Oct 27th, 2008 by RJ Menezes
Those of you who have been die-hard Corvette fans know that there have been rumors going around that the Vette’s next platform, the C7, would be a mid-engine platform. While a mid-engined Corvette would finally put it in the same league as more exotic supercars ,at least dynamically, it would also squander a entire history of Corvette layouts that have religiously been front-engine rear-drive.
Well now all those against the idea (apparently 95% of Vette fans) can rest easy. The Corvette mid-engine idea is dead for now, strictly on the basis of the cost-to-benefit ratio. In fact that is the reason why the C7 is essentially on hold. GM has a lot on its plate to worry about for now, and the current C6 Vette is selling extremely well anyways.
Don’t worry though, as there is now a new rumor going around to keep conversations at the local watering hole interesting. The rumor is of GM’s chief engineer Tom Wallace considering a 3.6-liter direct injection V6 for the base Corvette’s engine. A V6 Corvette?!?!? Yup, with the upcoming 2011-2015 CAFE standards looming overhead, GM is gonna have to think of something to keep this American icon alive, even if it isn’t a mid-engine configuration that’s going to do it.
-Source: Motor Trend