C7 Weight Issues
 

Just heard a rumour from a parts supplier I know. Apparently GM Engineering has been working overtime trying to still take weight out of the C7. That would explain why they are no firm details on weight. It would also explain why they are saying 0-60 in under 4 seconds without fully qualifying that remark. As it stands now it is probably over 4 seconds and they will do everything they can to meet their claims.

Really? I was under the impression that the car was pretty much complete. What else could they realistically change at this point?

All the "technology" = weight.

They should drop all the badges.... We don't need no stinking badges.

Remove the heavy stylized fish from the front fenders?

Not buyin that at this stage of the game....................

Stingray badge is worth a pound.

You beat me to it JoeC5

Thats what I thought as well but I was told this is typical in automotive. Contracts may have been signed for production parts but variance in specification up to Job 1 is always anticipated at the supplier level. Maybe somebody else can chime in about this.

Could be.....

I think the car is already under 4 secs as they have confidently stated that......

....Maybe it will be under 3.5 secs now :)

If it does under 3.5 seconds I will get one for sure. :D

I won't speak to the 2014 Corvette but it is very much true in automotive engineering. Designs lead to prototypes lead to production. Things can be completely volatile at this point. It is still months away before prodution intent parts will be coming on line. It doesn't take years to build production tooling, it takes weeks and months. There is typically a give and take going on between the supplier and the customer with revisions being made along the way. While the final envelope of a part should be set, methodologies, finishes, shapes, weight reductions can all take place late in the game.

Thanks Paul. That is kind of what I thought. When you press for specifics in weight and performance nobody is precise at this point. It could very well be that the engineering team is a bit worried at pulling the performance bunny out of the hat in time for Job 1. Lets hope that they succeed. It would be bad if they don't and the car magazines end up getting a test vehicle shortly after production that is slower than the C6.

I really doubt it's over four seconds right now... It's possible they're still working to lower the weight, but if so, it's probably just to get it even further below four seconds than it already is.

It would be utterly pathetic if after all this time, they couldn't even improve the 0-60 by .2 s from where it was, even if the car is not a final product yet.

It will not be slower than the C6:cheers:

You're crazy. Again, man, even in the very worst case scenario, that is NOT happening. If that is even a remote possibility at this point, then it is too late -- GM has already failed miserably with this car.

The car will be fairly significantly faster than the C6.

Heard they were working to reduce the weight of the torque tube they had to make out of steel to deal with the vibrations of the AFM.

GM also said it would be faster than a Grand Sport which they list as 3.95 sec. Don't forget the Z06 like torque, under 4 sec no problem imo.

LT1 torque is the same as the LS7 UNDER 4000 RPM. Above 4,000 rpms and the Z06 has more torque(20 lbs-ft but also has 55 horsepower from 4,000 RPM) over the LT1.

In a drag race(which the 0-60 is and the 1/4 mile is), you are only running below 4,000 RPM once, and that's in first gear up to 31 MPH with the Z51. From 31 MPH to 60 MPH, you are above 4,000 RPM and the LS7 will walk all over a LT1. Once you shift into second gear the RPM stays above 4,000 and the superior torque and horsepower will pull away from the LT1, Same for shifting into third gear, and then into fourth gear. I only bring up the Z06 because you did trying to show superiority of the LT1.

But, the LT1 with Z51 should slightly out perform the LS3 GS depending on what the final weight figures are for the Z51. LT1 without Z51; I doubt it will outperform the LS3 GS.

Again, Joe, you don't know what will "walk all over" the LT1 until GM releases final specs. We are still a good ways away from that.