Thursday, October 8, 2020

 Great Drive yesterday through Oak Creek Canyon. Take a look at the video

Chris & Debby

Monday, October 5, 2020

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

September 2nd~2020 Corvette Mid Engine info for all...from Mike Furman at Criswell Chevrolet 301 212 4420

Not talking with Mike Furman is like winning a golf lesson with Tiger Woods and taking it from his caddy instead because Tiger is running a few minutes late." Doc Prego from the midenginecorvetteforum.com site. I have no assistants...I get back to everyone as fast as possible.


*So many times, people call blindly in to Criswell Chevrolet and if you don't ask for me you will then end up with one of the 34 other sales reps on the Chevrolet showroom floor. 301 212 4420 is my desk direct line (not a text line) and my email is mfurman@criswellauto.com  I've been selling Corvettes for 43 years and trust me, my experience counts.

Quick notes...All inbound 2020 Corvettes are SOLD factory orders and spoken for. GM puts them in our inventory as soon as they are marked for DELIVERY status from Bowling Green, KY.

2021 Corvette allocations begin in October. Once GM shares the 2021 Corvette order spec guide, I will disperse to all on my Corvette customer list. Please be patient. Remember the world is still battling a pandemic.

Bowling Green Assembly plant continues to shine, having last month produced the 5,000th C8 since the May 26th production resumption. Sometime this week BGA will reach the milestone of building more than twice the number of C8’s since the resumption as they did in the first, Feb 3 though March 16th, initially C8 assembly period.


We recently learned from a Tadge Juechter video at the virtual Peterson Auto Week that unlike typically, there will be no production interruption when the 2020 model year end and the 2021 MY begins in December. Tadge also talked about the two new colors of Silver Flare and Red Mist Metallic tint coat and his personal passion for Red Mist. He has chosen Red Mist for his 2021 captured test fleet car. As of yet however not one C8 has been painted in either color. But there is always a possibility that this week in Bowling Green, KY that these colors may be displayed...let's hope so.

Speaking of 2021’s, the best news since my last newsletter is not just that its MSRP is unchanged (announced first at in last May’s NCM Bash), that there are no price increases for either the 2LT nor the 3LT. Out of about 100 C8 options, all but four kept their 2020 price. The four that will have 2021 price increases include the front lift, Z51, visible carbon fiber mirror caps and the LPO black trident wheels. For complete pricing information: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/me-discussion-photos-videos/171871-2021-c8-pricing

Interesting interview held with Chief Corvette Exterior Designer Kirk Bennion of some of the C8’s design parameter. Story and video line here: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/mid-engine-corvettes/mid-engine-exterior-interior-pictures-and-renderings/178602-kirk-bennion-on-key-design-features-of-the-c8-corvette

I am delivering many C8’s in person every week. (C8 signifies the 8th generation of Corvette production) Pure fun for me to do that as I experience the sheer delight of introducing the new C8’s to their new owners. As most of you know, I am also delivering new C8’s remotely via the NCM Museum Delivery program, courtesy delivery shipments, and by shipping them from Criswell once they have been PDI’d, and paid/signed for directly to their new owner’s house.

Rumors abound about the upcoming C8 Z06. Of course, as we know for every rumor that turns out to be correct, five to ten turn out to be bogus. I would not put any stock in any of them. When facts appear, they will appear immediately at: www.MidEngineCorvetteForum.com. At this time, we need to realize that GM has yet to even state that there will be a C8 Z06. But for those of you who want to get in line in my ever-expanding list of time and date stamped deal folders should that car materialize, that list is also growing.

Discussions continue, informed rumors about the Z06 components... The latest ones include that it will offer three different rear spoiler/high wing options. Others are about its standard carbon ceramic brakes, visible carbon fiber wheels, Cup 2 tires, etc. https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/me-discussion-photos-videos/186046-z06-rumored-having-3-wing-spoiler-options#post186088

*I spent every Summer with Zora Duntov from 1978-1990 and his favorite quote to me when I spoke of future Corvettes was "Rumors sell magazines and not cars!"

Thanks as always for making me the # 1 Corvette salesperson ever, as sometime in the early Spring 2021,
I will reach my 5,000 Corvette delivery. Meanwhile I currently own my 21st Corvette in 43 years of selling Corvettes!

 
Mike Furman
Corvette National Sales
Criswell Chevrolet of Gaithersburg, MD
off Fridays and Sundays
301-212-4420 Direct
503 Quince Orchard Rd.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Facebook
We're Driven by YOU!  

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Phoenix Donut Run

 It's an odd time, to be sure. Here we are on August 23 and the Indy 500 will run today - quite a ways past Memorial Day! It's another special day for Corvette with a Torch Red  C8 leading the cars around the Brickyard, joining the long list of Corvette Indy Pace Cars that began in 1978. So how do we kick off a day like this?

If you read the current issue of Road & Track, you may have seen the article in which the author made a 650 mile road trip around Washington to find the best maple bars. We weren't quite that ambitious, but we took on a small scale challenge for two of Phoenix's top donut shops: Bosa Donuts (various locations) and Lamar's Donuts (Bell and the 17).

Lucy and I left home at 7:00 with a plan to meet Chris and Debby at the Union Hills Bosa, get some maple bars, and drive a couple of miles from there to Lamar's for some of their bars and the taste test and judging.








First up: Lamar's bars:



Lucy: Very strong maple flavor, dense dough

Debby: Just delicious!

German: Dense dough, very sweet and gooey - good with black coffee.

Chris: Chocolate drizzle on the maple topping is a great touch, good beat and you can dance to it! Score 94.

Then, on to the Bosa bars:






Lucy: Maple topping isn't as strong as Lamar's, lighter fluffier.

Debby: Not nearly as much maple flavor, not as strong as Lamar's.

German: Light, yeasty dough - crisp maple topping doesn't melt. Much lighter overall.

Chris: Lighter, relatively tasteless - score 85

And the vote......

Chris and Debby - Lamar's
German - Bosa
Lucy (Goldilocks) - wants something in the middle, abstains from voting.

So Lamar's is the champion for now! Chris compiled a list of the top 10 donut shops in town based on Yelp reviews and split them into two separate outings. Once the weather cools down, we'll do a larger scale version of this with more driving and more cars!



Monday, July 13, 2020

Mid Summer Update~2020 Corvette Mid Engine Info from Mike Furman at Criswell Chevrolet 301 212 4420


I do a weekly Corvette delivery post...I usually get approx 40,000 views per week. Here is the one from yesterday that the Corvette Blogger shared with the world..
~ All 2020 Corvette orders at 3000 status or higher will get built through the Fall.
~2021 Corvette order spec guide gets released July 27th.
~The first Corvette allocations since mid March start July 30th for August/September. I will contact the front of the list in Date Code and time stamped order. Please be prepared when I call you so that we can spec out your exact Corvette that you are seeking. 
To prepare for initial order 2021 submittals, GM has recently told us all of the 2021 changes. We started learning about them in May at the NCM Bash thanks to Tadge, Harlan and Kai, most importantly with the major news that the ‘21’s MSRP is unchanged. However other news was that Long Beach Red is being replaced by Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat, that Blade Silver Metallic is being replace by Silver Flair Metallic , and that there is a new suspension option FE2 which couples mag ride for the entry version (no Z51 required). One more 2021 enhancement is Apple and Android wireless car play. Here’s the complete GM 2021 press release: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/me-discussion-photos-videos/163168-2021-c8-officially-announced-with-first-picture-of-silver-flare
Already confirmed from a GM teaser video and that above GM release are the 2021 new stripe colors of orange, red, yellow and blue. They will be joining the 2020+ Carbon Flash Metallic, Midnight Gray and Sterling Silver stripe options. Thanks to CorvetteBlogger we learned that Chevrolet is also bringing back the “stinger stripe.” Lastly for 2021 will be two 3LT seat combinations called “Strike Yellow/Sky Cool Gray” and “Leather Jet Black with Sky Cool Gray.” If you wish to join the discussion of these new colors and options and see GM’s 2021 teaser video, it’s here: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/me-discussion-photos-videos/162484-such-a-tease-such-a-tease
Lots more C8 information is available at my C8 forum “go-to” site: www.MidEngineCorvetteForum.com
We were recently informed that one of great efficiencies GM used to make the eight generation mid engine C8 was the incredible percentage of its parts which were initially produced during its development process with 3-D printers. Here is an interesting place to learn the specifics of how 3-D printers sped up that process.
Within that thread is a link to an interesting correlated GM process by which it is using computers to most efficiently design vehicle parts, both 1) from the design direction to reduce the number of different parts which are necessary to perform a function as well as, 2) to reduce the weight of that single part that can now perform the function(s) what many separate ones earlier did. Weight savings of 20% are not uncommon using the new process, as is that 20%+ reduction of parts. Of course the fewer parts needed the more efficient is inventory control, assembling a vehicle, and also results in total vehicle cost. This new process is called “light weighting”; there is a very interesting two minute video within that above link that demonstrates how it works. In my opinion, we will have more light weighting of C8 parts in future models.
The C8 pioneered the world’s introduction of significant vehicle developments including its carbon fiber rear bumper beam: https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.com/forum/mid-engine-corvettes/mid-engine-exterior-interior-pictures-and-renderings/162683-making-c8’s-carbon-fiber-rear-impact-bumper-beam
2020 C8 production year will continue into this fall. That lends credence to a statement attributed to a GM dealership General Manager, that 2021 production will literally not start until calendar year 2021. However until an official GM announcement, we are not yet positive of this timing.
These are exciting times. It is a treat for me to again be now delivering C8’s to new owners . I wonder who will be my 5000th new Corvette customer sometime during the 2021 model year. Might it be you? Looking to get in line for a future Corvette...  Please email mfurman@criswellauto.com or call me at: (301) 212-4420. I will be happy to make your C8 dream become reality.
Mike Furman
Corvette National Sales
Criswell Chevrolet
OFF FRIDAYS AND SUNDAYS
301-212-4420 Direct
503 Quince Orchard Rd.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Facebook
We're Driven by YOU!  

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Jet Set Saturday Cruise 06-27-2020

Below are a few pictures from our three car cruise through Rio Verde, Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, ending at Portillo's Hot Dogs. There's also a video link to the whole trip from by PDR recorder.









Saturday, June 20, 2020

Cruise in the Rain - Minnesota


From John Ulrich who is in Minnesota hiding from a great Arizona summer!

The NCRS club was out for a cruise down the Mississippi River.

It started pouring rain.

I helped Larry (I have not seen him in 5 years!) put his top up on the black C1. He built it on a SRIII frame with C4 suspension/motor.

I turned 55,555.5 miles.









 Great Drive yesterday through Oak Creek Canyon. Take a look at the video Chris & Debby