elegant

I totally agree that BGA will be building both the ME and the FE’s in unison!

My thought, and what I am hearing so far, is that the unison is so “tight,” that we will actually be running FE’s and ME’s nose-to-tail on the assembly line. While different sub-assemblies will be coming into the cars at times due to ME and FE’s being different in some areas, they will use the most-cost-effective system, e.g., one assembly line with one set of assemblers.

And hence, why most will be pleasantly surprised by the ME’s low entry price.

C5Driver

That's just ridiculous you are missing out on a wonderful car.

KnightDriveTV

The Corvette team, while it may grow in size, is fairly small. If you're going to carry a front engine car, and a mid-engine, then coming up with a development cycle that the team can handle, is essential. By introducing the ME, late in the C7 FE development cycle, allows the team resources to be delegated. Then, as the ME platform is production go and in it's 2nd and 3rd cycle, the team resources go to the C8 Front engine pre-production environment. I think very shortly after the release of the ME car, we'll see some heavily camo'd Front engine lurking about. In addition, this cycle always keeps the Corvette in the media eye, for one reason or another.

Point is, the Corvette is simply broadening its offering and using the resources it has, more efficiently. They've studied Porsche very closely. Porsche has 24 variants of the 911, making that chassis and core engineering easily amortized across the lineup. This is why Porsche is making record profits on the car. Making the Corvette core architecture go from 58k new to 158k new or better...it's a clear and obvious goal. What you don't do is say, "The Corvette is gone folks...and so is that 'affordable' price tag...now we have this mid-engine starting at 90k...step right up".

KnightDriveTV

Oh, I think it'll be an awesome thing to watch. The fact the line can build, what appears to be such a different car, but yet the same car....testament to the engineering.

JeffnLA

I'm in the exact same position. I was about to pull the trigger on a GS from Kerbeck. But all I can think of is that big fat payment book, and looking at the C8 being totally bummed I didn't wait...

Quinten33

If they keep the front-engine Corvette, the Corvette lineup will be absolutely bonkers and everyone will get exactly what they want (except for the round tail light crew). Maybe they could add a smaller Corvette like a Toyota 86 competitor and turn Corvette into a brand.

MikeG37

Suns_PSD

I can't believe people still think the C8 will be released as a FE design. That ship has sailed fellas. And frankly the current C7 has pretty much already taken the FE design about as far as it can reasonably go on a GM budget.

sunsalem

Thanx K.I.T.T. on the education...really appreciate it.

elegant

FOR SURE! How exciting it will be for us all, to be able to again do a public tour of the Plant — to see the two different types of Corvettes going down the line together.

I did 31 or 32 tours during the C7 era, and I can’t wait to do another bunch.

direct007

If you can afford to purchase the first year of the C8 at full list price, you most likely can afford to purchase a C7 now and hang onto it until the C8 comes out without blinking an eye. Most likely, the first year C8 buyer already has a C7 or previous model vette and can wait. I don’t see GM’s lack of early disclosure hurting sales at all.

KnightDriveTV

I haven't gone through the plant since the C5 so, definitely look forward to going again when they fire this MR car up. 31 tours is a hell of a lot...lol...you workin part time as a tour guide over there?

KnightDriveTV

Which is why you expand upon it by adding the mid engine variant...lol. Not being able to PUSH it any further, isn't a reason to discontinue to a 55k-65k well equipped GT car that essentially has no competition.

Gm discontinuing the front engine variant would be suicide for the Corvette line and would throw away a 65+ yr legacy. Porsche, BMW, Bugatti...these brands exist upon their legacy. You don't wipe the slate clean when you're selling cars and filling road course HPDE days...that's insanity. Removal of the front engine variant leaves a gaping hole in the market that really, only Corvette fills.

elegant

Sort of. Some of them were when, as part of the 2014 National Corvette Caravan, they were looking for volunteers to be “tail end Charlies” on each factory tour — as they had moved the tours much closer to each other to give everyone on the Caravan a chance for a factory tour. Also, on my Buyers Tour, all are advised to be available up to two days before, but with travel plans, living across the country, and friends in BG, I arrived a week in advance. Did four tours each day before my Buyers Tour. Many of the employees got to recognize me, especially when they knew they were building my Z06.

And each year for the BASH, we arrive an extra day early and do extra Plant tours. Lastly, I worked my way through college working on an auto assembly line during the summers, so always had a special relationship to assembly plants.

A bunch of friends who are all getting ME’s, are already planning a special BGA trip once factory tours resume — probably doing 4 tours a day for at least a couple of days, so, LOL, will get a “good start” on ME tours.

pietro c7

lostsoul

it would be like....

Suns_PSD

I don't see it that way and I suspect that GM doesn't either. The way production works is that maintaining 2 separate products with multiple variants, where 1 product with variants is possible and more desirable overall, leads to their only being 1 product. I think you are going to be sorely disappointed. There has not been one indication of a continuation of the FE Corvette in to future generations.

The Camaro is an equivalent, and some would say better all around FE product btw. So to claim they would leave a gaping hole in their line up, isn't really accurate.

My only concern is that GM won't see fit to install a manual trans in a ME car, with the intention of sending customers to the Camaro. If that happens, the C8 will certainly be the Supercar in the family, but the Camaro will be the enthusiast's drivers car no doubt.

RedDropTop

Elegant, I was at a Corvette club meeting tonight where Harlan Charles spoke. I asked him how many days of inventory of unsold Vettes there are. He said, "About 70, but that number varies widely from month to month".

elegant

That is great, informative news. A hell of lot better than 270 days last summer. Thank you RedDroptop! All that flex cash that GM has been pouring into C7 sales since last summer has definitively worked — as of course not producing one for 13 weeks during that time period, massively helped too.

RedDropTop

Also... someone in the audience asked Harlan, "Can you confirm or deny the existence of a mid-engine Corvette?" Harlan said, "No." Laughter. Then he added, "I cannot comment on future products. But the future looks very bright." Take from that what you will.

Later someone asked a question about the various transmissions in the current C7. After Harlan gave his comments, he asked the question, "How many of you want a dual clutch?" Of the 40 people in attendance, 2 people raised their hand. Harlan said, "Two people. Hmmm..." Take from that what you will.