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SUPPLIER EYE

  • Magazine Article
  • 19AUTP09_07
Published September 01, 2019 by SAE International in United States
Sector:
Language:
  • English

The value - and risks - of Technology Testbeds

The world has been awaiting the arrival of the latest generation Chevrolet Corvette for some time. This past July, among much fanfare the mid-engined C8 (8th generation of this iconic nameplate) Stingray was revealed to the world. As an early owner of the C7, I know my car will be the last front-engined Corvette. And while some fellow enthusiasts are defiantly asserting that “real” Corvettes have their engines ahead of the driver, there is no looking back.

Nostalgia aside, this industry is always in need of ‘technology testbeds’, a role that Corvette has played since the C1 debuted in 1953. Such production vehicles stretch the limit in terms of performance, design, efficiency, or all of the above. During the past decade, General Motors has introduced other products which the organization, suppliers and dealers have been using as incubators for related technologies, business processes, and new sourcing models.