Uh...what "facts" about the C7 which were not already known were put forth in that story? I tried to find them but couldn't.
The key point I got in the story was speculation that because GM had tradmarked "Stingray" that C7 will be called that.
Another fact, er....."speculation" that might be faulty is the one that says on the basis of Corvette vs Porsche 911 sales numbers that Corvette is loosing market share. That may or may not be true. Two problems with that speculation are 1) sales numbers for the other entries in the segment weren't stated and 2) sales number for the segment as a whole were not cited. "Market share" is division of the total sales number for the segment by the sales number for each segment member.
It might be true that Corvette is loosing market share while the 911 is gaining but it may also be true that Corvette has stayed about the same and Mercedes or other maker in the high-sports segment is loosing.
As for a "new" Viper...a 700hp 8.7L Viper might be in development but the V10 Chrysler has always been an inefficient engine and, if the Viper guys are coming with something like that, it's going to have an obscene gas guzzler penalty when it gets here. Since speculation seems to be the name of the game with this thread, my guess is the Vipe folks are blowing smoke and they, like everybody else making performance cars, are going to have to make some huge compromises after 2013 to confirm to CAFE.
Perhaps the most relevant idea in that article is this:
In addition to the sales figures, other statistics are looming large in GM’s hierarchy. Right now 65 percent of new Corvette owners are over the age of 50, and for many potential buyers under 40, a new Corvette isn’t even on their radar screens. Clearly something dramatically new is needed behind the Corvette nameplate to return the fiberglass icon to the upper regions of the sales charts.
But, I'll add some more speculation: one reason Corvette is not on the radar screens of those under 40 is its price not that it lacks the necessary mystique to capture their interests.
What the brand needs is a base model with an affordable price tag, reasonable performance and great fuel economy. Could it be that a V6 with DI, VVT, AFM, two turbochargers and 400 hp along with a six-speed automatic could provide that.
