Build Your Own Corvette Engine

[nsap]

Build Your Own Corvette Engine
Build your own engine, watch your car be built and take delivery at the museum.
www.gminsidenews.com
July 12, 2010
By: Nick Saporito

Customers ordering a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 or ZR1 now have a new option for interacting with their car before it is actually built. With the addition of a $5,800 option, customers can go to GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan to help hand-build the engine for their new 'Vette.

Once a customer places an order with the Engine Build Experience option a concierge contacts the customer to coordinate the effort. Customers are responsible for travel arrangements, however the concierge assists with timing the entire experience.

While at the Performance Build Center, future Corvette owners will actually be helping assemble their car's engine-- not just watching. Trained engine assemblers will guide them the entire time and at the end of the assembly process a special nameplate with the owner's name will be mounted to the engine.

The Engine Build Experience option does not alter GM's warranties.

Corvette customers can now participate in the assembly of their car's engine, watch their car being produced at the Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant and attend special driving schools in Nevada or Arizona. GM claims the Corvette is the most interactive buying experience of any "super-car."

[63GrandSport001]

You pay GM in order to build your own engine? shouldn't this be a discount lol.

[Beau]

No because its going to take you much longer than they would, and you still occupy a specialists time anyways. Plus liability...

It makes sense, this si crazy I hope someone does it!

[wescoent]

Wow... I'd love to do that.

Now, if only they could make the Corvette a desirable car to me...

[Old Dood]

I would at least like to watch it being built.
Asking questions and so forth...

I dunno about actually turning a wrench myself...It is better to leave that to the technicians.

[Aromanances]

I would do this.... I have built several engines in my garage, but to get to do it at a modern assembly plant on a new car that you would be driving is incredible. It often pains me at how little many car owners know about there sports cars. Porsche owners are the worst. I know several, one thought for years his two 911's he had were V8's !!!!????? Took for ever to explain the difference to him. Another thought his Boxter was front engine. He did know that the engine was not visible so never opened the front trunk!!

This program would help guys like this. Oh and tell them wicht end of the car the engine goes in...

[AMcA]

Super-duper completely smart marketing. You want to bond a car to its owner? Couldn't think of a better way. Brilliant.

My only criticism: they're charging way too much. They ought to be pricing this a cost. The publicity and owner-dedication value of this is HUGE, and they ought to be encouraging it as hard as they can.

The high price has bad echos of old GM. I bet it went down this way: some wind-eyed genius had the idea to do this. He was able to fight it through the GM bureaucracy against all kinds of people who were saying "gosh, this is unprecedented - we'd better not go out on a limb like that." And in order to prevail, the wild-eyed genius was forced to compromise on a huge price tag, mostly so that the timourous bureaucrats could feel like they had a win.

[Ironghost]

It's a great idea, but how many will actually take them up on it?

[Rocket 88]

I can't imagine pooping out six g's to help build my own engine... but I'm sure there are some folks willing to do that. It's a great idea... but it would be nice if GM really did it right with travel arrangement and hotel accomodations.

GM should invite all Corvette buyers out to the factory to see Corvettes being built.

[jwrebholz]

I still think this is a completely awesome idea and if I had the cash, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[DC12MANY]

I would do this.... I have built several engines in my garage, but to get to do it at a modern assembly plant on a new car that you would be driving is incredible. It often pains me at how little many car owners know about there sports cars. Porsche owners are the worst. I know several, one thought for years his two 911's he had were V8's !!!!????? Took for ever to explain the difference to him. Another thought his Boxter was front engine. He did know that the engine was not visible so never opened the front trunk!!

This program would help guys like this. Oh and tell them wicht end of the car the engine goes in...

I've had GM salesmen that didn't know how many cylinders were in the engine! Needless to say i didn't buy from those locations. If you can't explain what i'm buyin you might need another career.

[DC12MANY]

I think this is a good idea. I've seen a video of this at wixom, can't remember wether it was the buyer or just an assembler, really neat to watch.
I suppose real enthusiast will go for it depending on cost.

[JerryL]

I would at least like to watch it being built.
Asking questions and so forth...

I dunno about actually turning a wrench myself...It is better to leave that to the technicians.

If you ask questions the cost is double........an old shop owners caveat !!

[Mustapha Mond]

If I had the readies to buy a 'Vette I would do this in an instant. I cannot think of many things more intriguing than assisting a master build an engine, then getting behind the wheel to stretch her legs. It would be a fantastic once in a lifetime thing for those who can afford it.

[neshapop]

Just a thought of having such a car would make me nervous and probably (as a prof. engineer) I would mess up something.

Really neat idea.