While Chevrolet Corvettes have never been the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the planet, General Motors reportedly wants to nevertheless make its halo-supercar that little bit more efficient. In order to do so, General Motors is said to be considering implementing stop-start technology for the new Corvette.
Edmunds reports that GM could implement a system later this decade and decided against introducing the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray from the start because of fears such a system would hurt the high-performance image of the Corvette. The only problem with that belief is that the 2013 Lamborghini Aventador features a stop-start system as well as cylinder deactivation and that hasn’t harmed its image at all.
Corvette chief engineer, Tadge Juechter said, “It is more mass and more cost. It is very disconcerting to have your lively, great-sounding engine stall every time you come to a stop. The real customer value, the real environmental value is zero. So you are hauling around all that stuff to get a better label value (for mpg on the window sticker). It wasn’t worth it.”
To the credit of General Motors, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is by far the most fuel efficient Corvette ever produced. In fact, compared with the outgoing 2013 model, the Corvette C7’s fuel economy has increased 12%
[Via Edmunds]
