Mid-engined Corvette development confirmed...
08-06-2010, 01:28 PM
#1
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Mid-engined Corvette development confirmed...
by Saab engineers?!
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/05/m...aab-engineers/
back when Corvette was to be a brand instead of just one car.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/05/m...aab-engineers/
back when Corvette was to be a brand instead of just one car.
Last edited by BrianCunningham; 08-06-2010 at 01:31 PM.
08-06-2010, 02:39 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
That car, and an open top version was actually on the cover of a car mag (Road & Track?) about 20 years ago.....before the C5 came out and maybe before the C4. Don't any of you young guys remember that?
08-06-2010, 03:09 PM
#7
Race Director
That photo is the "Corvette Indy" and CERV project, loooonnnnnggg ago. They never say THAT car is the one they are talking about, although I think it will be a cold day in hell before we see anything similar in reality.
08-06-2010, 03:20 PM
#9
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I know, and so do they, what that car is
They just didn't have a spy shot to run and used that pick for art in the article
They just didn't have a spy shot to run and used that pick for art in the article
08-06-2010, 04:16 PM
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08-06-2010, 05:18 PM
#13
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heard the ZR1 (4 cammer) engine was supposed to be released with the C5, and that the C4ZR1 came about because of a recession @ the time. The C5 came out later.
If true, it would parallel the current C6ZR1.
If true, it would parallel the current C6ZR1.
08-06-2010, 09:27 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Mid-engine, v6, just more rumors for the magazines to stir the pot with...problem is, there is nothing in the pot to stir but HOT AIR. I'm calling 
08-06-2010, 10:44 PM
#19
Melting Slicks
The current Corvette is living proof that even in road cars, there's a limit to how much you can push the power to weight ratio before you have to get more weight on the rear axle or simply reach a limit as to how much of that power you can put down.
Modern tires push that limit higher, but the current ZR1 is obviously pretty much there. On the track it isn't as much faster than a Z06 even though the power is much greater because the weight went up and all of it was in the front of the car. Zero to sixty isn't going to get better unless they can get some more weight on the rear axle, they can pretty much spin the tires all the way thru first gear.
The move to all aluminum engines helped kick the can down the road, as did putting the transmission in back ahead of the rear axle, but at some point you have to get more than 50% of the weight on the rear axle if you want to put down the power.
It would help to put the transmission behind the rear axle and shorten the wheelbase. The CG would move aft, and the shorter wheelbase would help the car put down more power in the lower gears as well as coming off corners by increasing the weight transfer.
The LFA has the radiators in the back of the car for the same reason.
After some point it ends up being less expensive to put the motor in the back than to keep fighting to get more weight aft in a front engine layout.
The guys doing the Corvette have some tough decisions because they aer basically at the end of the line unless they can get 55% of the weight on the rear axle.
Should be interesting....
Modern tires push that limit higher, but the current ZR1 is obviously pretty much there. On the track it isn't as much faster than a Z06 even though the power is much greater because the weight went up and all of it was in the front of the car. Zero to sixty isn't going to get better unless they can get some more weight on the rear axle, they can pretty much spin the tires all the way thru first gear.
The move to all aluminum engines helped kick the can down the road, as did putting the transmission in back ahead of the rear axle, but at some point you have to get more than 50% of the weight on the rear axle if you want to put down the power.
It would help to put the transmission behind the rear axle and shorten the wheelbase. The CG would move aft, and the shorter wheelbase would help the car put down more power in the lower gears as well as coming off corners by increasing the weight transfer.
The LFA has the radiators in the back of the car for the same reason.
After some point it ends up being less expensive to put the motor in the back than to keep fighting to get more weight aft in a front engine layout.
The guys doing the Corvette have some tough decisions because they aer basically at the end of the line unless they can get 55% of the weight on the rear axle.
Should be interesting....
Last edited by Solofast; 08-06-2010 at 10:47 PM.
08-06-2010, 11:29 PM
#20
Le Mans Master
