📰 Auto News Mid-engined Corvette development confirmed... by Saab engineers?!

[Mook]

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Before things went all tipsy in the auto market, the engineers at General Motors were apparently hard at work on some pretty interesting projects. How interesting? How about an actual mid-engine Corvette? Autocar says that an unnamed Saab engineer confirmed that the Swedish automaker had actually been charged with developing a transmission for such a beast when the company was still under The General's wing. Evidently, the cog box used a wet clutch setup and was built to handle up to 590 lb-ft of torque. If you're keeping score at home, you'll likely note that those twist figures are just south of what the ZR1 puts to the pavement right now.

How about them apples.

As Autocar points out, that project was canned when credit went tighter than a fat man's socks, but there may be a ray of light in this whole tale. The UK publication claims that GM has fired up the burners under the C7 project one more time, and that a mid-engine chassis will indeed be part of the recipe. If you're buying what Autocar is selling – and we're not necessarily in that group – a turbo V6 will supply the car's grunt, too.

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[Runtz52]

turbo v6 mid engine vette, hmmm

think ive seen a few fieros with similar set ups

 

[Stink Star]

SO ITS GONNA BE A FACTORY FIVE DTM?

 

[Chrisco]

I'd bet a paycheck that you'll NEVER see a mid-engine Corvette produced by GM and sold to the public. They tried that concept in the 80's and every purist threw a shit fit. It was talked about for the C6 and it was all negative feedback, again. It'll never happen. Not as a Corvette, anyway.

 

[EmersonHart13]

I'll take your paycheck, extra money sounds good...

I would have to agree though, it just isn't pure.

 

[utryd2]

Mid engine I could see long before a turbo v6. Factory five setup would be sweet(with a v8)!

 

[YoushallgoFo]

Ah there's no way Chevy would give up the heritage. Its been a pushrod V8 FR leafspring setup forever. The car still has to be affordable daily drivable so they can't fuck with it too much.

 

[Chrisco]

Ah there's no way Chevy would give up the heritage. Its been a pushrod V8 FR leafspring setup forever. The car still has to be affordable daily drivable so they can't fuck with it too much.

 

[Primalzer]

I could MAYBE see mid-engine with their new small block they are coming out with...but definitely not mid-engine AND a V6. If they did that they might as well just call it the fiero.

 

[Oreif]

I could MAYBE see mid-engine with their new small block they are coming out with...but definitely not mid-engine AND a V6. If they did that they might as well just call it the fiero.

So since I put in a V-8 in my Fiero can I call it a Corvette and snub my nose at others?

Actually the Corvette mid-engine prototypes started in 1959 with the first CERV. (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle)
Originally CERV was Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle and was changed to "Corporate" sometime in the 1980's and finally "Corvette" in the 1990's.

Then in 1963 they designed the CERV II. It was unusual, to say the least, with a Powerglide automatic on both ends of the 377 ci advanced V8, each one feeding its respective axle. It could top 200 mph, and knock off the zero to sixty in 2.8 seconds! (Yes this was in 1963!!)

In 1968 they built the Astro II (XP-880) with a 427 ZL-1 engine (prototype for the ZL-1 production engines) in an effort to compete with Fords GT40.

The XP-882 in 1970 used the Eldorado/Toronado TH425 transaxle and a 454 big block.

The XP-897 in 1973 was GM's attempt at a 585 ci rotory engine/mid-engine concept. The XP-895 was the same body as the XP-897 except it was with an experimental 400ci aluminum block engine. It was when GM attempted to make all aluminum engines, But with the problems the 4-cyl Vega's had, the engine was scrapped.

In 1986 they built the "Indy Concept" Corvette that used the prototype for the LT5 (32-valve 5.7L) engine.

Then in 1990 the built the CERV III with a twin-turbo LT5 (just north of 650hp). It was first unveiled in Detroit Automobile Show in January 1986 as the Corvette Indy prototype car. The vehicle featured 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, and CRT cockpit screens. The vehicle was styled by Chief of Chevy III Studio, Jerry Palmer. The car was made of carbon fiber with a fiberglass-finish coating, with estimated price of $300k-400k. Other standard features include computer-controlled active suspension system, ABS braking and traction control, six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive and four-wheel steering.

On December 1992, General Motors' Corvette group secretly contracts with TDM, Inc. to build a test car of the 1997 Corvette, which was officially called CERV-4. Corvette directed the project, with Chevrolet paying for it. General Motors management was not told about it, for fear of cancellation. It was unveiled by Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill on May 3 1993 at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren. The build cost was about US$1.2 million.


Finally, in 2007 they had a mid-engined concept that was tagged as the 2010 C7 (also the CERV IV-B) back in August of 2007. http://www.coolsupercars.com/mid-engine-c7-corvette-coming-in-2010/
This one was sold in 2009 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction for $34000 (before buyer premium). This car is currently on display in Effingham, IL at the MY Garage Museum owned by Michael and Blake Yager. Also the manual 6-speed transaxle was repackaged to reduce weight and later used in the 2006/2007 Pontiac G6's.

(Damn I spend way too much time reading car history books!)

 

[jason05gt]

The car still has to be affordable daily drivable so they can't fuck with it too much.

That's what I was thinking as I read the article. A mid-engine layout sounds expensive. I am all for new technology, but let's keep the price in check. A DSG transmission would be a welcome addition as well as ditching leaf springs. Other than that, give it a better interior plus a bit of refinement and it's a world class vehicle.

 

[Runtz52]

This car is currently on display in Effingham, IL at the MY Garage Museum owned by Michael and Blake Yager. Also the manual 6-speed transaxle was repackaged to reduce weight and later used in the 2006/2007 Pontiac G6's.

effingham eh? may have to swing by there on my way to siu to check that out

 

[YoushallgoFo]

I dont see what the problem is with FR setups anyway. The Lexus LFA, benz SLS, Ferrari 599, Nissan GTR, and Viper are all as fast as any Mid engine car. Anyway, I still see it hard for anyone whos going to buy a Ferrari 458 to cross shop anything from a chevy dealer.

 

[Oreif]

I dont see what the problem is with FR setups anyway. The Lexus LFA, benz SLS, Ferrari 599, Nissan GTR, and Viper are all as fast as any Mid engine car. Anyway, I still see it hard for anyone whos going to buy a Ferrari 458 to cross shop anything from a chevy dealer.

Mid-engine doesn't make a vehicle faster or slower in a straight line, it improves handling due to better weight distribution. Cars like the Viper shift things around to get close to the 50/50 weight distribution then adjust the suspension, But it isn't quite a 50/50 split.

With a 50/50 weight distribution things like center of gravity height and left/right weight distribution can be tuned better. If tuned properly, it will offer a decent ride (not too stiff) and provide excellent cornering due to equal weight distribution.

 

[Wolfman]

chevy has already announced a 5.5 liter direct injection motor for it. no V6 turbo anytime soon

 

[Mook]

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Karl Stracke, General Motors VP of global engineering, has unequivocally denied the recent rumors about a mid-engine version of the next-generation Corvette with a wet-dual-clutch transmission. Stracke spoke with editors at Automotive News and Autoweek and addressed the latest batch of rumors. For decades, speculation about what will be done with a next-generation Corvette invariably pops up almost immediately after a new model is introduced.

For example, a mid-engined Corvette has reportedly been on the cards since at least the mid-60s, thanks in part to a string of concept and experimental models of that configuration. The last Corvette-badged mid-engine concept was the 1990 CERV-III, but that hasn't stopped the speculation – especially in recent years as the Corvette has gained increased respect among the ranks of high-end sports cars. According to Stracke, "There is no mid-engine in the plans."

The same goes for a the story revealed by a Saab engineer about development of a wet DCT. Automakers are increasingly moving away from wet-clutch gearboxes to dry-clutch units because they are less expensive and more efficient. While Stracke shoots down the wet DCT, no mention is made of a dry-clutch unit... if Chevrolet follows Ferrari and Porsche down the dual-clutch path, that is almost certainly the type we will see.

Stracke also put the kibosh on a V6 Corvette. GM has already announced a direct injected small-block V8 is coming soon for its full-size pickup trucks and the Corvette will no doubt follow. Stracke did acknowledge that a hybrid is a possibility for the sports car and since competitors are going that way it wouldn't be out of place.

 

[Primalzer]

Well the hybrid in this day and age is much more believable, especially with a dual clutch setup. Hopefully the hybrid is an option, one that will hopefully be left blank by everyone in this forum

 

[THEHKP7M13]

If its mid-engined I say call it a Pontiac Fiero.