Wildest dream come true

[Heracles 417]

Buy a Corvette, build the engine yourself

Buy a Corvette Z06 or ZR1 (shown here) and you can pay to build the engine yourself.

by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writer

July 12, 2010: 2:06 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Usually when you buy a car you expect someone else to build it for you. But, for a price, GM is letting some Chevrolet Corvette buyers build the car's engine themselves.

The "Engine Build Experience" is a $5,800 option on Corvette Z06 and ZR1 cars. Both are ultra-high-performance versions of the Corvette with engines that are hand-assembled at a plant in Wixom, Mich., near GM's Detroit headquarters. (The rest of the car is built at GM's Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ken.)

GM technician Bruce Blomfield assembles a Corvette engine at GM's Wixom, Mich. Performance Build Center.

Customers who pay for the privilege will be invited to come to Wixom to assemble the engine for their car under the guidance of GM technicians. Once assembly is complete, a personalized nameplate is attached to the engine which is then sent to Bowling Green where it's put into the car.

"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 for global product operations, in an announcement.

The roughly $70,000 Z06 has a 505-horsepower 7.0-liter V8 engine, while the $110,00 ZR1 has a 638-horsepower 6.2-liter engine.

The owner-built engines still get the same 5-year, 100,000 mile warranty as the engines the pros build, GM said.

Customers must pay their own travel expenses, but a GM concierge will help with arranging lodging and meals while in the Detroit area.

GM offers a number of special purchase programs for the Corvette including one in which owners can watch their car being built in the Bowling Green factory, and another in which the new owner can take possession of the car at the National Corvette Museum, also in Bowling Green.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/12/autos/corvette_engine_build/index.htm

[William33 110]

Tip for Booyah: Don't announce "baiting alert" in your thread title, with specific people in mind. This is a violation of the TOS unto itself, irrespective of the good natured thread. I have changed the title for compliance.

William.

Edited July 13, 2010 by William33

[^_^ 5,021]

William33, Chief Compliance Officer

[spookyturtle 9,466]

What a great idea! This is the first idea of its kind in the auto industry. Gotta love GM and their innovation. What true enthusiast wouldn't love to do this? ZR1's and Z06's are meant to be driven. Of course, poseur's wouldn't understand this. They'd need to have someone else tell them what car to drive. They wouldn't be cable of deciding for themselves.

[^_^ 5,021]

What a great idea! This is the first idea of its kind in the auto industry. Gotta love GM and their innovation. What true enthusiast wouldn't love to do this? ZR1's and Z06's are meant to be driven. Of course, poseur's wouldn't understand this. They'd need to have someone else tell them what car to drive. They wouldn't be cable of deciding for themselves.

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOG3rD5CrQ

[spookyturtle 9,466]

[engineer21 51]

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOG3rD5CrQ

Love it!

[Ban Hammer 14,290]

William33, Chief Compliance Officer

you're starting to sound like aj.

[JlovesA 109]

Am I the only one who thinks paying $5800 is a little extreme? I mean, you're basically paying them to do THEIR job. I know it would be a fun experience for car fanatics but still...the price is way too high IMHO.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Am I the only one who thinks paying $5800 is a little extreme? I mean, you're basically paying them to do THEIR job. I know it would be a fun experience for car fanatics but still...the price is way too high IMHO.

That is the price of decreased productivity. You are taking an employee who could assemble much faster and essentially making him or her a tour guide. I'm sure this is a great idea for some who are less technically knowledgeable and have excess disposable income.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I guess if you can afford 100K+ for the car, $5800 is like pocket change. There won't be a lot of takers, but there will be a few who will jump at the chance. The ZR1 is a beast.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

DETROIT — Corvette owners could soon be revving up an engine they built with their own hands.

General Motors Co. said Monday that buyers who order a 2011 Corvette Z06 or ZR1 can help assemble their cars' high-performance LS7 and LS9 engines. The automaker believes the program is the first of its kind in the industry.

The engines will be built at GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich., where GM assembles all of its high-performance engines by hand. The facility can assemble up to 15,000 engines per year, GM spokesman Tom Read said.

Read said it will take buyers about six hours to assemble, adjust and clean their engines with the parts provided. A skilled technician will supervise.

The 2011 Corvettes are just going into production and will go on sale soon. Read said the company expects to have customers building their own engines as soon as next month. GM sold 13,934 Corvettes last year, according to AutoData Corp.

GM suggests dealers charge $5,800 for the engine-building program, which doesn't include air transportation but does include one night of lodging. But that's just a fraction of the cost of a Corvette Z06, which starts at around $75,000, or a ZR1, which is more than $100,000.

The engine-building program joins a list of special options available exclusively to Corvette owners. ZR1 buyers can attend free Corvette driving courses in Arizona or Nevada, for example. For a fee, Corvette buyers can also have their sports cars delivered to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., or watch their Corvettes be built at the Bowling Green assembly plant.

Read said the program shows the lengths Chevrolet will go to for its customers. The program could also help build positive buzz for the company, which is planning an initial public offering as early as October.

The U.S. Treasury Department has owned 61 percent of the automaker after a brief stay in bankruptcy protection last year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38211262/ns/business-autos/