jake_30

hey guys its been as few years since i have posted a thread on here. I have really been following the development of the C8 for sometime now. So i decided to schedule a trip to the bowling green factory to see the last of the c7's being produced and the start of the c8 model.

I have searching for this topic on the forums but i can't seem to find an answer, maybe someone can help.

I will be traveling to the bowling green in the first week in june for a plant tour. I have seen several vidoes of the c7 zr1 being tested at Laguna Seca , now my guess is that chevy is testing this car this late in the c7 run only to begin production in april thru June for the c7 zr1, meaning the last of the front engine c7 cars being producted at bowling green will be zr1 models. However!!! and this is a big However, according to the corvette blogger, GM officials during the sebring racing event told the public that the "c8" will start production in early april at the bowling green.

Why are they test the zr1 front engine now and switching over to c8 so fast? When will the transition occure. There are so many questions up in the air.

Do yo guys know when the last of the front engine vettes will be?

jorgep951

Very Interesting. Hmmm

FrankLP

No sure the front engine Vette even will be totally retired for sure. Many thoughts on this; including GM mainting both platforms for a while. But others predict that a mid engine (ME) C8 would signal the end of the front engine Vette within the first 1-3 years of the ME production.

In regards to the bolded above, if this were true for this year I'd certainly expect far more sightings of ME C8s in camo out testing in the wild and on the track. With that in mind, perhaps those GM officials meant April 2018.

skank

I would expect the C7 range of models (Stingray, Grand Sport, ZO6, ZR1) to continue until at least 2020 and maybe even 2022 when the front mid Corvette platform will morph into the C8 front mid platform. The new rear mid engined Zora will be a entirely new upscale Corvette model also built at Bowling Green plant on it's own production line. Don't be surprised if Corvette also develops a entirely new small sport ute to compete with the Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport or Velar, and the Mercedes Benz AMG GLA Sport Ute. The New Plant addition is huge and will accommodate at least the front mid and rear mid platforms.

djnice

I am pretty sure there are plenty of threads about this. You are scheduling your trip 2 years in advance?

jake_30

i must have read/heard some miss information about the C8. 2022 C8 model change makes sense, rather than starting production on the C8 this april.

I was just confused when i seen spy videos of the C8 mid engine and the C7 zr1 on the same track plus at the same time teh zr1 running test laps at laguna seca AND press release to the public with GM officals stating the C7 models will run to april then a change over to C8 which doesn't make sense because bowling green plant shuts down for 3 to 4 months during generation change.

I am planning my trip for this June, i was hoping to see the C7 zr1 in production.

Steve Garrett

^^^ This.....the C7 will carry on. The mid-engine is NOT a C8.

djnice

What they said during the video at Sebring is you can start ordering 2018 C7's in April and they will start production of the 2018 C7 in June. Then in July they will stop production for a couple month and change over to the new paint plant. However, when they start production again in the fall some colors will still be painted with old paint plant. They didn't say when 2018 ZR1 will start. It would be cool if they started it in June. It will be fun to see what's happening when you make your trip there in June.

JerriVette

Expensive mid rear engine first ...while c7 variants are produced...

Eventually a c8 rear mid engine will be produced...probably 2020

jake_30

i just want to be there when the last front engine vette's roll off the line it will be a huge milestone for chevy, a very exciting but sad day. The BIG transition from front to mid. It's a bummer it won't happen in june while im there at the plant but it'll still be a very exciting day.

yes i am very anxious to see how the mid engine corvette looks and performs but i know alot of corvette traditionalists will frown upon the mid engine design sense the corvette has been front engine from day one.

chevy needs to keep up with the competition and by competition i don't mean mustang, i mean porsche, ferrari, mcclaren. The corvette is so close to being "ferrari" fast. Mid engine will put the corvette on the map for not only being a ferrari killer but to break the american mold of car design for muscle cars in this country.

JerriVette

I think corvette traditionalists were all upset about not having round tail lights on the c7 ...the sky was falling according to traditionalists ...

Still Chevy has had great success since the release of the c7.

I'm sure the c8 with mid rear engine will get the same traditionalist panties in an uproar and GM will sell them even better than the c8 as long as pricing stays within five grand of the current model lineup.

Can't wait to see it and watch all the traditionalist heads explode...

Should be very entertaining

MacMulkin

You may be interested in reading this at the Corvette Action Center:

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...g-for-so-long/

NemesisC5

My thoughts exactly.....and as far as sport utility vehicle goes see link below.

The Case For A Corvette SUV Resurfaces

rjwz28

The fast Corvettes already outlap all Ferrari cars except the million-dollar ones... Why do you think the Corvette needs to change from front mid-engined to rear mid-engined to do this?

Also, tell Mercedes that they're way off base with the AMG GT... I'm sure they'd agree that it can't possibly compete with the cars it's beating with its front mid-engined layout (like a Corvette). Or the Porsche 911, for that matter... It's not mid-engined at all.

Chevy's competitive set isn't "Porsche, Ferrari, McClaren." Chevy isn't a premium automaker. Chevy should stay in the market it's in, with the Corvette continuing to bring 911 performance at Cayman prices. Cadillac is GM's premium brand; if GM wants to beat the R8 V10 at its own game, they should do it with a Cadillac.

NemesisC5

FWIW, those following IMSA series have likely noticed the RSR Porches have transitioned to a mid engine format rather than rear engine. This moved the engine forward of the rear wheels which was causing faster tire wear than other cars in same class. This move also made room for a much larger rear diffuser for increased downforce.

ME format leverages its advantages in top level motorsports, not necessary for street except for exotic looks.....and most ME platforms sold don't have anything on C7Z as far as performance or value.

rjwz28

I saw that... and I agree.

TBRDS

Looking at the scope of the expansion going on in Bowling Green, it's amazing to me when I think of all of the people involved in design and construction of such, and they are able to keep any leaks from coming out.

Splitter

Because they aren't the government obviously

Jake5670

sunsalem

IMO, there is something that goes beyond pure performance numbers in the FE vs. ME analysis and that is the substantial different driving characteristics.

When driven in anger, an ME feels very different than an FE.
Driving the 2 back-to-back is a great way to compare and contrast.
For me, and it is just a personal opinion, the ME has more of a man/machine/road tactile experience.
Of course, YMMV.