Oz Converters Getting it Right, Stingray Engineer Says

Australians will have to wait until next year to get behind the wheel of a right-hand-drive, next-generation Corvette Stingray.

Car converter Performax International says it expects to gets its first Stingray later this year, but RHD development and government compliance processes are expected to push the Chevrolet model's local on-sale date well into 2014.

Performax says Eric Millette, lean-manufacturing engineer and business manager of body systems at the Bowling Green, KY, Corvette assembly plant, is impressed by the amount of planning already under way for the arrival of the all-new 6.2L supercar.

Millette toured the Performax factory in Gympie, Queensland, and briefed engineering and production staff on details of the seventh-generation Corvette, which made its debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Performax, founded 23 years ago, produces about 300 RHD vehicles a year to ISO 9001 Quality Assured standards.

“Eric was advised by the General Motors management to come and have a look at Performax International and see the way we do our right-hand-drive conversions on Chevy Corvettes, Camaros and Silverados,” General Manager Glenn Soper says in a statement. Performax is importing all three models this year.

Millette “took time to talk to our expert Corvette converters and was blown away by their commitment, knowledge, attention to detail and their eagerness,” Soper says.

“It wasn't just the Corvettes…After inspecting the rolling production line of pickups and being shown our procedures, he was extremely impressed with the whole operation.”

Millette’s praise was a shot in the arm for the Performax team, Soper says.

“While we can't expect any official approval from General Motors, the personal comments of one of its engineers confirmed that the quality of our engineering and finish is as good as or better than factory-original,” he says.

“Eric Millette's feedback gives us and our customers great confidence that these new models…will more than surpass expectations when they finally appear on our roads.”