Autoblog UK

If there's a more raw and evocative sound than the roar of Chevrolet Corvette C6.R gunning around Le Mans, then it's been well hidden.

The LMP classes have the whoosh of the diesels, the highly-tuned scream of the Aston Martins but it's only in GT1 where there is noise like the Corvettes. And the sad thing is we won't hear or see them again over the 24 Hours with the GT1 class disappearing after 2009.

Their swansong at Le Mans looks likely to end with a flourish though and by the time you read this, they may well have won class honours again. Admittedly, without the Prodrive Aston Martin Racing team on hand to keep them honest, the brute force of the American cars has been without peers in the class and a podium clean sweep has looked more than likely for much of the race.

General Motors subsidiary Chevrolet will be launching their Corvette C6 Grand Sport special model onto the US market some time during 2010. In combination with a sports exhaust system, the 6.2-litre V8 engine brings a guaranteed 436 horsepower onto the road and it is claimed the C6 will reach a top speed of 190mph. Purchasers have a choice between six-gear transmissions – the manual version or the automatic with a shift paddle on the steering wheel. The Corvette will be available either as a coupé or as an open-top with removable roof. Prices for the US have not yet been fixed and no decision has been taken on whether the vehicle will go on sale in Europe.

In New York, visitors were allowed to marvel at a limited dream. There will only be 600 units of the Chevrolet Corvette GT1 rolling off the lines. This limited edition will bear the name of "Championship Edition". Words are not required - pictures are enough, so dive into the gallery!

At the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, GM will be showing their new concept car, the Corvette Stingray and it will also be seen during the new Transformers movie. The vehicle looks very futuristic, while still showing elements of the original Stingray Racer from 1959. Transformers director Michael Bay was so taken with the original that he was the influence behind this concept car. Whatever type of shape-shifting the vehicle will come up with in the course of the movie will be seen when this blockbuster premieres. You can get a taster in the Galleries and also in a video.

Everyone agrees you can never have too much power under the bonnet, whether in a sports car, a luxury limousine or an SUV. Whilst Mercedes displayed their entire AMG fleet directly alongside their eco-models in Bologna, they relegated the large SUVs to the second row and even the Maybach was found a more discreet home. But this allowed the SLR McLaren 722 GT, produced in limited numbers for the racing circuit, to take the limelight.

Audi followed the same policy as Mercedes, tucking the Q7 V12 TDI away in a corner, but gave the R8 a more prominent position. BMW weren't at the show anyway. But this made Brabus all the more visible with its Rocket 6.3 S Biturbo. Based on the Mercedes CLS and packing a mighty 730 bhp and 1,320 Nm (974 lb-ft of torque), it is absolutely not politically correct. But who cares? The Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed was also there, boasting a far from miserly 610 bhp, and the Americans had brought over the Corvette ZR1 which has 620 super-charged horsepower under the bonnet. Exotic species such as the Pagani Zonda F and the six-wheeled Covini C6W also raised the level of excitement.

Tom Wallace, Corvette Chief at GM, will be retiring from the company at the end of the month. The news was delivered during an event at the Peterson Museum honoring Corvette history. While no reasons were given for the November 1st departure, there is speculation that it could be related to the timing of the seventh-generation Corvette. Wallace may be unwilling to commit to the vehicle's extended launch schedule -- the car was originally set for a 2012 model-year release, but it has reportedly been pushed back to 2014. Wallace was known for his keen grasp of performance-car culture and a passion for the marque, and his departure has come as a shock to many.