Could the Mid-Engine Corvette Actually Be a Cadillac?
Ever since the internet was set ablaze with spy shots of a mid-engine Corvette, people have been wondering a lot of things. What would be powering the new car? When would it go on sale? How much will it cost? But there is a smaller subset of individuals who don’t even believe it to be a Corvette at all. What if this new mid-engine flagship ultimately carries a Cadillac badge?
It’s not too far-fetched. Remember, the Cadillac XLR shared Corvette underpinnings and was even built alongside the Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky. While GM is investing a bunch of new money into the plant in Kentucky, it doesn’t mean that that money will be used exclusively for a Corvette.
We all know there’s more performance to be had in the C7 architecture. That’s why we’re pretty sure that a ZR1 Corvette is going to debut soon-ish packing some ridiculous amount of power and performance. Also, Corvette’s chief engineer Tadge Juechter isn’t one to lie about vehicles. He’ll deflect and misdirect, but not necessarily outright lie. So far he hasn’t hinted at the mid-engine Corvette.
GM has said in the past there could be room for a mid-engine halo car. Say what you want about Cadillac, but if a halo car were to come from General Motors, it’d most likely carry the Cadillac badge.
The photos taken of the prototype also show several Cadillac vehicles testing at the same time. Some believe that could be a sign to the car’s actual badge, but I’d humbly submit that there is also at least one Corvette in the shots, too. So that theory doesn’t hold a lot of water with me. But I could buy the company making the halo car a Cadillac.
Mistakes were definitely made with the XLR and it surely didn’t qualify as a GM halo car, but it does show that they’re willing share the Corvette’s resources across brands. So it’s very possible they’d do something like that here.
Also, the Corvette has never been mid-engined. It’s as much a legacy car as it is a modern sports car. I could see loyalists shunning a mid-engine Corvette.
A mid-engine super Cadillac makes a lot of sense. It wouldn’t take away for Corvette sales or disrupt the fan base. Buyers wouldn’t have to tell people in the pub that their expensive supercar is a Chevrolet — though I’m not sure Cadillac is much better.
Cadillac needs something to kick the brand in the pants. While the Escalade is selling well, it alone can’t save the brand. But a bonafide super sports car with a mid-engine layout could draw more interest in the brand. It’d compete with the likes of the Acura NSX all the way up to the likes of the Ford GT. It could even carry a ridiculous price tag that would never be allowed to happen on a Chevrolet.
It’s an interesting time for sure. Seeing a prototype out in the daylight means the company is making progress on whatever it is. While we’re still probably a year or so away from finding out what it actually is, it’s exciting to see progress is being made. Heck, maybe it’s a Buick!
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image [Car and Driver]
