General Motors teased a slew of future ICE and electrified models, including two new sports cars for the Chevrolet brand on Thursday, one of which will reportedly have “unimaginable performance” and the “next-step in performance for Chevrolet”.
The revelations were made by GM President Mark Reuss, who was speaking at an investor presentation in New York. Although investors in the audience were shown images and teasers of what was coming in the near future, the pictures were redacted for media, who were forced to watch remotely – and that includes us as well.
In addition to re-confirming that a hybrid version of the Corvette will premiere in 2023, something the company first mentioned in April, Reuss pointed to two additional, high-performance models.
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A C8-Based Flagship Supercar Is Coming Too
He called one the “next version of the C8” and the “next step of performance for Chevrolet” adding that “you won’t be able to imagine it from a performance standpoint”. Although he did say that the second car is based on the C8 platform, he avoided directly naming it as a Corvette, and instead referred to it only as an “incredible performance car” that should “set the standard of the world in performance for Chevrolet” and “put the world on notice” on what GM can do. He did not clarify whether this model will be electric, electrified or ICE.
Although Reuss’s comments are cryptic enough to prevent certainty, the cadence of these vehicles still aligns with a leaked document from 2020 that allegedly laid out the release schedule of all coming Corvettes.
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It suggested, like Reuss, that there are three more Corvettes to come. The first, in 2023, will be what the document referred to as the Corvette Grand Sport. It is a hybrid version of the sports car, based on the same 6.2-liter V8 as the base stingray Corvette. It is expected to make 600 hp (447 kW/608 PS), and to be more of a grand tourer than a hardcore sports car.
The document then conveyed that, in 2024, a twin-turbo version of the 5.5-liter DOHC V8 that powers the Z06 would find its way into a Corvette ZR1. Set to make 850 hp (634 kW/862 PS), it should be a track weapon.
Finally, a second hybrid version of the Corvette was set to round out the lineup, combining the ZR1’s twin-turbo V8 with hybrid assistance. All in, the powertrain would make 1,000 hp (746 kW/1,014 PS), and the model may be called the Corvette ZORA. That paper, however, underrated the performance of the Corvette Z06, which we now know makes 670 hp (500 kW/679 PS), rather than the 650 hp (485 kW/659 PS) listed on the sheet. We may, therefore, still be in for some surprises.
New Buick, Cadillac And Chevy Models Coming Too
In addition to making cryptic references to its sports car lineup, GM also previewed a number of ICE and electric vehicles. These include the Buick Electra E5 electric crossover that we had the opportunity to see in Chinese-specification this week and which will arrive in the U.S. in 2024 after first being revealed in China in 2023. The same year we’ll see the U.S.-specification of the Buick Envista, a sporty crossover that will launch in China this year.
Cadillac will get two new electric SUVs, a full-size model that will likely act as an electric-replacement for the ICE Escalade in 2024, as well as a smaller compact Cadillac crossover. Reuss also confirmed a number of new ICE cars and EVs for China, including a smaller electric Buick model named the Electra E4 that will sit under the E5 as well as the GL8 EV minivan, a “pretty dramatic low roof” Chevrolet “Car-D” sports sedan primarily designed for China (but one we might see in other markets too) and the next-gen Cadillac CT6.