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January 2019 Rumored As Production Start Date For C8 Corvette

In an ongoing buzz of Corvette news, Auto Forecast Solutions has stated the next generation of the iconic sports car will go into production much sooner than expected.

Detailed in the Autoline Daily report above, a January 2019 production date is rumored to usher in the C8 Corvette, marking a fairly abbreviated C7 generation.

The Chevrolet C6 Corvette was produced for the 2005 through 2013 model years, marking nine years. If this report rings true, the C7 Corvette would last from 2014 until 2019, marking six years or production.

Of course, the speculation has run rampant over where the engine will be placed in a new Corvette, with sources, spy shots and more pointing to a mid-engine layout.

Nothing is certain, but we could be upon a new Corvette much sooner than anticipated.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. Well it is certain that the engine will be mid placed in the C8.

    As for production the Jan 2019 is plausible as I have expected the car to show up this January as a show car.

    What is not certain is will they keep the C7 as a Stingray and do the C8 as a Zora and offer two models? This was the plan at one point have they kept to this? It makes the most sense and also adds logic to the addition of names to the models.

    Remember they also had E Ray registered too. There could be several models coming.

    I think many will be shocked at what we will see and get. Many have underestimated what all is going on.

    Reply
    1. No, it’s not certain.

      The mid engine car could be a 8th generation Corvette, it could be a Corvette variation, it could be a Cadillac. All that is certain is GM is toying with a mid engine car that is most likely a supercar.

      Reply
      1. Sorry Mike but it has been made clear that Cadillac is not getting a sports car based on this platform till 2025 at the earliest. Who stated this JDM himself when asked about an Advanced mid engine Corvette. He made it clear he would hold a great interest but he said it would be 2025 till they could get it to market.

        Now with Cadillac out of the game and with the fact that Tadge went to Lutz back around 06 stating he needs Mid Engine and was told to wait till C8 to do it is a sure sign the Corvette will move to Mid Engine. This was made clear by Bob Lutz in several interviews.

        Now what is up in the air is what engines?. At this point we hear about a TT V6 and V8 models.

        How much power?. It was reported by a Corvette team member they had tested over 1000 HP but would only use what they could put to the ground.

        How many models? Will it be? Will a front engine C7 carry on along with the C8 for a while? Will a cheaper mid engine come later? Are the names like Stingray and other names that were registered be used in several models?

        At one time GM was looking at doing a platform that could support both front and mid engine did they get it worked out.

        Note too the well documented photos and Easter egg they dropped on us a little while ago on the web with a new Malibu sporting an engine in the back and new C7 wheels and flags. They were sending a signal then and few paid attention to the details.

        It is clear the new car is Mid Engine and will be a Chevy as where else would you sell a mid engine car at GM other than the Cadillac division that already has their plate full with revamping the entire line up.

        As for being a super car I think many will be surprised that this car while not cheap will be cheaper than about any other mid engine car out. It will also out run about anything this side of a Veyron.

        Numbers will not be as limited as the Ford GT either.

        I have been following this project for nearly 10 years and know the details well. While specifics are still difficult to come by there have been enough hints given to give us a good idea where this is all going.

        Reply
    2. lol blow more smoke

      Reply
      1. Time will prove what and who is right.

        I am not worried.

        By the way Andrew if you have anything that says different post it up. It is not BS if you can back it up. I have already posted links to what I speak of now it is your turn.

        Reply
  2. Scott3, I think these 2019 model of these c8 will be these, PHEV version, and c8 zora zr1 mid-engine v6 TT will appear, first, engine being OHV V6 engine, and zora zr1 ttv8 engine small block gen 5 will come later.

    Reply
    1. I expect many variations but at first just expect one potent car and from there I expect it to expand to other engines and even a Convertible.

      A Hybrid and Electric model will show up as a show car and even maybe like an Acura like hybrid in production.

      I think the ZR1 will be back in the C7 as I am hearing about a 700+ C7 coming that will be track ready. It will be the last big power C7 before the C8.

      Reply
  3. I hear rumblings of a modular platform which could apply to both front and mid-engine. This makes perfect sense as it caters to the traditionalists and those who want to play with the supercars.

    Reply
    1. I have heard they were looking at this at one point. Not sure if they were pursuing this or not.

      It would not be difficult in some aspects since the car already uses a transaxle.

      The real trick would be to do it and not compromise either version as too often compromises can be made.

      I also hear that they would leave the C7 in place for a while as the other car is sold and cheaper versions are offered later.

      Either way they will retain a car priced near what we have with them moving over 30K+ units per year.

      Reply
      1. This will be a totally different way to make a chassis in different modules. The old car would not remain. That’s all I can say.

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        1. Reply
        2. Interesting.

          I noted in the Holden Mule the passenger compartment looks as if it could support front and mid engine.

          Also I had heard rumblings of a C8 as low as $70K. I also had heard a higher end car was targeting $170K as the starting price. That came from a GM employee with connections that told him to wait on the Z06 purchase. He did not have many details but he said a friend who did know told him to wait as he would regret it if he bought now,

          Reply
  4. The C8 could be simply the successor to the current C7 Corvette because it is doubtful that General Motors and Chevrolet will kill off a vehicle platform that selling over 2,000 units per month and putting the hurt on competitors in the sports luxury coupe market because the mid-engine Corvette could be a halo car; but one has to suspect that General Motors won’t be investing $290 Million to build a car that compete with Ford’s GT and will be designed to put a big dent in the mid-engine super-car market.

    Reply
    1. Forget about the Ford GT. It is a marketing exercise and a car specifically built to win at LeMans. It doesn’t have to be a good road car unlike the C8. Nobody needs to compete with a build of only 250 cars per year at a price of 450K.

      Reply
      1. Yes the Vette team has pointed out that the GT is a race car that is going to be built in limited numbers as a street car. They made it clear the Corvette is and will be a street car that will be converted into a race car.

        There was also a point made where the GT will in the end look like a poor value as the Vette will be cheaper and better. Also the GT will be a higher price but it is still not a Ferrari.

        The key to where GM is targeting is the cars they are bench marking the Mclaren and Ferrari. Prime material to bench mark.

        Reply
        1. One word: exclusivity.

          Did you watch LeMans? The GT came in at 1, 3 and 4th position replicating the 1966 achievement in only 1 year. The Vette came in 7th and I think the other one DNF.

          One needs to specify better at what? The Vette will be a better street car.

          Having won LeMans and now several other races, what is the true value of a total build of less than 1500 cars? How long will it take for the collectors to pump it up to 2M. Some Ferraris are selling upward of 40M.

          A 30,000 car/year car is very high volume by comparison, so don’t expect much appreciation.

          Reply
          1. Exclusivity has its merits but it is still at a disadvantage when you apply a common name to it.

            While the old GT models are selling ok they are still at a disadvantage to more exotic bands.

            You can have a Exclusive model or you can have even more value in a Exclusive brand and model.

            As for Lemans the Balance of Power had more to do with the results than anything. The Corvette against the same top finishing Ferrari won last year with no issues. This year the Corvette has been hit with intake restrictions and added weight various times since last year.

            Also the rules favor a Turbo engine right now.

            The bottom line is the Ferrari vs for battle was fabricated by race organizers as they could have done what they did at Daytona and had all the cars pretty even. They just chose not to. With BoP in play they can make anyone a winner and anyone a loser. This is not pure racing anymore it is a business. They must keep the fans interested and the MFG’s involved so they can manipulate things any way they like. Right now they are not interested in the Corvette and it is now upon them to make it more interesting with a new car.

            The Corvette will always be a volume car but the likes of the limited models like over the years will command higher prices. Corvettes today are now cresting 1-2 million dollars depending ont he option package and rarity.

            Just as with Ferrari yes a GTO can go to $50M but they only number in the 30’s and trade seldom.

            On the other hand no one should expect a Stingray to be a big dollar car but a top end Z07 optioned track edition could command a higher value as it will be low in volume and attract more demand than supply.

            The Ford will retain value because it will be built in the hundreds. But if it had a prancing horse it would command even more value due to the brand.

            But rarity in itself means little it has to be countered with demand.

            It is like the Ferrari FF I saw yesterday. It is a very rare car in America but I would not expect much investment growth as there is not much demand for such a car and I expect that not to change. It may become like many others a affordable Ferrari.

            Reply
        2. It took 3 years for GM to solve the cooling problems on the Z06. GM is a long, long way from those 2 brands. The expertise doesn’t exist in the US. Ford had to go to Multimatic England to build the GT. cosworth will obviously have a very large part to develop the new car.

          Reply
  5. Are you really going to take the word from the video without any kind of basic investigation? Who is Auto Forecast Solutions and what kind of inside info do they have that they can share with out any concupiscence from GM? Their website is seems to be that they sell a forecasting service that claims to work for the manufacturers. But if that’s true I doubt they would drop info to the public like this. Who at Auto Forecast Solutions released this and where can I view that info direct from them? I will believe this once someone has some proof or a lot more credible resource.

    Reply
    1. AutoForecast Solutions is an analytical and consulting group providing services to the automotive industry. We’ve been working with OEMs and suppliers for decades. We didn’t “drop info to the public,” but provided it to key media for their use. Whether or not you believe it, we are a very credible source.

      All the best!

      Reply
  6. Scott 3, do you think that these PHEV drivetrain, will be more in line, being E-AWD, Two electric motors, one in the front, and second attached onto a DCT Transaxle ?

    Reply
    1. I would expect the front to be electric but as for the rest it is hard to say. Technology is moving fast in this area and it is hard to say what they have in the works. Even inside GM have no clue what is going on in Area 54 in Warren.

      GM is very capable and it may be shocking what they come out with. {Pun Intended}

      The electric front is what speculation by an industry insider that was guessing. At this point I have not heard anything I would put stock in yet.

      Reply
  7. I think scott3 and the others that comment are all talking nonsense. They have no clue what GM is going to do in 2 to three years. They need to get a life

    Reply

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