The Detroit Free Press ran a story last week focusing on company morale at General Motors post-recall crisis. Mark Reuss said morale within the company is up from 2012 despite the onslaught of controversy they have dealt with in recent months, but in the very last paragraph of the story was another interesting piece of information.
Reuss told the Free Press the company has already begun work on the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. The most recent variation of the sportscar, which has seen tremendous success since its launch last year, is more efficient than iterations before it, able to achieve up to 30 MPG on the highway. However the company may be searching for even greater efficiency with the next car, possibly by using electric or hybrid technology.
The idea of an electronically-assisted ‘Vette may seem farfetched to some, but Reuss didn’t rule it out when asked. Hybrid supercars like the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 have shown automakers what kind of performance and fuel efficiency can be achieved with alternative energy powertrains. The two can even travel around on electricity only, an idea some Corvette customers might find appealing. Electronic motors can also “fill” the gap in torque left by gasoline engines, providing a consistent surge of torque throughout the entire rev range.
Of course there may be Corvette purists who wouldn’t warm up to the idea of an electric version of their favorite car. But if it will offer additional performance, reduce fuel consumption and help keep the Corvette relevant in a market with rapidly advancing technology, they may change their minds.
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I can see it now.
GAS – Hybrid Delete RPO
Well with gas prices rising and Cafe becoming a pain in the ass, this comes as a no-brainer if the corvette wants to keep its V8 for a lot longer. Now don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather have the corvette keep the powertrain it has now, but the truth is, Mclaren and Porsche have proven that hybrid cars are the way of the future. Mclaren has also proven that a hybrid doesn’t have to be boring, so I expect the new C8 vette to be faster, more efficient, and to remain a joy to drive, I just hope they can keep the V8.
You know what ,the nice 6.2 V-8 working with an electric motor, can only make the C-8 more competitive than this excellent C-7 already is. Hence, like the 918 and the P1, the C-8 Z06 and ZR-1 variants, should be equip with electric motors working in harmony with super and turbo charge 6.2 V-8s.
That’s right folks, with this combo, I am sure that the Corvette may even become class leading in performance and MPG figure. Also, I am sure it will still be much cheaper than those two previously mention cars.
valiance Holder, you said:
“That’s right folks, with this combo, I am sure that the Corvette may even become class leading in performance and MPG figure. Also, I am sure it will still be much cheaper than those two previously mention cars.”
Exactly right!
Here is the M.S.R.P. Breakout of the Electric Fueled Vehicle, Super Cars-
1) McLaren P1 $1,200,000.00 (Sold Out!)
2) BMW i8 $140,000.00 (Sold Out)
3) Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid $99,000.00 (Sold Out)
4) Tesla S P85 $105,000.00 (Sold Out)
5) Tesla S P60 $77,000.00 (Sold Out)
6) Cadillac ELR ERELC $75,000.00 (New Release)
Best-
Thomas J. Thias
517-749-0532
Twitter.com/AmazingChevVolt
Ten years ago, I would have never though about a hybrid Corvette.
But after seeing how the 918 performs; how Porsche uses electric motors to supplement the car, I can’t see any reason for GM to not offer the C8 as a hybrid.
When Jay Leno was shooting a video on the P1, I remember him saying that turbo lag is so no-existent because of the electric motor, that it’s almost like having an electric super charger. It spins up as soon as the engine does, yet it doesn’t have any parasitic effect on the power output.
There’s an idea for future Z06/ZR1 models.
If you want performance in a Corvette GM will have to adopt this technology at some point. The negative is that it will only make things even more complicated and expensive. The positive is we may see performance we would never have even imagined.
I would read up on the 918 if you have not followed it. While this is an expensive system right now these systems will become cheaper and more adaptable as time goes on.
As for turbo engines the lag is no where near the old GN state where you had to anticipate when you needed power. While there is a very very small lag it more than makes up for it in torque.
The C7 was not the major change that is to come. Tadge has hinted that the C8 was the car that was going to see major changes in how and what a Corvette is.
While history and nostalgia is great time keeps marching on and Chevy will at some point have to move the Corvette into the future and leave some of the past behind. It will not be change for the sake of change but survival.
Many really do not comprehend how the future is set to play out. We hear all about 2025 regs but it is what is planned beyond then that will be the issue.
I do not say this with glee but time does move on and those who refuse get left behind and or just out of the market.
The one bright light is I can see we will still have fast and fun cars to drive but the issue will be can we afford them.
The 918 is like driving a Prius that’s really really fast. I know you’re probably thinking: “what the hell is this moron saying? That makes absolutely sense.” Well, I’ll clarify; the 918 and the Prius are similar in the sense that neither have a soul. The guys at Mclaren summed it up pretty well; driving the Porsche is like driving a computerized version of the trio of hyper cars we saw last year at Geneva. Sure they’re both fast, they’re both luxurious (an argument can be made that the 918 has a better interior), expensive, stupid fast hybrids that are very efficient, but there are two thIngs that set them apart; the P1’s aero and the fact that the P1 was built to be a driver’s car from the beginning. It would be unwise for team vette to study the 918.
Exactly – You’re taking the soul and exhilaration right out of the vehicle. I’ve been a Vette fan my entire life and while the C7 has made major leaps over the C6 I was very disappointed with the addition of rev matching. More computerized junk taking more of the driver out of the vehicle. I’d rather play my own instrument than have some computer do it for me…
Well to say a 918 is a Prius is correct to a point but also misleading.
I too though the same thing till I learned how it really works and just what it does.
The 918 for the most part can putt around town on electric going from stop light to stop light without using any gas. Then when you need the power it kicks in and will deliver a blast of power from an engine that is more powerful than the Carrera GT. There is more detail to the system and it is well sorted out.
I am in no way a Porsche fan but I get what they are doing and in time we shall see most of the super cars go to similar system as it is the only way they can keep the super car alive. In time these system will keep the common sports and performance car alive as systems improve and become cheaper.
The fact is if you build a car like the P1 in low volume and at a massive price you may not need to worry about fuel penalties. In the case like Porsche or GM they do have to face CAFE on their higher lines and even their top cars. This system is not going to save the 918 so much as it will save the higher volume lines as they adapt the technology to the cars under $100K.
These systems are not things they want to do but in many cases have to do if the volume performance car is to survive.
As things are going with regulations it will for companies to sell more and more Spark sized cars than Malibu sized car. The companies will force people there with higher pricing and lower volumes. We are already seeing this with the new Impala and Taurus as their prices are well into the $40K range now as the MFG want people to buy smaller cars. You can have the larger car but you will pay for it so the profits remain as they sell 2/3 as many cars.
Companies like Porsche and Ferrari are not looking to Hybrids for fun they are looking to survive. But this will even effect the lower priced cars at some point and the solution will take time to make it affordable and workable. This thinking is to deal with issues 10-15 years from now.
Again you need to look big picture and long range here. Even if Washington gets someone in to scrap the present plan 4 years later someone else can come in and reinstate them. Also the Global market is still there and they will face similar standards elsewhere.
So to say the car has no soul is not entirely true. I would recommend watching The English Top Gear segment on this car as it really shows what the 918 can do. The car is much more a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde than being soulless. To be honest it has two personalities and two souls.
Life would be much easier if all the cars followed the P1 idea but that is not an option most can take. If you are McLaren at ultra high prices and low volume you can get away with it. But at Chevy there is a limit to how far the V8 will go and if you still want to move 20K-25K Corvettes a year at an somewhat affordable price you will need to find help in other ways.
Improvements in Carbon Fiber pricing can help but we are not there yet. Also removing a V8 is not really an option at this time. This is like the Skip Shift and a necessary evil till they find a better accepted way.
GM should consider making a Supercar with the hybrid technology, but not to apply to the Corvette
A very limited production Supercar and will serve to provide technology to the rest of the group Hire
Regards from Spain
I am all for this, if GM/Chevrolet can get it right. The 918, P1, and LaFerrari, were purpose built and designed to be hybrid supercars and they are not replacing any other models in their corporate lineups. The R&D monies were all put into these projects to get the system to be perfect for these particular platforms and it shows in the price. All three are near too or over a million in price and weigh 3200lb at the lightest to 3700 pounds to the heaviest and have 890 hp to 963hp.
The Corvette is pretty much it, when it comes to a true sports car from GM. It already weighs around 3500lbs which is on the high end for a sports car in its class. It would weigh north of 4000lbs by adding electric motors and a battery pack. Can GM afford to put the same money and effort towards building a hybrid system for the Corvette and have it perform at any level to compete in any way with the technologies of the three I listed. The chassis design is pretty much all new on the C7 and it has never even been discussed whether it could accommodate a drivetrain system other than what it is currently meant to hold. Would they change all this after one generation for the C8 to be hybrid? Plus, how do they add a hybrid system and keep the car at Corvette prices without losing money? The Z06 will already be around 110K or more. My armchair speculation could be the next ZR1 replacement will be a C8 hybrid, but my fear is the car would be bloated on both weight and price for a Chevrolet branded sports car.
If GM does end up going the direction of a hybrid sports car perhaps there could be a better place to put it rather than under the Corvette umbrella. Cadillac of course would make the most sense for this technology as people may be more willing to pay the Cadillac premium over a Chevy, and Cadillac is in need of a flagship vehicle.
I can say this, GM sure knows how to create discourse about their up-coming products. PR is PR.
Well this is not PR or just an idea of something to showcase technology. The real truth is this is about keeping real high performance on the market.
So many really have no idea how the regulations are bad now and how much worse they will get. If you want performance you will have to serve it up in different ways as what we have now will not work moving forward.
This is not about just doing a supercar with hybrid technology this is about doing a good sports car with supercar like performance like we have in the present Corvette.
The key here is to develop this so GM can afford to build a Corvette that is still not super car priced but have the same of better performance as we have today while still meeting the MPG factors determined and yet to be determined.
The plain truth is the Corvette will have to adapt or die as we know it. I hate to say that but you can only get so much MPG out of the V8, you can only cut so much weight and you can only add so many gears. The trucks are going to face this too and that is why GM is going with the three level trucks as the standard size will become more expensive and GM would like to see many move to the smaller trucks as they have less mass.
I am not a sky is falling kind of guy but I have to keep up with the future because of my job and I see some really great challenges coming.
When it comes to a 918, P1 or La Ferrari it is easy to build them as whey you can ask near or at 1 million for them you have room to work. With the Corvette the margin is tight and it will be a much more difficult car to build and sell at a Corvette like price.
There is only one company that could do this and GM is the one to do it. While some will piss and moan on some changes they will still have their Corvette to chose to buy. It will be as fast if not faster with the new technology advantages of torque.
As for the super car idea GM needs it like a hole in the head. When they still have to fix Buick, Opel and finish Cadillac while still replacing the second generation of Chevys and Holdens GM has enough on their plates now than to worry about a supercar.
To be honest the replacement for the ZR1 will do what most super cars can do for a little over 10th the cost.
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