GM Inside News: New Details Emerge on the 2014 Corvette
11-08-2011, 03:50 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
GM Inside News: New Details Emerge on the 2014 Corvette
This article makes me sad. 
I was hoping for a more radical design and definitely for the CUE system. Ah well, a lot can change in a year.
Jim
===
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...rolet-corvette
Despite rumors to the contrary, it’s now beginning to appear like the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette (C7) will simply be an evolutionary step from the current C6, both in terms of styling and engineering. Perhaps that’s a good thing, since GM knows it can’t radically change the American icon that’s served as a halo car for Chevrolet for over five decades.
According to GM Inside News (GMI), the next Corvette will bear a more “European looking” design, but without significant restyling from the current C6 model. If GMI is correct, reports of a split-window rear design (as seen on GM’s Stingray concept) are incorrect, and the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models.
Furthermore, despite rumors of a fuel-saving 5.5-liter V-8 base engine in the C7, GMI maintains that the car will soldier on with a 6.2-liter V-8, and will be offered with a seven-speed manual transmission.
Perhaps the biggest changes will come in the interior, since GM is tired of hearing complaints about the Corvette’s cheap interior feel. All C7 Corvette models are said to get an interior that emphasizes higher quality materials, as well as featuring an infotainment display in the center stack with a redundant display in the gauge cluster.
The new Corvette won’t likely receive a capacitive touch console as shown in the Stingray concept and implemented in the Cadillac CUE system. Expect more conventional controls, albeit with better perceived quality than current version cars.
The C7 Corvette should launch in mid-2013 as a 2014 model, which means one thing: the rumors about the car’s design are a long ways from done.
Pictured above is a test-mule for the upcoming 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, with the new model's running gear hidden beneath the body of a current C6. For more details, click here.
I was hoping for a more radical design and definitely for the CUE system. Ah well, a lot can change in a year.
Jim
===
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...rolet-corvette
Despite rumors to the contrary, it’s now beginning to appear like the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette (C7) will simply be an evolutionary step from the current C6, both in terms of styling and engineering. Perhaps that’s a good thing, since GM knows it can’t radically change the American icon that’s served as a halo car for Chevrolet for over five decades.
According to GM Inside News (GMI), the next Corvette will bear a more “European looking” design, but without significant restyling from the current C6 model. If GMI is correct, reports of a split-window rear design (as seen on GM’s Stingray concept) are incorrect, and the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models.
Furthermore, despite rumors of a fuel-saving 5.5-liter V-8 base engine in the C7, GMI maintains that the car will soldier on with a 6.2-liter V-8, and will be offered with a seven-speed manual transmission.
Perhaps the biggest changes will come in the interior, since GM is tired of hearing complaints about the Corvette’s cheap interior feel. All C7 Corvette models are said to get an interior that emphasizes higher quality materials, as well as featuring an infotainment display in the center stack with a redundant display in the gauge cluster.
The new Corvette won’t likely receive a capacitive touch console as shown in the Stingray concept and implemented in the Cadillac CUE system. Expect more conventional controls, albeit with better perceived quality than current version cars.
The C7 Corvette should launch in mid-2013 as a 2014 model, which means one thing: the rumors about the car’s design are a long ways from done.
Pictured above is a test-mule for the upcoming 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, with the new model's running gear hidden beneath the body of a current C6. For more details, click here.
11-08-2011, 05:05 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Instead of responding to a post about a report about an article, here's the article:
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...n-path-106775/
Always go back to the source. In this case, it doesn't say anything like "the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models," only that "C7 will not have a split rear window, at least not as standard fare."
As for CUE, it says that was the plan but it's "since been scrapped." I'm not ready to believe this. In any case, it does look to be a glass cockpit, just maybe not capacative. I wonder if this is wrangling over specific details of CUE being brand-exclusive. I hope GM isn't that stupid.
Interesting about displacement remaining 6.2 liters. I hope that doesn't mean there will be no direct injection or other efficiency-improving technology.
.Jinx
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...n-path-106775/
Always go back to the source. In this case, it doesn't say anything like "the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models," only that "C7 will not have a split rear window, at least not as standard fare."
As for CUE, it says that was the plan but it's "since been scrapped." I'm not ready to believe this. In any case, it does look to be a glass cockpit, just maybe not capacative. I wonder if this is wrangling over specific details of CUE being brand-exclusive. I hope GM isn't that stupid.
Interesting about displacement remaining 6.2 liters. I hope that doesn't mean there will be no direct injection or other efficiency-improving technology.
.Jinx
11-08-2011, 05:26 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
I'm not sure I buy all that. Hasn't it been confirmed, or at least said from exec's, that we are gonna have a 5.5 DI?
Lutz said it will be bold/big change, and gm actually put off the release of the c7 to make sure it was a big/bold enough change, and to do it right
GM said similar things iirc
Im not sure how to take the same platform comment either, unless he means it will be similar
Lutz said it will be bold/big change, and gm actually put off the release of the c7 to make sure it was a big/bold enough change, and to do it right
GM said similar things iirc
Im not sure how to take the same platform comment either, unless he means it will be similar
Last edited by jdhommert; 11-09-2011 at 12:25 AM.
11-08-2011, 05:28 PM
#4
I've been hearing rumors on GMI a while now suggesting the production Gen V will be 6.2L rather than the 5.5L they are limited to in racing. The Motor Authority article tries to cast that in a negative light (will soldier on with...), as if it is the same LS3, but the way the GMI article phrases it, it is still a new Gen V engine, that will continue to displace 6.2L. If they can reach their fuel economy goals without lowering displacement, I see that as a good thing!
To me the article reads that the body style will still be different, just still recognizable as a Corvette, which is a good thing IMO, as long as they change it enough.
I don't think it's necessarily been confirmed that it will be a 5.5L, I think it just made a lot of sense that they would base the production motor on the 5.5L used in the new ALMS C6R (which Corvette is limited to), so people took it and ran with it.
To me the most worrisome thing is the comment about "The car will ride on the same platform that today's car rides on", implying the chassis will not receive any update. It is already great, but for a new generation, I was hoping for a bit more, such as a frame designed and optimized to be built only out of aluminum from the beginning, vs. the current design which I would think would have to have some compromises since there is a steal version as well that has the same interfaces.
To me the article reads that the body style will still be different, just still recognizable as a Corvette, which is a good thing IMO, as long as they change it enough.
I don't think it's necessarily been confirmed that it will be a 5.5L, I think it just made a lot of sense that they would base the production motor on the 5.5L used in the new ALMS C6R (which Corvette is limited to), so people took it and ran with it.
To me the most worrisome thing is the comment about "The car will ride on the same platform that today's car rides on", implying the chassis will not receive any update. It is already great, but for a new generation, I was hoping for a bit more, such as a frame designed and optimized to be built only out of aluminum from the beginning, vs. the current design which I would think would have to have some compromises since there is a steal version as well that has the same interfaces.
Last edited by CPhelps; 11-08-2011 at 05:42 PM.
11-08-2011, 06:54 PM
#5
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And yet Bloomberg has a very different take from Maximum Bob -
Via Corvette Blogger & Keith Cornette --
Via Corvette Blogger & Keith Cornette --
October 19, 2011
Bob Lutz: C7 Corvette is a “Much Bolder and More Dramatic Design”
An article about the C6 Corvette and the coming C7 redesign hit Bloomberg’s news wire over the weekend and there were some interesting quotes from GM insiders both named and unnamed. Former VP of Product Development Bob Lutz, who helped usher the Corvette ZR1 from pipe dream to Nurburgring terror is back in company’s fold as a consultant and we get to hear his thoughts on the coming next-generation Corvette.
The Bloomberg article sets up the notion that the C6 Corvette is in a sales funk that started with the global automotive recession in 2008. The premise the article makes is that the market for $50,000-$100,000 sports cars will return but not to Corvette as long as the car appeals only to the baby boomer demographic of buyers who are 50 years or older. For the C7 Corvette to break out and sell to a younger generation, GM needs to refashion the Corvette to make it more appealable to younger buyers.
Bob Lutz served GM from 2001-2010 as the Vice Chairman of Product Development and is a true blue car guy who believes in giving customers what they want. In discussing the C7 Corvette redesign, Lutz says that he rejected plans for an earlier introduction that included low-cost proposals for only modest changes and that he preferred to wait unto GM had the cash to build a car that would make a Corvette owner want to trade up.
When asked about the C7 Corvette under development, Lutz says that “it’s a much bolder and more dramatic design”. He adds “The new car will also surpass the fuel economy and performance of today’s car in all respects.”
Unnamed sources also told Bloomberg that the there are hints of Ferrari styling in the next Corvette and that it will depart from the traditional looks of the last two generations. That’s an interesting quote as it backs up what Popular Mechanics heard at the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Internal studies by GM show that buyers under 40 years old don’t aspire to drive the Corvette like the older baby boomer demographic who view the Corvette as a reward after their children have grown. To help them understand the motivations of younger sports car buyers, Chevrolet marketers have been talking to owners in Porsche clubs about their views on the Corvette.
The C7 Corvette is widely expected to hit the market in the second half of 2013 as a 2014 model year car. Insiders have commented that the next generation Corvette will retain its front engine/rear wheel drive configuration and will powered by a smaller but more powerful and fuel efficient V8 engine. Recently, several test mules wearing C6 Grand Sport bodies were captured by spy photographers.
Bob Lutz: C7 Corvette is a “Much Bolder and More Dramatic Design”
An article about the C6 Corvette and the coming C7 redesign hit Bloomberg’s news wire over the weekend and there were some interesting quotes from GM insiders both named and unnamed. Former VP of Product Development Bob Lutz, who helped usher the Corvette ZR1 from pipe dream to Nurburgring terror is back in company’s fold as a consultant and we get to hear his thoughts on the coming next-generation Corvette.
The Bloomberg article sets up the notion that the C6 Corvette is in a sales funk that started with the global automotive recession in 2008. The premise the article makes is that the market for $50,000-$100,000 sports cars will return but not to Corvette as long as the car appeals only to the baby boomer demographic of buyers who are 50 years or older. For the C7 Corvette to break out and sell to a younger generation, GM needs to refashion the Corvette to make it more appealable to younger buyers.
Bob Lutz served GM from 2001-2010 as the Vice Chairman of Product Development and is a true blue car guy who believes in giving customers what they want. In discussing the C7 Corvette redesign, Lutz says that he rejected plans for an earlier introduction that included low-cost proposals for only modest changes and that he preferred to wait unto GM had the cash to build a car that would make a Corvette owner want to trade up.
When asked about the C7 Corvette under development, Lutz says that “it’s a much bolder and more dramatic design”. He adds “The new car will also surpass the fuel economy and performance of today’s car in all respects.”
Unnamed sources also told Bloomberg that the there are hints of Ferrari styling in the next Corvette and that it will depart from the traditional looks of the last two generations. That’s an interesting quote as it backs up what Popular Mechanics heard at the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Internal studies by GM show that buyers under 40 years old don’t aspire to drive the Corvette like the older baby boomer demographic who view the Corvette as a reward after their children have grown. To help them understand the motivations of younger sports car buyers, Chevrolet marketers have been talking to owners in Porsche clubs about their views on the Corvette.
The C7 Corvette is widely expected to hit the market in the second half of 2013 as a 2014 model year car. Insiders have commented that the next generation Corvette will retain its front engine/rear wheel drive configuration and will powered by a smaller but more powerful and fuel efficient V8 engine. Recently, several test mules wearing C6 Grand Sport bodies were captured by spy photographers.
11-08-2011, 09:00 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
Sounds like typical GM penny pinching. Squeeze more out of the same. Same chassis, new body and engine keeps the engineering and costs down to some degree so they don't need to move to an entirely new car I guess. I thought they were moving towards a smaller car??
11-08-2011, 10:44 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
They called C6 smaller than C5, too. Shorter and narrower! (And taller IIRC.) It was more a visual tightening up than a meaningful dimensional change. I expect the same from C7, especially if the recent mules are representative of C7's wheelbase.
11-08-2011, 11:47 PM
#10
Instructor
Thread Starter
Good points, thanks for finding the original article! You are right, the motorauthority writer put a blatantly negative spin on it and much of it is just not clear right now.
Instead of responding to a post about a report about an article, here's the article:
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...n-path-106775/
Always go back to the source. In this case, it doesn't say anything like "the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models," only that "C7 will not have a split rear window, at least not as standard fare."
.Jinx
http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...n-path-106775/
Always go back to the source. In this case, it doesn't say anything like "the C7 will carry on with the same rear-window styling as current C6 models," only that "C7 will not have a split rear window, at least not as standard fare."
.Jinx
The article by GMI and Motor Authority definitely puts a negative spin on it.
11-09-2011, 12:19 AM
#13
Le Mans Master
That's a huge problem in the blog era. So much regurgitation and paraphrasing, and being true to the slant/"voice" of the host site. Always helpful to click back to the source...
11-09-2011, 02:48 AM
#14
16 Vettes and counting…..
More worthless, unconfirmed speculation. It's gonna be a long wait.
11-09-2011, 11:23 AM
#16
Instructor
Talking to Porche Club members about the C-7 Corvette?????? Why??? Who cares about an overpriced glorified Volkswagen with outdated body style or what their owners think, they will never buy a Corvette.
11-09-2011, 12:23 PM
#17
Safety Car
i really dont understand what kind of people would even want a split rear window?
your visibility goes to jack chit!
and it wont have a 6.2l it will be a di 5.5l same as the racecars
your visibility goes to jack chit!
and it wont have a 6.2l it will be a di 5.5l same as the racecars
11-09-2011, 02:23 PM
#18
Burning Brakes
The 55 year old demographics they say they need to get younger buyers. Old guys will suck up any link to the famed C2 models. Young guys may think it is cool, but like you said, is it really necessary to dredge up a 50 year old idea??
11-09-2011, 04:54 PM
#19
Drifting
The scenario that so far makes the most sense to me is that the C7 will be an updated car, while the big changes (i.e. soup to nuts) will be the C8, which will follow only a few years after the C7.
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