Caught Testing: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette - Spy Shots

For starters, a 7-speed manual transmission will be offered for the first time. This should allow Corvette engineers to shorten the lower gear ratios for quicker acceleration, while also improving highway fuel economy thanks to the extra cog. The current Corvette already manages a respectable 26 mpg during highway driving. Don’t be surprised if the C7 engineering team is gunning for 30 mpg, or more.

Fact and Fiction

A more advanced range of V-8 engines, featuring direct injection and slightly reduced displacement, will maintain sports car levels of performance while helping to boost fuel efficiency. We wouldn’t count on Chevy offering any electric powertrains or hybrid hardware in the Corvette, at least for now. However, there might be some surprises when the car debuts in late 2013 (as a 2014 model).

The coupe test mule, spotted by our photographers, has a centrally mounted quad exhaust setup peeking out from beneath the car’s rear fascia. In the convertible test cars, all four of these pipes are open. Yet the coupe is sporting some curious-looking caps on the outer pipes. Is this simple trickery on the part of the engineering team, or is something more going on here?

The rumor mill is already swirling with talk of everything from a smaller turbocharged V-8 to an optional split rear window—like the one used on the 1963 Sting Ray. One item that is certain to receive a major improvement is the Corvette cabin, which has long lagged behind the competition in terms of fit and finish. The C7’s longer wheelbase could also free up additional space for occupants and cargo.