The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Bowling Green (Ky.) Assembly Plant, where the iconic American sports car is manufactured, will be featured on National Geographic Channel’s popular Ultimate Factories series. The hour-long show about Corvette and Bowling Green Assembly is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. (ET), Nov. 29.
Production of the show took much of the month of April, as a crew from Michael Hoff Productions Inc. in California spent time at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich.; the Milford (Mich.) Proving Grounds and Bowling Green Assembly. Additional filming was done at Pratt & Miller, which builds the C6.R racing Corvette, and Dana, which makes the space frame for the Z06.
"More than 50,000 people each year get to visit Bowling Green to see Corvettes being built," said Wil Cooksey Jr., Bowling Green’s plant manager. "While the tours are an incredible experience, the Ultimate Factories crew was able to capture a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making this great vehicle."
The Ultimate Factories show about the Corvette is as much about the people who build the car, as it is about the car. The story unfolds as workers talk about and demonstrate their passion to produce a high-quality sports car that has captured car lovers’ fancies since 1953.
"The passion our people have for the Corvette and other GM products is evident in their commitment to safety, quality and productivity," Cooksey added. "I credit our success to our great people who pay attention to the smallest details to make each vehicle the best of its kind."
Building the Corvette, particularly the Z06, is a love affair, requiring the greatest attention to detail. Workers at GM’s Performance Build Center individually assemble each LS7 engine that goes in a Z06. Each 505-horsepower engine is signed by the worker who assembled it, a sign of their pride of workmanship. At Bowling Green, workers build upon the company’s standards for quality and workmanship, ensuring each Corvette that leaves the factory is worthy of its heritage.
"The Corvette epitomizes the true American sports car," said Tom Wallace, GM’s Global Vehicle Chief Engineer for Performance Vehicles. "Every model offers an outstanding balance of performance, daily driving comfort and value second to none."
For 2008, the Corvette Z06 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $71,000; the Coupe starts at $45,995 and the Convertible at $54,330. As for fuel economy, most sports cars can’t escape the federal gas-guzzling tax. The Z06 does by getting an EPA estimated 15 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway.
"The thrill of driving a Corvette is legendary," Wallace added. "People buy a Vette because it is an American icon that is not living off of its past, but offers the best in today’s technology and performance. I wish every person could experience at least a ride, if not a drive, in a Corvette at least once in their life to see why."
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