The next Corvette won't try to match Ferrari and Lamborghini feature for feature, according to the engineer in charge of it. Tony Roma, executive chief engineer for the Chevrolet Corvette and GM's performance cars, laid out the thinking on the C9 in an interview on The Drive's podcast.
"The C9 needs to be a Corvette at its core. It needs to have value," Roma said. As for what it can't be: "more expensive just to use technology for technology's sake." Roma added that moving the engine behind the driver didn't mean the car had to chase Lamborghini and Ferrari "tit-for-tat." The C8 went mid-engine for physics, Roma said, to put the weight over the driven wheels.
Roma took over from Tadge Juechter, whose career spanned 47 years, according to The Drive. Roma was careful not to announce anything. Asked about the C9, Roma said there will be something next, but the C8 has "runway left," and shoppers shouldn't skip a Corvette now while waiting for it.
On manuals, Roma sounded torn, calling them a personal favorite and mentioning a 1966 Corvette with three pedals. But Roma called transmissions super expensive to develop, since the C5, C6, and C7 used a manual design that had been refined over about 30 years. When Tremec showed a six-speed manual transaxle that it said would fit the C8, Roma said the hard part for GM isn't building a gearbox. It's validating it and certifying it for emissions.
Roma also took on the C8's looks. The Drive's hosts raised the common complaint from traditionalists that the mid-engine car's proportions don't look like a Corvette. Roma said the C8 kept a trunk and everyday usefulness, and called it "really, really good-looking." Roma said the Corvette has never been a cut-and-paste design, pointing to how different the C2, C4, and C8 look.
An electric Corvette will come someday, Roma said, "But not today." For now, electrification means the front electric motor in the all-wheel-drive models. The 2027 Grand Sport X, which replaced the E-Ray, makes 721 combined horsepower, according to Chevrolet. Hagerty titled its review of the new Grand Sport models "Best for Last." Roma also said GM's repeated renewals of the Zora trademark don't mean anything is coming.
Should the C9 bring back a long hood? Rate the Corvette generations on WhipJury.
Sources:
Roma's interview, quotes, role, and Juechter's tenure: The Drive
The Grand Sport X's 721 combined horsepower: Chevrolet
The Grand Sport review: Hagerty
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Charles from Port Chester, New York, and Mustang Joe (CC0)
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Cam Walsh has been obsessing over cars since before he could drive one. Based out of Atlanta, Cam covers automotive design, car culture, and the eternal debate over which whips actually look the part.
