C8 Corvette Reportedly Delayed Six Months over Electrical Issue
We already know the C8 Corvette won’t be in Detroit next month. But is it really due to an engineering faux pas?
Corvette fans itching to see the all-new C8 in the flesh received a bit of disappointing news recently when it was discovered that the car would not in fact debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. But what we didn’t know, until now, is why. According to GM Authority, the C8’s delay came about as the result of a serious electrical issue. Disappointing? Certainly. But judging by this thread started by ShagVette, most Corvette Forum members don’t seem to mind this snag in development.
“According to sources familiar with the matter speaking to GM Authority on the basis of anonymity, engineers have uncovered a major electrical issue with the future Corvette during the development process. From what we gather, the vehicle’s electrical system can’t carry the load necessary to support the necessary components.”
So how, you ask, can this possibly be seen as a good thing? Well, as many members point out, it’s certainly better than buying a potentially $100k+ supercar and immediately having issues with it.
“Very interesting,” said Foosh. “Better to do it now than when they start producing them. That’s the purpose of rigorous testing.”
“A 6-month delay is way better than a massive recall,” added rmorin1249. “We all need to have patience.”
But as CONMAX points out, perhaps we shouldn’t take this rumor at face value.
“GM Authority has experienced very poor credibility in previous announcements. And how likely is it that C8 Corvette engineers could made a design mistake in the electrical systems of a gas powered car that would cause a 6 month delay? After all, it’s not a Tesla, and GM likely borrowed heavily from its previous 12-volt electrical designs. Sound like a red herring to me.”
However, some believe that this rumor makes at least a little sense, including fasttoys.
“My only thought is the future version of the C8 Corvette ME will need a more robust electrical system. We know the electric system on a C7 is pretty much the same across all versions. It would have to be cheaper to build one harness that works for all variants instead of a one-off design.
We been hearing the faster version of the ME will have electronic motors similar to other electric cars. In order for GM to keep cost in line, they need an electric system to handle all versions.”
And at least for direct007, this news just validates an old piece of advice in the automotive world.
“Makes my buying decision a little easier. I was hoping for a major announcement or news release in January 2019 on the C8 Corvette. I didn’t like the idea of not having a new Corvette for the summer, but I was willing to wait.
Now, if it’s 6 more months, I might as well wait another year. So I think I will go ahead and get a 2019 and keep it for 3 years. Hopefully by late 2021 or early 2022, all these quirks will be worked out.”
That is, if these rumors of an electrical system nightmare actually prove to be true. Thus, we want to know what you think. So head over here and tell us if you believe it, or if you think that this is just another bogus report!
