It seems this long-awaited mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette really will be designed to run with high-end European exotics. And by that, I mean you’ll more than likely be shifting the gears with paddles, not three pedals and a stick.
Car and Driver, thus far the leader in rumors and reports about this car which is really happening for sure we promise you guys, says the upcoming car will use a Tremec seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It can handle a ton of torque and promises lightning-fast gear changes, presumably much quicker than the ones offered even by General Motors’ eight-speed automatic.
Tremec engineering documents show a 9000-rpm maximum input speed and a 664-lb-ft torque capacity, both of which should cover C8 Corvette needs quite nicely. The TR-9007’s die-cast aluminum housing contains seven forward gears, three of which are overdrive ratios, and a 5.6:1 ratio spread. Tremec describes the twin engagement devices as “virtually dry wet clutches.”
But! They predict, probably correctly, that this supercar is being developed with no room for a traditional stick shift.
Our suspicion is that General Motors will not follow our suggestion to Save the Manuals due to the cost and complexity of offering two transmissions. In other words, Tremec’s TR-9007 seven-speed DCT will be the one and only transmission available when the 2019 Corvette arrives in less than two years.
A huge blow to manual enthusiasts everywhere! But not really. It’s not like any of this car’s intended mid-engined competitors use stick shifts anymore, and in this day and age when customer take rate, technology and lap times rule everything, the manual is hard to justify.
Boo-hoo.