Chevrolet Corvette (2014) - Automotive News

CAR GARAGE | Chevrolet Corvette (2014) | The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 should be worth the extra wait time anyway, as it promises to be the most nimble and fuel-efficient Corvette ever, thanks in large part to what MT terms "a substantially new platform." According to MT's Mike Connor, "Engineers are said to be working on the Corvette's chassis feel and feedback. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette will not - repeat not - be a rear / mid-engine design, something fans have been dreaming Corvette for Decades about through a parade of tantalizing concept cars. As Connor notes, "While GM engineers have Discussed That possibility for every Corvette since the C3, the latest iteration of that idea left with Bob Lutz, who is now working for a mid-engine sports -Lotus car company.

Motor Trend Doubts the show car's retro "boat-tail" with split rear window (recalling the iconic 1963 Sting Ray coupe) will survive, as it would compromise rear visibility. Some sources also look for large, outboard water vertical ducts in the front and rear fascias, as on the concept. In Addition, weight-changing Paring Efforts may prompt some or all body panels from plastic-like sheet molding compound (SMC), the which contains silicon, to new and lighter blended composites Such as Kevlar / carbon fiber or Kevlar / aluminum. The high-performance Z06 and ZR1 would presumably continue to use carbon fiber for the outer-body panels Certain Including the hood, roof, fenders, and lower-body skirts.

With no new-design engines likely, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette should maintain tradition with classic overhead-valve "small block" V8 mills. The latter prediction comes from Road & Track, the which sees the base 6.2-liter LS3 V8 shrinking to 5.5 liters, a size possibly prompted by the engine developed for the Corvette GT2 endurance racers. However, R & T does not mention what, if anything, would Happen to the Z06's LS7 7.0-liter unit or the ZR1's supercharged LS9 6.2-liter V8.

In the chassis department, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Likely will retain the C6's basic 4-wheel independent suspension with aluminum unequal-length A-arms at each corner and a composite transverse leaf spring at each end. Motor Trend says Those leaf springs can act like a rigid axle in some cornering Situations and notes Corvette That many "tuners" substitute conventional coil springs to improve cornering grip and precision handling A prospect is more Likely electric-assist steering motors That would save a little fuel over the traditional engine-driven hydraulic booster. Other chassis features encore should include Corvette's driver-adjustable shock absorbers Magnetic Ride Control, Active Handling stability system with traction control, and GM's Launch Control, the which modulates engine speed for maximum stick in full-throttle takeoffs. The ZR1 should retain a standard Performance Traction Management system adjusts the suspension That and traction control to suit high-speed driving and the which Might also be available for other models.