The wide body versions of the C6 Corvette such as the Z06 and ZR1 look much better than the standard body frame. They have wider arches on the front and rear wheels and are lower in stance which gives them a much better look.
The wide bodies are so popular that regular C6 drivers have been converting their Corvettes to the wide body on their own or using kits. The Z06 is more expensive, but it also has a fixed roof - neither are available as convertibles either - and does not come with an automatic transmission. So those that want the wider stance with a removable roof, an automatic and the standard LS2/LS3 engine are left with no choice but to make the wide body modification themselves.
I suspect it is out of the popularity of the wide body modifications that
Chevrolet will offer the Grand Sport in 2010. It has the wide body panels in both the removable roof coupe form and the convertible body. There
are some performance changes but I suspect the main benefit is cosmetic in that you can get a ZO6/ZR1 wide body with the possibility of driving with the wind in your hair and the standard engine rather than a race tuned one.
According to Jalopnik it is intended to rid the Corvettes of the Z51 packages (both my last two Corvettes have had this package):
Chevrolet's plan is to rid the lineup of the Z51 package Vettes, instead replacing it with a uniquely designed new Grand Sport model. Everything that you know and love about the Z51 will be here, but now, with the help of new Z06-derived bodywork you won't be confused with those driving lesser base-model Vettes.
But again, I still think the main benefit (other than the Z51 spec) is that a normal Corvette is on the popular and attractive wide body look.
The Grand Sport has a bit of a history. It was originally from a Chevrolet attempt to beat the Ford Cobra in racing events. Carroll Shelby had matched the big Ford V8 to the lightweight British AC Cobra frame and it was tearing up the local race circuits. General Motors stripped down a C2 Corvette and sent it out racing.
Garrett Brown photograph of C2 Grand Sport The nameplate was resurrected in the 1990s with the C4 body (my favorite body shape of the Corvettes, and yes, I miss my old dark silver C4 even though it was a mechanical money pit). The C4 Grand Sports had more horsepower and were in lurid blue and white with black wheels.
Akula's photograph of C4 Grand Sport They were also available in coupe and convertible form; consequently they have become highly collectible.
I am completely comfortable with my next Corvette being a Grand Sport.
Phoenix Eats Out is the restaurant review site for
Phoenix,
Scottsdale and
Old Town Scottsdale which lists the modernist and contemporary restaurants, taverns and bars in the greater Phoenix area.
This is the list of the most popular restaurants pages from phoenixeatsout.com that have been viewed the most;
My personal favourite restaurants in Phoenix are
AZ88,
Postinos,
Bomberos with
Grazie,
Humble Pie,
Orange Table,
The Vig,
Fez and others coming close behind. View the complete list with the photo-journalistic style images on
phoenixeatsout.com
Arizona is an outdoor state and has lots of hiking in the city and around the state. Phoenix is unusual for most cities in having several large mountains in the center of the city with great hiking. Anyone who comes to Phoenix has to do the
Echo Canyon trail on Camelback and the
Summit Hike on Squaw Peak or Piesta Peak. The views of the city, suburbs and surrounding mountains are wonderful from Camelback and Piesta Peak.
For more experienced hikers there is the McDowell Mountains in North Scottsdale that has several difficult and strenuous hikes in
Tom's Thumb and
Bell Pass. Alternatively, you can hike the highest mountain in Arizona. At 12,600 feet
Humphrey's Peak is a long and difficult hike.
Between 2004 and 2009 this site,
southsearepublic.org, was a constitutional blog based on scoop which focused on Australian and global constitutional issues.
One of the strongest aspects of it was the development of constitutions by those involved in the blog. These constitutions are the outcome:
The constitutions were built using principles from Montesquieu's separation of powers, the enlightnment's universal political rights and the ancient Athenian technology of sortition and choice by lot.
South Sea Republic started in 2004 as an Australian constitutional blog in 2004 based on scoop software. It was an immigrative outgrowth of Kuro5hin. The archives for each year since then;
The articles are ordered by views.
I am an Australian living in the United States as a permanent resident.
I am a software developer by trade and mostly work in Java and jump between middleware and front end.
I originally worked in the New York area of the United States in telecommunications before moving to Washington DC and
working in a mix of telecommunications, energy and ITS. I started my own software company before heading out to
Arizona and working with Shutterfly. Since then I have joined a startup in the Phoenix area and am thoroughly enjoying myself.
I do a lot of photography which I post on this website, but also on flickr. I have a photo-journalistic website which lists
the modernist and contemporary restaurants in phoenix. I have a site on the
Australian Flying Corps [AFC] which has been around since the 1990s and which I unfortunately
lost the .org URL to during a life event; however, it is under the
www.australianflyingcorps.com URL now.
The AFC website has gone through several iterations since the 90s and the two most recent are
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2004-2002) and
Australian Flying Corps Archives(2002-1999) which are good places to start.
