According to TheDetroitBureau.com, General Motors is planning to alter its strategy with the next-generation Corvette to appeal to a wider range of customers. Traditionally, the Corvette has always been offered with high-displacement eight-cylinder powertrains, but according to sources within GM, the C7 Corvette may also offer a small, turbocharged V8.

Just how small, exactly? TDB reports that the next Corvette's European-style V8 could measure in at just over 3.0 liters, using an overhead-cam setup and dry sump oil system. With the aid of turbocharging, unnamed GM sources expect that this engine will deliver "in excess of 400 horsepower," or about 125 hp per liter. What's more, the smaller V8 could be of the extremely high-revving nature, with TDB citing that engine revs could handle up to 10,000 RPM.

GM's North American president, Mark Reuss, previously told The Bureau that the C7 Corvette will "target a very different sort of buyer."

However, traditional V8 enthusiasts need not worry, as the story states that a full range of engines will be available, including the classic larger displacement units that have traditionally found a home in the Corvette.

Of course, the rumormill about exactly what's in store for the C7 Corvette continues to swirl. We've heard everything from a mid-engine layout to a split rear window design that pays tribute to the 1963 'Vette. Whatever the case, GM just invested $131 million in the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant that builds the Corvette and the all-new model is expected to arrive within the next two to three years.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Coupe at Barrett-Jackson 2011 - Click above for high-res image gallery