Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
As you might have heard, the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky suspended factory tours for 18 months. There’s also some production downtime going on at the Corvette manufacturing site as General Motors retools in preparation for the C7 ZR1 and C8 ZERV, with the latter expected to debut in January 2018.
The ZERV codename is a play on the CERV concepts of Zora Arkus-Duntov, the man that introduced the small-block V8 in the C1 and the chief engineer behind the C2. It’s no wonder, then, that Automobile Magazine refers to the mid-engine Corvette as the Zora, though the truth of the matter is that nobody actually knows how Chevrolet will call its new halo car.
Last time we heard, the C8 Corvette is scheduled to go official at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The cited publication hopes the mid-engine Corvette will begin production in fall 2018, and on the flip side, the C7 ZR1 will be offered concomitantly with the C8 “Zora.” Bearing in mind the 2018 model year guide for GM vehicles doesn’t feature the ZR1, the guesswork certainly holds water.
Automobile Magazine mentions the C8 will employ “Chevrolet’s venerable small-block V8,” although all pointers lead toward the “4.0-liter double-overhead-cam turbocharged V8 primarily for Cadillac models.” In fact, it’s a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 that made its premiere in the Escala Concept, with General Motors still keeping quiet on numbers and vehicle applications.
The ideal scenario would be for Chevrolet to offer the C8 with multiple engine options, similarly to how the C7 rolls. As a brief refresher, the front-engine C7 Corvette is currently offered with two pushrod V8s (N/A LT1 and S/C LT4), with the ZR1 poised to introduce an evolution of the 650-hp LT4 V8.
Rumor has it the LT5 V8 with its dual-overhead cam configuration is too wide to fit in the engine bay of the C7 Corvette. The heavily-anticipated engine seems to be developed with the C8 Corvette in mind, which makes sense when you consider that the newcomer intends to blur the line between the Great American Sports Car and supercar. Adding fuel to the fire, the voice of reason suggests the ZERV won’t use General Motors’ fast-shifting 10-speed slushbox, but the Tremec-sourced TR-9007 dual-clutch automatic tranny.
Whatever Chevrolet actually plans to do with the C8 Corvette, make no mistake the golden bowtie has a winning formula in the pipeline.
Last time we heard, the C8 Corvette is scheduled to go official at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. The cited publication hopes the mid-engine Corvette will begin production in fall 2018, and on the flip side, the C7 ZR1 will be offered concomitantly with the C8 “Zora.” Bearing in mind the 2018 model year guide for GM vehicles doesn’t feature the ZR1, the guesswork certainly holds water.
Automobile Magazine mentions the C8 will employ “Chevrolet’s venerable small-block V8,” although all pointers lead toward the “4.0-liter double-overhead-cam turbocharged V8 primarily for Cadillac models.” In fact, it’s a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 that made its premiere in the Escala Concept, with General Motors still keeping quiet on numbers and vehicle applications.
The ideal scenario would be for Chevrolet to offer the C8 with multiple engine options, similarly to how the C7 rolls. As a brief refresher, the front-engine C7 Corvette is currently offered with two pushrod V8s (N/A LT1 and S/C LT4), with the ZR1 poised to introduce an evolution of the 650-hp LT4 V8.
Rumor has it the LT5 V8 with its dual-overhead cam configuration is too wide to fit in the engine bay of the C7 Corvette. The heavily-anticipated engine seems to be developed with the C8 Corvette in mind, which makes sense when you consider that the newcomer intends to blur the line between the Great American Sports Car and supercar. Adding fuel to the fire, the voice of reason suggests the ZERV won’t use General Motors’ fast-shifting 10-speed slushbox, but the Tremec-sourced TR-9007 dual-clutch automatic tranny.
Whatever Chevrolet actually plans to do with the C8 Corvette, make no mistake the golden bowtie has a winning formula in the pipeline.
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