Car and Driver‘s Don Sherman has been at the forefront of mid-engine Corvette news since the first mock-up prototype was spied. Today, it’s all about the transmission.
The latest report from Car and Driver cites Tremec’s acquisition of Hoerbiger Drivetrain Mechatronics, responsible for relationships with Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari and McLaren. Now, the engineering expertise from both Tremec and Belgium-based Hoerbiger has given birth to the TR-9007 family of dual-clutch automatics.
The report goes on to state the inbound mid-engine Corvette is evidence of the DCT’s testing and goes on to spec the gearbox to withstand a redline of 9,000 RPM and 664 lb-ft of torque. As for further technical specs, the transmission uses typical helical gears found in DCTs and Tremec engineering documents state the TR-9007 contains seven forward gears. Three of those are overdrive ratios, and the transmission features a 5.6:1 ratio spread.
If Tremec’s latest masterpiece is indeed going to be found in a mid-engine Corvette, you can more than likely kiss a manual gearbox option goodbye. The cost to engineer and fit two different transmissions will likely outweigh the benefit of offering a standard row-your-own.
Comments
I prefer that they go with an all wheel drive corvette than a mid engine. mid engins just dont fit the corvette style of a front engined touring car. If you want to see a faster vet, tuning companies have things figured out nicely. put more weight in the back and add power. That doesn’t act nicely in the corners, so add 4 wheel drive like the corvette older brother, the Silverado. a mid engine corvette wouldn’t be a corvette. If it must be, change the name and put it under Cadillac.
The odds are greater to get a AWD in a Mid engine than the present platform.
“If you want to see a faster vet, tuning companies have things figured out nicely. put more weight in the back and add power.”
What do you think GM is already doing? Putting weight near the rear of the car and adding power.
I can trust GM’s engineers to do a better job making the C8 negotiate turns better than some unknown, hackjob, garage in New Jersey.
Furthermore…
“That doesn’t act nicely in the corners, so add 4 wheel drive like the corvette older brother, the Silverado.”
There’s a difference between 4WD and AWD. The Corvette will leverage AWD for track use better than a 4WD Silverado would on a dirt road.
Also, if anything, the Silverado is a younger brother of the Corvette. The only older brother of the Corvette is the Suburban.
I’m probably too much of a traditionalist but I’d like for GM to keep producing the Corvette as a front engine variant. That’s what it is.
I’m not arguing against GM putting out a mid-engine car but why not brand it a Caddy like the Cien prototype? Caddy needs a boost and I can see Caddy buyers having no problem forking out ballpark $100,000 for a garage trophy.
it’s a Corvette.
Not sure on the DCT but I can see the manual going away.
It is not going away due to cost as much as it is for Emissions. Also sales are now lower on the Manual than the Auto.
I hate to see it go but few performance cars now offer a full manual anymore and not because they don’t want to.