Reports in the US media suggest Corvette developments have been placed ‘on indefinite hold’ by General Motors, as the company struggles with its financial crisis.
The current C6 was scheduled for total replacement in 2012, when it would have reached its 8th birthday. However, according to Autoweek, even a model upgrade for 2012 that was suggested internally instead of the full model replacement has now been ruled out. That plan would have seen the C6 on sale for up to 12 years before being replaced by the C7, making it the longest serving ‘Vette model alongside the C4 which ran from 1982 to 1996.
Unfortunately for US muscle fans, Autoweek claims that GM management is pretty clueless when it comes to planning a future for its iconic sportscar. While rumours have abounded of new mid-engined or all wheel drive configurations, there is no clear road map for the model’s future.
It’s unlikely that GM will allow the Corvette to die, says the report, but don’t expect the next incarnation of America’s sports car to arrive before 2014, and that could be optimistic.