After months of teasers and speculation, Chevrolet has used this weeks Detroit Show to at last reveal a brand new Corvette. Known as the C7, the latest version of Americas sports car boasts a substantially stiffer and lighter understructure, now made from aluminium, and the frame is clothed in a striking new body, significant parts of which are made from carbon fibre. The 6.2-litre V8 engine is largely all-new too. It now produces 450bhp and can be connected either to a six-speed automatic transmission or a headline seven-speed manual gearbox. The latest Vette retains the familiar double wishbone and transverse leaf spring suspension arrangement of previous generations but, like all aspects of the new car, the design has been thoroughly revised to make it lighter and more effective. More controversially, the steering is now electrically power assisted. Chevrolet has yet to release any performance claims for the new Corvette but it packs a great deal of on-paper promise, both in a straight line and around corners. Buying one in the UK will still make you look like a c*nt.
Pretty good value for $80k, and that was asking price and only 8 months old. A lot of car. Sorry for quality, phone photo and it was light rain/snow. Image Unavailable, Please Login
They use leaf springs because they're cheaper and they work on smooth skid pans, max G is a fixation of US car tests. Transverse leaf springs were used on the Model T Ford LOL. GM accountants won't spend a penny more than they need to, this is not an exotic, it's a $50K car using the previous model's platform.
Also true They were also used on the AC Ace... The Corvette application isn't that primative (not that it is that sophisticated...) in that the spring is only acting as a spring (rather than double duty as a suspension arm). That is true too
No, it's a brand new car. There are basically no carry over parts. “The seventh-generation Corvette will build on that success,” Juechter continued. “With the new Corvette, we set out to build a world-challenging sports car with design, refinement, efficiency and driver engagement that is second to none. The result is a truly all-new Corvette. There are only two carryover parts from the C6 used in the C7 – the cabin air filter and the rear latch for the removable roof panel.” http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2012/10/18/official-chevy-introduces-2014-c7-corvette-emblem-sets-january-date-for-public-reveal-in-detroit/ And this leaf spring stuff, can clearly explain how a leaf spring, used in the way the Corvette uses them, is worse that a piece of coiled metal?
If it is a single leaf then I think it will work alright but multiple leaf lead springs have internal friction to over come. But ignoring that I would have thought that a transverse leaf was inefficient space wise having to be able to run right across the car like that ... but I guess it is a nice differentiator. Pete
Single leaf, made of fibreglass. Yes it does have to run the full width, and therefore would not work on every car, but it's not like it's wasting a huge amount of space. Pic stolen from wiki to show what a Corvette leaf spring actually looks like. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Don't believe the press release spin, GM wrote the book on recycling existing components as "all new". As for leaf springs - too easy! With a coil you can achieve a rising rate of stiffness, a spring can be made that's initially softer then stiffer as compression increases. With a leaf, you only get one rate, which is why a Z1 vette rides like a billy cart. Don't get me wrong, they're great cars for the money, a '63 split window coupe is on my bucket list. I have a mate with a big block stingray and it's laugh out loud fun to drive, about 300% more power than traction!
Fast Beetle. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFb5TXOMo3I]Insane Highway Driving In A Porsche 977 GT3 - YouTube[/ame]
Me either, looked pretty normal to me. Gleggy sent it to me......that's right, he hasn't come on a GG run.
Autobahns are fun.. sitting 140-180 for 20 minutes at a time is liberating and enjoyable .. just keep sharp watch for black Audis monstering you as they do 2xxx horizon to horizon.
