from the I-don't-get-how-automatic-ones-are-fun-to-drive dept.
"The GXE is based on a 2006 Z06 Corvette," Genovation notes. "The car will have a range of 150 miles during normal driving operation and will have a near 50/50 weight distribution while being optimized for a low center of gravity."
"We are using state of the art inverters, batteries and electric motors that will produce in excess of 700-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque," said Genovation CEO Andrew Saul. "We expect the car to achieve 0-60 mph in around three seconds and have a top speed of over 200 mph. And, most of the parts are designed and built in America."
I certainly wouldn't call this a "Tesla fighter," and imagine it won't really compete with any Tesla models on cost and the built-in tech package (if it ever gets to market), but it'll be awesome to see another street-legal electric car out there with such a high level of performance. And I imagine it will excite many a Corvette fan.
Will Corvette fans bite, or are the roar of the engine and tang of petrol essential to the experience?
(Score: 4, Informative) by joshuac on Saturday July 18 2015, @01:17AM
in Ludicrous mode.
(Score: 1) by hurwitz on Saturday July 18 2015, @04:24AM
...until you turn a corner.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @01:29AM
Chevy should be doing things like this instead of the volt... Just sayin...
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Saturday July 18 2015, @02:48PM
Different market. The Volt's a good idea really, but the execution isn't that great and the price is too high.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @07:02PM
I get that it is a different market. But they should be all over the 0-60 in 2 seconds market. That is pretty much what the corvette is about. Looking cool. Overall it is a rather mediocre sports car. The thing is already a decent sized car so putting a battery in should be no problem. Instead they putter around making bland box cars and charging a premium for it. The people in the market for bland sedans do not care about 0-60. But people who splash out the cash for a corvette do... Just sayin...
(Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Saturday July 18 2015, @01:40AM
Well, let's look at some lyrics:
Wind In my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge
Well-oiled leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
Not much shifting, mechanical music, hot metal, or oil, but we've got sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape, every nerve aware. well-oiled leather, adrenaline surge, and wind in hair.
The fastest car I've driven is a Lancer Evo X (with flappy paddle shifters). I didn't trust myself to put it in racing mode or drive it near its limits, but the friend who owned it gave me a demo of the thing at full power and ZOMG. You quickly find out that slacking off on exercise means you aren't going to be able to push a car in that league to its limits without feeling your blood sloshing around in your body.
I'd love to test drive one of these electric supercars. The instant torque at 0 mph must just grab you. If Gran Turismo is anywhere near accurate, the dynamics of driving the Tesla Roadster are quite different from a car with a gearbox. Even in my little subcompact I drive IRL, especially when a leadfoot SUV is pissing me off, it's important to keep the RPMs in the car's torque range. With electrics, that dynamic suddenly vanishes.
From the perspective of a video game player, that makes the Tesla a somewhat boring car with mediocre performance (compared to how stupidly souped-up Gran Turismo lets you get with regular cars at least). That being said, I just got Gran Turismo 6 since it's like $15 on the Playstation Store right now, and some of the supercars you can unlock are hybrids from what engineers and designers at major auto manufacturers think will be possible in 2035. Those are utterly mind-bending. I thought the Red Bull from GT5 was stupid—I push the accelerator all the way in, blink, and I'm going 150 mph!
I guess I'm mostly just rambling. I don't think there's anything that can really replace driving a car where you have to manage your engine speed and keep it in the torque range, but these electrics and hybrids ought to blow what's possible with petrol out of the water.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @01:42AM
Often these scams come out of Southern CA, but this one is East Coast. The first tip off is that the management team is headed by an MBA. If you look at their website, http://www.genovationcars.com/news/ [genovationcars.com] they are promoting a completely different car which exists as a small wind tunnel model...and a lot of hot air on the website and in press releases.
My guess is that the Corvette electric conversion is their last gasp, as they run out of the NSF grant they received in 2013. If they do make the 'Vette go fast, then they might have a shot at raising more cash from their investors (aka, marks).
Any volunteers to check on this company in a year and see if there is anything left?
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Saturday July 18 2015, @03:44AM
"Will Corvette fans bite, " NO. "or are the roar of the engine and tang of petrol essential to the experience?" YES.
That was simple.
Being serious though, muscle car culture is as much about sound and appearance as it is about power. 0-60 and quarter mile times are good and all that, but a silent car that can beat an earsplittinloudnboomer just isn't going to mean much. It's dull. Tesla makes a beautiful, VERY FAST car, they are interesting because they are different. But there is little excitement to driving one. It feels empty. This will likely change eventually as they become more common. But car culture is a lot about what people put into those motors. If you can't tinker with it, it's just not much fun. (did I just make a Linux car analogy?)
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @04:40AM
I love "tinkering" my car. But sometimes I just wish it would not fight back so hard. Dam I can't find the reason the VR sensor in the new AC compressor is not working. And it's dam hot down south right now. Stupid AUDI!
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Saturday July 18 2015, @06:25AM
Live near the ocean by chance? I would guess a bad ground or a corroded connection further down the line, if it's getting power. If it's not getting power, check for a fusible link or corrosion along the power feed. (I assume you checked fuses and did a general inspection of the system installing it, so the problem is likely further down the line from the compressor. I am also assuming a correct installation.) Another possibility is a failed sensor elsewhere that is not sending the signal it should. All guesses as I know nothing of it except that it's an Audi.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday July 18 2015, @03:28PM
Have you test-driven a Model S? It is a different experience. To me it feels like the opening sequence in STNG when the Enterprise stretches as it goes to warp. Also, because it's silent you can put in your favorite driving tunes and not have to fight to hear it. It's sublime.
The other aspect of gas cars is that you're always fighting entropy. The tinkering you enjoy is not enjoyable for most people. For most people it means frequent visits to the mechanic. With an EV, all of that headache with maintenance goes away. You don't even have to go to the gas station any more. It's liberating.
I don't own a Tesla, but the way they send over-the-air updates to the cars to improve the driving experience, or the possibility of swapping out old batteries for upgraded ones every few years means the car gets better the longer you have it. That's revolutionary.
I can imagine that after-market options will appear for drivers who want sound effects. It would be fun to put it in tie fighter mode when the mood strikes.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday July 19 2015, @04:46AM
Yes, I did get the opportunity to drive a Model S, my brother-in-law (Who just got married today!) has one. It's a beautiful, exceptionally fast car. But, it lacks something. It's ultimately boring. You see maintenance as a chore. I do all of my own work in my shop and I love modifying engines. There is nothing that you can do to it. No bolting on some headers or throwing a tunnel-ram on it. It just is. There is really nothing that can be modified. But you're right, it's not my kind of car, it's a computer with wheels. I love to drive and I love to work on my cars.
It has an advantage too.
Teach your kids to be gearheads and they will stay away from drugs. They won't be able to afford them! Check any gearheads wallet after a sale at the speedshop....(-;
"I can imagine that after-market options will appear for drivers who want sound effects. It would be fun to put it in tie fighter mode when the mood strikes."
I gotta admit, that would be cool. As long as they aren't ICE engine effects. That would be kinda lame. (IMO)
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 1) by zimluura on Saturday July 18 2015, @10:18PM
"...will have a near 50/50 weight distribution while being optimized for a low center of gravity.”
Yet they never actually say what it will weigh.