GM will let Corvette buyers build the engines for their cars

Is the $5800 to cover the cost of the union grievances?

There's a huge difference between 'building' and engine and special ordering one.

I think this is kinda cool. You get to specify what you want you power band to look like. So you could theoretically set it up for drag, auto x, or what ever else you would like to do.

No, that isn't what this is. You have a GM tech standing over your shoulder telling/showing you how to put what piece in and where.

Cool program but not a 'build whatever you like' as you seem to think.

It might, the Corvette is tuned towards fuel economy and reliability, it doesn't need dohc to get 100hp/liter. If you can choose the fuel/timing maps you could get 700hp and the associated 10mpg.

JOE your a 100% write you can change the map and the ecm it will get around 11 mpg add 95 hp more to the z06 on the zr1 almost 105 hp thats sick !!!

I think this is a brilliant idea. Im sure the 5800 buys tutorials and other things, but I'm wondering what else is included. The article never said that the owner/builder could select maps and the like so I would imagine this is more of a straight forward assembly, than a true build. Even so, to have my signature on the nameplate beside that of a professional corvette engine builder would render that car the last one I bought, and a space in the closet next to my wife's shoes!

No way, no how. Don't be so silly - there is NO way that you can change the engine ECM maps! That would invalidate the emissions testing and the warranty and about a million other legal documents.

ECM maps can be made more aggressive and still pass emissions. Since this is a GM sponsored program, there should be no warranty or other legal issues preventing this from happening. Depending on the tune, the customer may need to waive some of the engine warranty, but this is within GM's legal right (think of the GT-R transmissions). The federal laws only require that the ECM itself be OBDII compliant which covers a limited number of parameters thatmust to be collected and reported.

Exactley look at Superchips and Cobb Tuning...they built an industry out of reprogramming engine maps and passing emission regs...most of that has to do with the catalytic converter anyway.

Gm will not allow you to make changes in the factory while you are building your motor but what you do outside is up to you. Personally "paying" to build a car dose not sound fun to me, I have been doing it for years but for the average Joe I can see how this could be fun and you can bring home a nice collecters item for the driveway.

Well it also depends on how the tune is applied. I have a 335 with a tune and I can select one of 13 maps from either the throttle pedal or a laptop. When emmisions comes around, or a trip to the dealer, I can set it to 'pass through' and no one is the wiser.

Of course, I didn't get it that way from the factory and I doubt GM will provide such a feature if they let you tweak the ECM at all.