ThrottleUp

A 2500 pound weight Corvette will go a long way to giving the C7 a phenomenal new lease on life. Many benefits will accrue to a high-powered sports car with weight near that number. Decreasing Lbs per HP is probably the cleanest path to improve overall performance. Side benefits are improved gas consumption improved tire wear, even smaller tires will yield slot-car like traction on curves. And with less weight there may be considerably less stress on most stressed components.

What kind of weight target has been mentioned for the C7. Or do we have to wait for the C8 to get real on weight?

I know there have been thousands of legislated federal rules over the last 40 years which impact weight in all cars, but I can't seem to forget how phenomenally a 1969 Lotus Elan I once owned handled, and that car weighed around 1,750 lbs (less after I removed the seat belts lol). In my mind this would be a goal worthy of our best engineers' best efforts.

Jinx

No, not possible.

The Mazda Miata barely squeaks under 2500 pounds.

B Stead

The Miata is a unibody car. It's not a car with lightweight technology but just a small car with traditional construction.

The Lotus Elise is about the same size as the Miata and it comes in at about 2000 pounds. It has an aluminum frame in tall cross sections and a fiberglass bodywork.

The Corvette has a hydroformed steel girder frame (in tall cross section) and a fiberglass bodywork.

The Z06 Corvette has a hydroformed aluminum girder frame (in tall cross section) and a fiberglass bodywork.

And so the Corvette will pretty much be okay if it doesn't change its current construction type.

However the Corvette could improve fuel mileage, while keeping the V8, but going to the Northstar engine.

Jinx

The Lotus Elise also had under 200hp, cost as much as a Corvette, was unrealistic as a daily driver for most people, and IIRC only came to the US with special exemption from 2.5mph bumper standards.

OnPoint

I don't see the Northstar engine coming back.

And C7 will be doing quite well to hit the ground around 3,100 at its debut.

Perhaps if carbon fiber production techniques continue to push the time and cost of that product down, we'll be able to see more use of it in the Vette down the road, which would help.

B Stead

If the Corvette weighed less then it could have a smaller engine and transmission while keeping its power-to-weight ratio.

But the only smaller engines with good balance are the inline-six and the boxer-six.

Well, the Lincoln LS had a 32-valve V8 at 3.9L size. The 32-valve Northstar sitting in my garage with 185,000 miles on it is 4.6L size.

Considering the Corvette's very good construction type, one way to lower weight would be the 98" wheelbase that I suggested in another subject.

But Bowling Green is doing a $131 million dollar refitting and we don't yet know what that means for the Corvette.

B Stead

Horsepower is not an issue when lightweight vehicle technology is the subject. Only power-to-weight ratio should be considered.

But the Corvette does have a better power-to-weight ratio than the Elise. However, the Elise can do quarter mile times in the 13's.

A relative of the Elise, the 2-Eleven, makes 1477 pounds weight in road trim. So the Elise is not really that sparten even though it weighs 500 pounds less than a MX-5.

jackhall99

You nailed it Jinx. The heck with its size and weight; it is not livable in daily use.

The OP has too much time on his hands and is just stirring the pot. He knows, as we all do, that anything even at 3,000 pounds is unrealistic or unlikely, let alone 2,500 pounds.

jackhall99

Have you EVER driven one, let alone lived with one of these flyweight cars? I think not.

After you live with one in daily use for a while, come on back and tell us all about it.

B Stead

The Corvette is a flyweight car in a 400 horsepower category. Go compare it to a Camaro.

I want a 3000 pound Corvette with 98" wheelbase and a 32-valve Northstar engine. Also, a 47.7" roof height.

jackhall99

To your first point, I know that! You don't have to tell me anything about a Camaro or any other car.

As to your latter point; don't hold your breath.

BlueOx

Ladies and Gentlemen....announcing the new 700 hp 572 ci COMPLETELY CARBON FIBER MOTOR in the new C7 Corvette!!! Weighing in at a measly 150 lbs, this new motor is showcased in Jay Leno's new C7 AWD, 4 seater, weighing in at a total 2743 lbs! MSRP $498,000

jackhall99

Thanks for that.

ThrottleUp

That's rich! literally at $498K....

shank0668

The interesting thing I think is that the new Cadillac ATS comes in at 3200 pounds. That is pretty stinken light for a sedan. However, this has nothing to do with a corvette.

BlueOx

Yeah, and a few years from now the GM small block V8 will produce over 800 hp and weight 110 lbs. A few years from now people will also still barf at the idea of a V6 in a Corvette.

z51vett

That was the wheel base from 1963 to 1982. 98 inch wheel base down from the old wheel base of 106 if I remember correctly.
z51vett

z51vett

Whats so great about a northstar is the 32 values or what it's wider and is a packaging problem and its old tech. Oh and my 427 1967 vett weighed in at 3000 pounds give or take.
z51vett

ThrottleUp

The new C7 (ok not really): 2,300 lbs and a V-12...sure it's a one-off probably built by a rich man and the design is well.... special, I guess Chevy can't beat this and meet government regs at the same time is what I hear people saying. If you give this thing one more foot in length you can probably have almost as much storage space as in the Vert's trunk (note the space behind the seats in one of the photos).

As to can't live with them and they're "uncivilized" I guess that's up to you. I lived with my Elan for 2 years, drove it all over, made interstate trips and never felt I was lacking space....... maybe because that's what sports cars were back then. I finally let it go when I bashed it into an unmovable object...

http://www.moal.com/04_gallery/11gatto/index.php

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/12/m...powered-gatto/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/au...pagewanted=all

And Shank has a good point there, I'm anticipating that the ATS will break some old preconceptions about what America can build..... but we'll see. I hope Chevy engineers are as innovative on the C7 as the Caddy ones appear to be.

Racer X

I did. I used it as a daily driver and enjoyed it greatly. I was not exactly svelte at the time at 30 pounds overweight. The Elise was centainly spartan as compared to the Corvette, but it was not a problem for me or my wife.

Perhaps my ownership of the Elise allows me to be a lot more appreciative of the posh current Corvette interior.