Update 2/27: We’ve received a fresh batch of photos depicting the camouflaged C7 Corvette, again taken while the car was undergoing cold-weather testing. Although we’re sticking with our original assessment that the C7’s redesign will be more evolutionary than revolutionary, the new images bring a couple of details into focus: First, an array of LED running lights appear to be hiding in the headlight clusters and, second, the B-pillar looks as if it’s going to be thicker and perhaps flow into a more traditional sail panel. If the latter proves accurate, it follows that the wraparound rear glass of the current Vette will be abandoned. Even under the heavily padded camo, careful examination indicates the new backlight rests at a less severe degree of rake than the current model’s. Read on for the rest of what we know about the C7.
We get it. You’re here to see the C7 Chevy Corvette. Take a look at the photo gallery—we’ll wait—then read our prognostications below.
Here’s what we know about the next Chevrolet Corvette.
Chassis: As we’ve said before—and as these photos prove—nothing so drastic as a switch to a mid-engine layout was planned for the C7. The Vette will remain a front-engine, rear-transaxle sports car (until the C8 arrives, anyway). Something similar to the current car’s suspension, transverse leaf springs and all, will appear on this 2014 model. We also don’t expect any drastic dimensional changes; while mules we spotted in September appeared to have a narrower track, their bodies were donated by C6 Grand Sports, which have wider fenders and tracks than do base Corvettes. The C7 is likely to shed some mass, which will of course yield a better power-to-weight figure.
Design: We’re going to go out on a limb and call it Vette-like. New headlight elements are more complex and narrower. The double-bubble roof returns, although the space between the bumps is wider and the panel appears to be slightly flatter. There’s mesh covering the hood, which suggests some sort of ventilation—either louvers or something like the scoop that adorns the nose of the current Z06, Grand Sport, and ZR1. Oh, and the side mirrors are less-rounded than before and are a bit larger.
Among the critical details hidden by the camo is final shape of the rear end, which GM has taken care to cover up. Although this winter coat makes it appear as though the shape of the tail is mostly the same, we’re fairly confident there’s more of a boat-tail look back there. The extra padding also makes it difficult to tell whether the rear overhang is longer. And while the car’s signature round taillights are sure to return, the sizing and spacing suggested by the shroud are probably meant to throw us off. The quad exhaust tips, which appeared as slightly separated pairs on the C6, are now bundled together in a row.
Powertrain: As for the source of the power, we expect to see more-significant changes under the hood. GM already has invested nearly $1 billion in the American plants that produce its small-block V-8, and the fifth generation of the iconic engine family will appear in the C7. Downsizing is almost a given for efficiency reasons, so expect a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter (possibly 6.0-liter) mill in place of the current 6.2 in the base model. (The oft-rumored twin-turbo V-6? We’re thinking C8.) The smaller engine will continue to use an aluminum block with pushrods, and should make roughly the same 430 hp as the current 6.2; it will do so, however, thanks in part to a higher compression ratio and direct fuel injection. The V-8 also is expected to feature cylinder deactivation, some sort of variable valve timing, and perhaps even stop-start functionality—the latter not exactly ideal for stoplight tête-à-têtes. Finally, the Z06 and ZR1 models—with their respective larger and supercharged eights—should return.
Timing: Chevrolet is keeping a very tight lid on all things Corvette, but the C7 ought to debut as a 2014 model sometime in 2013. (We’ve heard rumbles of a fall on-sale date.) Prices shouldn’t change much from current levels, with the base car starting in the neighborhood of $50,000.
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