This Year’s ME Probable, Progressive Reveal Steps
 

ME Reveal Process/Schedule:

Many ME pre-reveal partial and progressive “undressings” are coming this calendar year. As below. While that the ME’s reveal will be in 335 days in Detroit IMO, here are other probable pre-reveal events before then. For the C7, GM developed/executed a highly thought out reveal process. Bet we see lots of comparable reveal steps for the ME during the rest of this calendar year — and yet some new ones too.

First, just as was done for the C7, there already have been some deliberate camo’d mule/IVER ME pictures. Most famous for our ME are the November McDonald’s ones.

Wonder how many more of these we shall see, as well as how many more “in the wild” sightings we will excitedly experience?

Here are most of the GM orchestrated C7 pre-reveal steps:

Later this year, just as was done before the C7’s 1.13.13 reveal, parts of the ME will probably be shown in a series of GM-produced, teaser videos shown this October through December. Remember these for the C7?





To appeal/create pre-reveal excitement with the younger generations (GM’s stated plan), starting November, 2012, you could download and race the C7 on Gran Tourismo5. About 500,000 users raced the camo’d IVER before its 1.13.13 reveal (picture below).

Next, on November 29, 2012 GM revealed the actual LT1 motor at the Los Angeles Auto Show (though as they often do, first understated its actual power at “an estimated 450 horsepower”).

Then just before the ME’s reveal, GM will probably additionally release an official ME picture, just as they did for the C7 in December, 2012.

Similarly the following year, just before the Z06’s release, GM released a teaser picture (below)

The ME will, IMO, be formally revealed on Jan 12, 2019 inside the very same GM-owned Russell Industrial Center in which they revealed the C7.

Regarding the Corvette mid-engine race team car (ME.R), some believe that it will be running the 2019 IMSA Race series. I personally think it will not race the entire racing season until 2020. Regardless, Corvette may surprise tease the ME.R out in the same “one-lap special” between other events — just as they “debuted” the C7.R at Laguna Seca in 2013, though its still then having some vinyl disguise covering.

If so, I believe that this fall’s, October 4th Petit LeMans would be when they would again do so, and just like the C7.R Laguna Seca tease, they would run it just one lap, bringing it immediately into the pit, then right into its transporter to hide it.

Lots of ME pre-reveal activities between now and 1.12.19. Hopefully, we continue to get many more “in the wild” ME sightings and additional detailed information before then, and just like the C7 in the year before its formal reveal, the amount of camo-cladding would continue to become less and less as this year evolves. As the head of Cadillac noted six weeks ago, with aero becoming more and more important, we need to field test less camo’d cars earlier and earlier.

Inquiring minds really want to know what is in store for the upcoming ME.

Nice job listing all the background details for the last builds.

I count at least five cars once things really get rolling this time.

Great compilation of events John :cheers:

I literally watched those teaser videos before (and after) the reveal at least 200 times in total, mostly before the reveal and about daily. Good memories.

I sure understand. I watched each one an additional three or more times just locating them and putting this thread today.

great memories. Very exciting. I am sooo looking forward to these type of videos and more for the ME.

I chuckle every time I see this picture. The bickering we had going on here over this being a Z06's front wheel and not a rear wheel was a hoot.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...82ee51c2dd.jpg

And this owners manual drawing that was leaked a few weeks/month or so before the reveal had a few folks convinced the C7 was going to have a back seat similar to a 911. :rock:

See it?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e92ac9d348.jpg

Oh yes, we do have fun as we dissect morsels of information together, but sometimes, we also get a little spirited in our disagreements. I sure do remember the posts with differences as to whether that was the Z06’s front or rear fender.

Damn, we are not getting a four passenger C7.... I was sure that was going to be coming out for the 2020 model year as the sole new C7 option.

Thank You
 

You really did a great job, I had never seen any of those before today.

You make me want to get back to the Georgia house so I can take that new "Z" I have out for some curvy mountain drives.

Thanks again, that takes a lot of time and you really added some enjoyment to my morning and my longing to go take that car out for a drive.

Kevin:thumbs:

The crossflag reveal also happened a few months before the Detroit show. I'd love to see that, anything at this point!

Thanks Goaty for that reminder about the C7’s emblem earlier reveal. Anyone remember where/when/how please?

Thanks elegant!

Those teaser videos were awesome then and are awesome now. Those teasers really demonstrated one of GM's past tag lines, "We build excitement"! (Pontiac RIP)

Thanks Elegant John for the trip down Corvette Memory Lane. That build up was a masterpiece of marketing. From the time Jalopnik leaked the C7 renderings to these video releases, they had us hooked on Corvette Forum every night for the latest info. When the Cover of Motor Trend or Automobile was leaked with the rear end view of the Vette there was a frenzy on this forum that was amazing to observe. People were posting up so fast that you couldn't read it fast enough. They should do this again for the mid engine car only start about 6 months before the reveal to really get us revved up.

I just found some other pre-reveal, 2012 C7 images that had us discussing what they were, etc. First two thanks to gmauthority.

Emblem picture thanks to cnet.

Earliest I found was on 10/18/2012 here and a few other links too.:flag:

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...mage=100405997

John,
Can I copy and past your schedule on our Corvette Marque Club of Seattle facebook page? I'm sure our members would love to see the forecast!
Thanks
Mike

Absolutely. The more we can share information with other Corvette folks (whether on this forum or not), the better — and why I also participate in this forum and also second largest Corvette forum, e.g., to learn, to share!

I am right now working on another thread as to what I believe is next, but its sub-theme is, “what do others think,” for our collective ideas are the best. I will put that thread up tomorrow, for it covers more than what were the pre-C7-reveal GM tease steps and when might the reveal be.

Thanks CRABBYJ, for your finding that mid-October C7 emblem reveal date (roughly 3 months before its reveal); that gives us more info to get an idea how GM staff were thinking. We know for sure that the ME’s emblem will be different, not just from history but also from the explicit comments that Kirk Bennion made as to how and why they choose the C7 emblem to be different from the C6’s, and so now we shall look about three months before the ME’s reveal, for its emblem’s “outting.”

Of course, we never have any assurances that GM will repeat the same tease processes, maybe not even with similar timelines this next time. But it is at least another step in our trying our best to remove layers of GM’s ME strip tease.

remember the 2500hd trailering the new corvette on the freeways to cobo hall?