Chevrolet News:Rumorpile: Is This The 2014 Corvette's Rear End?

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

December 24, 2012

January 13, 2013 is the date that Chevrolet will reveal to the world the new seventh-generation Corvette. But some leaked images could give us some hints as to what the rear end and interior look like.

The images are allegedly from a user manual. The Corvette Fourm's member who posted these images cannot vouch for their authenticity, but the images seem to match up with past rumors.

Starting with the rear end, the images show the new Corvette sharing some design cues from the 2009 Stingray concept. The images also reveal a set of quad tailpipes and uniquely styled taillights.

Heading inside, the images reveal a new center stack with a large screen, paddle shifters, and a track telematics system that will display lap times, a small GPS map of the track with the car’s position, G forces, gear selection, and 0-60 times.

We'll see if the images are the real deal or not when the 13th rolls around in a few weeks.

Source: Corvette Fourm via AutoGuide

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[regfootball]

that rear end is pretty cool actually. But this is my opinion, that dash design sucks ass. Really bad. Is it 1994? My God, couldn't they have designed something for this decade? Pitiful. Shame, because those new seats look boss.

[vonVeezelsnider]

This C7 seems to be the maximum evolution of the C4 concept, I'm not sure how much further they can take it...

I honestly prefer the C6 exterior styling which is cleaner. Maybe the C8 will be a radical departure?

[Robert Hall]

That rear end is rather cheesy in the details (the fake plastic vents outboard of the taillights, the busy lower panel)...the dash does look like a nod to the early 90s design..and what's up w/ the gauges? Digital? Ugh. trapizoidal taillights?

Here's the '94, '97, and '05..and '12 looks a lot like the '05 except they went from a 4 spoke to a 3 spoke wheel.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Robert Hall]

Since the new car is coming for '14, is there a '13 that is a repeat of 2012? I assume there will be an obligatory 60th anniversary package...

[ocnblu]

2013 Corvettes are on the lots.

[Drew Dowdell]

again with the pre-judging?

[balthazar]

^ How does someone tell that grilled vents are fake from a line drawing?

'14 line-drawing dash looks nothing like the '05. That said, none of the 4 interiors shown in this thread are properly indicative of the Corvette image, IMO. I'd like to see something a lot more 'focused' and purpose-driven, stylistically..., more expressive, like the C2 was.

[Robert Hall]

^ How does someone tell that grilled vents are fake from a line drawing?

I can't see the point of functional vents there (on a front engined car)... and GM has a precident of fake grilled vents on various cars (ATS, Malibu, etc).

'14 line-drawing dash looks nothing like the '05.

No one said the '14 dash looked like the '05...it was said that it resembled the early '90s dash. Agreed the '63-67 had the best dash design, very sporty...the '68-82 looked similar to the '67-68 F-body dash, the '84-90 digital dash was dreadful, IMO...a blocky mess suitable for a truck.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

Air extractors- GM has a track record of functional versions, too ('49 Buick, Trans Am, GNX, etc). Could be an aero benefit for rear wheel well pressure reduction. If this were a Malibu, I'd agree it'd be fake.

>>"No one said the '14 dash looked like the '05...it was said that it resembled the early '90s dash. "<<

I misread you, that you said the '14 dash looked like the '05 when you said the '12 looked like the '05. Apologies.

'84-90 dash was cool in its day, to a degree, but it aged fast IMO & is nothing to emulate today.

[Blake Noble]

I'm personally feeling more than just a little lukewarm about the upcoming Corvette, but I won't say much more about it beyond that.

[thedriver]

That rear end looks more like it should be on the next Camaro, not Corvette. . .

[hyperv6]

We go through this drama at ever C body release. Half love it and Half hate it and in the end they all end up dealing with the changes and accept it.

The C7 is just a bridge to the C8 that is alreay in the works and will see some major changes as it did with the C1-C2.

The C6 pissed a bunch off on the no flip up headlamps buy people got over it and moved on.

[Cory Wolfe]

I'm sure it wont look as underwhelming in the flesh. Especially the interior, which likely looks less plasticky when your perspective is something other than a technical drawing. With that said, it does seem to emulate the C4 in layout and design. The exterior seems to be the first radical design change in a while. It's actually somewhat refreshing to see that new hatch and that window design. The taillights are interesting, atleast.

[Robert Hall]

The C7 is just a bridge to the C8 that is already in the works and will see some major changes as it did with the C1-C2.

Corvette generations tend to run around 7-9 years at the least...so is the C7 going to be short lived if the C8 is already started? Seems unlikely we will see the C8 until at least 2020..

Edited December 25, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[regfootball]

there is a pretty cool design speculation rendering on GMI with a much more interesting interior theme. And its not 1994 half baked over again.

[hyperv6]

The C7 is just a bridge to the C8 that is already in the works and will see some major changes as it did with the C1-C2.

Corvette generations tend to run around 7-9 years at the least...so is the C7 going to be short lived if the C8 is already started? Seems unlikely we will see the C8 until at least 2020..

Just what someone said on the Corvette team. They said both the C7 and C8 were being worked on at the same time. At the time they said the changes would be evolutionary on the C7 and the changes would be greater on the C8 and a longer development time would be needed.

It seems that the changing CAFE will force major changes sooner for the Vette. Also I would say the competitive market will make the 9 year changes much shorter. GM can no longer afford years like last year that sold less than 12,000 units and even less this year.

[ZL-1]

Rear end looks a bit weird on the b&w drawings; I'd rather wait to see the whole car as these unconnected bits we've seen so far can turn out to be a cohesive design...

2014 Corvette debut is Jan 13th, right?

[Drew Dowdell]

yes. and I'll be on hand for it.

[ZL-1]

yes. and I'll be on hand for it.

[Camino LS6]

I'm sure it wont look as underwhelming in the flesh. Especially the interior, which likely looks less plasticky when your perspective is something other than a technical drawing. With that said, it does seem to emulate the C4 in layout and design. The exterior seems to be the first radical design change in a while. It's actually somewhat refreshing to see that new hatch and that window design. The taillights are interesting, atleast.

With you on this, BV. I actually think that I'm going to like this design, but we shall see.

[regfootball]

Motor trend said the 3.6 may be being prepped for use in the C7 likely because of CAFE.

That could top 30mpg highway I bet. But it would probably be a mid 5's 0-60 car then.

[Camino LS6]

Motor trend said the 3.6 may be being prepped for use in the C7 likely because of CAFE.

That could top 30mpg highway I bet. But it would probably be a mid 5's 0-60 car then.

Pointless.

No one will ever buy a V6 Corvette.

[Drew Dowdell]

Why not? People buy V6 GTRs and flat-6 Porsches all the time.

[Camino LS6]

Because we are talking about Corvette, not Porsche or Nissan.

If you want a V6, you don't want a Corvette, and if you want a Corvette, you don't want a V6.

Never the twain shall meet.

[Robert Hall]

Got to think outside the box...

A V6 Corvette, esp. if it's priced lower than the current entry level model, could help Chevy get some Corvette buyers younger than the current model's AARP buyers.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

A V6 Corvette would only damage the brand - it wouldn't be a Corvette.

[Delta Force79]

If you want a V6 buy a Camaro, Corvette should not have to downgrade itself to appeal to the masses. Just make a badass 'Vette that blows the doors off it's competition and call it a day.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Delta Force79

[hyperv6]

The fact is people who don't buy Corvettes would be the target for the V6.

But if you want it to sell you would have to make it interesting and not just a lower powered option. It would need to have performance as good or better than the base V8.

In time we may see this engine in there but I would not expect it very soon. The V8 will be around for a while.

The truth is the Vette needs to expand its appeal to more than the American gear heads and appeal to a global market since GM is now going global. Even if the V6 is not offered here it could be an export option as it would have great appeal in Europe.

[Drew Dowdell]

A V6 Corvette would only damage the brand - it wouldn't be a Corvette.

Didn't the Corvette start off as a 6-cylinder?

Aren't you the one always talking about more variety?

Aren't you the one always talking about the high price of cars these days?

Wouldn't a new lower cost Turbo-V6 base model Corvette be a way to bring in a younger set of buyers?

[balthazar]

Corvette is a halo car, a world-class aspirational performance icon.

Leave 'expanding the sales numbers' to the Cruze/Spark/etc vehicles.

Corvette management must NEVER place sales as a priority.

Didn't the Corvette start off as a 6-cylinder?

It did; when Chevrolet had no V8 to offer. I won't say 'it wasn't competitive' because there almost was none, but it certainly didn't perform like the sports car it was fashioned as, until the 8 arrived.

[regfootball]

Motor trend said the 3.6 may be being prepped for use in the C7 likely because of CAFE.

That could top 30mpg highway I bet. But it would probably be a mid 5's 0-60 car then.

Pointless.

No one will ever buy a V6 Corvette.

Oh they will, when the government mandates that that Corvette has a v6. The poison in office just gets more poisonous.

[regfootball]

Got to think outside the box...

A V6 Corvette, esp. if it's priced lower than the current entry level model, could help Chevy get some Corvette buyers younger than the current model's AARP buyers.

This.

and

this.

[regfootball]

If you want a V6 buy a Camaro, Corvette should not have to downgrade itself to appeal to the masses. Just make a badass 'Vette that blows the doors off it's competition and call it a day.

I do think a v6 corvette would be interesting. But I think simply a downsized v8 like a 4.3 or a 5.0 would probably keep the persona more. Me thinks that a v6 Camaro's EPA numbers when projected in a much lighter Corvette could be something quite outstanding. If the Camaro gets 30mpg highway (can't remember off the top of my head) and is 20% heavier than the Vette, it's possible with an 8 or 9 speed and 20 percent less weight we could be mid thirties for highway mpg on a car that might still have a chance to crack 5.0 0-60. For a cheap base Corvette to bring in younger non AARP buyers, that could be quite attractive.

I sort of wonder if the C8 won't be engineered for a Volt like powertrain option. NOW THAT would really bring the Corvette ahead of the curve in terms of innovation. Imagine an EREV Vette with a sub 4.0 0-60 time and crazy gas free range.

To be honest, I'd like to see what kind of numbers a really souped up turbo 4 would get in a corvette. Like a 2.3 litre four turbo with numbers in the 300's.....

Edited December 27, 2012 by regfootball

[z28luvr01]

The small block v8 is so good, I seriously doubt there would be any fuel economy gains from a bi-turbo v6. However, if they can get the v6s performance specs within striking distance of the LT1, GM could be in a position to offer two Corvettes that, while having similar prices and specs on paper, behave completely differently on the track.

[hyperv6]

Thinking today of many in the public is not so centered on the number of cylinders. In fact the younger the buyer the more inclined they will only look at the HP and performance numbers.

The one group that would need to change the thinking would be the engineers on teh C platform. For the most they are the ones that have killed the V6 everytime GM looks into it.

The 2 factors in play. What markets will the Vette sell in and what regulations will they have to deal with. At the rate of goverment regulation we may have a 4 cylinder or electric Vette by no choice before it is all over.

The sad fact is now even with a nice C6 the sales are getting tougher to get. GM will do ok with the C7 but they will need to shake things up here at some point as there are many other choices in the market. Even Harley relented and did the V Rod and did very well. I suspect GM will keep some old but we will see more changes as nothing is sacred anylonger. We have already lost the pop up headlamps and round tail lights. At some point I suspect the Transverse springs will give way to some kind of new coil over.

Even as the 911 may still be a 6 cylinder with a body that has a similar shape the 911 is no longer the same car it was at intro. We may see a V6 at some point but it will not be any sooner till the next gen. The goal of the C7 was 3000 pounds and I suspect it will need to lose more weight and size before they go to a smaller engine.

What would be interesting is to see them take the Indy engine and base a production engine on it. Sell them as a special edition.

[Camino LS6]

A V6 Corvette would only damage the brand - it wouldn't be a Corvette.

Didn't the Corvette start off as a 6-cylinder?

Yes, and was nearly cancelled because of it. Only the advent of the V8 saved it.

Aren't you the one always talking about more variety?

This isn't variety, it is retreat and a weakening of the brand.

Aren't you the one always talking about the high price of cars these days?

Yes, but a TT V6 is likely to cost more than the V8.

Wouldn't a new lower cost Turbo-V6 base model Corvette be a way to bring in a younger set of buyers?

See above.

[ZL-1]

However, if they can get the v6s performance specs within striking distance of the LT1, GM could be in a position to offer two Corvettes that, while having similar prices and specs on paper, behave completely differently on the track.

That would be quite an interesting proposition: offering both a purely American muscle-car Corvette and a more internationally flavoured one...

Edited December 27, 2012 by ZL-1

[Z-06]

Actually Corvette needs different flavors to grow as a brand, but not a separate entity from Chevy. I am okay with a TT V6 so as long there is a pushrod V8 offered, however, anything less than that will be bastardizing the car. I had mentioned in one of the earlier threads, I can foresee at least 5 different variants:

1. Base LT1 V8 or TTV6, with Grand or Z51
   
2. Z-06, same bigger V8
   
3. Competition cup - toredown car LT1/LS7(?) V8. The car is becoming more luxurious and moving away from core racing DNA.
   
4. ZR1 supercharged or twin turbo V8
   
5. RS - similar to a Porsche GT3
   

At this point I reserve judgement to use all wheel drive.

[Camino LS6]

There just aren't any advantages to a TTV6.

It won't make more power

It will be harder to package

It is unlikely to get better MPG

It will weigh more

It will cost more

It will sully the brand

A V6 Corvette is just nonsense.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Camino LS6

[Z-06]

There just aren't any advantages to a TTV6.

It won't make more power

It will be harder to package

It is unlikely to get better MPG

It will weigh more

It will cost more

It will sully the brand

A V6 Corvette is just nonsense.

Agreed on all counts, however, TTV6 gives an option for those who want it and to reduce bad press against the car. As much as I want the core DNA of Corvette not to change, it needs volume from turkies (people) who think the car is inferior because of not having a "high-tech" engine. The car needs to cater the core Corvette customers, and new breed for its survival.

I never thought the interior to be a Cobalt value, neither do I think the seats are horrible, nor there is a need for fuel saving measures. But that is what the demand is so I see why the car is moving in that direction. A TTV6 would be following the same plan.

[Camino LS6]

So, Corvette needs to go after the Fool market?

[balthazar]

Agreed on all counts, however, TTV6 gives an option for those who want it and to reduce bad press against the car. As much as I want the core DNA of Corvette not to change, it needs volume from turkies (people) who think the car is inferior because of not having a "high-tech" engine. The car needs to cater the core Corvette customers, and new breed for its survival.

Not a diehard Corvette fan, but I'm not aware of "bad press" due to the current engine. Any negative commentary WRT having an IBC withers immediately in the face of its performance, so those are NOT remotely potential Corvette buyers, just stone-throwers; their minds are not going to be changed. Also not aware that the Corevtte's 'survival' in in question.

There was a LOT more weight to bad press for the Corvette in the late '70s, when it had 180 HP and couldn't get out of its own way. Today it's nothing but semantics.

[Drew Dowdell]

So, Corvette needs to go after the Fool market?

Corvette needs to go after anyone who has the cash.

[Camino LS6]

So, Corvette needs to go after the Fool market?

Corvette needs to go after anyone who has the cash.

I'd say that it already does that.

[Drew Dowdell]

No, it doesn't. Because like it or not, there are people out there who like complexity and do not see it as a vice.

[Camino LS6]

To be honest, I really have a hard time seeing much use for V6 engines at GM. The overlap between the fours and the eights in both power and fuel economy doesn't leave a V6 with much territory to call its own. Both the fours and the eights are extremely good at delivering power and economy, and compliment each other nicely, the sixes just don't stand out as logical options in many applications. The new V6 in the trucks might change that, but it is a tough challenge.

[hyperv6]

There is a time to offer what is right but there is also a time to offer what the market wants. Some may call them Fools but the companies showing profits call them customers.

The public may not always want what is right or the best but they are the ones paying the money and they need to be given what they want.

[Camino LS6]

No, it doesn't. Because like it or not, there are people out there who like complexity and do not see it as a vice.

I'm all for taking money from fools if there are enough of them, but you'd have to prove that case. I seriously doubt that you can, especially as applied to Corvette. If built, these would languish on lots, hurt the image, and reduce resale value.

Just a really bad idea all around.

There is a time to offer what is right but there is also a time to offer what the market wants. Some may call them Fools but the companies showing profits call them customers.

The public may not always want what is right or the best but they are the ones paying the money and they need to be given what they want.

The assertion that this is what the market wants is more than suspect.

[Drew Dowdell]

No, it doesn't. Because like it or not, there are people out there who like complexity and do not see it as a vice.

I'm all for taking money from fools if there are enough of them, but you'd have to prove that case. I seriously doubt that you can, especially as applied to Corvette. If built, these would languish on lots, hurt the image, and reduce resale value.

Just a really bad idea all around.

There is a time to offer what is right but there is also a time to offer what the market wants. Some may call them Fools but the companies showing profits call them customers.

The public may not always want what is right or the best but they are the ones paying the money and they need to be given what they want.

The assertion that this is what the market wants is more than suspect.

How can you know any of that without knowing what the performance of the V6 Turbo will even be?