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Mid-Engine Corvette: Everything We Know
The C8 is on its way. Here's what we know about it.
BY BRIAN SILVESTRO AND CHRIS PERKINS
MAR 11, 2019
This story will be continually updated as new information is learned. The most recent update was published on March 11th.
After decades of speculations, concepts, and renderings, a mid-engine version of everyone's favorite American sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, is finally on its way. There's been tons of rumors, leaked info, and real, actual test mules spotted on the road. Here are all the spy shots, videos, and info we've seen so far on the mid-engine Corvette.
We Might Not See It Until Summer 2019
Originally, we'd heard that the mid-engine Corvette would debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. Don Sherman, an automotive journalist who's been on the mid-engine 'Vette beat longer than anyone, reported in Hagerty last January that's when the C8 would debut.
Obviously, that's not the case anymore. Sherman now reports that the C8 will probably debut this summer—possibly August at an event at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky—and will reach production in December.
Hagerty speculates that Chevy has delayed because of issues with GM's new electrical architecture and some structural issues found in testing a version with a twin-turbo V-8. But before that, you might see a prototype.
It Could Start Between $60,000 and $70,000
Hagerty reports that the C8 will start in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, where it'll be equipped with a new version of the current Corvette's naturally aspirated LT1 6.2-liter V-8. This engine, likely dubbed LT2, should make around 500 horsepower—up from the LT1's 460 horsepower. It Could Get a
Fancy New V-8
A 500-hp V-8, good though that may be, is only where things should start. Hagerty thinks that Chevy is working on a twin-turbo overhead-cam V-8 for the C8, possibly with a flat plane crank.
An All-Wheel Drive Hybrid (!) Is a Possibility
In an August 2016 report, the Detroit News said the mid-engine Corvette is codenamed "Emperor," and that a hybrid version could be in the pipeline. Speaking to the Detroit News, Bob Lutz speculated that the mid-engine Corvette could have a small battery and electric motor to decrease fuel consumption and enable all-wheel-drive. Over at Hagerty, Sherman reports the same thing, adding that an electric motor driving the front wheels would replace the front trunk in base C8 models.
It Might Be Dual-Clutch Only
While GM has filed a patent for a clutch-by-wire system that replaces the traditional hydraulic master- and slave-cylinder mechanism with an electronic actuator, many signs point to the C8 being a dual-clutch only affair.
Back in 2016, our colleagues at Car and Driver reported that the C8 would use aseven-speed dual-clutch gearbox sourced from Tremec. Of its seven speeds, the top three are overdrives, and Tremec says it can handle 9000 rpm input speed and 664 lb-ft of torque.
Car and Driver argues that Chevy will only offer this Corvette with one gearbox to reduce cost and complexity, but a world without a manual-transmission 'Vette is hard to imagine. Still, a dual-clutch would be a big improvement over the current Corvette's eight-speed auto.
It Will Have an Interesting Engine Cover
Chevy's first mid-engine Corvette is a prime chance for Chevrolet to innovate. A recent patent application shows that the engine cover is a design that Chevrolet has spent a lot of time innovating. The design has been made to aid cooling, which might be why the rear of the car has been covered so much in testing.
It Might Have a Targa Roof
Looking at a batch of photos of the C8 Corvette testing on the Nürburgring, our colleagues at Car and Driver noticed something interesting—two distinct cut lines on the roof. They speculate that the mid-engine 'Vette has a removable roof panel. That's not the world's biggest surprise, as all Corvettes since the late 1960s has featured pop-out roof panels—save for the C5 Z06 and fixed-head coupe, and the C6 Z06 and ZR1.
We're not sure if this means Chevy won't do a conventional convertible version of the Corvette, but that's hard to believe. Then again, this car breaks with a lot of traditions
It's Going Racing, Possibly with V-6 Power
While prototypes are out on public roads doing testing now, the racing version of the C8 spotted at Road America getting ready for the 2020 season. As with all Corvette race cars dating back to the C5-R, the C8.R will be built by Pratt and Miller and entered into the IMSA WeatherTech Series. A run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 is possible, too.
Audio from the C8.R's test sessions reveal a car that sounds quite different than the thundering C7.R, leading us to wonder if this car has a V-6, or perhaps a flat-plane V-8.[/Quote]
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...e-2018-rumors/
The C8 is on its way. Here's what we know about it.
BY BRIAN SILVESTRO AND CHRIS PERKINS
MAR 11, 2019
This story will be continually updated as new information is learned. The most recent update was published on March 11th.
After decades of speculations, concepts, and renderings, a mid-engine version of everyone's favorite American sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, is finally on its way. There's been tons of rumors, leaked info, and real, actual test mules spotted on the road. Here are all the spy shots, videos, and info we've seen so far on the mid-engine Corvette.
We Might Not See It Until Summer 2019
Originally, we'd heard that the mid-engine Corvette would debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. Don Sherman, an automotive journalist who's been on the mid-engine 'Vette beat longer than anyone, reported in Hagerty last January that's when the C8 would debut.
Obviously, that's not the case anymore. Sherman now reports that the C8 will probably debut this summer—possibly August at an event at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky—and will reach production in December.
Hagerty speculates that Chevy has delayed because of issues with GM's new electrical architecture and some structural issues found in testing a version with a twin-turbo V-8. But before that, you might see a prototype.
It Could Start Between $60,000 and $70,000
Hagerty reports that the C8 will start in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, where it'll be equipped with a new version of the current Corvette's naturally aspirated LT1 6.2-liter V-8. This engine, likely dubbed LT2, should make around 500 horsepower—up from the LT1's 460 horsepower. It Could Get a
Fancy New V-8
A 500-hp V-8, good though that may be, is only where things should start. Hagerty thinks that Chevy is working on a twin-turbo overhead-cam V-8 for the C8, possibly with a flat plane crank.
An All-Wheel Drive Hybrid (!) Is a Possibility
In an August 2016 report, the Detroit News said the mid-engine Corvette is codenamed "Emperor," and that a hybrid version could be in the pipeline. Speaking to the Detroit News, Bob Lutz speculated that the mid-engine Corvette could have a small battery and electric motor to decrease fuel consumption and enable all-wheel-drive. Over at Hagerty, Sherman reports the same thing, adding that an electric motor driving the front wheels would replace the front trunk in base C8 models.
It Might Be Dual-Clutch Only
While GM has filed a patent for a clutch-by-wire system that replaces the traditional hydraulic master- and slave-cylinder mechanism with an electronic actuator, many signs point to the C8 being a dual-clutch only affair.
Back in 2016, our colleagues at Car and Driver reported that the C8 would use aseven-speed dual-clutch gearbox sourced from Tremec. Of its seven speeds, the top three are overdrives, and Tremec says it can handle 9000 rpm input speed and 664 lb-ft of torque.
Car and Driver argues that Chevy will only offer this Corvette with one gearbox to reduce cost and complexity, but a world without a manual-transmission 'Vette is hard to imagine. Still, a dual-clutch would be a big improvement over the current Corvette's eight-speed auto.
It Will Have an Interesting Engine Cover
Chevy's first mid-engine Corvette is a prime chance for Chevrolet to innovate. A recent patent application shows that the engine cover is a design that Chevrolet has spent a lot of time innovating. The design has been made to aid cooling, which might be why the rear of the car has been covered so much in testing.
It Might Have a Targa Roof
Looking at a batch of photos of the C8 Corvette testing on the Nürburgring, our colleagues at Car and Driver noticed something interesting—two distinct cut lines on the roof. They speculate that the mid-engine 'Vette has a removable roof panel. That's not the world's biggest surprise, as all Corvettes since the late 1960s has featured pop-out roof panels—save for the C5 Z06 and fixed-head coupe, and the C6 Z06 and ZR1.
We're not sure if this means Chevy won't do a conventional convertible version of the Corvette, but that's hard to believe. Then again, this car breaks with a lot of traditions
It's Going Racing, Possibly with V-6 Power
While prototypes are out on public roads doing testing now, the racing version of the C8 spotted at Road America getting ready for the 2020 season. As with all Corvette race cars dating back to the C5-R, the C8.R will be built by Pratt and Miller and entered into the IMSA WeatherTech Series. A run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 is possible, too.
Audio from the C8.R's test sessions reveal a car that sounds quite different than the thundering C7.R, leading us to wonder if this car has a V-6, or perhaps a flat-plane V-8.[/Quote]
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...e-2018-rumors/
but very driveable on the street. Lower the rev limit to 8000, install new valve springs every few years and these engines will out last me.
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