Over on MidEngineCorvetteForum.com, a thread emerged that was pointed out to us.
In it, a small article from Hagerty that flew well under the radar was pointed out. The implications of the article, however, are amazing.
GM has recently put a halt to any development work on all new cars and trucks, including the Corvette. A blanket email was sent out to internal departments and official parts partners by Executive Director in charge of program management, Michelle Braun, outlining which parts and programs to put on hold.
Hagerty, being an insurance partner as well as a media partner, somehow was included in that blanket email. With this being a leak, take it with a hefty pinch of salt, but since the email came from inside GM, it is likely to be somewhat accurate.
Engines and specifications only alluded to through whispers and rumors are seeming to be coming true. While the 2020 Corvette C8 has been cut short, with any orders (when dealerships accept them again) being for 2021 model year C8’s, it’s what happens in 2022 that many people are wanting to know about.
It looks like there are going to be 4 major variants of the C8, but the Z06 is what is expected to be the big one that people are waiting for. Using what is most likely a variant of the C8.R’s 5.5 liter engine, with the current codename of LT6 and needing to be in a road car for homologation reasons, 650 HP and 600 lbs-ft of torque makes for a pretty tasty mix.
2023 looks to bring the rumored hybrid system to the market in the new Grand Sport, using the base C8’s engine with hybrid assist putting in about 105 to 110 extra HP.
2024 looks to be bringing the big guns to the table with a new ZR1, with a twin-turbocharged version of the LT6 named the LT7 chucking out 850 HP and 825 lbs-ft of torque to melt your local freeway or highway.
2025 looks to be bringing out a special edition, the Corvette ZORA, which takes the ZR1, adds a hybrid drive system, and plants the car squarely in the face of things such as a McLaren P1 or Ferrari LaFerrari. Because of the insane power and aerodynamics needed to handle speeds that could be generated, it’s fair to assume that an evolution of the body shape, or a long-tail version, may be in development to keep the thing on the road.
So it will be a GrandSport E ray?