Corvette to shed the pounds and power in 2012
Posted Jan 22nd 2008 7:29AM by Damon Lavrinc
Filed under: Coupes, Chevrolet, GM


The new CAFE regulations might spell the end for big V8s, but future Corvettes will be packing a similar performance punch with a smaller footprint. Automotive News sat down with the Corvette's vehicle line exec, Tom Wallace, to discuss the future of the iconic coupe and he said that a 700 hp 'Vette is off the table. Instead, Chevy is looking to lighten the Corvette's weight and utilize a smaller V8 in order to keep the same power-to-weight ratio of the current generation models. Although Wallace didn't get into details, that didn't stop AN from speculating that the next Corvette could go on a 300 to 400 pound diet and get motivation from a 4.7-liter V8 (making 150 hp less). However, Wallace's own words are more telling, saying that the next 'Vette could be "more fuel efficient [and] even nimbler than it was before.

Heard the pop up headlights were coming back too using that junk plastic gear still to run up the headlights come on GM. :rolleyes:
Please not back to the 70's with this LS9 idea of forced induction and cylinder head injection blow the doors off the MPG and performance outcomes you have achieved
We will soon own the middle east and fuel will be about a buck a gallon

Even better would be to loose the 400 lbs and keep the engine the same.

Hey, if the C7 comes with a smaller engine it should make the values of a C5 go up! Classic will really be in.

Read a report that the whole car will be smaller. Maybe they are looking at using a variation of one of their standard platforms. Chevy Solstice anyone?

this is even more of a concern..IMO (could be a long long time till anything happens with corvette?)

GM disbands unit that creates high-performance vehicles
By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
A picture of GM's High Performance Vehicle Operations, which created vehicles such as the Chevrolet HHR SS, has been disbanded.
GM's High Performance Vehicle Operations, which created vehicles such as the Chevrolet HHR SS, has been disbanded.General Motors, focusing on mainstream products in a battle to survive, has scrapped a unit that produced high-performance vehicles.

GM on Wednesday disbanded High Performance Vehicle Operations, which is based at the company's suburban Detroit technical center, and redeployed its engineers, spokesman Vince Muniga said.

"All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs."

The unit created low-volume vehicles for GM's divisions designed to appeal to enthusiasts and bolster the company's image. Products included V-series Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and a V-8 version of the Colorado.

Muniga said there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming cars.

The move is in the spirit of GM's viability plan delivered to the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday. In the plan, GM said its future-product focus is on fuel- efficient cars and crossovers. It also pledged to increase its current offering of six hybrids to 14 by 2012 and to 26 by 2014. GM also boosted its request for federal aid by as much as $16.6 billion.

The High Performance Vehicle Operations unit could be reinstated once GM regains its financial health, GM's Muniga said.

"These guys are pretty good at what they do," Muniga said, "They are moving into different areas to work on core products."

To read more visit the AutoWeek New car news, road tests, blogs, pix and expert insight section.

Looks like the C6 could be around for a while.

As an owner of a c6 I can't say I'm sad to hear the C6 will be around for some time longer..

The disbanding of High Performance Vehicle Operations is a concern...

Hopefully its short term and GM will be able to reinstate the High Performance Vehicle Operations.

Hopefully corvette will still be around as a strong performer throughout the transition.

Should be but with this economic climate its hard to tell..

anybody think GM should completely sell off its museum pieces or did they already clean house completely?

AFAIK, the vette still makes GM money, so dropping it wouldn't make much sense in their quest for solvency. However, I can see them leaving things as-is for a while and saving the C7 R&D costs for a time when the profits from the C6 aren't helping to keep GM as a whole from going under. I wouldn't be upset with a 10-15 year run of C6's either.

I'd imagine that their hi perf div was hard to justify on a cost basis before the economic tsunami hit, so now they don't have much choice but to mothball it. Hopefully that's all it is, mothballed. Once things get better they can go back to installing go-fast mods at the factory.

If they are taking bail-out money, the government will be telling them what and how to build, and I haven't heard of any Corvette enthusiasts in the Obama administration.

Even so, I'd find it hard to believe that they'd cut a division that is in the black. However, since when is Uncle Sam known for making good financial decisions.

It won't be based on economics, it'll be environmental. CAFE standards were already so stringent I don't see how a company like Porsche or Ferrari can even come close and have cars that resemble anything they're building now.

Isn't the alternative to meeting the MPG standards still just a modified version of the 'gas guzzler' tax. I can't see any gov't, even the Obama administration, telling Porsche, Ferrari, or Lambo that they can't sell any cars in the USA and actually get away with it.

This is just speculation on my part.....

At some point the design for the C6 will be "stale" to the buying public. As a result, no one will want one and will require an update in order for the model to survive. I hate to say this but if that won't happen, it could be the last generation.