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C6 insight from XLR article

LMN8R

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
214
Location
Kansas City, Mo, USA
Corvette
1998 Black Coupe
The September 2002 Car and Driver issue has a preview article on the Cadillac XLR, which is to essentially share a chassis (and manufacturing plant in Bowling Green) with the C6. To me, this is what the article may tell us about the C6:

1. Still the basic control-arm and transverse-leaf-spring suspension, as opposed to the coil-sprung C5R.

2. Still has magnetic ride control

3. The 5L50-E transmission (5-speed auto) may have an application here.

4. Still a Getrag limited-slip diff.

5. Still composite bodywork (possibly thicker and heavier on the Caddy than the 'Vette.

6. This article doesn't really give much to go on for a powerplant, as the Caddy will still be using its own Northstar engine.

7. The curb weight for the XLR cited in the article is 3,600 lbs, and that is including the more cumbersome Northstar engine, the thicker bodywork, the retractable hardtop, the interior gadgetry, and all of the other crap that makes luxury cars luxury cars. To me, this itself says that the C6 should be lighter than the C5 by a pretty significant margine.

8. The XLR comes out in late spring of '03. Hopefully the Corvette won't be too far behind.

Greg
 
Someone in that "other" Corvette forum said they saw a C6 mule and it had a narrow hood like the C3s Look at the engine pic in the Car and Driver layout the hood is VERY narrow indeed.
 
to Balack Ice & LMN8R

Yes, that's correct. That was me in the "other" forum. Most people that responded to my post didn't believe that I saw it and they started making noises that heads would roll if GM found out (they monitor these forums), so I deleted my posts to protect the innocent. The hood is narrower. The headlights were outside of the hood lines and are rounded on the corners (kind of like the Porsche but smaller) with three xenon type small round bulbs in it. The grill area had 3 openings. The center opening was a small version of a mid-year with a horizontal center bar and 5 verticle "teeth", like a C-2 (a little retro look?). The other openings on each side were squarish, but smaller at the bottem than at the top and rounded on the corners. The chassis is the same as the C-5. In fact they were taking brand new 2001 C-5's last year and stripping them down to the chassis just to put the XLR bodies on them. The XLR will only come in an automatic. It isn't being designed for weekend racing, more for boulevard cruising (like the Mercedes).The XLR will use the Northstar engine and it will continue to be detuned so that it won't be faster than the C-5 when it comes out (that won't last long, once the owners start reprogramming it). The C-6 engine is still an unknown. I would hope that they supercharge it (even Ford is now doing it with the Mustang and that can keep up with a stock Z-06 through 2 gears with the stock pulley on it and no cold air going to it), but we'll have to wait a while before that part of the puzzle falls in place. BTW, they have been training the XLR workers at Bowling Green for about a year now, so they are ready to start production.
 
I may be totaly wrong but I don't think we can compare the XLR and the C6. My feeling is that the XLR is based on the C5 not the C6. How could the XLR use C6 "stuff" when that "stuff" is still under development. The C6 does not yet exist. Very hard for another car to use stuff that does not yet exist. If it was ready then the C6 would be out.

So with the XLR I think we are seeing an extension of the C5 platform. The C6 will have a new/updated platform which would keep the Corvette one step ahead.

tom...
 
I think the XLR stuff could be the bridge between C5 and C6 technology. GM could be using it as a real world testing phase if you will and tweak it appropriately for Corvette use.

I'm personally not very confident that GM will listen to what the consumers want, the performance consumers that is, so my next Vette' I'm shooting for is an LT4.

Will GM do anything to make people "absolutely have to buy" the C6? I seriously doubt it. Afterall, the C5 was made in mind to fit two sets of golf clubs in it.:( It probably wasn't until enough people #@$#@ and whined until they finally did a Z06 for performance.
 
Tom, the 1.2 inch extended wheelbase chassis of the XLR is the new C6 chassis..

There may be variations on the chassis..in detail but they pretty much are C6 technology..

I expect the varying width hydroformed steel frame rail technology could actually build two lengths in the same plant at the same time..so Tom please now..we should never rule out the possibility the C6 is altered..from the Xlr..but it sure would be surprising..

I think the DOHC Northstar for all its technology is tall and heavy as is the 5 speed tranny they are planning on using..the top with all its mechanisms probably adds tons more weight too..enough so that the car runs close to 3600 lbs..

I fully expect to see the new C6 performance version roll in at 2900 lbs..maybe I'm dreaming but thats what I think...LOL

We're all pretty much just guessing!

Anyone expect a June roll out in 2003 calander year for the C6?

Somethings coming..could it be a 427 C5 for a last hurrah?
 
JBsC5 said:
Somethings coming..could it be a 427 C5 for a last hurrah?

They did do the LT4 for the C4! I think we're really dreaming if we're looking for a 427! It would be hard to go 427 in a last model year C5 and then go back to a 350. There would be a mass riot of Corvette maniacs, including many from this forum I'm sure!:L
 

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