The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray made its debut at the Detroit auto show last month and its unveiling has been creating quite the buzz in the auto community ever since.
And with all the anticipation that the premier of the C7 has induced, car enthusiasts are thirsty for more details on GM's new sports car.
Thankfully, for the Vette community, Automobile Magazine had the opportunity to conduct an interview with program engineering manager Josh Holder.
Holder's duty is to oversee the production of the Stingray and to ensure that the new C7 meets the automaker's expectations of creating a world-class sports car.
And the engineering manager had a lot to say about the inner workings of the 2014 Stingray.
"We wanted to expand on a great car. With the new Michelin tires, the base C7 will be capable of over 1.0-g lateral grip. The suspension layout is basically the same, but the track is wider and we moved the center of gravity toward the rear," Holder told Automobile Magazine contributor Marc Noordeloos.
"We think we'll have a 51-percent rear bias. Some of that was achieved by extending the front tires forward one inch to package the new engine and its hardware for fuel management, but it also improved weight distribution."
Holden also offered insight on what outside influences played a part in the production of the new C7.
"We spent time in cars like the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 458. It's hard to say that we benchmarked those cars. We evaluate competitive cars, as everyone does," he said.
"Any time we do a new Corvette, we are only somewhat influenced by competitors. We are largely influenced by what we think the car should be."
Many wonder how the 2014 Corvette will hold up to its European competitors as the convertible version of the C7 is rumored to debut at the Geneva auto show next month.
But Holden confidently believes that once one gets behind the wheel of the new Stingray, that question will be answered.
"The Corvette is a great value. We think the new car delivers on that aspirational goal. When you get a chance to drive the car, you are really going to be blown away." he said.
"The new car delivers with the new interior and comfortable new seats that make the car feel like it's wrapped around you, like it's an extension of yourself. Visually, we think we have what it takes to get those buyers interested."
Aside from his work on the 2014 Stingray, his third Corvette, Holden has also worked on cars like the Cadillac XLR and the Chevy Camaro.
READ THE FULL AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
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