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Grex Cars Item 66: Next-Generation Corvette
Entered by novajay on Mon May 29 04:17:26 UTC 1995:

I hear the next generation Corvette is going to be affordable, with the base
car stripped with money saving things like crank-up windows.  Sounds crazy. 
Even crazier, I hear it will have a front engine (next generation small block
V-8) with a rear mounted transmission to make the weight bias close to the
magic 50:50.  Wouldn't things get a little hectic with the driveshaft spinning
6500 RPM?  I understand this was done before in the early sixties with the
Pontiac Tempest having the same setup, but I don't know much else on the matter
as the sixties were before my time.  Also, the engine displacement will
probably be decrease to about five liters for emissions and CAFE reasons.  Any
thoughts on these subjects?

5 responses total.

#1 of 5 by mcpoz on Mon May 29 12:05:02 1995:

I haven't heard about the next gen Corvette, but the Tempest did have
a rear trans.  The driveshaft as I recall was flexible and ran in an 
arc (I think).  I believe there were some complaints about vibration.

#2 of 5 by wired on Fri Jul 7 16:36:28 1995:

   I've heard some tales of em still going goods and fast. Like 120+.
As for the driveshaft going 6500, you can weasel your way around it
by installing with like a 12:1 gear set on one side of the shaft and
a 1:12 on the other side to bring it back up.
    One of the dudes telling me about the 97 prototype is on grex. I'll
have to email him and send him over.

#3 of 5 by helmke on Fri Jul 7 21:24:33 1995:

A drive shaft spinning that fast would reduce performance - too much interia
to overcome to accelerate rapidly.  High-performance motorcycles have
extra-light crankshafts, etc. to allow rapid changes in engine speed.

#4 of 5 by n8nxf on Mon Jul 10 12:06:11 1995:

Not if it were made of some light weight, high strength tubing.  If you
reduce the RPM's you increase the torque and visa versa provided the 
power remains constant.

#5 of 5 by repoman on Thu Jul 27 19:59:32 1995:

        I have a long time friend from HIghschool whos works as a electrical
engineer on the corvettes, camaro (f-cars), and caprices. He makes programs
that test all the electrical circuits in hte vehicles from under the dash.
  The last tidbit I heard...454 motor crammed into camaro body to test frame
rigidty. Don't worry, they are going to crush the car after the tests.  Want to
buy the block? $200. (THat's the crushed car block).

Repo

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