The Chevy Corvette’s formula is simple, pure and inherently American. You take a sleek and stylish coupe body, put it on a rear-wheel drive platform, add a V8 and presto!: you have an American icon.

However, that all might change though by 2016 according to Automotive News, as emission and efficiency standards reach new heights. Tom Stephens, GM’s Vice Chairman of global product development, announced that the company might consider a hybrid power train in future Corvette models if all other attempts to meet the new government-mandated CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards prove unsuccessful. This would be a huge change for Corvette fans, being that the current ‘Vette is a tire-scorching, 430-horsepower behemoth. Not to mention the non-base models which are super cars in their own right, the Corvette Z06 and ZR1, with 505 and 638 horsepower respectively.

But companies like Tesla and Fisker are proving that hybrid and all-electric sports cars are both marketable and incredibly fun to drive.   By incorporating technologies like cylinder deactivation systems, direct injection and variable valve timing, the Corvette’s current V8 can be made more efficient.

Combine these with other fuel-saving features like light weight construction, electric power steering and low rolling resistance tires, and it is possible that the next-gen Corvette would be efficient enough for the car’s classic formula to remain unaltered. Whether a V8 or hybrid drive train is used, GM is insistent that the next chapter in the Corvette story will be just as thrilling as those that came before it.

Tags: Hybrid

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 5:58 pm and is filed under New Cars, chevrolet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.