Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick: Page 2
I’m confident that there are thousands of GM employees breathing a little easier following the unveiling, confident that the thousands of hours and mountains of money spent sweating, not only the small stuff, but every minuscule detail of the new car, that it opened to such overwhelmingly positive reviews. Those folks deserve to be proud of what they achieved. They need to take a minute?what the hell?take a day or two, sit back, toast each other, and get some well deserved rest. Because what they gave us on Sunday was the foundation, the platform, on which the ?greatness? of the C7 will be refined and enhanced over the upcoming years in order to remain King.Though the design was ?breathtaking? and will serve the generation well, there will be much to do to keep this car at the top of the performance ladder. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, I’m sure you noticed the competition is working hard to win that title. And GM’s engineers know there’s major work ahead.In many ways the introduction of the C7 is similar to the introduction of the C5 in 1997?particularly in the performance area?because this generation will debut with a completely new engine. There will be no engines carried over from the prior generations as was the case (other than minor modifications) when the C2, C3, C4 and C6 generations previewed. By the time those four generations debuted, their engines had years of refinement and development and their performance assured the new generation a strong start. If history is any indication, there might be no need to worry about the longevity of the new mill as the performance King. Hopefully the LT1 is already prepared to make an assault on the HP, ? mile, and top speed titles.But the simple fact is, like never before, our Corvette’s overall performance title is in jeopardy of being stolen. Thankfully, at this point, the 2013 ZR1 has assured some breathing room by besting one of the Corvette’s most dangerous competitors, the SRT Viper. You’ve probably read how the ZR1 bested the Viper on the track, on the dyno and even in a ?burnout? faceoff.But fame is fleeting, and the troops at Viper haven’t surrendered. The C7, not the C6 ZR1, will have to enter the ring and retain the title. And that’s going to require some significant enhancements to the heart of America’s Sports Car.