Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Ah, the Corvette! Now in its seventh generation, America’s sports car prepares to switch from a front- to a mid-engine layout with the introduction of the C8 on July 18th. In other words, the days of the C7 are numbered.
In production since September 2013 for the 2014 model year, the C7 is available with a small-block V8 in multiple flavors. The LT5 in the ZR1 is the most exciting of the bunch, shaming supercars from McLaren and Lamborghini with 755 horsepower (765 PS) and 715 pound-feet (969 Nm) of torque.
The C8 will soldier on with the small-block V8 we all know and love, but the LT2 will replace the LT1 as the entry-level engine. Pre-production prototypes spied at the Nurburgring are equipped with the 6.2-liter powerplant, which is connected to the rear wheels with the help of a dual-clutch transmission.
That’s right; no manual this time around! It’s widely believed the LT4 and LT5 won’t be succeeded in the eighth generation of the ‘Vette because General Motors has started experimenting with twin-turbocharged V8s.
The Blackwing engine introduced by Cadillac is expected to serve as the building block for the C8 Corvette’s optional engine, and if everything goes to plan, an electrified version of this twin-turbo V8 could improve the output to 1,000 ponies.
Looking closer at the test mules, you’ll see lots of aerodynamic trickery and lots of cooling for both the braking system and the engine bay. On the downside, the front overhang could pose a bit of a problem when driving up the driveway. Here’s hope a nose lift such as the system in the Porsche 911 will be offered either as standard or as optional equipment.
Can you believe the ‘Vette has been front-engined since the C1 was introduced in 1953? It took General Motors more than six decades to step out of its comfort zone, and that’s a bit on the late side of things considering that Pontiac had a mid-engine design back in the 1980s with the Fiero.
Codenamed P-body, the mid-engine platform was also utilized in various Geo and Isuzu models as well as the General Motors EV1.
The C8 will soldier on with the small-block V8 we all know and love, but the LT2 will replace the LT1 as the entry-level engine. Pre-production prototypes spied at the Nurburgring are equipped with the 6.2-liter powerplant, which is connected to the rear wheels with the help of a dual-clutch transmission.
That’s right; no manual this time around! It’s widely believed the LT4 and LT5 won’t be succeeded in the eighth generation of the ‘Vette because General Motors has started experimenting with twin-turbocharged V8s.
The Blackwing engine introduced by Cadillac is expected to serve as the building block for the C8 Corvette’s optional engine, and if everything goes to plan, an electrified version of this twin-turbo V8 could improve the output to 1,000 ponies.
Looking closer at the test mules, you’ll see lots of aerodynamic trickery and lots of cooling for both the braking system and the engine bay. On the downside, the front overhang could pose a bit of a problem when driving up the driveway. Here’s hope a nose lift such as the system in the Porsche 911 will be offered either as standard or as optional equipment.
Can you believe the ‘Vette has been front-engined since the C1 was introduced in 1953? It took General Motors more than six decades to step out of its comfort zone, and that’s a bit on the late side of things considering that Pontiac had a mid-engine design back in the 1980s with the Fiero.
Codenamed P-body, the mid-engine platform was also utilized in various Geo and Isuzu models as well as the General Motors EV1.
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