Consider this: the last-generation Corvette C6 was on the market for nine years before being replaced with the soon-to-launch 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray. No matter how you cut it, nine years is a long time in the automotive industry… heck, it’s nearly a decade for a Vette fan to wait for the next model. Luckily, The General won’t let that happen again.
“We went through an obviously distressed time as a company, and it is hard to do everything all at once”, said President of GM North America Mark Reuss in an interview. “This was one of the cars that a little more time didn’t hurt it. But expect the cycle time to decrease now.”
On average, Corvette redesigns have taken nine years, and the C6 — which was introduced in 2005 and discontinued in 2013 — is a prime example of that time table. But that wasn’t the longest that Corvette enthusiasts had to wait for a new model: the third-generation Vette (C3) was on sale for a whopping 15 years (1968-1982) before being replaced by the fourth-gen.
Here are the model year ranges of the six bygone generations of the Corvette:
- First generation C1: 1953–1962
- Second generation C2: 1963–1967
- Third generation C3: 1968–1982
- Fourth generation C4: 1983–1996
- Fifth generation C5: 1997–2004
- Sixth generation C6: 2005–2013
Now, who can’t wait to drive the 2014 C7? This guy! (Points to self).
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Comments
I’ve got a hankering to drive the new Stingray. Heck, I’d like to be the owner of the only one!!!
I dont think i’ll ever have a chance to drive a C7 but i can still be anxious for the reveal of the C7 Z06 and ZR1!!
This is funny as they really have no choice.
GM stated a whole back that they were started on the C8 even as they were working on the C7. GM has issues with the CAFE that will strike as deep as the Vette and they need to address this soon. The Vette and Camaro will get a little smaller and much lighter in the future. Also the V6 will be in play at some point as an option even though they like it or not. Tadge said there is a contingency plan for one and if they have to they will look into it.
Also if GM remains profitable there is no need for long term models anyways.
The auto market unless there are some great break through or law changes will fundamentally change more in the next 10 years vs. any other time in history.
The trucks will change the most and this present one will not be around as long either. I look for the Colorado to bring in an era of a light 1/2 ton and even smaller trucks to happen. The heavy trucks are much less affected.
This is cool, but I’ll believe it when i see it. Sports cars traditionally always have a 7-10yr turn-around no matter who the manufacturer is. It’s the nature of the beast. ALOT of money and development goes into dedicated sports car platforms (as well as the fact that they tend to embody the latest tech of the manufacturer). It naturally takes years to recoup all that effort on a platform that was never intended to be a big seller.
For example the Miata went almost 17 years before a true “all new” redesign. the original 1989 NA chassis was merely face lifted when the “new” 1998 NB Miata arrived; Kinda like the C5-C6 vette. (in fact most of the body panels and almost all of the major components under the skin are interchangeable) And that’s on a “affordable” sports car that had 400,000+ sales in just the 1st generation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a shorter model life-cycle for the Vette. But its easier said than done. If GM manages to accomplish this, I’ll be truly impressed.
You will believe it as the present car will never meet the MPG goals it needs to meet.
Only a smaller and lighter car will fix the CAFE issues.
Yes I know it will get 27 highway but the city kills it.
There is only so much weight and size you can take out of a product and even than the gas saving is minimum. Weight and size can add either or both tangibile and intangible value and/or utility to a product therefore it is not even feasible to eliminate either in just any nor all applications.
The situation is such the design of the gasoline internal combustion engine will have to evolve to meet the evolving needs of consumers. Beginning in this day and age the intermal combustion engine has become a “niche” powerplant, albeit the popular powerplant of choice for now.
It seems overnight we woke up and found Honda’s outselling Chevy’s and one day we will awake to an intense fight in competition between internal combustion, pure electric and hybryd niches. During the next decade the car wars will be about what powers the consumer across and over that rut and road.
And my designs will pioneer the next generation in advancing internal engine development technology.
I kind of like the long car generation time for the ‘Vette. It adds prestige to the name.
“I kind of like the long car generation time for the ‘Vette. It adds prestige to the name.”
It also aggravates consumers and paints a picture of the Corvette being a car that doesn’t bother with new, innovative features. Nobody in the C8 development team should be sitting back in their chairs and say “I think we won’t have to worry about doing any hard work for a while yet”.
Being slow, even for sports cars, is an unrewarding behavior. Evolution drives everything.