation, chomping at the bit ready for something new, and this is just what the doctor ordered for 1958 corvette replica.

With more then enough power to satisfy the most power hungry corvette freak, and the Euro styling of the new corvette, it will no doubt be a huge seller, and no doubt be unbeatable by any stock muscle car on the market, yes I said any, and that includes the Viper, being as how the corvette can already hold it’s own against the viper.

Chevrolet has dropped the displacement of the engine down to 6.2 liters, and added another 149 horsepower, obviously this will not be a cheap car, it’s not going to be a car for a person that makes $30,000 per year, it will be in the low to mid $100,000 dollar range, making it out of the budget of corvette project for sale.

With all the technology that Chevrolet is throwing at this car, it’s no wonder that it will not be cheap, I have to give them “CUDOS” for building such a cool car, it’s just like that old days, when Chevrolet was the top dog, they are on their way to being the king again.

To put all that power to the ground, in a manor that won’t have you fish tailing all over the road Chevrolet has added Michelin Pilot Sport 285/30ZR19s at the front of this monster, and at the rear the awesome power of this engine is being distributed by way of Michelin Pilot Sport 335/25ZR20s, this car has the stance of a muscle car, but will handle like a sports car making it the only choice for a true American muscle car guy or girl.

The ZO6 corvette had a very stiff suspension, making it difficult to drive quickly on the road, whereas the new corvette ZR1 will use some Euro tech known as magneto-rheological dampers, like the Ferrari 599, the fluid in these units is filled with iron particles and the viscosity can be instantly changed by varying an electric current passing through it, ride sensors in the car take measurements every 0.001 seconds, and translate the information to the dampers every 0.002 seconds, adjusting the firmness of the ride to handle the corners much better then a stock mechanical system would.

With a six speed gear box, and Ferrari disc brakes at all four corners, stopping should be no problem either, as you well know, what speeds up must at one time on another slow down, and the brakes and transmission are just as important as the engine is to your safety, the brake rotors are made for a carbon ceramic composite, the Ferrari Enzo used these brakes on the front wheels, the corvette will use them at all four corners.

It is a depressing thought, but as the children go back to school in September; Winter and all it’s troubles really is only a few weeks away. It may be unfortunate in the extreme to have a breakdown in summer, but it can be absolutely life threatening in winter.

The good news is that you can do a few simple preparations yourself to make sure that you reduce the risks to an absolute minimum. You can also make a few simple steps to acclimatize your car to the coming winter weather, and in so doing you’ll make your winter driving a good deal easier and less troublesome.

To begin with make sure you have your servicing done & up to date following the manufacturer’s schedule. Many of the checks we’re going to do ourselves should be carried out during the service, but remember, especially with service intervals increasing, a clean bill of health on the day the car was serviced doesn’t mean things won’t deteriorate to critical levels before the next service.

Tires are one of the most critical safety components of your car, and they are very easy to check. First of all check the tire pressures. Remember that even without leaks, the tire pressure will decrease as the temperatures decrease. This is because the air inside the tire shrinks as it becomes cooler. Next you should check the tire tread depth, while you may get away with wearing your tires right down to the legal limit in summer, you really need the tread in winter in order to give you grip through the rainwater and snow. At the same time, check the tire tread & walls for cracks, cuts and anything that may be piercing them.

Finally, you may want to think about getting a set of extra rims fitted with winter tires, and fitting those at the end of September.  These tires have specially designed tread that pumps away the water, snow and mud, so they really help you even in mild but wet winters such as we often have in the UK.

Next take a look at your car wiper blades. These too are critical for safety and easy to check. Just raise the Car Wiper Blades away from the windscreen, and wipe the blades clean with a soft damp cloth., look for cracks, cuts and tearing, especially on traditional Car Wiper Blades, where the blade is held by the feet of the frame. Also check the joints in the wiper blade frame & make sure they are free, but not loose or worn. If you have flat blade wipers, you won’t have any joints to worry about.

Consider fitting Silicone Windscreen Wipers. These stay flexible right down to -60