tbrenny33

That’s my thoughts as well. Specially considering we have now seen a group of ME cars testing and now a leaked photo of what appears to be a front and rear Production bumpers. That all seems way too close to Being ready to be starting production final quarter 2019.

toddlaing

I don't think GM would allow a group of ME Corvettes to be seen out in public if they weren't close to letting it break cover. I think it was done to build hype which it has. Also the red front/rear bumper pics are also highly suspect for the same reason. I don't think they would be going to paint if the cars not going to show for another year? I feel like the beginning of 2018 we will finally see her.!

JHrinsin

I have worked in the automotive industry for the past 32 years and thought I would share a couple interesting tidbits I have learned in the last few weeks from one of the engineers working on the ME C8 project. He stated that the ignition coil packs have been moved from the valve covers down to a lower location somewhere below the upsweep exhaust manifolds. Now when you step back and let that sink in, it tells you a whole lot of information. Of course they are trying to lower the top of the engine as much as possible, which is understandable for the ME arrangement - you want to be able to look out over the rear engine cover and power dome using the inside rear view mirror. It also tells you that the engine still uses coil near plug ignition coils with spark plug wires - so it's probable a new variant of the Gen V family, not some clean sheet design, at least not initially. Upsweep exhaust manifolds work well in a ME arrangement and would also work well with a twin turbo setup - don't be surprise if we see a 4.0-5.5L twin turbo V8 engine(s) being offered in the ME C8, if only for CAFE ratings as well as top dog power numbers. The real question maybe is, what does the transaxle look like? What arrangement is used - where is the differential and transmission in relationship to the engine? I would not be surprised after carefully examining the chassis proportions seen in these engineering prototype and pre-production mules, that we could have a similar component arrangement that is found in the FFR GTM kit car - no disrespect intended or implied.

As far as release timing of the ME C8 and if the FE C7 will continue to be built alongside the ME C8 and for how long and with what engine options is anyone's best guess right now and possibly will be based on customer demand. But you can rest assured that the FE C7 ZR1 will be the swan song of the high horsepower FE C7 model run. Don't be surprised if they only continue to offer the FE C7 as a "lower cost" base or entry level Stingray model with n/a engine(s), once the ME C8 "Manta Ray" is introduced.

As always, all of our speculation along with $1 will get you a small senior coffee at McDonalds.

sunsalem

I can see it IF the 2018 show reveals the Caddy version.

I have expected as much for quite some time.
It makes more sense than any other theory out there.

ssidekickbp

Don’t forget with the C7, GM showed us the new flags first in October 2012 then started the teasers up until the reveal in January. Don’t you think if GM was planning something big in January at Detroit that they would already have given us a small preview or something by now??

firstvettesoon

Hey!

Autoevolution picked up my render and posted it ...so it must be REAL !



https://www.autoevolution.com/news/m...59.html#agal_3

WKM

Looks like they are taking a lot of there info from here. You ought to charge them lol. Notice they haven't featured a certain designers designs.

firstvettesoon

The editors reached out to Kris for his thoughts but he had no comment...

WKM

He didn't want his good stuff published and his designs stolen

elegant

444 days until the January 13, 2019 NAIAS mid-engine C8 reveal.

WKM

At the rate they're going the 2021 models might be out by then

firstvettesoon

FrankLP

Unfortunately I think the bolded is spot on... which means we still have a while to wait... hence the unfortunate aspect.

With all the time/money GM spent on the C7 teasers, such a revolutionary change like what an ME Corvette C8 would be would certainly warrant the same (if not even more) build-up and marketing excitement.

The good news (for me at least) is that I actually thoroughly enjoyed the excitement and anticipation that those C7 Teasers created.

toddlaing

God I sure hope not!!!!! That would be beyond horrible.

Paulchristian

With this rear engine vette looking so close to production, seems like it would hurt ZR1 sales....but perhaps less so if the Rear Engine car debuts as a "base model" variant of the rear engine platform.

I believe that is what we are looking at...a base model rear engine car. Otherwise, I don't see people laying down 6 figures for the ZR1 with this thing looking so close to production.

lostsoul

That would give me and many others the worst case of...

firstvettesoon

I can't recall if we got any preview of the c7 before the autoshow. I don't think so.

I also don't see a huge difference in ZR1 sales if only held back for 1 year anyway.

It's a different animal and different buyer I think. Or at least hope.

I guess we shall see soon.

Don't want to see a bunch of those blu dangly bits around here!

VETTE-NV

As I recall, Jalopnik had a rendering of the car that was pretty much dead on several months before the car’s is debut. GM denied that it was the car but as it turns out, it was.

firstvettesoon

The Jalopnik renders did turn out to be correct and were way early. I remember discussion going on for a long long time before the debut.
I figured that was similar to the renders we got from Motorweek and here at CF, not actual leaks or uncovered spy pics.

I'll be waiting and hoping...

VETTE-NV

Seems to me that there was member on here who had an insider at GM giving him CAD renders of the car...he posted some here and I think GM took a giant $hit.