The Vette's peak

[Arkaign]

We've all heard the sad news that the Viper has been dropped from Dodge's 'Roadmap'. The higher versions of the Vette are probably soon to follow.

Anyway, with regards to the final Vettes/Vipers, it seems clear that the cars are severely traction-limited, and even with slicks, it's still hard to get that torque to the ground on launches.

Solution? How about AWD? Wouldn't that be freaky? I'm not talking about making all Vettes AWD, or even the Z06, but they were shooting for the moon with the ZR-1, why not make an AWD version? Only reason I can think not to would be $$$, but I'm guessing that a ~650hp AWD Vette would probably drop the 0-60 time into the high 2s, or very low 3s, with a quarter of ~10 or less.

Ah it's fun to dream at least.

Google edit : looks like I'm not as crazy as I thought!

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/1...n-corvette-to-get-awd/

 

[Vette73]

Money and also weight being a huge factor.

the mclaren f1 was rear drive and nobody really complained. That and 0-60 is not everything.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Money and also weight being a huge factor.

the mclaren f1 was rear drive and nobody really complained. That and 0-60 is not everything.

0-60 isn't everything, but there are real needs for low-end acceleration, particularly on technical courses. I think it explains how the GT-R gets such incredible 'ring times. You come out of a tight turn at low speed then BAM you can lay it down and all that power hits the ground.

Besides, looks like the next-gen Vette may really get AWD, which would mean much more important folks than me agree with the traction limitations. check my link

 

[AdamK47]

There was an LS1 AWD version of the Monaro called the Coupe 4, so it's very possible. There's the current CTS4, maybe they could make a CTS4-V.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
There was an LS1 AWD version of the Monaro called the Coupe 4, so it's very possible. There's the current CTS4, maybe they could make a CTS4-V.

Now you're thinking

 

[fbrdphreak]

The Vette is not dead. Rumors are that they are developing a light weight platform for the C7, that will use a smaller, lower HP V8 that will have similar power-weight ratios, but obviously smaller/lighter chassis + smaller displacement engine = higher fuel economy.

The friggin' Vette isn't that bad anyway. It's so damn light it's as good as or better than most V6 sedans - the bread & butter of the auto industry. Plus the LSx motors are friggin' amazing in damn near every way.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
The Vette is not dead. Rumors are that they are developing a light weight platform for the C7, that will use a smaller, lower HP V8 that will have similar power-weight ratios, but obviously smaller/lighter chassis + smaller displacement engine = higher fuel economy.

The friggin' Vette isn't that bad anyway. It's so damn light it's as good as or better than most V6 sedans - the bread & butter of the auto industry.

Yeah I never said the Vette is dead, just that it's probably peaked. Power to weight ratio sounds nice, but wind resistance = probably no more ~200mph Vettes unless they at least maintain their power ratings, which isn't likely.

Vette has great fuel economy, I wish they wouldn't neuter it or down-notch it.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Yeah I never said the Vette is dead, just that it's probably peaked. Power to weight ratio sounds nice, but wind resistance = probably no more ~200mph Vettes unless they at least maintain their power ratings, which isn't likely.

Vette has great fuel economy, I wish they wouldn't neuter it or down-notch it.

Peaked in terms of HP, yeah maybe. But performance? I wouldn't say that.

What does 200mph have to do with anything? OK sure, one of the qualifiers for "supercar" status is that it hits 200mph. Whoop-de-doo. Unless you're a professional race car driver, you probably won't hit 200mph but a few times in your life, even if the car was powerful enough.

The Vette is about supercar-like performance at half the price, making intelligent use of chassis & engine design to maximize everything - at least the C5's and up have been, IMO.

I think a lightweight Vette with an advanced, small displacement motor makes a lot of sense and would continue the Vette lineage well. What about a hybrid version, with a small V8 powering one set of wheels and some torquey as hell electric motors powering the other two? What if the C7 moved to a midengine design to maximize the small chassis?

Yes, the Vette's brutal, raw, all-out power days have probably peaked. But it's performance, ingenuity, and pure smart engineering have just begun.

EDIT And they do have to change it. Yes it is great as-is, but when you have to average 35mpg among all your vehicles, you can't have one getting in the mid-upper 20 range.

 

[Throckmorton]

The Corvette has a rear transaxle. That means the transmission is in the back. You'd need two driveshafts- one going from the engine to the transaxle, and another one going from the transaxle to the front end, and then you'd have to find a place for the front differential and half shafts.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
The Corvette has a rear transaxle. That means the transmission is in the back. You'd need two driveshafts- one going from the engine to the transaxle, and another one going from the transaxle to the front end, and then you'd have to find a place for the front differential and half shafts.

I'm sure it's doable

 

[Pacfanweb]

The Vette isn't that light....probably a good 3500lbs with driver.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
The Vette isn't that light....probably a good 3500lbs with driver.

Curb weight is 3100-3200 lb. depending on trim level, etc. A late model Civic is 2800 lb. The Evo is 3200 lb. The 08 Accord sedan is 3400 lb. The Pontiac G8 is 3900 lb (or is it a solid 4000?). The Charger is 4000 lb.

A 3100 lb. car is light by today's standards - which isn't saying much given the fattening of automobiles, but still

 

[bryanW1995]

I've driven an 08 z06 and had absolutely no problem getting the power to the pavement. I've also driven an 02 viper and almost died. The difference? traction control. Certainly AWD would help a corvette a little bit, but the added weight would probably be more of a hindrance in the long run. A stock vette gets 28 mpg hwy right now. They could easily drop the displacement to 4.5 L and dump a twin turbo on it and get that over 30 any time they wanted to, so getting it up to 35 by 2020 is not even on their radar yet. Also, the corvette is a limited edition car. We probably only sell 5 or 6 a year, vs 100 or so cobalts and 400 silverados.

edit: by the way, I just talked to our gm rep. they sold 32709 corvettes in 07. that is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the 4 million or so total vehicles they sold last year. The viper was dropped because the plant was unprofitable and cerberus cares only about making a short-term profit on their huge risk/investment in chrysler group. The corvette plant pays for itself, and if anything is likely to make MORE money with special units like the z06 and zr1. I think that we'll see plenty of exciting offerings from them going forward.