The 2020 Mid-Engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette is HERE!!! – VIDEO

The long and winding road to the mid-engine C8 Corvette

 

 

Dateline 7.18.19 – The waiting is finally over! The “pie-in-the-sky” dream of Zora Arkus-Duntov of a mid-engine high-performance sports car wearing a Corvette badge has arrived. The journey to the mid-engine C8 was long, very long.

The C7 Corvette debuted on January 13, 2013 and by the end of April 2013, Chevrolet announced pricing and hard details. By the third quarter of 2013 C7 deliveries began. Then on August 14, 2014, less than a year after C7 production began, Motor Trend announced online, “SCOOP! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette is a Go”.

I said, “HUH?!?!? The C7 just came out. Come on, quit it with the mid-engine tease!

That was almost five years ago and Corvette fans were tortured mercilessly with rumors, spy images, and 3D renderings. It seemed like “The Never-ending C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Story”. Oh, sure! And now, here we are. The journey to the C8 mid-engine Corvette has become epic.

Duntov passed on in 1996, so we can’t ask him exactly when did he first want a mid-engine Corvette. Duntov knew all about mid-engine sports racing cars dating back to the late 1930s. He built the mid-engine CERV-I in 1959/1960 and the mid-engine, all-wheel-drive CERV-II in 1963/1964.

There were numerous mid-engine cars built at the GM Tech Center in the 1960s that were not specifically Duntov’s cars. The first running, “Duntov” mid-engine vehicle that wore the classic Corvette cross-flags was the 1970 XP-882. This car seriously looked like a Corvette. The 1968 Astro-II looked like a Corvette, but that was R&D chief engineer Frank Winchell’s car. But Duntov got to carry the mid-engine torch.

When Duntov retired and handed over the reins to new chief Corvette engineer Dave McLellan, he told the new chief, “Dave, you must do mid-engine.” Although Duntov was a corporate anomaly during his 21-1/2 years at Chevrolet and many didn’t miss him, he definitely had the hearts of legions of Corvette fans and many GM and Chevrolet insiders.

In 1992 Corvette engineers and managers put three unique proposals on the table for consideration for the C5 Corvette. The three concepts included; the mid-engine CERV-III, a stiffer, lighter, restyled version of the C4, and the “Momentum Architecture”. The CERV-III was too expensive and no one wanted the “stiffer-lighter” concept. The Momentum Architecture design won the contest and became the C5. The C6 and C7 designes are advanced, improved designs of the basic C5 structure.

Jim Perkins was the general manager of Chevrolet in the early ’90s and out of respect for Duntov, he invited the great man to see Dave Hill’s presentation to GM leaders to review past, current, and potential future Corvette designs. Zora didn’t say much.

According to the Motor Trend post on May 4, 2014 titled, “How the C5 Chevrolet Corvette Was Saved”, Perkins had the following exchanges with Duntov a few days later.

Two or three days later, he called and said [imitating Duntov’s Eastern European accent], “Jim, I look at new Corvette architecture, and I am surprised. No mid-engine.” I said, “No, no mid-engine.” He asked, “Why? Why you make decision no mid-engine? You should fight for mid-engine.”

I said, “Zora, I might as well be fighting the wind. I’m not going to win that one. We’ve got the program, we’re going to go forward with it, we have a great architecture that we’re pretty well settled on.” He said, “No, Jim, you must raise issue of mid-engine.” I said, “OK, fine.”

He said, “I would like to come see you.” I said, “Well, I’m pretty busy, but my secretary will try to find a time.” I thought he was going to come in just to talk, but when he walked in that morning, he had a role of stuff under his arm. He said, “I am here to talk about mid-engine car.” I said. “OK, but I don’t know what there is to talk about.”

He rolled out these plans that he had done himself, and started talking about this mid-engine architecture. I said, “Zora, I’d like to sit here and talk with you about this, but I’m very busy, I have other things I need to do. Nothing has changed. We are not going to do a mid-engine.”

He said, “You are not going to fight for mid-engine?” I said, “No, sir. I am not. It’s a waste of time and effort. There is just no point in trying to do it. I know you’re passionate about it, and you’re probably right, but we just cannot do it.” He said, “OK.” And he rolled up his plans, put them under his arm and said, “You are not going to build mid-engine. I will raise the money, and I will build the son-of-a-bitch myself.” And he walked out of the office.”

After decades of jaw, jaw, jaw about a factory production mid-engine Corvette, it is finally here. Some time this summer the last front-engine Corvette will roll off the Bowling Green assembly line, closing the long chapter on front-engine Corvettes. Wherever Duntov’s spirit is in The Multiverse or out there in the Either, we all hope that he is happy that his production mid-engine Corvette is finally a reality. – Scott

C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Fan Rendering: Is This Making You Warm?

The C8 Mid-Engine Corvette will be an awesome machine, but does this “look” like a “Corvette”? What would Bill Mitchell think?

Dateline: 11.16.18 – Main Photo Credit: www.Motor1.com, except where noted, Image Credit: GM Archives – As reported on November 8, 2018 by Motor1.com, rumor clouds are gathering and indicating that the C8 mid-engine Corvette will debut at the NAIAS Show in Detroit in January 2019. That seems likely since the C8 did not debut at the Dubai International Motor Show.

Since C8 mule cars have been seen for months now on public roads wearing camo wraps and photos are getting clearer and clearer, a January 2019 debut as a 2020 model seems likely. Last July very clear images of a development C8.R (racing) Corvette was seen, indicating that the Corvette Racing Team will probably race a mid-engine Corvette for the 2019 season.

Chris Draper, owner of the  “My Corvette Life” YouTube channel stitched together this very nice presentation of mid-engine Corvettes.

Today Motor1.com published five very well done digital renderings of the C8 mid-engine Corvette, based on the numerous photos we’ve been seeing on the net. I am certain that the C8 will be a wundercar, chock full of gee-wiz goodies.

A mid-engine Corvette has been the ultimate pie-in-the-sky Vette since the 1960s when mid-engine was the best layout for balance and the state-of-the-art of tires back in the day. A mid-engine Corvette was Zora Arkus-Duntov’s ultimate dream Corvette. There’s a good chance that the C8 will be called “Zora”.

 

Image Credit: K. Scott Teeters Corvette Library

But we’ve come a long way, baby, since the days of 100-percent mechanical supercars. Between electronics, computers, vastly superior materials, and tires with more sticky than rubber cement; does the mid-engine layout still make sense?

Graphic Layout by K. Scott Teeters

I would submit that the success of the C7.R argues the case that a mid-engine layout is no longer needed. The Corvette Racing Team won the 2018 Championship without scoring a single class win. It’s all about consistency and the points race. Then, factor in the disadvantage put upon the C7.R Corvettes, thanks to IMSA’s BoP rules, and clearly, the front mid-engine C7.R Corvette was the superior car in the series.

Over the past sixty-five years the Corvette has had many contenders, has vanquished them all, and is truly a world-class champion race car and “America’s Sports Car” This begs the question; is a mid-engine Corvette relevant in today’s world of electro-mechanical performance cars?

The Corvette mystique has many factors; performance, affordability, durability, utility, unique good looks, history, and more. For the most part, a Corvette is a car that you can live with as a daily driver, especially since the arrival of the 1984 C4 with its functional hatchback roof. You can do light grocery shopping, go golfing, and take a trip with a Corvette, thanks to the generous amount of storage area in the back (as sports cars go).

This kind of utility will not be part of the mid-engine Corvette. This is a packaging issue and is common with all mid-engine sports cars. Remember the Pontiac Fiero? That was a very cool, affordable mid-engine sports car, but all you could store in the “trunk” in the back was two slim brief cases.

Image Credit: K. Scott Teeters Corvette Library

Probably a year from now we will be seeing lots of C8 mid-engine Corvettes on the road. But this will not be a GT (Grand Touring) car. No one will be taking long trips in a C8, unless they have a support car following along with their gear. And I doubt that any C8 owner will be attaching a tow hitch for a motorcycle trailer, either.And lastly I want to address the C8’s looks. I have had a love affair with Corvettes since 1965 when I didn’t even know what I was looking at, other than it was the most beautiful car I’d ever seen in my young life. I am probably committing sacrilege, but I have to be honest. While subtle surface details are nearly impossible to make out on the camoed C8 mule cars, the overall shape and proportion of the C8 is obvious. Twenty years ago, we depended on gifted automotive artists, such as Mark Stehrenberger, to provide magazines with renderings of upcoming Corvettes in the months before official debuts. But today there are numerous very talented digital artists that create “renderings” that can pass as actual photographs. Okay, so here the “sacrilege” part.

I am not liking what I’m seeing. To my artist’s eye, the car looks stubby and bulky; a collection of add-on design elements. The styling appears to be engineering-driven. A beautiful car should hit you immediately. You shouldn’t have to think about it; there should be an immediate, visceral response; a “WOW!”

Image Credit: Motor1.com http://www.Motor1.com

In October when Motor1.com showed the upcoming McLaren Speedtail, it got a “WOW! WOW! WOW!” from me. I mentioned to Marty Schorr from CarGuyChronicles.com and founder of Vette Magazine, that if the Speedtail body was the C8 Corvette, I’m be a “Happy Corvetter”! Marty concurred.

The C5 Corvette was almost a mid-engine car. The 1990 CERV III was a serious contender for the C5 but was deemed too expensive. The CERV III was a “WOW!” Corvette for me. Prior mid-engine prototypes were almost all gorgeous cars that screamed “CORVETTE!!!” That’s why I have added images of past mid-engine Corvettes in this post. I can not imagine that VP of GM Styling Bill Mitchell would be happy with the C8. Zora would be THRILLED! But then again, Duntov and Mitchell often and famously butted horns.

Believe me, my highest hope at this point is that I’m dead wrong. We’ll see soon. – Scott

A street version of the Daytona Ptototype would have worked for me for the C8.

 

Watch Footage of the Mid-Engine Corvette at the Nurburgring – VIDEO

C8 Mid-engine test driver flogging the pants off a C8 mule Corvette and having too much fun!

It will not be long! I speculate that the mid-engine Zora Corvette will debut either this November at the Dubai (the exact date has not yet been set, for more info, CLICK HERE), or at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2019. I say this because the recent batch of photos and videos are very clear. Some of the surface details might be what they call “holder pieces”, but we now clearly know the C8’s overall shape. The debut can not be far off.

The video also provides another big hint as to what’s under the hood. Watch and listen for yourself. All I’ll say is that the car sounds very tame.

Special thanks to Jalopnik.com for the excellent video. Jalopnik.com offers more commentary HERE. – Scott

FINALLY! Clear Images of the Mid-Engine C8 Corvette! CAST YOUR VOTE!

Yes, these C8 Mid-Engine Corvette mules are wearing camo, but at least the vinyl pads are off!

It’s getting close. Mid-engine Corvette mules have been seen on public roads wearing that crazy camo wrap, but at least we can see the basic shapes. The headlights taillights, front grille openings and engine cover are probably “holder” pieces, as they look too awkward to be the finished details.

All of the major car magazines and blogs are all over this showing the same images. Check them out from Motor1.com, HERE.

Our friend Chris Draper, star of the YouTube channel, “My Corvette Life” has different images that he got from his friend Rick Conti.

I’ve seen this over and over in the past. As the grand debut closes in, photos surface with odd, misshapen, goofy-looking parts and pieces that make the mules look, well, like ugly mules. However, this latest batch of images definitely shows the general shape and proportion. That is, unless the mule body is a total con job. Continue reading “FINALLY! Clear Images of the Mid-Engine C8 Corvette! CAST YOUR VOTE!”


The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, 1960 to C8: Part 3

The 1964 AWD CERV II – Duntov’s planned Ford GT40-Killer and Le Mans Champion.Dateline: 11.23.17 – For decades the topic of a mid-engine Corvette was simply “pie in the sky.” It was a fanciful piece of Corvette lore going back to the early days when Zora Arkus-Duntov was driving the Corvette brand. Every so many years, the topic would resurface, so when I heard it again for the umpteenth time, just after the C7 arrived, I said, “Oh, sure…”  But, it’s going to happen, finally! The mid-engine C8 Corvette will make its grand debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as a 2019 model.
In the interest of explaining how we got to where we are with the whole, long, mid-engine Corvette story, lets buckle into the Corvette Report Time Machine, set the dials (yes, we still use “dials” here at Corvette Report) and go back to 1963/1964 when that wiley, silver-haired Russian fox, Zora Arkus-Duntov tried once again, to build a “Corvette” to race at Le Mans.  Indulge me while I bench race a little here,
Continue reading


The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, 1960 to C8: Part 3″


The Run-Up to the C8 Corvette – The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, Part 1 – 1960 CERV-I

The 57-Year Saga to the C8 Mid-Engine Corvette – The Old Mid-Engine Advantage & the 1960 CERV I

Dateline: 8.13.17 – Images: GM Archives & Mecum.com Introduction: Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first. It seemed like the floodlights from the debut of the C7 Corvette weren’t even cool yet when the automotive press and the Internet started chattering about the C8 Corvette being a mid-engine design. GM then added fuel to the fire when it was announced that they had trademarked the word “Zora” which ignited the speculation of a mid-engine Corvettes.

Part of Corvette-lore is that Zora Arkus-Duntov unsuccessfully tried many times to make the Corvette a mid-engine car, because in Zora’s day, it made perfect sense. The trouble was that Chevrolet was selling enough Corvettes to make the argument that, “the Corvette wasn’t broken, so don’t fit it!” The mid-engine Corvette concept lost its champion after Duntov retired in 1975. Dave McLellan’s team tried to recycle the body design of the mid-engine Four-Rotor Corvette, powered by a transverse-mounted small-block Chevy engine. That idea was actually “approved” briefly, but died a quick death. The mid-engine Corvette concept came back again as a development program that started with the Corvette Indy (a full-size static model), the Running Corvette Indy (a functional, drivable version), and finally the CERV III. This CERV III was an almost completely flushed out car, meaning that it “could” have been put into production, had GM not been embroiled in a financial crisis in the early ‘90s. The crisis was so bad that once again, the Corvette was on the chopping block!
Perhaps by sheer luck, the C5 plan eked through and turned out so good, that the mid-engine concept then seemed antiquated. Then suddenly, shortly after the C7 came out, the Mighty Wurlitzer Rumor Organ got cranked up and once again, we are in mid-engine mania. But does the mid-engine make sense? Is this what the Corvette community really wants? I’ve had my head plugged into the world of Corvettes since 1965 and followed all of the mid-engine Corvette concept cars. Most were engineering studies and not real, drivable, serviceable, safe cars – a few were close to production-ready.

The “story” of the Corvette is long and rich with colorful characters, loud and awesome machines, and two, BIG, “Could’a been so cool!” chapters – The Grand Sport and the mid-engine Corvette. While it was wonderful that Chevrolet used the Grand Sport moniker for one of the two special-edition 1996 C4 swan song Corvettes, and then as a separate model Corvette starting in 2010, these were not Duntov’s original vision. Continue reading


The Run-Up to the C8 Corvette – The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, Part 1 – 1960 CERV-I”


From Spoilers to Active Aero, What WE Might See on the C7 ZR1 & Mid-Engine C8 Corvette

Published GM U.S. Patent Confirms New “Active” Aero System for the Corvette

Chevrolet has been extremely tight-lipped about the C7 ZR1, such that we have to look for other sources to glean info. Several months ago, published U.S. Patent documents indicated that GM is working on a new DOHC engine called the “LT5.” The conclusion is that the C7 ZR1 will have a double overhead cam version of the Z06’s LT4. Guestimations are that the LT5-powered ZR1 is pushing 750-horsepower – maybe more!
The April issue of Car and Driver showed artist renderings depicting the ZR1 sporting a very aggressive front splitter, big air intakes, an elaborate new hood, and a very angular rear wing with winglettes. Killer-looking stuff! But wait! There’s more!

On March 23, 2017 AutoGuide.com reported that on May 24, 2016, GM Global Technology Operations LLC filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Application number 20170080770, titled, “VEHICLE RIDE-HEIGHT DETERMINATION FOR CONTROL OF VEHICLE AERODYNAMICS”. The “Abstract, Claims, and Description” are on the US Patent & Trademark Office – Patent Application Full Text and Image Database website. CLICK HERE to read the actual US Patent.
Continue reading


From Spoilers to Active Aero, What WE Might See on the C7 ZR1 & Mid-Engine C8 Corvette”

C7 Transformers-Centennial Corvette Roadster: Hot? Cool? Not?

So, what do you think? Would this work for you as the C7 Corvette Roadster?

One of the cool things about running a blog such as CorvetteReport.com is that you can track topics – what’s hot – what’s not. Speculation over the pending C7 Corvette is smokin hot! Perhaps it’s just the ho-hum economy and Corvette fans are looking for something to look forward to. After all, is the C6 Corvette deficient? We won’t get into the interior issue, suffice to say that there still might be time for a C6 interior upgrade, just to quiet the nit-pickers.

I have some other thoughts on C7 speculation that I’ll save for the next post, but for now, let’s take a gander at the latest variation on the Transformers/Centennial concept Corvette – the Roadster version, as well as an interesting application of the concept car’s styling queues to a C6 coupe. Continue reading “C7 Transformers-Centennial Corvette Roadster: Hot? Cool? Not?”