Mid-engine vette?

[Les]

I've always wondered about the transaxle issue though...remembering that the Pontiac LeMans (which became the GTO) had a rear transaxle up until 1964. Given the performance potential of the current 'Vette, theirs MUST be quite strong...could it be adapted for use in a '40????

Cheers!

Doug

Doug, here is a page from GM's website, which shows the present arrangement of the transmission of the 2015 Corvette Stingray and Z06. A driveshaft transmits the power from the rear of the engine to the transmission, which is in front of the differential.

If we had a V8, then a bellhousing, then a transmission, then a differential, in the back of a GT-40, that would make the wheelbase a tad long, wouldn't it?

New 8-Speed Enables Quicker, More Efficient Corvette

Here are photographs of the transmission in place:

Les

 

[Mike]

 

[Jack Houpe]

If they make a mid engine vette I want to be first on the list to own one, I know you can't beat what they have but just can't push myself to buy the new vette and become one of the million other happy owners of a front engine plastic cars.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Or they could go "911"....

Forget The Mid-Engined Corvette: There Was Once A Rear-Engine 'Vette

 

[Grady]

I'd read all about the new Vette so I decided to go see the car. Lots of new updates. Wasn't sure about the tail lights (looks like a Camero). With the manual shift you get paddles to replicate heel-and-toe shifting technique. However with the automatic you can spend ~ $1500 to get true paddle shifting. That is the way I'd order the car. I kept looking for the launch control selector but didn't find the knob. Even without the Ferrari touches, GM has quite the automobile to match up with Ferrari, Jag, and Porsche. Faced with a choice between a huge HP Mustang or Vette, the Vette wins hands down. Little brother just ordered a $150k limited production BMW (I8 I think). I wasn't all that impressed with the car.

 

[Roger]

Or they could go "911"....

I sincerely hope that they're not that intellectually challenged. I do like the 911 shape, and I know that the Engineering is superb, but I couldn't bring myself to buy a car with the engine in such a daft place.

My classic car fix is provided by a 928GTS, a car designed to fit above the 911 in Porsche's range, but never got accepted by those that enjoy going backwards through hedges!

 

[Matt K]

I sincerely hope that they're not that intellectually challenged. I do like the 911 shape, and I know that the Engineering is superb, but I couldn't bring myself to buy a car with the engine in such a daft place.

My classic car fix is provided by a 928GTS, a car designed to fit above the 911 in Porsche's range, but never got accepted by those that enjoy going backwards through hedges!

Would a 911 be better mid engine? Probably but it's hard to imagine 911s getting any better. Yes, I'm a porsche fan boy but to hate a 911 that plain old works simply because it's engine is 2 feet farther back than you would like seems silly. Have you driven or tracked modern 911s? I'm just trying to wrap my head around this considering 911s are being praised as some of the best driving experiences available by some of the most unlikely sources.

 

[Luke S]

Its less scary not seeing the tire wall coming . The little super beetles are fortunately built pretty tough. Must say the GTS were beautiful if not too pricey at the end of production run. Back then, it took Porsche too long to get a modern auto trans and I feel that really hurt them in the GT demographics. A GTS with pdk would likely have sold in great numbers.

I don't think anyone will ever put the engine back there again unless its a inline 4 sitting at 90 degrees. People don't buy character these days but yet image.

 

[john b]

The Porsche 911

 

[Roger]

Would a 911 be better mid engine? Probably but it's hard to imagine 911s getting any better.

The 911 is very good, but it's taken decades to get there. IMO, the 911 would be better if made mid-engined and developed for a few years. They're currently limiting the power of the Cayman, which avoids some comparison.

The Corvette has its share of praise too. It'd be interesting to see a mid-engined one up against the 911, especially if it gets a several years of development.

 

[Matt K]

The 911 is very good, but it's taken decades to get there. IMO, the 911 would be better if made mid-engined and developed for a few years. They're currently limiting the power of the Cayman, which avoids some comparison.

That's true. The cayman with a gt3 engine would be one of the best cars to ever come out of Stuttgart. The GT4 will soon be released and is rumored to have up to 450 hp though.

Personally, I could see myself taking a high mile 981 base model and doing a BGB 3.8 swap down the road. As soon as they crack the ecu, it'll be able to make in the neighborhood of 420 whp. A near 500 hp cayman for 60k sounds pretty good...

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

I'd read all about the new Vette so I decided to go see the car. Lots of new updates. Wasn't sure about the tail lights (looks like a Camero). With the manual shift you get paddles to replicate heel-and-toe shifting technique. However with the automatic you can spend ~ $1500 to get true paddle shifting. That is the way I'd order the car. I kept looking for the launch control selector but didn't find the knob. Even without the Ferrari touches, GM has quite the automobile to match up with Ferrari, Jag, and Porsche. Faced with a choice between a huge HP Mustang or Vette, the Vette wins hands down. Little brother just ordered a $150k limited production BMW (I8 I think). I wasn't all that impressed with the car.

Grady,

The Lotus club is having their national meet in Asheville this weekend.......take the GT over show them what the Europa was supposed to be! (the Europa concept was pitched to Ford when they were looking to build a GT car.....they rightly decided Chapman would not "play nice" with corporate types). My buddy Tony is the head of these nutjobs..........

 

[john b]

 

[Jack]

John B, ever see the RCR Superlite LeMans?

 

[marc]

Why is this in the RCR discussion and not in the Paddock?

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

If it was in the paddock nobody would read it....lol

 

[Doug S.]

If it was in the paddock nobody would read it....lol

Or someone would find a way to turn it into a political mud-throwing contest.

Doug

 

[john b]

Why is this in the RCR discussion and not in the Paddock?

Marc, its all on me. I am totally a German, mid-engine sportscar guy with an Audi R8, and a custom Porsche Cayman Cup race car, and I now also have a SL-C, and have become a huge fan of Fran and his super hi-quality RCR production line. So honestly, I only look at the RCR/Superlite section of this whole forum. Regretfully, I usually forget that the other parts of this good forum even exist. My bad!

I posted this published rumor about a mid-engine Vette only because these are the engines that are used in the vast majority of SL-C's. So I assume there is much interest here on the GM mid-engine idea. And if GM does someday make a mid-engine vette, then maybe some important new transaxle options for the SL-C would emerge.

I'm really not much of a corvette guy, and if I was building a SL-C from scratch, I would be extremely tempted to build it using an Audi V10 engine. Thankfully, my SL-C came completely built with a very excellent LS7 engine, and so I was never tempted to make a different engine choice

 

[marc]

Or someone would find a way to turn it into a political mud-throwing contest.

Doug

This is politics! There I said it! :laugh: Corvettes have been front drive since the beginning. You give Doug a mid engine super car and we are going to see it on wrecked exotics.com.

Just kidding Doug!:dead:

 

[Luke S]

I just saw the REAR engine XP-819 Corvette today. It was built like a Corvair on steroids. The rear crossmember was bolted together of 5 pieces of stamped steal. Thank goodness that no matter where GM puts the motors these days......its done SO much better. Mid America had it on display at the Corvette show.