Z06Doc

I hope the roof doesn't go flying into outer space again this time. Double-check your adhesives GM.

uxojerry

I think the speculation towards AWD may actually be true. The car does not appear to be trans formative. If all of the engineering efforts were applied to AWD, it would be logical for a less radical body style.

If the top end Corvettes are going to go beyond the current horsepower, they will need AWD. That C7 in the snow may foreshadow that GM is ready to compete at the supercar level. You cannot get 0-60 in 2.9 without AWD. Look at the Ring times between the Z06 and Zr1. I dont see 638hp beating 500hp by less than 2 seconds unless most of the ZR1 extra hp is unusable. Going to 700 or better will not change physics. Traction coming from 4 wheels instead of 2 is the best way to get better Ring results. AWD just feels right to me, even though it would go against tradition.

Racer X

I heard there will be a performance AWD version. The Z71 off road model.

Philco

Please, no CAMARO tail lights..............................

Z06Doc

I agree completely.

With all due respect to the traditionalists that like to kick the rear end loose with their right foot, I'm ready for four-corner vectored steering and twice the contact patch for a big boost in launch acceleration and rain performance.

Lets put all the power down.

Red Rochester

Get real it's a C6

SCM_Crash

Um, what???

What am I missing here? "GM is ready to compete at the supercar level"???

I seem to recall that the Corvette was ALREADY leading the supercars around by their noses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the ZR1 putting a hurting on just about every single supercar out there? Didn't Lamborghini have to come up with the Aventador just to keep up with the Jones'? Hmmm... I think that qualifies as competing at supercar levels.

While I don't want to say whether or not AWD is better for racing performance, I will say that if you take a car like the Corvette and give it AWD, you have to remove something to fit it. In this case, you'll be removing the fun. Because there's no room for fun or skill and still keep the weight down after putting in AWD.

Seriously? If you keep putting b!tch controls in and STILL need AWD, you need to buy another car. The Active Handling system on the Corvette is amazing. Even pro drivers benefit from it. But there's really no need for AWD unless you simply do not know how to control your right foot.

bontrager

I would agree with you (still like awd) however they do lead the pack except for the body style which doesn't scream "world class".

Look at the new Ferraris and the Acura NSX (soon to be delivered).

Those are wold class styles IMHO.

Endeka

Can I just say that I find it side-splittingly hysterical that Corvette owners will rag on 911 owners all day for buying a car that keeps trying to make a faulty, antiquated design work (rear engine), but when faced with the limitations of their own design (AWD is better than RWD, no bones about it), they start crying about tradition.

The only reason the Corvette is having any trouble at all showing up any super-car south of half a million dollars is its lack of grip. Read that article about the 2012 Centennial Carbon Z06 vs the 2013 GTR-the TIRES made the difference. Why? Because grip was all the Corvette needed to get the edge on a car it was already better than. If it had AWD, it could forgo having to equip ridiculous semi-slick r-compounds that fall off after 8,000 miles.

The Six

Okay, I have to give my 2 cents on the C7 renderings and pictures. It is completely disproportionate! Notice the rear of the car compared to the front. It is 'heavy' looking from the bottom of the A pillars back. Looks wise, it does not do it for me. The 'spy pictures' from the side make the front end look like a beak! What is GM thinking at this point? If this looks anything like the real version, I think it will be a flop! I hope these pictures are just a 'fake' to get us all talking and then they will come out with something meaningful. What are the chances of that?

quick04Z06

AWD will be a necessity on the high HP versions--can't get the HP to the ground without it, even with the best electronics and sticky tires.

LS1LT1

100%





That may (or may not) be true, as styling and appearance is STRICTLY subjective/opinion, not measurable fact.
But when the base Corvette costs as much as a Ferrari 458 then we can start pointing fingers at it's 'lack of competitive style' against other similarly priced (in this case, $250k+) cars.
But right now it costs only $50k give or take.

LS1LT1

Oh there are PLENTY of bones about.
With almost every radical change such as that there are upsides and there ARE downsides.
AWD can help acceleration, increase corner exit speeds and grip in wet/cold/icy conditions, that's all true.
But it does also add weight, adds complexity, adds cost, can negativity effect steering 'feel'/input/feedback, can hurt aerodynamics and can drastically alter a vehicles center of gravity and weight distribution, especially one that is so well balanced such as the current Corvette is.
Starting with a ground up/completely blank sheet of paper then yes, GM/Chevrolet/Team Corvette can work around some (not all) of those downsides and come up with a valid Nissan GTR or Porsche 911 Turbo fighter but it is going to COST.
It's NOT the total free lunch that you make it out to be.





Total BS. The Nissan has 'virtual race tires' on it as well. Even it's optional 'all season' style tire is a short life/limited longevity/low mileage tire and during any shootout type of test involving the Nissan, it's always wearing it's even better, super sticky summer tires.

I know your point was more about AWD's advantages and not about tires but I still find it so ironic that when the Corvette used to get beat on a road course (usually it was only by very minute margins anyway mind you) while wearing those old super hard compound Goodyear runflats against some import nameplate vehicle wearing race rubber almost no one (not the magazines nor the general internet public etc.) ever mentioned anything about it.
Now all of a sudden the Corvette Team equips it's top dogs with real tires and all of a suddenly it's some sort of 'unfair advantage'.
Gotta love the blatant irony and BIAS there.

LS1LT1

Oh I don't know about that.
Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, McLaren etc have all done it (and still do in many cases: 458, GT2 etc).

pTr73

As with anything there are pros and cons to both RWD and AWD. Yes with higher HP vehicles you will get a better launch almost all the time. RWD requires a higher level of skill and ability. I think if GM decided to use AWD on the vette I am sure they will balance out what needs to be balanced.

LS1LT1

I agree, they likely would do it right, and we'd pay for that fresh start/clean sheet design too.
But ya can't defy physics, if you take a front engined vehicle with a 52/48 weight distribution that (in these times of ever increasing crash/safety regulations and standards) is already struggling to decrease (or at the very least, maintain) it's 3200 pound curb weight and then add in another differential, drive axles, CV joints, a center transfer case along with all of the accompanying pieces, computers and electronics that go with them, what do ya have?
A far more expensive 3500+ pound sports car with a 55/45 weight distribution.
I want my Corvette to be a Corvette, not a $100k 3800+ pound Nissan.

SCM_Crash

Beat me to it.


Yeah, style is subjective. Ferraris are not AWD, but have a great look. Porsches are AWD and (IMHO) don't look great. So as far as opinions go, a Porsche wouldn't be a supercar to me.

Lamborghini makes a gorgeous AWD car. But performance-wise it's still only on-par with the Corvette ZR1 for more than 3x the cost.

As far as performance goes, you simply cannot beat the Corvette, especially for the money. I personally LOVE the looks of the Corvette and it's the first thing that drew me towards the C5s when they first came out. I liked Vettes before the C5, but the C5 was the first time I saw a car that I said "I HAVE TO OWN THAT!"

While Lamborghinis have always looked good to me since the LP400, they've never really made me WANT them so much as a Corvette. And sadly, I've always felt the C4 and C5 interiors were always better than the Countach and Diablo interiors, respectively. Maybe not in materials, but certainly in design and layout.

bontrager

While I understand your point, don't necessarily agree and I was refering to the Ferrari 458 (beautiful body IMHO). If you are going to design any new body for the vette why not develope a "world class" look ( what ever that is) since you have the associated development costs with Any new body style. You may have more development time if you have to render a number of drawings or test mules but most of that will be in CAD.

Peace.

Racer X

AWD drive better for off-roading on low traction surfaces or for acceleration where there are artificial limits on tires. Top Fuel dragsters prove AWD is not needed for maximum acceleration. Formula one shows it is not needed for handling.

If you understood the frition circle of tires you would know AWD is not optimum for handling. As has already been covered MANY times it adds weight and complexity, increases unsprung weight , rotational mass, and many other handling and performance damaging attributes.

So much for no bones about it. It is not better in all circumstances. And certainly not the ones I care about for a high performance sports car.

Endeka

You seem a bit confused about the definition of "better." Things like cost and complexity affect buyers, not so much the performance of the car. The problem the C7 is going to have facing the PDK Turbo S is that its aging RWD design is being built to a price figure, and the PDK Turbo S is being built to a performance figure-the best it can be, no compromises. AWD will cost more, but nowhere near the absurd figures some people on here are quoting.

Sure, RWD is better, if you happen to be a professional driver, but the level of skill required to drive a 500+HP car with RWD only with the same level of precision you could have in an AWD car is beyond all but the most advanced drivers (even dedicated enthusiasts), and I don't know about you, but I'm more concerned about how the car drives in my hands than in the hands of a professional doing a magazine review. AWD and double-clutch paddle shifting is the final frontier for street-legal sports cars because it attacks the performance equation at its weakest link-you and me, the drivers. You can see this already in the 2012 Z06; no reviewer has yet managed to launch the car faster with the launch control off than with it on.