CHEVROLET TOP PERFORMANCE BRAND ON TRACK AND STREET

March 28, 2013 by Chevrolet

Reinforcing the brand's success on the street and track, Chevrolet today showcased its new line of performance cars – including the all-new Camaro Z28, Corvette Stingray and SS Performance Sedan – at the New York International Auto Show.

In 2012, Chevrolet accounted for one of four performance cars sold in the United States, and secured the Manufacturer's championships in NASCAR, ALMS, IndyCar, and Grand Am.

Chevrolet the winningest name in motorsports for 2012

Chevrolet last year was the only manufacturer to compete in U.S.-based stock car, open wheel, and sports car races, and secured six manufacturer's championships in four series, including:

NASCAR National Touring Series

For the fourth time in history, Chevrolet captured the Manufacturers' Championship Award in all three NASCAR National Touring Series in 2012. Jimmie Johnson's victory in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway clinched the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers' Championship for Chevrolet. It was the 10th consecutive year, and the 36th time overall that the Bowtie Brand captured the title in NASCAR's top series. Austin Dillon's second place finish in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, secured Chevrolet's 15th Manufacturers' Championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Chevrolet also clinched the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers' Championship with Nelson Piquet, Jr.'s third place finish in the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway.

IndyCar

In Chevrolet's first year in IndyCar since 2005, drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power – both driving Chevy-powered cars – battled for the points lead all the way to the season's final race, with Hunter-Reay coming out on top. Their performances helped Chevrolet take the Manufacturer's Cup, with 11 wins in the 15-race series. Hunter-Reay took four of those checkered flags on his way to the driver's championship.

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ALMS

Corvette Racing, founded in 1999, won its ninth American LeMans Series championship. The two driver-Corvette team in the production-based GT class rang up four wins, six runner-up finishes, 12 podium appearances, two poles and five fastest race laps, sweeping the GT class championships. Corvette Racing also won the team title and Chevrolet captured the manufacturer championship.

GRAND-AM

Chevrolet secured the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Engine Manufacturers' Championship with a win by SunTrust Racing in the season finale at Lime Rock Park. The five Corvette Daytona Prototype teams and drivers won eight of the 13 races held during 2012 season.

New lineup for America's favorite performance car brand

Chevrolet's performance on the track was mirrored in the showroom in 2012. Combined, the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette accounted for 27 percent of the performance cars sold in the United States. Chevrolet Camaro's 84,391 sales made it America's most popular sports car – beating the Ford Mustang for the third consecutive year. Corvette sales increased 7 percent in 2012, to 14,132. Corvette also outsold the Porsche 911 (which accounted for 8,528 sales) to lead the segment for sports cars over $50,000.

That momentum is expected to accelerate with the introductions of three new performance cars, including:

2014 Camaro

The restyled 2014 Camaro advances the design and performance attributes of the segment leader. The revised exterior leverages lessons learned from racing, including a larger lower grille for improved cooling and reduced drag, and a functional hood vent on SS models for improved stability at high speeds.

The 2014 Camaro lineup includes four distinct models:

-The 323-horsepower (241 kW) V-6-powered LS coupe and LT coupe and convertible, delivering up to 30 mpg highway, based on EPA estimates

-The SS coupe and convertible, with a 6.2L V-8 delivering up to 426 horsepower (318 kW),including a track-oriented 1LE performance package for coupe models

-The 580-horsepower (432 kW) supercharged Camaro ZL1 coupe and convertible

-The track-capable, Camaro Z/28 powered by a naturally aspirated 7.0L LS7 engine

The 2014 Camaro line goes on sale later this year. The Z/28 arrives in the spring of 2014.

2014 Corvette Stingray

The all-new, 2014 Corvette Stingray is the seventh generation of the iconic sports car and the most powerful standard model ever, with an estimated 450 horsepower (335 kW) and 450 lb.-ft. of torque (610 Nm). It is also the most capable standard model ever, able to accelerate from 0-60 in less than four seconds and achieve more than 1g in cornering grip.

Its power comes from a new 6.2L V-8 – matched with a new seven-speed manual transmission – featuring efficiency-enhancing direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation technology to help make it the most fuel-efficient Corvette ever, with estimated highway fuel economy greater than 26 mpg.

Lightweight materials, including a carbon fiber hood and roof panel; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminum frame help shift weight rearward for an optimal 50/50 weight balance that supports a world-class power-to-weight ratio.

The convertible model delivers the uncompromised performance of the coupe. With nearly identical power-to-weight ratios and structural stiffness, the coupe and convertible share the same chassis tuning and performance technologies.

Coupe sales begin this fall, with convertible arriving in late 2013.

2014 Chevrolet SS

The all-new Chevrolet SS returns the brand to its rear-wheel-drive performance sedan roots, which were established with the small-block V-8 in the 1950s and grew to prominence with the Impala SS in the early 1960s.

The Chevrolet SS is the first V-8-powered, rear-drive performance sedan offered by Chevrolet since 1996, is based on a race-proven, global platform that underpins the Camaro, Caprice police vehicle and, in Australia, the high-performance Holden VF Commodore.

Elements including lightweight aluminum hood and deck lid panels help give the car a nearly 50/50 weight balance, while the estimated 415 horsepower performance of its 6.2L V-8 and six-speed automatic transmission enables a five-second 0 to 60 mph sprint.

The Chevrolet SS goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.