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:

Corvette plant tour, where customers can follow their vehicle down the Bowling Green assembly line
Corvette Museum delivery, where customers take delivery of their new Corvette at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green
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.

A great hike, x-country ski, bike or jeeping road is the old Argentine Central Railroad bed. This road starts approximately 2.5 miles off of Guanella Pass road, taking you westbound to the top of Mt. McClellan. From the top, look directly at Grays and Torrey’s peaks, two more of Colorado’s fourteeners.

So take the family and head up to Georgetown. Its a great drive in your Traverse or Malibu.

Trail Ridge Road provides spectacular view of the majestic scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is the highest continuous motorway in the United States, with more than eight miles lying above 11,000′ and a maximum elevation of 12,183′. The name “Trail Ridge Road” derives from it proximity to historic pathways used by native peoples to cross the Rocky Mountains.

Trail Ridge Road was designed to replace Fall River Road, which proved inadequate for modern motor travel as soon as it opened in 1920. Trail Ridge Road was designed to have more gentle grades, broader curves, and a greater variety of scenic experiences. The sunny, ridge-top location would also reduce snow accumulations and allow Trail Ridge Road to open earlier then its shady, snow-laden predecessor.

Trail Ridge Road was constructed between 1926 and 1932 through the collaborative efforts of the National Park Service and the Bureau of Public roads (now the Federal Highway Administration). Construction Crews had to contend with imposing terrain, harsh weather, short working seasons and stringent design criteria, which were intended to ensure that the road would “lie lightly on the land” displaying the region’s rich scenic diversity with minimal impact on the natural environment. Trail Ridge Road opened in July 1932, providing motorists with access to impressive, views, memorable wildlife viewing opportunities and spectacular high mountain Terrain.

GRADE: The road was designed with a ruling grade generally less than 5% and never exceeding 7%, less that half as steep as the Fall River Road.

TURN RADIUS: Minimum radii for open curves were 100′ and 200′ on blind curves. Many curves were designed to sweep across but not dominate the landscape.

ROAD WIDTH: Unlike the single-track Fall River Road, Trail Ridge Road was designed as a two-lane with a 22′ roadbed and 3′ ditches in cut sections.

ELEVATION GIAN: The roadway was largely built into the hillside, elevated on rock fill once it reached tundra. Long continuous curves were used to gain elevation.

PULLOUTS: The commodious stone-wall turnouts, often located on major curves, provided ample space for visitors to take in the views.

So take advantage of the beautiful weekend ahead of us and go for a drive up Trail Ridge Road, you won’t be disappointed!

The Denver Post is a great resource for guides of Colorado and one day trips. I found this guide of Summit County on their website.

Summit County has much to do and is a quick trip up I-70. Take a day and take your new Chevy to see what Colorado has to offer!

Aurora Collision Center

Top Gear Boat Challenge

Alignment and Tires

During the winters more and more potholes show up on our roads and hitting these can throw off the alignment of your car. Proper alignment helps prevent uneven wear on your tires and will increase the life of your tires. It’s a good idea to get you alignment checked after a hard winter.

Along with the alignment, check to make sure your tires still have adequate tread depth and are not wearing unevenly. A good rule of thumb is to place a penny in the tread and if you can see all of Abe, your tires don’t have enough tread. Most tires also have a wear bar that shows when the tread has warn down.

After the winter your will want to check your tire pressure. Proper pressure will increase the life of your tires and improve your mpg.

Windshields and Wiper blades

Spring is also a great time to repair any chips or cracks you have gotten in your windshield during the winter.  By repairing chips you can often save yourself from having to replace the whole windshield.

Wiper blades are really put to the test during the winter snow and freezing rain. It is a good idea to check for cracks and tears in you blades. Replacing the damaged blades will make you Colorado afternoon spring showers ready.

So take the time to get your car spring ready and your wallet will thank you at the pump!

Check out this article on the 2010 Chevy Equinox. This is the second generation of the Equinox and there are quite a few improvements that make this a must have vehicle.

http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows/chicago/2010/2011_chevrolet_silverado_heavy_duty/index.html

Think it might be time for a new truck? Come on in and celebrate Truck Month with us by taking the 2010 Chevy Silverado for a test drive.

Chevy: May the Best Car Win

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1073/top-10-american-all-stars-part-two/