This is Happening! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Test Mule Spy Shots
Discussions about Chevrolet releasing a mid-engine Corvette have been running around the campfire since before the discovery of fire. Though despite all the talk and rumors over the years, no mid-engine Corvette production model has ever materialized.
However, as the Car and Driver spy shot above demonstrates (click here to check out more of their spy shots), it looks more likely than ever that there will, in fact, be a mid-engine C8 Corvette that is slated to be the successor to the C6 ZR1.
The spy shots, snapped near a GM facility in the U.S., show us a test mule that’s begging to be called a test monster. The prototype, which pays tribute to Dr. Frankenstein’s modus operandi, uses the front and rear fascias from a Holden Commodore Ute, and from what we can tell, the middle section comes from the current C7 Corvette. Of course, when all is said and done, the car will end up looking more like the car below.
The latest rumors from Car and Driver suggest the mid-engine C8 Corvette Zora, ZR1, or whatever it ends up being called, will use a 3.5L to 4.0L DOHC V8 … yes, nixing the pushrods for dual-overhead cams. Some of our forum members consider that a tragedy.
What is also sure to ring tragic with forum faithful is that the classic front-engine, rear-drive (FR) Corvette we all know and love could end up going the way of the Zune, or the dodo … pick the metaphor you prefer … but first, this flagship/ZR1 successor will be sold alongside the classic FR, perhaps as early as the 2017 model year.
If the rumors hold true, and all Corvettes eventually become mid-engined, take solace in knowing a mid-engine Corvette’s performance would be better than ever, even though you’ll no longer be able to fit 16,248 golf bags and 12 barrels of hooch in the rear-hatch storage area.
Here’s hoping the mid-engine Corvette looks as close to Car and Driver Magazine’s renderings as possible.
Personally, I think the conventional FR Corvette will stick around much longer than the rumors suggest. If I flip on my future-vision goggles, I see a world where the Corvette name is applied to two models, and maybe even more by the time we enter the ninth generation of America’s sports car-turned America’s sports car brand.
Click here to find out why all Corvette variants could end up becoming mid-engined. >>
I am applauding GM for moving forward with this mid-engined project. The automaker doesn’t necessarily have to make Corvette a sub-brand, but moving forward with multiple models and a flagship like this will go even further in showing the world that GM is serious about performance.