Daily Slideshow: What the New Mid-Engine Means for the C8
It's been increasingly apparent that the next generation Corvette will shift its engine to the middle of the car, behind the seats. This will not have been the first time Chevrolet has given their darling a radical transformation, but if it's true, it will mean rethinking the 'Vette from the ground up.
Rumors on the brink of becoming reality.
It's been increasingly apparent that the next generation Corvette will shift its engine to the middle of the car, behind the seats. This will not have been the first time Chevrolet has given their darling a radical transformation. However, if it's true, it will mean rethinking the 'Vette from the ground up. We've got to admit though, from this incredible artistic rendering, the future is looking fine.
Moving the heart and relative center of a car has some major ramifications to the design and resulting performance. Proponents of the mid layout cite improvements to the handling and traction (thanks to the weight displacement) while detractors are quick to remind drivers they can usually kiss their precious interior space goodbye. Like the eternal fiery debate that rages between turbocharging and natural aspiration, there are good points to be made on either end, and boy does people like to dig their feet in the stand when they have a side.
Of course, things aren't as simple as specs and features alone. Tradition and expectation are important factors to consider as well, factors perhaps never so apparent with anything other than the American sports car.
Food for the hype machine.
The Corvette's always been the sort of car to attract excitement wherever it goes. Chevrolet has been riding high in that regard as of late with the recent success of their 2018 ZR1. Whether someone feels optimistic about the mid-engine prospect or not, we should state the self-conscious obvious: it's gotten people talking.
Mid-section layouts are a common sight in sports cars.
For the better part of its timeline, the Corvette was the car to turn to if you wanted to see where sports car design trends were headed. Looking back, the C3, C4, or C5 generations were all bold visions that each played a significant part in influencing sports cars of their respective decades. Interestingly, by certain modern rubrics, the Corvette has been lagging behind and is only catching up now. The front-engine, rear-wheel setup could almost seem quaint in a sports car when you consider the way a mid-format allays problems of weight distribution.
The mid-engine approach is the preferred manner of European designers. You can see it nigh-uniformly among their supercars. There's talk that, by switching over, the Corvette will leave itself open to more direct comparison with the so-called "tier above." Then again, a Corvette complete with performance upgrades would still run you a third of what some of the Europeans are asking for theirs, and any difference in performance would probably tend to be laughable in context.
There have been mid-engine prototypes in the past.
Corvette's courtship with a mid-layout reaches all the way back to the 1960s, where the idea was toyed with in Astro concept cars. Later concept models, such as the Bertone Corvette Nivola (pictured) released in 1990, proves that this idea never really died out, to begin with. Rather, it's always been around tagging along for the ride.
"Not a true Corvette?"
Like anything else so beloved, the romanticized ideal of a Corvette can become as important as the thing itself once someone takes the car to heart. A Corvette is going to mean something a bit different to everyone, but you had better believe a change this significant would be met with at least some criticism.
The mid-engine layout seems to be a natural choice for sports cars once their power (and therefore, the sensitivity to weight displacement) passes a certain level. On the other hand, anything that is going to affect the interior as much as an engine switch is going to demand a second take. Mid-engine sports cars may be the growing trend, but there are many who would love the Corvette just as much for balking trends and do its own thing.
Looking the part is half the battle
Everything is speculation until we get a chance to sit inside one ourselves, of course. When it comes to the Corvette though, the matter of "Vette identity" should be given flexibility. The car's been in flux from the start, and over the years the most recurring complaints about Corvette have usually narrowed down on the interior. It'll be another year or so before we see if that distinctive Corvette feel has translated into the C8's handling. If the artistic renders end up being accurate, Chevrolet nailed the appearance for it. Of course, if everything turns out and someone still isn't happy with the layout, they'll still have that beastly ZR1 to fall back on.
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