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jgregcAug 17, 2010
Only if it was a really fast hybrid...
factsahoyAug 18, 2010
if it WERE a really fast hybrid
xptoastAug 18, 2010
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jgregcAug 18, 2010
grammer twit... ;)
quantumcipherAug 18, 2010
Believe it or not. there really are fast hybrids.
Case and point, the Porsche 918 Spyder:
200mph fast, faster lap time than Porsche's faster production car thus far, a small 3.4 500hp V8 engine with three 178hp electric motors, all while getting an insane **94mpg**. I'd like to see Chevy top that.
(I wasn't being sarcastic there. I actually would like to see someone top that)
Source: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/porsche-918-spyder-confirmed-2010-07-29
quantumcipherAug 18, 2010
Oh that's right. Downvote anyone who links actual sources and doesn't suck Chevy's c**k. Good job, fags.
danthek54Aug 18, 2010
im sorry but i am calling bulls**t on 94mpg. there is no way you are getting anything close to that with a 500hp hi performance v8
...maybe with a 100hp 3 cylinder
jgregcAug 18, 2010
Quantumcipher, very nice.
masomlejnAug 18, 2010
They didn't make it yet, so I wouldn't use it as an example of existing fast hybrid.
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
Yep, those numbers are pure bulls**t. They got 94 mpg by fully charging the battery first. What they don't tell you is that 3 miles later, after the battery is dead, you get 7 mpg while it charges back up.
spazattack5000Aug 17, 2010
Corvettes are already fairly efficient on the highway. This could make them efficient in urban settings with a more comfortable ride at low speeds but still being able to let loose with full power!!!! POWER!!!!
swordedgeAug 18, 2010
Rather than the corvette, they should do a serial hybrid full sized pickup truck. Really, Torque out the wazoo, especially at 0 RPM where you need it most. This is assuming you can get enough electricity to it which super capacitors can do, Lithium Ion batteries can't do. It could Tow. It could be a portable job site power station too.
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
thesprunkAug 18, 2010
Now that's an excellent idea.
regeyaAug 18, 2010
And rocket engines.
deathstrykAug 18, 2010
I don't think you need a lot of torque at 0 RPM, rev up engine to desired RPM, release clutch.
fuzzynyankoAug 18, 2010
Last I check, the hybrids actually used more fuel than the standard trucks
3the3dude3Aug 18, 2010
Super capacitor? Flux capacitor or no deal.
bstew22Aug 18, 2010
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thesprunkAug 18, 2010
Seconded.
smihalikAug 18, 2010
As long as it still sports a huge V8, I don't see the problem with adding 100 or more horsepower via electric motors.
Had they downsized to a V6 I would not be singing the same tune mind you.
deathstrykAug 18, 2010
Yes! hybrids are unamerican! we need more V8 power! still better: make it V8 diesel corvette that can tow 10,000pound trailer. YEEHAW! God bless America!
/sComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
pbrbeerAug 18, 2010
Agreed, some cars just don't need all the complexities and added weight, wiring, and components that a hybrid entails.... a sports car is just that, it should be a stripped down, raw power/handling machine. less is more.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
danthek54Aug 18, 2010
@deathstryk
actually diesels are more fuel efficient...
thehofstetterAug 18, 2010
Goodbye, Prius.
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
The 918 will dominate the hybrid super car class. Too late to the game as usual GM.
thesprunkAug 18, 2010
No. No. No.
Nonono.
No No, No.
I'll repeat, NO!
WTF GM?
"rumors of a mid-engine next-generation Chevrolet Corvette." Those have been around since the 60's.
Hybrid Corvette's "an interesting idea," if by that you mean hilariously awful, then yes.
"Corvette hybrid could offer 750 horsepower or more" And weigh 2 or more tons and cost as much as a Ferrari (and probably still have merely adequate interior).
Bad idea is bad.
thicknjuicyAug 18, 2010
If you're buying a corvette for fuel efficiency and eco-friendlyness you're missing the point.....
smihalikAug 18, 2010
Yes you would be missing the point, but owning a sports car does not mean you enjoy giving a few hundred dollars a month to the gas station down the street. I have owned a few sports cars, and once the honeymoon is over, filling the tank ever few days becomes a pain in the ass. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
cawpinAug 18, 2010
I buried both of you because:
A: Getting better gas mileage is never bad.
B: The Corvette already gets nearly 30mpg
thesprunkAug 18, 2010
The corvette gets better gas mileage than pretty much any other car that is anywhere near capable of posting the same track times (be it a short circuit, long circuit, drag strip, highway, city street whatever).
I fail to see what makes this a good idea. It would cost them a ton to implement, rise the price of the corvette, probably raise the weight (which would require further engineering to the chassis, be it strengthening it, or redesigning it, or using more expensive parts, all of which costs more), would pose weight balance issues (its a near perfect 50/50 right now) and being more-or-less a first of its kind implementation, would probably be prone to issues. Lets also not forget that a powertrain that supports 500hp vs a power train that supports not only 750hp, but 500hp from a V8 AND an additional 250hp from an electric motor are two very, very different systems, and cost exponentially more, not just upfront, but in repairs (read, shorter warranties, or higher prices).
If you're going to try this with an intent to make something sporty, more sporty, but still "eco-friendly," maybe you should try it on one of the cars that holds the SS badge (bring back the Monte Carlo?), or maybe a special Camaro.
Honestly, I'm not against the concept. I have to say, if you could keep (or improve) the fun and thrill of a performance vehicle like the corvette when putting in a supplementary electric motor such as they propose (maybe even implement a volt like option where you can switch to all electric to save gas while cruising/city driving/whatever yields the best results) then I'm all for it. But we all know taking the LS3/LS7 and adding a ~200HP electric motor isn't going to accomplish this. First of all, 505hp+200hp =/= 750hp, its more like 705, and furthermore, they wouldn't add together so perfectly. In essence, we all know that instead it' be something like a tiny motor, plus a decent electric motor, hack'n'slashed together for a net max of (maybe) 550hp, weigh heavier, cost more, etc etc etc etc. It is an amusing idea, but not to be implemented for the first time (at least by this company) in a vehicle like the Corvette. It'd be embarassing.
Honestly, now that I think about it, Why not - instead of putting an electric motor in a car known for its massive gas guzzling muscle and a long, strong, proud pedigree - we put some gas fed muscle into a car with known for its electric motor: The Volt (not to mention a bit less to lose in the reputation department should things run afoul). Slap a (turbocharged?) Inline 6 in there (or hell, the Buick 3800 V6 is a hell of an engine...) along side its electric breatheren, work your magic, slap an SS badge and use THAT as the development platform. We already know the Volt is going to be heavy and expensive and blahblahblah.
bonestampAug 18, 2010
You might be missing the point; making it a hybrid doesn't automatically make it green or eco-friendly. The main point of making a hybrid corvette is for that extra torque that electric motors deliver, it's the reason the Tesla roadster is so fast 0-60.
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
This is how to not sell a muscle car.
steevoAug 18, 2010
Corvette's aren't muscle cars they're sports cars. Camaro, Challenger, Mustang are muscle cars
factsahoyAug 18, 2010
The Corvette is always brought down by a couple of things:
1. Piss-poor, cheesy interiors with poor build quality.
2. GM lets the design get so stale, going way too many years without a refresh.
masomlejnAug 18, 2010
Corvette's design is AWESOME! If it looks good, why change it? Ford GT and Porsche 911 are mid-60s designs and they still work.
factsahoyAug 18, 2010
For one thing, years upon years of cars that look exactly the same reduces their resale value.
illinestAug 18, 2010
I'm a corvette owner and planning to buy more corvettes in the future (when kids and wifes aren't sucking me dry.... >_<)
And I've been expecting something like this ever since the new fuel regs got signed. Only way Chevy can keep the Corvette on the road is by moving it upscale, pricing it high enough that the sales volume doesn't get out of control and mess up the fleetwide economy numbers.
If adopting a hybrid powertrain mitigates the fuel economy problems and allows for greater volume, then it might also keep the average price of a new Corvette down. I'm all for that.
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
factsahoyAug 18, 2010
"Only way Chevy can keep the Corvette on the road is by moving it upscale, pricing it high enough that the sales volume doesn't get out of control and mess up the fleetwide economy numbers."
That doesn't appear to pose any threat:
http://www.autoobserver.com/2010/01/corvette-drops-to-50-year-sales-low-as-high-end-sports-cars-sputter.html
cawpinAug 18, 2010
"The Corvette's 13,934 sales were the worst for the nameplate since 1961, when Chevrolet sold 10,939 models - and the car was still in its first generation."
that website obviously needs help. 1961 was NOT a first generation Corvette.
factsahoyAug 18, 2010
Gotta love how someone modded simple facts down.
WTF. Pathetic.
somejunkAug 18, 2010
GM's real problem with the Corvette is that the average age of the new Corvette buyer keeps increasing and they can't figure out why. Listen, GM, I'm 23 year old male, and if I could afford to buy a brand new Corvette Z06, I wouldn't. I would buy a BMW M3 instead. If I could afford to buy a new Corvette ZR1, I wouldn't. I would buy an Audi R8 instead. I would never choose the Corvette because completely lacks any sense of style or class. This is the problem, not the fact that it is not a hybrid.
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
Ahhhh, smell that...the smell of an auto snob.
chris8535Aug 18, 2010
Agreed, The corvette has become the Redneck babyboomer retirement car.
cawpinAug 18, 2010
@SomeJunk: So you'd buy a more expensive, slower car no matter what? Ok, gotcha.
heynow21Aug 18, 2010
I hate to deflate you but there have always been 23 year olds who wanted BMWs more than Corvettes, somehow the model has survived. And a cheaper Z06 crushes an R8 performance wise, the ZR1 is more of a concept car GM can throw into supercar competitions (and win).
powermanz28Aug 18, 2010
If I could afford to buy a new Corvette Z06, I would. If I could afford to push a BMW M3 off a cliff and have it land on an Audi R8, just to piss off this guy, I would.
danthek54Aug 18, 2010
yeah really? the corvette will out handle and out drive and out race anything in its price range.
i dont know why some people just like to s**t on it. give respect where it is due, this is by far one of the best sports car on the road and it should be treated as such. I know if i have 100k to burn id get a corvette for 50k and blow the rest on other luxuries.
bonestampAug 18, 2010
Ya, BMW and Audi might be more desirable brands. But I don't know how you can say this has no style: http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/2010-Corvette-Grand-Sport-Heritage-Package-Front-Angle-View-800x533.jpg
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
I'll keep my C6...TYVM GM.
ldrummeraxAug 18, 2010
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icewinddaleAug 18, 2010
Who cares as long as its a Vette...so it has to be fast and look fast.
lvsfinestAug 18, 2010
This like having Dell announce that Alienware's laptops will focus on battery life.
Closed AccountAug 18, 2010
The current Corvette already gets better mileage than my 1.8L Lotus.
absorberAug 18, 2010
Batteries are heavy. Really really heavy.