So if you'd rather get a 'vette...

[LittleRockCGM]

Latest scoop on the next vette:

General Motors announced it will begin production of the C7 Corvette sports car in April of 2012 in advance of a scheduled launch as a 2013 model. The announcement was made as part of GM’s two-year product plan for its four core brands – Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

This news brings the C7 to market a full year earlier that expected. The next generation Corvette was originally scheduled for a 2014 launch. It seems the General Motors, emerging from bankruptcy, is anxious to capitalize on the interest that is always created by the arrival of a new generation Corvette, and in this case, on the 60th Anniversary of Corvette.

The C7 Corvette is likely to have a smaller, lighter body using more lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium.

The new Corvette may even include a smaller, yet more efficient engine, but with its lighter body it should retain the necessary power-to-weight ratio demanded from Corvette owners. It's nearly impossible to imagine a Corvette without a V8, but some interesting options are on the table. A twin-turbo V6 is a very strong possibility," A twin-turbo version of the direct-injection 3.6-liter DOHC V6 that's currently in the Cadillac CTS could easily pump out 400 hp, just short of today's 430hp LS3 V8.

While there very well could be a V6 as the base engine, a pushrod V8 will certainly be a part of the plan as it is part of the Corvette Tradition . In light of new fuel economy restrictions from the Obama administration, the displacement will certainly be down from today's 6.2-liter and 7.0-liter engine sizes, to between 5.0- and 5.7-liter. Turbocharging and variable valve timing are distinct possibilities to make those smaller V8s comparable with today's V8. A dual-clutch gearbox is also not out of the question either if GM wants to keep up with the Porsche 911 or even the Nissan GT-R. It's still too early to know exactly what the powertrain lineup will look like, but expect three levels of performance similar to today's, base model, Z06 and ZR1. Yes, the ZR1 could live on as a C7.
To sum it up, all this also means that the Corvette design and engineering team will now have the resources and the corporate blessing to move full speed ahead on a new Corvette that could see changes to America's sports car that include a smaller, lighter body, greater use of advanced weight-saving materials like carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium and perhaps a smaller engine but one that will still provide the power-to-weight ratio that Corvette owners have become accustomed to.

At the NCM's C5-C6 Birthday Bash in April of this year, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter reassured the Corvette owners present that the team is always thinking about the next generation Corvette and how to make it better. Now that the mid-engine layout has once again been tossed aside, Tadge's engineering team will have essentially just a couple of years to make these engineering decisions and test them in mules which we could see as early as 2011.

Styling-wise, the car could look similar to that of the Corvette Stingray Concept that appeared at the Chicago Motor Show this year. However, in today's economy, a complete retooling of the Bowling Green plant would be very expensive ( one reason the mid-engine design was ruled out ). We believe the new C7 will be more of a transition and refinement of the C6 body style. It may be though, that the design team will see that owners would accept more of a radical departure from the looks of the C5 and C6.

GM's VP of Global Design Ed Welburn told Inside Line that the design of the new C7 Corvette will go retro much like the new Camaro and a prominent design feature will be the return of the split rear window. The next generation Corvette is expected to be launched in 2012 as a 2013 model.

The original split window appeared on the 1963 Corvette Coupe, but Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov hated the feature due to its limited visibility and in 1964 it was removed. Welburn addresses the visibility issue by saying "With the back-up cameras and blind-spot detection systems that we have these days, the visibility issue is much less of a problem."

The Corvette Stingray Concept that appeared in the latest Transformers movie also has a split rear window. "That car is not the next Corvette." says Welburn, "But the split-window is something that I expect for the next Corvette."

Welburn was the driving force behind the new reborn Camaro and is a big fan of the Corvette Stingray concept design as evidenced in this previously released Stingray Concept Introduction video.

As stated earlier, Inside Line says the C7 Corvette will have the traditional front-engine, rear drive layout.
Sources: Inside Line and Corvetteblogger.com

Love my camaro but it can't begin to compete with this:

[CamaroScotty]

and they are fun to drive

[boxmonkeyracing]

Originally Posted by LittleRockCGM

Latest scoop on the next vette:

General Motors announced it will begin production of the C7 Corvette sports car in April of 2012 in advance of a scheduled launch as a 2013 model. The announcement was made as part of GM’s two-year product plan for its four core brands – Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

This news brings the C7 to market a full year earlier that expected. The next generation Corvette was originally scheduled for a 2014 launch. It seems the General Motors, emerging from bankruptcy, is anxious to capitalize on the interest that is always created by the arrival of a new generation Corvette, and in this case, on the 60th Anniversary of Corvette.

The C7 Corvette is likely to have a smaller, lighter body using more lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium.

The new Corvette may even include a smaller, yet more efficient engine, but with its lighter body it should retain the necessary power-to-weight ratio demanded from Corvette owners. It's nearly impossible to imagine a Corvette without a V8, but some interesting options are on the table. A twin-turbo V6 is a very strong possibility," A twin-turbo version of the direct-injection 3.6-liter DOHC V6 that's currently in the Cadillac CTS could easily pump out 400 hp, just short of today's 430hp LS3 V8.

While there very well could be a V6 as the base engine, a pushrod V8 will certainly be a part of the plan as it is part of the Corvette Tradition . In light of new fuel economy restrictions from the Obama administration, the displacement will certainly be down from today's 6.2-liter and 7.0-liter engine sizes, to between 5.0- and 5.7-liter. Turbocharging and variable valve timing are distinct possibilities to make those smaller V8s comparable with today's V8. A dual-clutch gearbox is also not out of the question either if GM wants to keep up with the Porsche 911 or even the Nissan GT-R. It's still too early to know exactly what the powertrain lineup will look like, but expect three levels of performance similar to today's, base model, Z06 and ZR1. Yes, the ZR1 could live on as a C7.
To sum it up, all this also means that the Corvette design and engineering team will now have the resources and the corporate blessing to move full speed ahead on a new Corvette that could see changes to America's sports car that include a smaller, lighter body, greater use of advanced weight-saving materials like carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium and perhaps a smaller engine but one that will still provide the power-to-weight ratio that Corvette owners have become accustomed to.

At the NCM's C5-C6 Birthday Bash in April of this year, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter reassured the Corvette owners present that the team is always thinking about the next generation Corvette and how to make it better. Now that the mid-engine layout has once again been tossed aside, Tadge's engineering team will have essentially just a couple of years to make these engineering decisions and test them in mules which we could see as early as 2011.

Styling-wise, the car could look similar to that of the Corvette Stingray Concept that appeared at the Chicago Motor Show this year. However, in today's economy, a complete retooling of the Bowling Green plant would be very expensive ( one reason the mid-engine design was ruled out ). We believe the new C7 will be more of a transition and refinement of the C6 body style. It may be though, that the design team will see that owners would accept more of a radical departure from the looks of the C5 and C6.

GM's VP of Global Design Ed Welburn told Inside Line that the design of the new C7 Corvette will go retro much like the new Camaro and a prominent design feature will be the return of the split rear window. The next generation Corvette is expected to be launched in 2012 as a 2013 model.

The original split window appeared on the 1963 Corvette Coupe, but Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov hated the feature due to its limited visibility and in 1964 it was removed. Welburn addresses the visibility issue by saying "With the back-up cameras and blind-spot detection systems that we have these days, the visibility issue is much less of a problem."

The Corvette Stingray Concept that appeared in the latest Transformers movie also has a split rear window. "That car is not the next Corvette." says Welburn, "But the split-window is something that I expect for the next Corvette."

Welburn was the driving force behind the new reborn Camaro and is a big fan of the Corvette Stingray concept design as evidenced in this previously released Stingray Concept Introduction video.

As stated earlier, Inside Line says the C7 Corvette will have the traditional front-engine, rear drive layout.
Sources: Inside Line and Corvetteblogger.com

Love my camaro but it can't begin to compete with this:

sorry the traditionalist in me is coming out. please don't. it's a halo car not a main stream car. . .

and then the reality. new kids want the smaller displacement because V-8's are bad. why not aim for a wider buyer base?

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by boxmonkeyracing

sorry the traditionalist in me is coming out. please don't. it's a halo car not a main stream car. . .

and then the reality. new kids want the smaller displacement because V-8's are bad. why not aim for a wider buyer base?

Why bother with a V6 when it won't add anything to the Corvette but cost?

[a_Username]

Obviously the Economy is hurting the Corvette more than anything. I seriously don't like the idea of any V6-equipped Corvette. It would only cost them more to start the production of a new engine, and would only help them in the long run if the next C7s have record sells to offset the spending now. To big of a risk IMO.

[boxmonkeyracing]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Why bother with a V6 when it won't add anything to the Corvette but cost?

I agree but I'm not the one making the decisions lol. I do think we have people at the top looking at the kids today and thinking we need to appeal to them. they are our future. blah blah blah. so they change things in ways to try to appeal to them.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by boxmonkeyracing

I agree but I'm not the one making the decisions lol. I do think we have people at the top looking at the kids today and thinking we need to appeal to them. they are our future. blah blah blah. so they change things in ways to try to appeal to them.

Nah. That logic would fly with a low-price, high-volume car like the Camaro. But not the Corvette....it's a special car that's largely exempt from the rules. "We did it because we can".

I mean, were it not for time and money constraints, there's a decent chance it'd be Mid-Engined right now...

[jputer]

I am driving a '99 C5 Z51 A4 Coupe now. It is for sale and I am waiting for my 1LT Camaro. I have had the Vette for 4 years and it has been a daily driver. I got it with 64 K miles on it for $18K and have put 45K miles on it. I really like the car and have learned to fix and maintain it myself (mostly out of nesessity, the Vette TAX is pretty high if you cannot do your own maintenance).

With help from the the experts at WWW.CorvetteMechanic.com and some of the other Vette forums, I have been able to keep it fun and reliable. I cannot afford a new one, can't find a 2004 ZO6 that I am willing to buy and am unwilling to put a lot more money into keeping this one going.

[rayhawk]

Did they actually call the R8 a bargain?

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Corvette isn't going anywhere. It's ridiculous for anyone to think it is.

+1

[camaro5]

C7 is coming soon...Why buy a C6 now? It's like buying a 2010 Mustang when you know the Coyote's coming soon.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by camaro5

C7 is coming soon...Why buy a C6 now? It's like buying a 2010 Mustang when you know the Coyote's coming soon.

I believe Scotty answered this

Originally Posted by CamaroScotty

People are still buying them though - Less than invoice - $5000 in incentives makes for a great deal on the MANY left over 2009's out there.

[VelocityC6]

Originally Posted by camaro5

C7 is coming soon...Why buy a C6 now? It's like buying a 2010 Mustang when you know the Coyote's coming soon.

GREAT time to buy a pre-owned C6 though. I'm glad I got mine

[Bart]

Originally Posted by camaro5

C7 is coming soon...Why buy a C6 now? It's like buying a 2010 Mustang when you know the Coyote's coming soon.

1) Great prices

2) I think its a real gamble to think that a 427 (in the current Z06) will be available in the next generation. If that is an iconic engine to you, then now is the time to buy. Especially with the amazing deals being offered.

I'm very happy I did!!