Only two years after the release of the C7 Corvette Stingray, Mark Reuss, GM’s->ke1024 global product chief, says the automaker is already working on the next generation of Corvette,->ke1280 though deeper details are nearly non-existent.

The news comes at the tail end of a Detroit Free Press report regarding the growing positive corporate morale within the company’s ranks. Despite all the bad press surrounding General Motors’ ignition switch recall fiasco, CEO change-up, and continually growing list of non-related vehicle recalls, Reuss says morale is higher than it was in 2012, when GM employees were last surveyed. He attributes the growth to a greater emphasis on transparency within the company as a result of the recent recalls.

Besides the news of happy employees, fans of GM’s high-performance halo car can widen their smiles as well. The next generation of Corvette is already on the drawing board. This means The General may shorten the lifespan of the C7 Vette,->ke4579 keeping the iconic Corvette nameplate fresh and competitive in the world’s arena. Unlike the C6 Corvette, which grew stale after an eight-year production run, the C7 may find itself replaced sooner. With competitors like Ferrari->ke252 generally on a tighter and shorter shelf life, GM would be wise to adopt such a strategy.

Vehicle development these days is a long and exhausting process with years of design work done before the first prototypes are constructed. Considering that, the C7 will definitely enjoy several more years as the latest Vette, but we’d suspect GM will introduce its replacement by 2020, six years after the C7’s 2014 introduction.

Click past the jump to read more about the current Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

Why It Matters

As mentioned before the jump, a shorter production life for the C7 would keep the Corvette nameplate fresh and keep the car competitive. What’s more, Mark Reuss mentioned in the Detroit Free Press interview, he is not ruling out the use of a hybrid or electric systems on the next Vette. While it would be a large departure from the iconic, V-8, ‘Murican muscle car, the advantages of performance hybrid drivetrains are undeniable. Just consider the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1.

Detroit Free Press0}

The seventh generation of Chevrolet’s Corvette is the pentacle of American high-tech motoring. A naturally-aspirated, 6.2-liter V-8 pushes out 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque and yet gets nearly 30 miles per gallon. The Vette’s V-8 features the best of old-school engine-building technology with the best innovative features found on engines today. Variable valve timing, active fuel management, and direct fuel injection push the C7 atop the performance pyramid.

The Corvette Stingray comes in Coupe or Convertible form and has several performance options to chose from, not the least of which is the latest 2015 Z06 package that features a supercharged version of the 6.2-liter V-8 cranking out more than 625 horsepower.

The starting price for a base Corvette C7 starts at $53,000 and rises skywards quickly with the Z06 option.