[08njSTEP]

Before the C5 was public they had a camaro body placed on C5 chassis/drivetrain and had Corvette interior also. They are a clever bunch in Bowling Green, so I wouldn't place too much on spy shots.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

Before the C5 was public they had a camaro body placed on C5 chassis/drivetrain and had Corvette interior also. They are a clever bunch in Bowling Green, so I wouldn't place too much on spy shots.

Pretty sure all those clever folks were massacred.

[Vigilante375]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

Before the C5 was public they had a camaro body placed on C5 chassis/drivetrain and had Corvette interior also. They are a clever bunch in Bowling Green, so I wouldn't place too much on spy shots.

And its driving around so I do see them doing that. Because what other mid-engine car does GM make at the moment? I don't think they put a mid engine body on another chassis meant for a front engine car.

[supra93]

Chevrolet took a prototype of the upcoming mid-engine Corvette C8 at the track for high-speed testing and the rest is history.

The tester you see in the photos here appears to have come a long way since the first scoops and seemingly features a lot of the production-intent bodywork underneath its heavy wrapping.

There are very few details out there about the next-gen Corvette, but we have heard that GM is planning to offer the Corvette C8 with three different powertrains. These will include the engines codenamed LT2, LT6 and LT7, with one of them being a hybrid powertrain.

There will also be several roof options to choose from, including fixed, targa and a full-glass option. Chevrolet plans to use composite materials in both the body and parts of its new platform as well to keep the weight down.

Production is said to start at the Bowling Green, Kentucky in January 2019, with the rollout of the different derivatives to be completed by the middle of 2021. Some reports suggest that Chevrolet will continue offering the C7 alongside the C8 until 2021.

Chevrolet’s switch to a mid-engine platform for the Corvette will be the biggest change in the model’s history since its original launch in 1953. Sources say that part of the reason is because the Corvette has an increasingly ageing demographic, with the company resting its hopes to the new mid-engine model in order to bring younger customers into the showrooms.

[supra93]

The mid-engine Corvette is real. Yes, it's been rumored for literally decades and nothing has come of it, but this time, it's happening. We've seen a ute-based powertrain mule, we've seen them cold weather testing, and we've heard all sorts of info and rumors on what will be powering it.

We also now know what car the mid-engined Corvette is designed to compete directly with: the Porsche 911 Turbo S.

These mid-engined Corvette prototypes (there were three of them) were caught traveling through southwest Michigan with a Porsche 911 Turbo S in tow. And it's not just a guy in a Turbo S who wanted to follow some cool Corvettes around. This 911 has Michigan manufacturer plates on it, meaning that it is owned by a car manufacturer, not an individual. We're willing to bet a pretty penny that manufacturer is Chevrolet, especially considering Chevrolet has purchased 911s in the past for Corvette-related development work.

It makes sense. The Corvette is always, always, compared with the Porsche 911. Both are the premier, halo sports cars from their respective nations, have been in production for approximately the same amount of time, and have similar performance across the range. While the C7 Corvette would be closer to a Carrera S and the Z06 and Grand Sport would be more akin to a 911 GT3, the mid-engine model will go in a slightly different direction.

Benchmarking against a Turbo S implies that the Vette will be more than just a one trick pony. The Turbo S is a very nice all-around car; it's brutally quick on the track and effortlessly fast on the road. It's also $200,000, has 580-horsepower, and can hit 60 from a standstill in 2.5 seconds. Chevrolet seems to want its car to be just as capable as the Turbo S, and it will likely cost half as much.

So what else can we tell from these photos and videos?

These mid-engine Corvette prototypes spotted in Michigan are our best look yet at the upcoming American supercar. Even if the proportions have changed and the car is mid-engined, it is very obviously related to a Corvette. The nose comes to a sharp point, much like the C7, and the front end, though covered by camo, looks related to the current car. The rear end has quad, squared off exhausts, unlike the C7, these are pushed wide instead of centered. We can't tell what shape the rear lights are, but it's very unlikely that they're round.

The brakes appear to be steel rotors, though it seems likely that carbon ceramics would also be offered on an upper trim level.

While we don't know what's under the hood, we do believe that it could be a DOHC V8 codenamed LT5. It's an engine that could also appear, albeit in supercharged form, in the upcoming Corvette ZR1. The mid-engined Vette might not have forced induction, instead relying on less weight and better balance as the way it'd solidify its position as the halo Corvette.

Of course, there could be an insane version on the way, this is the just the start of a car that's been nearly 50 years in the making.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars...esting-photos/

[supra93]

Chevrolet's highly anticipated mid-engine Corvette C8 has only recently come out to play, wearing very heavy camouflage. Yet, we can now start piecing together what it will look like.

These two images were leaked by a Corvette Forum member, and apparently show the front and rear fascias of the mid-engine Corvette C8, after receiving a fresh coat of paint at the automaker's manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

According to GM Inside News, the fascias could have been there to undergo paint quality testing, which would put the car somewhere around 12 months away from entering production.

One thing we can say for certain is that the front fascia does not belong to the upcoming C7 ZR1, whose air inlets are angled in the opposite direction as the ones seen in these images.

As for the rear, it indicates an angular taillight design, similar to the C7's, plus a center-mounted third brake light and cutouts underneath that could serve as brake cooling exit ducts. Speaking of cutouts, the rear diffuser might be properly massive, flanked by a pair of exhaust tips on each side - like we saw on this prototype back in August.

The 2019 mid-engine Corvette C8 should be unveiled before the end of 2018, with the first models reaching showrooms the following year.

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/10/mid...-and-rear.html

[NickyC]

Very interesting, never been a fan of the quad pipes in the middle so it's nice to see them getting away from that. I've always liked the C7 Stingray except for the back end, I probably would have bought one by now except for the rear end which I think is absolutely dreadful. Arguably (or is there even an argument?) the Vette is the best performance car for the money right now. Quite excited to see what they come up with this time around!

[supra93]

Compared to the Aria concept.

[supra93]

I found some nice close ups.

[gthal]

My signature says it all

Looking forward to this car to compliment my 340i xDrive daily.

[yco]

recently GM is taking 'Vettes more serious which is nice..

[supra93]

I'm not sure if these are just renderings or the real deal. but me likey.

[CirrusSR22]

^ Just renderings.

[Nkc]

Those wheels give me a headache. Like the designers couldn't decide on the two wheel designs and slapped both into one.

Awesome for GM to go the mid engine route though. Loving all this competition.

[1MOREMOD]

Could be the new El Camino

[gthal]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Could be the new El Camino

Yep... that or North America's own version of the 488?

Time will tell.

[alex2364]

Originally Posted by supra93

I'm not sure if these are just renderings or the real deal. but me likey.

I hope this is very close to production version. It looks like a Ferrari at half the price.

[El Conquistador]

How will they have a manual with the two electric motors running the front wheels?

[supra93]

What to expect from the long-awaited mid-engined Vette.

On the eighth day, God created Mid-Engined Corvette. Certain Mesoamerican cultures offered the still-beating hearts of human sacrifices to Mid-Engined Corvette. Medieval Europeans believed that Mid-Engined Corvette’s horn could cure all maladies. It is said that Kublai Khan kept in his personal zoo at Xanadu a Mid-Engined Corvette of exceptional splendor. The phrase “mid-engined Corvette” means “goat sucker” in Spanish, owing to the thing’s propensity to drink the blood of livestock. Inside the briefcase from Pulp Fiction? Mid-Engined Corvette.

Mid-Engined Corvette has always been with us, even when it totally didn’t exist. And short of a few concept vehicles over the decades, it has never existed beyond the realm of folklore, the occasional conspiracy theory, and the fever dreams of automotive journalists.

But as it is written, so it shall be. Mid-Engined Corvette is real, and you’ll see the official, genuine article next spring. And no, Chevy isn’t playing any games with the terminology: The engine will be bolted between the occupants and the rear wheels. Those expecting a carbon-fiber spaceship powered by an antimatter machine will be somewhat disappointed.

Like the recent front-engined Corvettes, the mid-engined one will remain an attainable sports car with supercar performance. Surely some bits of carbon fiber and magnesium will be stirred into the mix, but Chevy will construct the mid-engined car’s spaceframe primarily from aluminum. And as in the past, its body will be made largely of fiberglass panels. To contain costs, Chevy will launch the new car with an updated version of the pushrod LT1 engine that powers today’s C7 Corvettes. We expect the mid-engined Corvette, or C8, to be a bit heavier than the current car’s roughly 3500 pounds, but it will compensate for that with about 500 horsepower from the LT1. And thanks to the increased traction of a rearward weight bias and a quick-shifting transaxle, it’ll be quicker than the C7.

Oh, did we not mention the transaxle? (Note that we used the singular form of the word.) There will be only one gearbox, and it won’t come with a clutch pedal. Chevy has been working with Tremec on a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic unit. The driver’s involvement in shifting gears will begin and end with the steering-wheel-adjacent shift paddles.

But there’s some consolation: That engine bay will also eventually host even more compelling mills. The first to follow the LT1 will be a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter DOHC V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft capable of a Ferrari 458–like maximum engine speed of 9000 rpm. Sympathy for the transaxle, though, means the engine speed will be limited to several hundred rpm below that. That engine should be good for at least 600 horsepower.

Then, because it is totally unnecessary, Chevy will bolt two turbochargers and two big air-to-water intercoolers to the 5.5-liter V-8. The turbo engine will make about 800 owner-maiming horsepower. You will not be surprised to learn that this will be the fastest version around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

But hang on: What if we told you that within a couple of years Chevy would add a 200-hp electric motor to the mix? The twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 will abuse the rear tires while the electric motor, housed in what would typically be a front trunk, will energize the fronts. That’s right: This mid-engined/front-motor Corvette will have a horsepower rating at or near the four-digit mark.

To cool these nuclear furnaces, the mid-engined Corvette is going to need massive amounts of airflow. So basically the entire leading plane of the nose will be open to the air and packed full of heat exchangers. The C8 will extract engine-compartment heat through vents below the taillights on the rear fascia. Combustion gases will be fed through an exhaust that includes the familiar dual-mode system to maximize airflow and noise generation at high engine loads. There will be two tips per side instead of the four center-mounted pipes on the C7.

In a break from past Corvettes, the mid-engined car will have a couple of active aerodynamic devices. In the rear will be a conventional power-operated spoiler. Up front, the picture is a little more complicated. We hear that Chevy will use the new Corvette’s front-axle-lift system not just to clear speed bumps and steep driveway approaches but also to change the car’s angle of attack, shifting the aero center of pressure fore and aft, depending on vehicle speed. And—wonders never cease—the C8 will use coil springs in place of the old transverse composite leaf springs.

For an unspecified amount of time, the C7 will be built alongside the C8 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We’re guessing Chevy will continue building the old car until the company is ready to start producing the Corvette Hovercraft.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...is-nearly-here

[KenB925]

That profile is pretty good, I hope the headlights are a bit better on the production car.

This car may find its way onto my short list (I can't believe I'm getting excited about GM products, hats off to GM)

[KenB925]

The only problem with this new design is the loss of utility. People love the cargo bay of the corvette (its like a chevy tahoe behind the seats).

[SYT_Shadow]

I wish instead of more power or making it mid engined they focused on building a good car that doesn't smell like epoxy, glue and plastic.

Going mid engine is fixing something that isn't broken. There is no need to go mid engine to 'fix' handling issues. The Corvette handles great and has tons of power.

The Corvette loses comparison tests because it's not a high quality car... the last thing it needs are more horses or going mid engine.