When you read that the next step for the Corvette is better fuel economy, you know that many things have changed in Detroit.

Here's the news that struck my eye today:  At the Detroit Auto Show, where automakers come to show their vision of the future, the folks at Corvette said that a redesigned Corvette, expected to arrive in showrooms in 2012, could be lighter and smaller than today’s ‘vette.  

In the “everything is turning green” camp, Corvette exec Tom Wallace said that he doesn’t think they’ll design a “700-hp Corvette,” but that “what’s going to be more important is fuel economy, carbon footprint and green.” 

Of course, in the “not everything has changed” camp, they also announced that the 2009 Corvette ZR1 will have a top speed of more than 200 mph.