DETROIT – As the temperature drops Corvette's future is crystallizing. By spy shooter the C7 was captured in cold-weather testing in the Great White North, and the profile indicates a wedge-like silhouette, curvy, slightly flared fenders and a potentially longer wheelbase.
By next year the production of the next-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette will begin. These shots advance previous knowledge of the C7, which now appears to have been photographed in an actual body shell. Older pictures indicated the wider wheelbase but were C6-bodied.
These fresh shots from KGP Photography, show the quad exhaust in the rear, the distinctive taillights and a prominent air intake in front. We also expect the C7 to employ an all-aluminum frame and perhaps some carbon-fiber techniques.
But, insiders have noted that the Corvette is a reasonably light car already, and Lamborghini or McLaren-style techniques might not be necessary.
The engine is also a source of much speculation, and a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 is a strong possibility. At present the top-end Corvettes run 6.2-liter V8s. A seven-speed manual transmission is also a possibility.
Interestingly, these shots appear to offer an authentic first look at the styling direction of the C7, as it's heavily clad with both camouflage and dark armor.
The sightings come as Chevy announced plans last week for a 427 convertible, which draws Z06 power into an open-air configuration, and a 60th-anniversary edition to celebrate the final run of the C6. This car will have a shortened model year.
General Motors said in May that it will spend $131 million and will add 250 jobs to improve the Bowling Green, Ky., factory that builds the Corvette. That is a dramatic increase from the $39 million spent in 2005 when the site changed over to produce the C6.
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