The C7 Is Being Produced to “target a very different sort of buyer”
The Corvette turned 60 this year and it seems that the majority of its target audience did exactly the same thing. The Corvette, long an American tradition and the true American sports car, has seen its audience grow older, and it seems that Chevrolet is beginning to get anxious about this. With this in mind, Chevrolet has decided to make direct and immediate steps with the next generation of their flagship vehicle to move it towards a new group of buyers. What is this group? Why, a younger one of course.
Based upon the popularity that the European sports car currently holds with the professional demographics in their 20's and 30's, it seems that Chevrolet will be making changes to move the Corvette in the direction of the Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. Finding and securing a younger fan-base is paramount to the long-term survival of the Corvette, whose style and badge alone have guaranteed it a place in the hearts of many customers already.
To attract this younger crowd, Chevrolet is moving in a few very specific directions. The first of these is getting away from the idea that larger displacement engines are always better. According to reports from high-ranking Chevrolet officials, the next generation of Corvette--it's 7th generation of vehicles in its long ling--will be outfitted with a small block, turbocharged V8. This small-black V8 will probably come in at around 3.0L in displacement, well below the current 6.3L V8 LS3 found in the current base Corvette. The drop in displacement will be offset by the inclusion of turbochargers however to ensure that the base Corvette still puts out impressive performance numbers--expect to see something in the 400HP range, or, 130HP/liter. These numbers will put right in line with the performance of such vehicles as the 911 Turbo and Lamborghini Gallardo, and will also help drastically lighten the curb-weight for the vehicle.
In addition to these changes, the next generation of Corvette engine will move to an overhead-cam configuration, instead of its current overhead-valve design. This configuration will utilize a dry-sump oil system that's incredibly effective in track-performance situations and allows for higher red-line RPM ranges, but will do so at an undeniable loss of straight-away speed. These moves, like the move to the smaller displacement engine, are certainly very European in design. Expect this turbocharged engine to redline at around 10,000 RPM, and have a wider performance curve with increased mid-range RPM acceleration--again, moves that are certain to improve, along with the decreased curb weight, the vehicle's track performance numbers.
All of this information, which has been leaked by various GM officials off the record "here and there", is right in line with one of the few official statements that has been given by the Corvette team: Mike Reuss' (president of GM's North American division) claim that the C7 Corvette will be “completely different” from its very American roots and that GM is looking to “target a very different sort of buyer for the next Corvette."
Of course, Chevrolet seems to still understand its roots, and it's very likely that the Corvette will be available with multiple different drivetrain options, including a larger, higher displacement, more-American V8--something in line with the current LS-series of engines. Couple that with the very classic Corvette design cues that are being promised--like the return of the split-window in the rear, taken from the collectible '63 Corvette--and it's obvious that the Corvette will still be, very much, a Corvette. The potential here then, for the C7 Corvette to be a melding of modern-European performance and classic American styling makes for a very promising next generation vehicle, and the sort of thing that could really bring a lot of excitement back in to a fading market.
Another area of the Corvette that is certain to get a large overhaul is the vehicle's interior, and this is long overdue. Ed Welburn, GM's Global Design Chief, has publicly called the current Corvette interior a "disappointment", and has stated that he will personally be overseeing the design and production of the C7 interior, and has promised that the new interior will be "world class". This change alone, if the promise is delivered upon, is enough to generate more buzz in the vehicle, as one of the major knocks on the current Corvette within media outlets has been the interior.
All of this speculation (because, let's face it, until we get this information straight from the horse's mouth is little more than that) is at least backed up, in some ways, by the public knowledge that GM has just made a $131million investment in their Bowling Green, Kentucky plant--the longtime home of the Corvette--in preparation for the C7's production. That sort of money, and GM's history of using their flagship sports car for the application of innovative new technologies, definitely provides a lot of promise for the vehicle. No matter what Chevrolet ends up doing, they've got one thing on their side: they're making a Corvette, and when it comes to the respect and excitement a vehicle name and badge can generate, the Corvette is unparalleled.