2020 mid-engine Corvette spy vid?!

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Originally Posted By: 4WD
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
So is Corvette actually getting ready to build a real sports car?


One of my engineers has two pretty wild C6’s & always looking for a race, whatcha got ?


Me I don't need to race but say when a Corvette wins a Lemans I'll be impressed!
 
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Originally Posted By: jhs914
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
I thought the current Corvette has a nearly 50/50 weight distribution. What is to be gained by going mid engine?
Moment of Inertia.

Think of it this way: a barbell has perfect 50/50 weight distribution (equal weight on both ends). Now try to spin that barbell from side to side (as a car does as it changes directions turning a corner). You have to move both ends of a heavy barbell in different directions.

Now put most of that mass in the middle of the bar instead of the ends. It will rotate much easier than the standard barbell. This is why F1 and Indy cars changed from front engine to mid-engine over 50 years ago.


Great answer.. I never thought of that.
 
Consider polar moment of inertia in the context of a road vehicle.
Porsche along with all of the Italian exoticar makers have built both low polar moment and high polar moment cars concurrently.
In the case of something commonly available, ask yourself whether you'd rather be driving a 911 or a 928 on a long, fast road trip, even on a two lane with corners.
For most of us, something like the 928 would be far more relaxing to drive although a 911 would be more fun for a while. That a good 928 can be bought for much less money than a 911 of similar age and condition is but a side benefit.
Low polar moment of inertia isn't the most desirable quality in a car intended to be usable on a daily driver basis.
 
I know what I'd choose between a 928 and a 911... Also a poor choice to illustrate your point. The 928 has 50/50 balance and a lower moment of intertia - the engine in a 928 is at least between the axles.

And you're not seriously suggesting that a $100k+ mid engine Corvette would be a daily driver?

The ones they make now barely get driven at all! Double the cost, and I suspect they'll be driven half as often.

Corvette will be a brand. You'll have the Stingray and whatever this new car is called.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

Corvette will be a brand. You'll have the Stingray and whatever this new car is called.


Possibly. Although I think the problem with the Corvette right now is the Camaro. The Alpha chassis is so good that a $43,000 Camaro SS 1LE is faster than a $55,000 base Stingray around a track.

The Corvette needs to step up to a whole new level of performance.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I know what I'd choose between a 928 and a 911... Also a poor choice to illustrate your point. The 928 has 50/50 balance and a lower moment of intertia - the engine in a 928 is at least between the axles.

And you're not seriously suggesting that a $100k+ mid engine Corvette would be a daily driver?

The ones they make now barely get driven at all! Double the cost, and I suspect they'll be driven half as often.

Corvette will be a brand. You'll have the Stingray and whatever this new car is called.


Weight distribution fore and aft has nothing to do with polar moment. How that weight is distributed does.
In the case of the 911, all of the drivetrain mass is distributed to the rear while in the case of the 928, Porsche separated these masses by placing the engine up front and the clutch and transaxle in the rear. Hence, the 911 is a low polar moment design while the 928 is a high polar moment design. Drive both back to back and you can't miss the greater stability the 928 offers.
Corvettes have always been suitable for daily driver use. I'd doubt that GM will offer a good weather only special since the engineering, tooling and certification costs would never make sense for what is ultimately a Chevy and not a Ferrari and that will have to be priced accordingly.
 
The problem I have with a mid engine Corvette is that it no longer makes the Corvette a viable long distance cruiser, as I don't see how it'll carry the same amount of cargo that the current version does. When my wife and I retire in 4 years time we'll be taking the Corvette with us to Florida every winter, and packing it full of our luggage and other necessities for our time down there. You can pack a lot of stuff into the hatch of my current Corvette but I bet a mid engine car cuts that in half if not more. So while I do like some of the renderings of the mid engine car, I think it'll push it's practicality out the window. And I do know a lot of current Corvette owners that use their cars for long road trips that would feel the same way as me.
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
The problem I have with a mid engine Corvette is that it no longer makes the Corvette a viable long distance cruiser, as I don't see how it'll carry the same amount of cargo that the current version does. When my wife and I retire in 4 years time we'll be taking the Corvette with us to Florida every winter, and packing it full of our luggage and other necessities for our time down there. You can pack a lot of stuff into the hatch of my current Corvette but I bet a mid engine car cuts that in half if not more. So while I do like some of the renderings of the mid engine car, I think it'll push it's practicality out the window. And I do know a lot of current Corvette owners that use their cars for long road trips that would feel the same way as me.

Maybe they'll take a note from Porsche and it'll have two trunks - the Boxster has twice the space as a 911, even with the convertible top. The Cayman has tons of room for road trip stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
How hard will this make it to work on?

It won't be fun!

But the standard Corvette isn't the easiest car to work on, either.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
I thought the current Corvette has a nearly 50/50 weight distribution. What is to be gained by going mid engine?

This. The current Corvette and even "Mullet" ZL1 Camaro lay waist to cars double their price. Mid engine? Ha. I have had some drinks so bear with me.
You GM haters kill me. You have a Corolla Let me go out and get my 6.0 LS based truck with trailer hooked up and school you, then I will hop in the 2.0 LTG Malibu and beat you to a pulp. Next I will get out the 6.0 Caprice and destroy cars twice the amount of money....last but certainly not least the WS6. What you got?
On BITOG? Most likely nothing that even comes close...Sorry guys...You have not seen the REAL LS1 Mike for awhile.

I try to be good but once in awhile you guys need some reality.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread. I have to go cook dinner.
smile.gif
 
Oh and if any of you who have been here over 5 years take me seriously...Step back... have a drink and relax.
smile.gif

The rest of you are gonna know I am not serious about anything but my kids.

Well sort of. I will take a turbo Lebaron over a Corolla any day.
wink.gif
. Better yet if you are close...come over have a drink with me and enjoy cars.....All of them.
 
Originally Posted By: E365
Yes,for real. Probably been one of the top spotting targets and source of rumor for the entire car industry for a couple years now.

The leaked CAD drawings show a transmission almost exactly like the 7-speed ZF DCT used in the Porsche 918.

Two different engines seen in CAD drawings too. What looks like a N/A V8 and a twin-turbo V8.

https://jalopnik.com/even-more-leaked-mid-engine-corvette-cad-images-show-ne-1821585349


My guesses for the mid-engine Corvette engines:
LT2. 6.2L pushrod V8 based on the LT1, but redesigned for mid-engine installation.
LT6. 5.5L DOHC V8 naturally aspirated with about 650HP. Same bore pitch as the Gen V V8's.
LT7. 5.5L DOHC V8 twin turbo with about 850HP. (The Jalopnik article.)
 
Here's video of it the Nurburgring. Sound like this one could still use an LS-based GM small block? Hopefully that remains the base engine to keep cost down.

https://youtu.be/ttWw8aoaq10
 
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Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
So is Corvette actually getting ready to build a real sports car?


Are you kidding me right now? Have you even driven a current generation Corvette? Even in it's most basic form it's still an incredible performer in every way. Mine is just the basic 1LT package, doesn't even have the Z51 option, and it handles incredibly well, out brakes just about everything on the road, and does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds according to my onboard timer. I don't know what you consider a sports car if everything I've said didn't just define it.
 
Automatic base C7 can run high 11's completely stock at a track near sea level.

I'm not too crazy about any Corvette interior design.
 
A few guys have actually run 11.5s in completely stock trim with their base model automatic C7s (and without the Z51 package too so that has the less desirable 2.41 axle ratio)

The interior in the C7 is so much better than previous generation Corvettes though. I found the interiors in my C5 and C6 both looked cheap, but the C7 is in a different league, looks way more high end. Mine even came with a flat bottom steering wheel as a standard feature.
 
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