Three Former Corvette Engineers on Why the C8 Took So Long

Interview of a Lifetime

There isn’t a single better person to ask about past and future Corvette engineering than the folks that actually worked on the car. Recently, Hagerty had the opportunity to sit down with some of the historical members of this great American sports car crew. In light of the upcoming mid-engine Corvette, it only makes sense to pick the minds of the past to better understand the future. 

The Three Gentlemen

The mid-engine Corvette has been on the minds of GM engineers since Zora Arkus-Duntov brought the Corvette fully to life way back when. But, why did it take so long to finally see the light of day? Dave McLellan, Dave Hill, and Tom Wallace answer all of the questions we all have had, along with some of them that we didn’t.  

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Dave McLellan

Dave McLellan replaced Zora Arkus-Duntov as chief engineer of the Corvette in 1975, needless to say, he had some large shoes to fill. When Arkus-Duntov left, he reportedly said to McLellan, “Dave, you must build the mid-engine Corvette!” McLellan says this essential what he said to him, but the support throughout Chevrolet was simply not there. He also states that despite the press pushing interest into a mid-engine layout, he has been consistently surprised by the general public’s resistance to veering from the traditional layout, noting the switch from chrome bumpers was difficult enough for many customers. Zora famously worked well beneath the eyes of GM upper management, knowing well they would be scared off by many of the projects and technologies they were developing. After taking over for Zora, McLellan learned the truth of this.

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Dave McLellan on the Future

“So what’s the difference now?” Hagerty asked. McLellan commented that the major investments in the Bowling Green plant with the advanced paint booth and configurable assembly line show GM’s commitment to the brand financially. He also feels that having both the C7 and C8 available together will make the most sense and is likely what will happen. The spy shots show a lot of the C7 design going into the new car, keeping continuity across the brand. He feels the C8 has to come in on the “top of the heap” In the mid-engine segment. Battling the top performers in this modern world with the use of a hybrid powertrain, all-wheel drive, and a potent V-8.

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Dave Hill

After Dave McLellan's long run from 1975 to 1992, Dave Hill took over as Corvette’s chief engineer. Hill, now 75, presided over the brilliant minds of Corvette until 2006. His amateur racing experience and general interest in sports cars and mid-engine cars, in particular, brought him heavy interest into the Corvette brand. After McLellan caught him up and he has some training with the Corvette team, he was surprised to learn that the mid-engine dream was still “alive and well long after Zora Argus-Dubrovnik”.

“What were customers seeking at that time?” A fair question considering that not only did the Corvette face many hardships and cutbacks, but it also had its fair share of criticisms from the press and its European rivals. According to Hill, most customers simply wanted “a well-built car free of squeaks and rattles.” The appearance and ego of the drivers were more important than anything else. More importantly, they learned that the manual transmission was no longer the focus of the customer. Remarkably, none of these are performance-based metrics. Clearly, the direction of the Corvette was changing for some time. No surprise then, that no mid-engine Corvette was made during this time. 

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Dave Hill Looking Forward

Tadge Juechter joined the team with only improvements in his eyes, but with the cutbacks at GM, resulting in the president and CEO losing their jobs, they didn't see much financial backing for their future plans. The mid-engine dreams were once again put on the backburner, they decided that the C6 was to be an evolution to the C5, rather than a revolution. Dave sees the band differently than the mid-engine dreamers do. To him, the Corvette is not a vehicle of compromise, it is a vehicle meant to be both capable on the  track, and on a “two-week vacation without arguing with your spouse about how much stuff she can take.” The mid-engine Corvette is not going to be a vehicle with such versatility, though he seems to think both it and the C7 will sell well side by side.

In regards to the question of having a manual option, Hill seems to assume the lack of one will let down some, but not most of the potential buyers for the potent mid-engined ‘Vette. Humans have been outperformed in that area of the powertrain, and they are simply faster and out-perform the tradition hand shifted cars in almost every way. He predicts prices will be between $70,000 and $100,000, believing there is a “tremendous value for the dollar exists throughout that range.” 

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Tom Wallace

Tom Wallace was the chief engineer from the time that Hill stepped down to 2008. During Wallace’s time as the chief engineer, the mid-engine layout got closer and closer to reality, but never quite hit the tipping point. While working on the C6 Z06 and ZR1, they realized there was a point where they would have to discuss “what’s next”, knowing there was only one logical step, mid-engined. Wallace’s racing experience along with Tadge Juechter pushing for the mid-engine layout, they began moving forward. They proceed with testing and studies to further their abilities to complete Zora’s mid-engined dream. They had the vice chairman Bob Lutz on board but needed some selling with CEO Rick Wagner, who struggled to support the cause based on the financial planning. Once they had the backing of the higher ups, they continued with testing. Taking secret trip studying cars like the Ferrari F430 and Porsches alike in order to set benchmarks on the competition. Eventually, they were able to produce 1/8th scale models, and then full-size clays, but were never able to release a prototype. 

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

Economic Crisis Hits Everyone

2008 was a rough year nationwide and was no different for GM. Projects were being canceled left and right and there were only two money-making departments left, full-sized trucks and Corvettes. By the end of the year, the full-size trucks were downsizing as well, leaving the Corvettes the next on the chopping block. After a meeting going over future Corvette financing, Wallace got the word, no new capital was available for Corvettes and the patent was dead. Wallace, still hoping to hold out even after these setbacks and company-wide early retirement packages were flying off the shelves, was told, “We’re not doing C7, at least for a while. You’re gonna have to keep the current car alive with new paint and decals.”

That hits where it hurts and doesn’t even say sorry. Wallace couldn’t stand by and babysitting a car with dice decals with new color options, and so he retired November 1, 2008.  

>>Join the conversation about the mid-engine C8 and the light that former engineers have shed on it right here in CorvetteForum.

The Future holds a Mid-Engine Layout

Tadge Juechter followed Wallace as chief engineer. Shortly after Wallace left, GM filed for Chapter 11. Surprisingly, the Washington appointed accountants found that the Corvette division was the only money-making centers left, which lead to a frantic establishment of the brand to help bring the company back to life. Juechter and his team knew then wasn’t the time for a mid-engined Corvette, but pushed the C7 through to a positive reception. They finished more projects as well, with the Z06, Grand Sport, and ZR1 as model variants, creating profit and interest in the brand as well as in Chevrolet.

Riding on this wave, the mid-engined Corvette is deep in development and is expected to be seen any time now. However, I wouldn’t expect to see anything before the home game at the NAIAS in January. With the spy shots flooding in and even 3D mockups, we mostly know what to expect from this future supercar, and patiently wait to see interviews with Tadge Juechter in 20 years detailing how he was finally able to release Zora Arkus-Duntov’s dream.  

To read the full interview, just click here.