I was having coffee with a bunch of members of my Corvette club this morning when I noticed a 2012 GS vert on the parking lot with dealer plates. I found the driver in the coffee shop and introduced myself. He did not work for a dealer, but did work for GM. I asked him about his knowledge of the C7 and he confirmed the target release date of June of 2013 as a 2014 model. He also said that it will have a direct injection V8 and will probably offer 2 tranny's. A seven speed manual and a DCT. The interior will be upgraded bigtime. Also, he said that
Ed W is so secretive about the body style that practically no one has seen it. Obviously none of this is really new, but it does confirm what most of us have heard. My opinion is that all of the pictures seen on this forum are, in reality, far from what the C7 will look like, including that POS from Jolopnik.

 

How True

 

Anything on hp ratings, 5.5l or 6.2l?

 

so then when would one expect some teaser images to finally start coming out?

 

I'd like to believe there will be a DCT option, but since almost everyone who knows about the C7 said no, and the fact of the new GM 8 speed auto, I doubt it.

 

No Jalopnik car? It's a Christmas miracle!

 

Ronnie, I hope your 100% right, but I have a nagging feeling that the Jalopnik drawing got it somewhat right.

 

A tweet from corvette blogger stated the c7 will have a look of European design with a hint of stingray show car and confirmed those drawings from Jalopnik are false.

 

Corvette blogger also has this up:

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2011/...anual-gearbox/

I think that would contribute to faster acceleration times, since 4th gear can be a shorter ratio, instead of just the current 1 - 3.

 

With the huge torque and power band the 6.2l has having 7 gears would be redundant. And 6th is already overdrive!

Now if they were going to a smaller engine with a peakier power band then more gears might be necessary..

Not saying Chevy won't add a 7th gear. Just saying with the current engine, or any big cube wide power band engine, it is not really necessary.

 

One of the early "technology transfer" blurbs from Corvette Racing almost came out and said the C7 will have some sort of automatic shifting manual trans. There were a lot of hints. The current racing cars are running one. At the Bash this year, my trick question on this, got a big smile and a lets wait and see.

As for Mr. W's hiding the Vett, go back and listen to the words he used introducing the Transformer/Stingray concept. I'll give you a starter clue: cockpit, . . . Also the same words were used describing the Koren small car. I'm fairly confident that he will use the same words when he describes the C7. But the execution of those words is where either God is or the Devil is- i.e. - in the details!!!

I really think the engineers and the stylists have two different tasks. The engineers have a lot of technologies on the shelf that can be applied. The stylists have a different task and a diffierent kind of pressure!!! Not only has the exterior and interior to be "on", but the seats better be the best thing sence sliced cheese individually wrapped.

 

Technically 5th is an overdrive gear too in the C6! If chevy makes the 7 speed, the setup would make 1 - 5 drive gears and 6 & 7 the overdrives. This means GM would tighten up the ratios from 1 - 5th gear. This will make the car accelerate faster especially from 3 - 5th gear.

I will try my best to explain this...

A C6 Z51 with a manual tranny accerlerates faster than a base C6 with a manual because the Z51 package, 1st 2nd and 3rd gears have a shorter ratio.

I dont see how you think more gears would be redundant?!? I have a Z51 and my car jumps in 1st and 2nd, but when it gets to 3rd it loses a little pull unlike 1st & 2nd, because its a taller gear. Giving 3rd and 4th a shorter ratio would help acceleration not hurt it.

 

Grand Sport Manual tranny is also the same as the C6 Z51, and it has a different final ratio than the standard / Z06 6sp manual....1.95 vrs. 1.71 manual & 1.72 auto, so I'd like to see a final in the low 1.70s for the GS to improve highway fuel economy.

 

I've got the '07 Z51 MZ6 tranny and sure wish I had the extra 7th gear. I would be getting the better mileage for when just cruising down the freeway. My '99 LS1 MM6 gets 32-34mpg whereas the '07 gets 27 if I'm lucky. Just a matter of engine rpm in this case.

 

...exactly!!!

 

Speaking of trannys, I can guarantee that upon announcement, the C7 had better offer 2 trannys right out of the box. The normal manual (either 6 or 7 speed), and a true dual clutch, 6 or 7 speed with paddles.
If they do this, the DCT will easily outsell the manual and Corvette sales will florish. However, if they do not do this, they will continue to loose a ton of business to Porsche, BMW, Nissan, Audi & Mercedes, all of which now offer DCT. This is a fact.

 

Stock M6 - 3.42 w 2.66 1st gear = 9.097:1 Final ratio 2.66, 1.78, 1.35, 1.00, 0.74, 0.50

Z51 M6 - 3:42 w 2.97 1st gear =10.15 2.97, 2.08, 1.43, 1.00, 0.71, 0.65 2008 and up.

Stock M6 - 3:82 w 2:66 Ist gear = 10:15 same as above.
Stock M6 - 4.10 w 2.66 1st = 10.906

Remember 4th is direct and the other ratios are either under or over drive. You use 4th on dynos and aero tests.

Better to change final drive than change ratios if you want a faster 1/4. Stock ratios are better than Z51 in all counts.

I would like to see 7 ratios with RPM drops <4000 @ each shift. 7th is good for gas mileage on the highway.
These trannies are far different from Hollinger sequential paddle shift ones used in the C6R and some Pratt and Miller street cars.
You could go the Ferrari way but with Corvette torque, look to replace clutches often for spirited street racing. Ferraris owners have to replace their clutches every Wednesday to get ready for the weekend.

 

My non z51's 3rd is low enough with the available power to completely lose traction if one is not careful.

I would like to see a comparison of 1/4 mile times for manual cars, some with z51 and some without to test this theory.

But having thought about this, I still contend it is not necessary. It is a sports car, unless the wheels are perfectly straight, with the amount of torque available over a wide rpm range, you can break loose the tires even without the lower gear ratios, so lowering them so the tires will break loose easier will not improve your ability to corner.

And if we are arguing it will make it a faster car on the track, straight or curved, why are we talking about manuals? Automatics will be faster, that is not the point.

 

If you change the final drive ratio (which is the rear gears if I am not mistaken) its like changing ALL of the gears. 1st and 2nd have no problem breaking loose in my car as it is with the stock 3.42's now. If I went to a 4.11's it would be even easier to burn rubber. I would find it more logical if you just tighten up 3rd and 4th and leave all else alone. (see my post #12) I stated that 1st and 2nd already have enough pull, but when the car gets to 3rd and 4th while still pulls, but not as hard as 1st and 2nd. I just think it would be logical if GM tightens up 3rd and 4th if they utilize a 7speed manual.

 

The stock gears in a base and Z51 arent that much different, but enough to be noticable in acceleration. I drove a non Z51 car before I purchased my car and I do feel the difference driving mine. I myself have been able to chirp 3rd gear with ease and I am sure your 3rd gear can break loose also, but thats irrelevant. I am sure GM wouldnt make any radical changes to the ratios, but enough to make the car noticeably faster.

Automatics only shift faster it doesnt mean they are faster.