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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray EPA Rated: 29 MPG Hwy, 21 MPG Combined

The new horsepower war is fully upon us. It's no longer just about how much fuel and oxygen you can flow through an engine in a quest for a bigger bottom line, it's about getting the most horsepower from the least amount of fuel possible.

The 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray does a remarkably good job of it, scoring 29 mpg highway and 17 mpg city for a combined rating of 21 mpg.

That's pretty much on top of the Stingray's sporting rival, the Porsche 911, which scores 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for 22 mpg combined in 2013 911 Carrera S form. Eking out 2 mpg combined beyond the 911's highway rating is likely a factor of tall gearing and the low-rpm torque of the new LT1 V-8 engine under the Stingray's hood. It's worth noting that the 29 mpg highway figure is above even Chevy's own expectations; the brand had previously estimated 26 mpg highway.

The 29 mpg EPA rating is actually an average of the Corvette Stingray's two standard driving modes, "Tour" and "Eco". In Tour mode, the Stingray rates 28 mpg highway, while in Eco, it scores 30 mpg highway. The main benefit of Eco mode for manual-transmission Stingrays is the activation of Active Fuel Management, cutting four of the eight cylinders under light loads. On automatic-equipped Corvettes, AFM is always active unless the driver engages manual mode via the steering wheel shift paddles. The automatic hasn't yet been EPA rated.

It's important to note that while the 911 and Stingray are right on top of each other on efficiency, the 911 generates 400 horsepower, while the Stingray outputs 455 horsepower--on essentially the same amount of fuel. Manufacturer performance estimates reflect the power differential: Porsche puts the manual-equipped 911 Carrera S's 0-60 mph time at 4.3 seconds; the Stingray's is 3.8 seconds (with the Z51 performance package). Both the 911 and the Stingray offer a seven-speed manual transmission.

The Corvette team certainly sees itself as a leader in this new aspect of performance-engineering competition. "The Corvette Stingray establishes the benchmark for modern performance cars by using technologies to deliver more performance and more miles per gallon," said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette. "We expect more and more performance cars will follow Corvette’s example."

Ultimately, gas mileage is still a relatively minor influence on the purchase of a world-class sports car--but when the cheaper, more powerful car is also more efficient, it certainly makes for an interesting consideration.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

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C7 Corvette production to kick off with Premiere Edition

Chevy is throwing a launch party at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, at which the wrapper is being pulled of this 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe Premiere Edition.

Just 500 examples of the Premiere Edition C7 will be built in total, with all being top-spec 3LT models and all wearing this Laguna Blue Tintcoat paint over Brownstone suede interiors. Other appearance upgrades for the Premiere Edition include suede and carbon fiber interior trims, a visible carbon fiber roof, hood stripe, "Stingray" kickplates and wheel caps and, wait for it... a matching set of Stingray luggage from Thule. It's every dude's dream: a Corvette with matching luggage.

Functionally, the Premiere Edition will be blessed with the Z51 performance package, as well as Chevy's trick Magnetic Selective Ride Control. Those, along with the car's impressive 6.2-liter, 450-horsepower LT1 V8, should make this special edition as formidable as it will be collectable. Continue reading below for Chevy's brief press release, and be sure to get a close look at all that luggage in our attached gallery.

Courtesy of autoblog.com

Emergency Items

Do yourself a favor and save some room in your trunk for the following items. They could turn a potential trip-wrecker into nothing more than an unexpected pit stop:

• Screwdrivers and wrenches of various sizes
• Jumper cables
• A jack and tire iron
• A can of "Fix-a-Flat" for temporarily sealing and inflating a flat tire
• Water for both the radiator and yourself
• Emergency flares and reflectors
• Gloves
• Blanket and towel
• Flashlight

Courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com