Spy shots. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re an unavoidable sign of the times we live in. We love them because we get a sneak peak at cars we’ve been waiting years to see. We hate them because we read the headline we’ve waited so long to read, only to be let down by blurry images of a black-and-white checkerboarded monstrocity that is never really what we had hoped to see.

The good news is, there’s no checkerboard cover on these brand new spy shots of the 2014 C7 Corvette. The bad news? It’s using a slightly modified C6 shell for testing purposes. So those of you yelling “Wait a minute, it looks JUST LIKE THE C6! WHAT A RIPOFF!” can breathe easy for the moment. Though unfortunately this still means we have pretty much no idea what the C7 Corvette will look like.

Ok, now that we’ve gotten beyond that initial letdown, let’s take a look at what we actually CAN tell from these pictures. AutoWeek breaks it down:

Looking at these photos, it’s evident the wheelbase of the Corvette will change. The wheels, particularly in front, are clearly off-centered in this C6 body shell being used as a test mule. This indicates a longer wheelbase which could return a more comfortable drive character. The photos also suggest a narrower layout.

In back, there’s a quad exhaust configuration, though intriguingly, the outer two pipes are capped off. That could have a variety of implications.

An added bonus came in the form of confirmation that the highly-divisive Stingray concept as seen in the new Transformers movie will not be the body style of the C7 Corvette. Which is a relief (unless you were among the few who actually liked that particular look).

So here we are again, mostly back to where we started. Still no official body shots, but a few more clues. Will the torture never end? Join the discussion and share your thoughts.

Related discussions: C7 Corvette Engine Will Be Small, High-Rev Turbo V8 , Opinions of the Concept Look for the C7

…Ok, so maybe you can’t actually TRY them. But still. When shopping around for exhaust systems for any car (especially a Corvette), you want a robust demonstration from every possible angle. Takeoffs, flybys, idle, shifting, etc.. Well, Borla’s gone the extra step to give you the ultimate demonstration of their 3 Corvette C6 cat-back exhaust systems. Check out the video and decide for yourself!

2012 Corvettes are in stock now! Click here to see our selection.

More are on the way, so check back often!

Don’t forget, the Greater New Orleans Corvette Club’s 20th Annual ExtraVetteGanze All Corvette Car Show is quickly approaching. The event will be held on Saturday, Octobet 15th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Bayou Country General Store in Slidell, LA.

The pre-show party will be on Friday night, October 14th at 7:00 PM at The Hampton Inn Hotel.

For reservations, please call 985-726-9777. For further information, please visit the GNOCC website. We look forward to seeing you there!

Xirallic. Who knew such an odd word could cause the 2012 Corvette production such headaches?

Actually, Xirallic is a crucial pigment used to make the Cyber Gray and Crystal Red Metallic paints for the Chevy Corvette. The main source of this pigment comes from a plant in Onahama, Japan, which was damaged during the earthquake earlier this year. Chevrolet is currently testing other options, and are hoping to shorten the delay before these colors become available again. It could be as late as September/October before orders can be placed.

With some of the top selling Corvette colors currently unavailable for ’12 orders, how will the Vette world survive?

The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 posted a Nurburgring lap time of 7:22.68 – 20 seconds faster than the previous C6 Z06 lap time recorded in 2005, and just 3 seconds shy of the 2012 ZR1′s record-setting run.

With this kind of improvement, it makes one wonder what a C7 Corvette Nurburgring lap time will look like…

Carlisle Blue: the new Torch Red? Corvette Blogger has scored pics of a 2012 Carlisle Blue Corvette Grand Sport Convertible at the Bloomington Gold show. Available for 2012, will this be the new popular color for the Corvette?

Surely there will be those who love it, and those who hate it. Join the discussion and let us know where you stand! Personally I like it. But then again, I like Supersonic Blue and Crystal Red as well, and I’ve talked to plenty of Vette guys that hate those. Time will tell!

It seems like only yesterday we were discussing how the shift in focus away from large-displacement V8s would affect the Corvette brand… and now it looks like we may have our answer.

According to Yahoo Autos, the C7 Corvette will use a high-revving, small-displacement powertrain only slightly larger than 3 liters. This European-style V8 will also be turbocharged and have an output in the range of 400hp, which will give it a substantial HP-to-liter ratio. Per Yahoo Autos:

GM has approved the use of a very European-style V-8 that will be only slightly larger than 3 liters in displacement. The engine will be an overhead-cam, rather than traditional overhead-valve design, using a dry sump oil system that’s particularly well suited to high-performance road courses rather than straight-line acceleration. The engine is expected to feature a narrow 80.5 mm bore and a long stroke, more like a Ferrari or Lamborghini powertrain than the approach used for traditional Motor City metal.

A very senior GM executive also confirmed that the new engine will be turbocharged, which will help yield a broad torque curve and maximum performance under a variety of driving conditions. The engine is expected to deliver in excess of 400 horsepower, which means a specific output in the range of 125 horsepower per liter. That’s the sort of number that would help the next-generation Vette stack up well against the likes of a Porsche 911 or Lamborghini Gallardo.

The engine is likely to be extremely high-revving, perhaps climbing to a near-Formula One-class 10,000 RPMs, suggested one source involved in the project.

But fear not, old-school Vette fans: the C7 will still offer a classic big-clock OHV V8 engine as an available option. Personally, this is the engine that I’d go far, simply for the sound and feel. But it will be interesting to see the reaction from the Corvette Community on this. I imagine it will be split – the new-school fans will praise the evolution, while the old-schoolers won’t want anything remotely “European” to come anywhere near the Corvette brand.

I probably fall somewhere in the middle. As long as there is still a classic large-displacement V8 option, I’m all for it. This kind of shift in engine philosophy has happened before, but never to a brand as big as the Corvette.

GM is investing $131 million in the Bowling Green plant to prepare for the arrival of the C7 Corvette. This is without a doubt the biggest turning point the historic car has faced in its modern history – will it be a revolution, or a disappointment?

Race fans will have an all-access view of this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, with exclusive features that include “riding along” with Corvette for the entire race. SPEED will carry 17 hours of live coverage on television Saturday and Sunday. Via a partnership with Corvette Racing, fans can go to www.speedtv.com/corvette to view the hours not televised, including a special live stream providing a constant look from inside one of the two Corvettes seeking a seventh class win at Le Mans.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, begins at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) Saturday. The live web stream of the race on www.speedtv.com/corvette will air race coverage without commercial interruption for hours of the race not carried on television.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious and demanding events in all of racing,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president for performance and motorsports. “We jumped at the opportunity to work with SPEED to provide fans expanded coverage from Le Mans, with an inside view of how Corvette will battle its peers, the world’s best sports cars.”

The streaming video feed will be from the cockpit of the No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R piloted by Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia. The special web coverage will also include links to an in-depth video tour of the legendary Le Mans circuit in the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R with commentary from Oliver Gavin, who will seek his fifth class win for Corvette at Le Mans this weekend. 

Corvette Racing faces fierce competition on the imposing Le Mans circuit with entries representing Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Lotus and Aston Martin.

The No. 73 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Beretta, Milner and Garcia finished third in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Gavin will be teamed with Jan Magnussen in the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R.at Le Mans, a pairing that won the GT1 title three consecutive years in 2004-06. Richard Westbrook will be the third driver.  Corvette competes in the renamed GTE Pro class this year at Le Mans.

Note: Corvette Racing press releases, high-resolution images and media kit can be downloaded from the Team Chevy media website: http://media.gm.com/product/public/us/en/gmracing/news.html

Ross Downing Chevrolet is helping to put you behind the wheel of a brand new 2012 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible! Go to www.racetowincorvette.com and test your Vette knowledge for your chance to enter this Corvette contest. The winner will also receive a 5-day 4-night trip for 2 to the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans in France! This is without a doubt the biggest contest in the history of the automobile – and it just so happens to be for Corvette lovers like yourself. We hope that this brand new Vette goes to a ChevyCorvette.com visitor like you!