Motor Trend Magazine Predicts C7 Rollout schedule

[Low drag - High speed]

... when he talked about a direct-injection V6. What if the car were reduced in size and the layout was a transverse mid engine? Then go for piezo-electric bars for an infinitly-variable lighweight suspension that could be controlled at each wheel, plus all-wheel drive. A supercharger would help pull big V8 power out of the V6 and the power-to-weight ratio would enhance performance with the leaner chassis.


Then let's get rid of all the spare scoopage and wingdings that create drag and offer little function. A nice, clean body designed purely for aerodynamics. Don't pay homage to some bullcrap design trend dreamed up by some guy in a suit with a turtleneck, like that Origami they're worshiping over at Cadillac. And no garish exaggerations like the Bizzarre World Transformer concept 'Vette. We just want very low drag and very high speed. The C7 drawings we're seeing have a lot of blind spots, but the teardrop top that Corvette has used since 1978 has excellent all-around visibility and very little drag. Stick with that, but put all the framing underneath the glass so it becomes a continuous tinted glass canopy with small seams for the doors, hatch and targa top. And make it a little lower to cut the wind more smoothly.

No baby-buggy bling wheels and paper thin sidewalls.

Make it more than awesome. And please, don't feed us another crapsicle like the other factories are doing.

[catbert]

I think the C7 will be a short run as GM prepares the C8.

That was the plan for the C6. The C8 will be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay expensive for GM to get into production if they make the huge changes being talked about. That makes me believe the C8 will come out as soon as GM can afford it. That means the C7 may have a long run unless it sells a lot better than the C6 has been doing lately. But then again, unless the C7 sells well, there won't be a C8.

[LLC5]

God, I hope they clean that up! It is waaaaaay tooooooo Camaro. The Vette should not take styling cues from ANY other GM model.

Abosutely! In fact it should be just the opposite, Vette's should lead the way in styling cues, not follow anyone.

GM is pulling a real bone headed move if that Camaro rear end goes into production. Just keep the C6 going if that's all they can come up with.

[LouG]

According to the latest print edition of Motor Trend Magazine:


Below is Motor Trend's prediction:

Fourth Quarter 2013 / First Quarter 2014 - Base 2014 Corvette Coupe
Second Quarter 2014 - Base 2014 Corvette Convertible
2015 Model Year - Z06 Coupe
Later in 2015 Model Year - Grand Sport Coupe & Convertible
2016 Model Year - ZR1 Coupe

I don't understand. I just read in Corvette Magazine that Bowling Green Tours will end September 14 of this year in order to begin seventh-generation Corvette production. No new Corvettes coming out of Bowling Green for 12 to 15 months???

[Tuna]

I don't understand. I just read in Corvette Magazine that Bowling Green Tours will end September 14 of this year in order to begin seventh-generation Corvette production. No new Corvettes coming out of Bowling Green for 12 to 15 months???

It'll probably be more like 6 months with the C7 available in the summer of 2013.

As for the C8, I think a part-time 4WD Vette needs to be considered: Mid-engine V8 with say 400 HP that drives the rear wheels and a generator that charges a small battery pack in the center tunnel. The front wheels would be powered by an electric motor - 100-150 HP - using the battery pack.

The electronics would control the power to the front wheels during launch and poor traction conditions. During normal operations, the front would not be getting any power and just rolling along. The gas engine would spin the generator as needed to keep the battery pack peaked up and ready for use. It would have plug in charger capability also. As the electric motor would not be used all the time, the battery pack could be lots smaller.

Figuring out where to put luggage for a 10-day road trip would be the hard part.