CHEVY'S Corvette Z06, the ultimate race-bred development in a
family line of iconic American sports cars stretching back 54
years, is now on sale new in Australia.
The 7.0 litre coupe, boasting a top speed of 319 km/h, is
imported and sold by Sunshine Coast company Performax
International, formerly Corvette Queensland.
Performax International imports the vehicles and converts them
to right-hand drive and Australian Design Rule requirements
in-house at its Gympie factory.
As Corvette Queensland, it has had an 18-year history in
importing and converting American cars and trucks. It is the
biggest and most experienced such company in Australia and is
certified for ISO Quality Assurance.
To reflect its growing and diversifying national business,
Corvette Queensland recently changed its name to Performax
International.
The Corvette Z06 comes in only one highly-defined version - a
coupe with manual transmission - and is priced at $240,000, plus
on-road costs. It is retailed directly by Performax
International.
Performax International also imports new from the US, converts
and sells -
- Corvette C6 Coupe automatic ($180,000), Convertible automatic
($190,000)
- Hummer H2 ($149,000)
- Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, fitted with 6.6
litre Duramax 890 Nm turbodiesel V8 ($115,000)
- Cruiser 5th-wheel caravans ($115,000)
- And carries out customer-ordered conversions on Chevrolet
Camaro, Corvette C5, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon and
Plymouth Prowler
Founded by Greg Waters and Brian Learoyd out of personal desire
to own a Chev Corvette, the company quickly found itself the
destination for like-minded enthusiasts.
The business grew steadily, importing and converting a variety
of GM and other brands' products, until an order in the late
Nineties for several hundred GMC cab-chassis for the Victoria
ambulance service boosted operations into a higher gear.
Performax International currently employs 40 people with a
variety of specialist skills.
They include engineers with CAD-CAM ability, who design new
components required for conversions and supervise the ADR
compliance process.
Vehicles are converted mostly under the
Commonwealth-administered Regulated Accredited Workshop Scheme
(RAWS), which allows conversion of up to 100 vehicles per category.
Performax International also is able to operate under the Low
Volume New vehicle importation scheme.
Performax International's engineering and installation
standards, ensuring a seamless and comprehensive conversion to
right-hand drive, are considered the industry benchmark in
Australia.
Such is the company's expertise and reputation, it is often
consulted on relevant industry issues by the Federal Department of
Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS).
It is now also an exporter. Since early 2006, Performax
International has exported 10 new converted Corvettes to South
Africa, also a right-hand drive market, on behalf of a local
importer.
Further information
Nick Vandenberg
General Manager
Corvette Queensland
Cnr Bruce Highway & Hall Road
Gympie, Q 4570
Phone (07) 5482 7833
Fax (07) 5482 8562
Mob. 0407 010 451
nickv@corvette.com.au