Tag Archives: Corvette
Spy Shots Of Mid-Engined C8 Chevrolet Corvette Spotted
The images are grainy, but that won’t stop us from contemplating how sexy the mid-engined C8 Chevrolet Corvette will be once it is ready for production and release.
The spy photos show a prototype of the C8 in its actual body, so we can go ahead and start with the speculations. The front end is wrapped in blocky camouflage, effectively covering its contours, but the doors are only wrapped with squiggly patterns. And though there is a camo on the read end, too, it has been stretched tautly thus, revealing the rear’s overall wedge shape.
It’s easy to see that the C8 will have mid-engine proportions, any doubts whether or not the car will have a mid-mounted powerplant should be satisfied with these photos.
What to expect for the rear end are small rear windows, Corvette’s signature quad taillights, amber turn signal lights, forward-hinged doors, and frameless windows.
The C8 is expected to arrive with a small-block V-8 engine that can produce 450 to 500 horsepower. Shifting gears will be handled by a new Tremec-sourced seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.
But aside from this, a hybrid model is also expected to be launched online later in the car’s life cycle. This is based on reports that General Motors trademarked the Corvette E-Ray, meaning it would probably use it on something. The C8 could also be developed using lessons from Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo and BMW i8. More powerful versions might also be introduced later on, though this would also mean the revival of the ZR1 moniker.
This mid-engined Corvette will reportedly make its debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show in January. It will arrive in showrooms later than year as a 2019 model.
Expect the C8, which would effectively retire the C7 (though a few units will remain for those opting for a traditional powertrain), to top $100,000 in price tag.
Spy Shots of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette C8
A prototype of what looks to be a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette was sighted near a General Motors Company facility in the United States.
These latest shots came after similar ones published last year that showed a “mysterious” test car whose body bore inspirations from several other vehicles such as the Holden Commodore Ute for the front and rear sections and the C7 Corvette for the mid-section.
Wasn’t it just last month that reports came about the next-generation Corvette, the C8? Back then, there were indications that the C8 will be launched in mid-engine form at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show.
However, if the C8 will arrive in 2018, that means it’ll be a 2019 model, giving the C7 a relatively short lifespan since it arrived as a 2014 model. The reason for this is because GM started working on a mid-engine design for the C7, though those plans get scrapped before the company announced bankruptcy in 2009.
Based on these photos, the C8 will be sized similar to the C7, except that the former has a lower and wider stance. There are chunky buttresses on the sides of the engine bay, and if reports are right, there will be a sheet of glass in the center to show the car’s engine. Just how cool is that?
Only a small group of people have seen the C8 prototype, meaning designers and engineers (the same thing happened when Ford came out with the GT supercar), as it has been protected even from employees.
There’s not going to be a new design. Rather, the platform will be based on the C7’s aluminum spaceframe structure. This shows that although the C8 is an exotic car by itself, it cannot exactly justify a pricey tag.
The C7’s starting price is close to $60,000 while the C8 would probably have a base price of $80,000, add-ons not included. Production of the C8 will be at the Bowling Green, Kentucky, which GM has upgraded for the new car. The company apparently spent $700 million for the facility.
Corvette AeroWagen Improves Cargo Space And Aerodynamics
Callaway is giving us another reason to adore the ground it stands on. The company is best known for tuning the likes of Corvettes, Camaros and Silverados, and it even gave us the 757 bhp Corvette Z06.
Its latest project, the Corvette AeroWagen, is the stuff legends are made of, however. According to Top Gear, the product is based on the AeroWagen Concept, Callaway basically churned out a shooting brake Corvette. For a reported $15,000, Callaway will remove the tailgate from your Corvette. It’ll replace it with a one-piece carbon fiber structure to lengthen the Corvette’s roofline, as well as expand its luggage space.
This means the Corvette AeroWagen will feel bigger and bulkier. It uses the same factory seals, hinges and latches, meaning the Corvette’s targa top will remain fully functional. Oh, but don’t be too hopeful. There are still no extra seats despite the “improved” cargo space.
If you’re really interested with what Callaway is offering, then you better own a targa-top Corvette. Any hard top ‘Vette, even the Z06, as well as the Stingray and Corvette donor car, can be converted. It doesn’t even matter if it has one of Callaway’s performance kits or not.
And don’t be too afraid of having your vehicle converted. The installation is fully reversible. Installation will start later this year with orders being received as early as now.
The Corvette Z06 is priced under $80,000 with the SC757 power kit at $18,000 and the AeroWagen tailgate adding another $15,000. All in all, that’s a combined power kit of $113,000 for a 757bhp Corvette shooting brake.
The concept was first showed off in late 2013 with Callaway Cars planning to start production of the Corvette C7-based AeroWagen later this year. During that time, Callaway said the shooting-brake-style conversion would cost $23,000.
This particular Callaway look was built by Montreal-based car designer Paul Deutschman, but it remains unclear if he also had anything to do with the AeroWagen’s styling.
2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Is Z06-Inspired
The 2017 seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is a culmination of the original Grand Sports of the 1960s, which was revived in 1996 and 2010. The car makes its debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2016.
For the seventh generation Grand Sport, Chevrolet made sure to fuse the best elements of the past editions, especially the suspension components, wider wheels and tires from a burlier variant, and the standard V-8 engine option.
According to CarAndDriver, compared to past editions, the 2017 Grand Sport is definitely wider, thanks to the current Z06’s cooling systems, wider rear fenders, and look-alike grille. It also has 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels fitted with Z06 285/30 and 335/25 Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber. The optional Corvette’s Magnetic Ride Control will come standard with the Grand Sport, as well as the anti-roll bars and front and rear transverse composite leaf springs.
The Stingray Z51’s electronically controlled rear differential is standard for the GS. As for the brakes, the 2017 Grand Sport somewhere between the 14-inch front rotors and 13.4-inch rears used in Corvette Stingray.
The power of the GS comes from the LT1 6.2-liter V-8 engine used by Corvette Stingrays. It offers the GS in seven-speed manual transmission and eight-speed automatic, as well as in coupe and convertible body styles. There are fender hash stripes and full-length body stripes with optional six colors.
The last five Grand Sports were underutilized in terms of being racing cars because of General Motors’ arbitrary internal racing ban in 1963. For the seventh generation GS, Duntov is offering customers larger brake, fuel tank options, and L88 big-block engine option.
Chevrolet has yet to announce the pricing for the Corvette Grand Sport, but let’s expect it to be a few thousands more than the Corvette Stingray. The same goes for other models, so might as well expect this will also have the same price range.
