A $290 million investment in General Motors' Bowling Green, Kentuky Corvette plant could herald the arrival of a long-rumored beast.
The cash infusion, announced today by GM and reported by Automotive News, is meant for assembly upgrades and modifications, though it also supercharges speculation that a mid-engine Corvette is finally on the way.
GM said the money will go towards "technology upgrades and manufacturing process improvements," but didn't give out any product details. Last year's $439 million investment went towards a new paint shop at the plant, which only produces the one model.
The C7 'Vette is still relatively young - at three years of age, the generation should still have several years of life in it. But that isn't the timeline GM has in mind, according to a supposedly reputable source who leaked information to Car & Driver last month.
The source told the publication that the eighth generation will bow in 2018 as a 2019 model, with a production version ready for display at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. The mid-engined Corvette will allegedly use the C7's pushrod engine at first, with a new twin-cam V8 engine boosting the 'Vette's output in early 2019.
Base price for a C8 would be about $80,000, with the new engine bumping prices into the six figure range, the source claimed.
GM has long ignored calls to offer a mid-engine Corvette, but marketplaces evolve. Despite chief engineer Tadge Juechter's 2015 claim that "no such car exists," evidence is piling up that deep-pocketed enthusiasts will get their way.
The cash infusion, announced today by GM and reported by Automotive News, is meant for assembly upgrades and modifications, though it also supercharges speculation that a mid-engine Corvette is finally on the way.
GM said the money will go towards "technology upgrades and manufacturing process improvements," but didn't give out any product details. Last year's $439 million investment went towards a new paint shop at the plant, which only produces the one model.
The C7 'Vette is still relatively young - at three years of age, the generation should still have several years of life in it. But that isn't the timeline GM has in mind, according to a supposedly reputable source who leaked information to Car & Driver last month.
The source told the publication that the eighth generation will bow in 2018 as a 2019 model, with a production version ready for display at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. The mid-engined Corvette will allegedly use the C7's pushrod engine at first, with a new twin-cam V8 engine boosting the 'Vette's output in early 2019.
Base price for a C8 would be about $80,000, with the new engine bumping prices into the six figure range, the source claimed.
GM has long ignored calls to offer a mid-engine Corvette, but marketplaces evolve. Despite chief engineer Tadge Juechter's 2015 claim that "no such car exists," evidence is piling up that deep-pocketed enthusiasts will get their way.
