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Could This Patent Explain The C8 Corvette' s Delay

Dec. 28, 2018 4:01 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 31 Comments Either way, this sounds like a snazzy feature. After what seemed like endless speculation, we finally believed the mid-engined Corvette would be revealed at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show in January. However, not only will the Vette be absent from Detroit, new reports indicate that we won't see the car until the summer at a private GM event. The car was reportedly delayed by six months due to an electrical issue that was discovered during final testing. According to the report, the electrical system simply couldn't handle the load and GM needed time to re-engineer the system and find new suppliers. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz No one has been able to pinpoint what the electrical issue was but a recent GM patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office may provide a clue. The patent was discovered by MidEngineCorvetteForum and details electric-operated doors. Like a Rolls-Royce, the doors featured in the patent can open and close using electricity. They also feature a rotary actuator, which can apply torque based on control signals. Basically, if the door senses it is on an incline or is being hit by wind, it can adjust appropriately. It may be too early to speculate but such a system could draw a significant amount of electricity, so perhaps this feature is what delayed the mid-engine Vette by six months. Chevrolet The patent drawing itself shows what appears to be the current Corvette, not a mid-engined model. One explanation could be that the drawing was simply meant as a placeholder as to not spoil anything about the mid-engine car. The patent itself was also filed back in June 2017 (but published this week), so perhaps GM didn't even know what the mid-engine car would look like back then to include it in the drawing. One final possibility is that this feature could be spared for an upcoming luxury model from GM. It does seem a bit strange to include power-operating doors on a sports car because they would simply add weight and complexity. But it's a theory nonetheless.

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Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Coupe Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top