The Chevrolet Corvette is about as American as apple pie, baseball and starting wars. It’s the quintessential sportscar over in the States which makes it surprising that for the next Corvette, General Motors is seeking out design proposals from its various styling studios from all around the globe, particularly those in Europe.

That’s the word from GM’s vice president of global design, Ed Welburn, who revealed in a recent interview that the automaker’s design studios from across the world have begun sending in design studies for the C7 Corvette, which is expected to kick into gear late 2012.

More than ten new Corvette designs have been submitted so far, some of which have been described by Welburn as “absolutely phenomenal”.

This marks the first time that input from designers outside the U.S. is being seriously considered by GM. The thinking is that a more international flavor will enable the new Corvette to sell better in Europe and also attract younger buyers in the U.S. who might usually purchase an imported vehicle.

“We have challenges in the States with the Corvette,” Welburn explained. “The average age of the customer is really rising.” According to surveys, the current average age of a Corvette buyer is 54 and sales of the model last year are down 48 percent from where it was at in 2008.

Welburn hopes to change the design of the Corvette so it will be smaller and more aggressive, and improve interior quality.

One design element that’s already known is that the C7 Chevrolet Corvette will get a split rear window along with some other retro styling cues.

The 50th Anniversary Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept (pictured) may be a fair starting point. Click the link below to check out more images of the concept.

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This Sunday’s (14 March) fourth round of the 2010 Jetpro Jetsprint Championship in the Hawke’s Bay will be a defining event in the chase for title honours between class leaders Richard Burt (Suzuki Superboat), Baden Gray (Scott Waterjet international Group A) and David Stone (Jetpro Lites).

All three drivers and their respective navigators need maximum points from the Sunday series of elimination runs to secure a points buffer for their title aspirations in the run to the final being held in late April.

Of the six rounds, the spring fed lagoon location at Crownthorpe near Hastings is the newest on the calendar. Its third time hosting the New Zealand title series will offer no favourites for the 30 teams contesting the sprint event for vee-eight powered water jet propelled boats.

With the largest lead, of seven points, Scott Waterjet Group A competitor Baden Gray and navigator Tanya Iremonger (Auckland) have the benefit of three consecutive round wins.  Six points clear, Suzuki super boat team of Richard Burt and Roger Maunder of Palmerston North have two round wins, while Bulls based Jetpro Lites team David Stone and Steve Greaves have a slender one point lead, also with two round wins.

Illustrating the need for consistency, the 30 points for a round win is almost matched by 29 points for coming second – regardless of the time differential.

That leaves fifth placed Waitotara farmer Duncan Wilson and navigator Jamie-Lee Lupton still within striking distance of Richard Burt’s Suzuki Superboat category lead.

“We’re not too phased; we’re always out there to win, but we’ve had navigator changes and a few things with the boat we’ve been trying to sort out.  But we can still chase and hunt him down,” said Wilson, who was title runner-up to Burt in 2009.

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Holden Torana TV Commercial

Jason Hansen isn’t the kind of guy who sits around waiting for tomorrow to come. He gets a vision, accepts the challenge and goes for it. Although Jason’s company Auto Colour Matrix is relatively new on the scene (it specialises in basic maintenance to complete ground up rebuilds), his involvement in hotrods and street machines extends much further back with an impressive list of previously owned vehicles. Included in the list is the recently sold ‘39 Chev Tudor, which he’d had for years. Also sharing the shed in the past were a ‘59 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe, 2002 SS Ute and a LC Torana. He also owned and drag raced the ex-Taylor Auto ‘23 T bucket Altered.

So, he is no stranger to what makes a car tick and how to make them look good.

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Courtenay Place, Cuba St or Willis st to the Quays hell even backing out the driveway.. slow and steady this track pumps out heaps of bass and lovely strings and wind accompanyment.. makes you want to slow down and drive in slow mo..

RIP Michael Hutchence a(nother) great singer lost to us all

It doesn’t matter if you prefer the Mustang or the Camaro, there’s no arguing that Chevrolet’s reborn pony car has been a hit over in the States. It’s been less than a year since production of the 2010 Camaro began and the 100,000th example has just rolled off the line. The milestone car was apparently an inferno orange SS.

Since last June, the Camaro has been outselling its chief rival, the Mustang in America. Ford tried to prevent this by refreshing the Mustang around the time of the Camaro launch. But Ford neglected the powertrains when reworking its Mustang. This opened the door for the more powerful Camaro to grab major market share. That oversight has now been addressed for the 2011 model year with Ford’s new engines ready for work. Next month the pony car wars will rage up in again when the 2011 Ford Mustangs begin rolling off the line with power that matches the Camaro.

Ford New Zealand has set a challenge – to hand out 20 grants in 20 hours to 20 deserving recipients on Thursday 11 March and Friday 12 March.

A sponsor of the Variety Bash since its inception in 1990, the “Ford Donation Drive” will commemorate the 20 years of work that Ford and Variety – The Children’s Charity have carried out with sick, disabled, and disadvantaged New Zealand children.

The donation drive will see the Ford True Blue team take their flame decaled 1963 MK III Ford Zephyr from Wellington to Masterton, distributing grants along the way.

“This year we wanted to do something extra special to celebrate our 20 year sponsorship of Variety. Staff thought a grant to mark each year of our relationship was the perfect idea – the twist is to get 20 distributed in 20 hours,” says Trevor Auger Managing Director of Ford New Zealand.

The team will travel to seven locations with grants of children’s toys, car seats, and specialist medical equipment, all made possible through hours of fundraising by Ford staff and dealers, who have raised over $13,000.

Arriving in Wellington on Thursday 11 March, Ford team members will head to Westpac Stadium at 11.30am to gift 10 decile-one primary schools with either library or sporting packs.

Another 10 grants will be handed out to early childhood centres and individuals as the team make their way across Wellington to Masterton in the Zephyr.

At 2pm the ‘Bashers’ (as participants are known) will head to Naenae where they will visit Yusuf Guled at Dyer Street School. Yusuf, aged 10, has Downs Syndrome and Perthes Disease, affecting his hip joints and mobility. Unable to ride a regular bicycle, he will be gifted a specialised trike by Ford to enable him to exercise, providing important physical development.

The 20th grant will be given out 18 hours after the first, to Zoe Bowater of Masterton. Zoe, 13, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2007 and has since been struggling to come to grips the required multiple daily insulin injections. The Bowaters realised the freedom Zoe could enjoy through use of an insulin pump, which they can now order thanks to Ford’s True Blue Team.

“Ford New Zealand has been a passionate and enlightened sponsor of Variety since our inception in New Zealand in 1989,” says Variety CEO Lorraine Taylor. “The enthusiasm and dedication of Ford staff resulted in it being awarded a Variety International Corporate Award in 2007. Ford’s assistance has made a significant difference to the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged Kiwi kids over the last 20 years.”

The 2010 Variety Bash begins in Christchurch on Saturday March 6 and travels north via Westport and Farewell Spit before crossing the Cook Strait to Wellington. After Wellington, the Bash continues north through Masterton and National Park, finishing in Auckland on Sunday March 14.

A fairly decent 265 that’s still being run in so nothing too amazing. Has had all the common work done such as Large Valves, 318 Pistons, Double Row Timing Chain, Roller Rockers, Billet Cam, Enlarged Ports. It has an enlarged oil pan and runs Electronic Ignition instead of the standard points.