RE: Mid-engined Corvette spied testing

RE: Mid-engined Corvette spied testing

Monday 1st July 2019

Corvette C8 loses cladding before reveal | Update

The American supercar is less than three weeks away, with final testing underway at the 'Ring



Update: 01.07.2019

We’re just 17 days from the reveal of Chevrolet’s all-new Corvette, so it’s of little surprise to see a development car not wrapped with cladding doing some last-minute testing at the Nurburgring. Despite this example of the C8 still being completely hidden beneath a full-body wrap, the angular details of its front and rear can be more clearly seen than before thanks to the thinness of the disguise. From what we can see, this is going to be a seriously purposeful-looking mid-engined supercar, one with the aggressive features to match its anticipated McLaren and Ferrari-aping performance.

Without an engine beneath the nose, aerodynamicists have been able to give the C8 a much slimmer front end than its predecessors, the form of which is only accentuated by the raised arches either side of the bonnet. Today’s development car is also lacking covers over its rear window, exposing the vents there; we can even spot ventilation beneath the car’s taillights, showing the extent of cooling required for what lives within. The C8 Corvette is predicted to come with an all-new eight cylinder in several variations, with everything from a naturally-aspirated entry powerplant to an 850hp hybrid range-topper having been mooted.

Whatever the exact specification of the launch car we’ll be shown on July 18th, earlier sightings captured on video (scroll down for that) have at least all but confirmed the car will retain the eight-cylinder layout aficionados have been hoping for. Given the ambitions of Chevy to push the C8 into the realms of proper supercar royalty, including the 488 GTB and 720S, we suspect few options outside a bent eight would have done. With a mid-engined ‘Vette having been rumoured for decades, then, we don’t have long to wait at all to finally see exactly what Chevy has come up with.





Previous story: 12.04.2019


If the ongoing test car sightings weren’t enough of a hint at its impending arrival, Chevrolet has now confirmed that the hotly-anticipated Corvette C8 is due for reveal on July 18th. To rouse excitement in the build-up to its most drastically altered Corvette yet, company CEO Mary Barra took one of the mid-engined prototypes for a drive around New York before arriving at a busy ex-service members charity gala.

The official new date quells suggestion that the C8 was going to be revealed at next week’s New York motor show, although the prototype’s arrival in NYC suggests it will be on display there with its camo wrap. We’ve seen it and other C8s plenty of times before, of course, and even caught a glimpse of the new interior – so the longer, mid-ship body shape is already familiar.

But with the engine mounted behind the cabin for the first time and power ramped up to as high as 850hp in a rumoured electrified V8 range-topper, the C8 will eschew tradition and as such is expected to create Chevrolet’s most serious rival yet for cars of the supercar establishment.



Previous story: 10.09.2018


If you had any doubts of the inclusion of a good ol' (well, newly developed) V8 engine in the next Chevrolet Corvette, listen to the vocal chords of a recently spotted test car in the video below. Hear that? Yep, those are eight glorious cylinders being called into explosive action to charge this mid-engined supercar around the Nurburgring.

We can't hear anything to signal whether the beating heart of this particular 'vette is a breather of atmospheric or forced air, but one thing's for certain: it sounds as American as it ever has. It also looks super responsive and agile, traits that should be helped by the new location for its powerplant. The rearwards shift is of the biggest technical change for a Corvette in yonks, and could become the biggest cause of worry for the car's European rivals...

 

Original story: 03.09.18


It's Labor Day (yes, without a u) in the United States, but despite the bank holiday the employees of Chevrolet's European technical centre are hard at work. Not only have they taken delivery of a significantly less camouflaged iteration of the upcoming mid-engined C8 Corvette than we've previously seen, but they've been kind enough to take it out and about for us to have a look at too.

Thanks to that reduction in obfuscating addenda we can now more clearly make out that the new car retains a similar front end to the current C7 generation ZR1. From there back, however, things are understandably rather different, with a shorter bonnet and longer rear deck leading into a squarer, seemingly Camaro-inspired tail end. The flared nostrils, prominent side intakes, and large vents below the rear lights all hint at the suspected increase in power set to come with the new layout, as do the quad exhausts.

Exactly what forms the engines destined for that mid-mounted bay will take remains open for speculation. What is likely, though, is that they'll mostly be of the V8 variety with everything from naturally aspirated to hybrid-assisted turbocharged units being mooted, and outputs of 450hp all the way through to a whopping 850hp rumoured. Below that comes the potential for an entry level V6, keeping the Corvette somewhat grounded as it leaves the niche of cheap but cheerful alternative to expensive European exotics - one which it has occupied with varying degrees of success for the past few decades - behind.

[Images: S.Baldauf/S.B. Medien]













 

 

 

 

Author
Discussion

Burnham

Original Poster:

3,668 posts

258 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Have they just stolen a Ferrari 360 front end?

British Beef

2,191 posts

164 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all

Why does Chevrolet need to make the iconic Corvette mid engine?

Well set up front engine has near same weight distribution as a mid engine, their performance on racetrack confirms this.

Is it to make the brand more aligned with the exotic Italian rivals that are mainly mid engined?

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
British Beef said:
Why does Chevrolet need to make the iconic Corvette mid engine?
To compete on a level playing field with Ford GT...

British Beef said:
Is it to make the brand more aligned with the exotic Italian rivals that are mainly mid engined?
...and the Italians.

There's a general expectation that GM will keep the front-engine C7 Corvette in production and launch this mid-engine version this time next year as the more expensive halo car. Existing C7, introduced as a clean sheet design four years ago, would then get a mid life update in 2020.

C7 has been very successful with production exceeding 40,000 cars a year. It's a stunning car and an absolute bargain from £65k in UK..




Agent XXX

1,248 posts

105 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Looks more interesting than the 'new' 911

Loyly

17,990 posts

158 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Pistonheads have some cheek, branding these images with their logo, when I'm sure they'll have picked them up for nothing elsewhere.

MikeGalos

261 posts

283 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
British Beef said:
Why does Chevrolet need to make the iconic Corvette mid engine?...
Why did Lotus move to mid engined?
Why did Lamborghini move to mid engined?
Why did Ferrari move to mid engined?
Why did Porsche move to mid engined (where they could)?
Why has McLaren always been mid engined?

Because this isn't 1960 anymore.

While you can make a car with an engine in front of the driver handle well, and you can even make a car with the engine hung out behind the rear wheels handle well if you're desperate to preserve a traditional model, the last 50 years of racing has shown that the best handling configuration is done by packaging the driver and engine between the wheels with engine behind the driver.

MikeGalos

261 posts

283 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Agent XXX said:
Looks more interesting than the 'new' 911
+1

DooM_II

95 posts

131 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
finally a new Vector

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Presumably this isn't going to replace the front engined car anyway, I assumed it was to sit above it?

GingerPixel

92 posts

145 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
It's all looking a bit 'generic sports car from Grand Theft Auto' in these photos.

jakeb

281 posts

193 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
looks a bit like that stupid lexus thingy

Edmundo2

1,328 posts

209 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Looks like a crap kit car. Also looks to be 20 years old already...Badly proportioned and lacking any fluid design or cohesion. Pretty bored of generic mid size mid engined cars but this looks especially dull. Seems a shame when the Corvette was starting to get good and stand out. Hope the old one continues along side..

Edited by Edmundo2 on Monday 3rd September 18:58

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
...and only 48 years after the XP882 mid-engined Corvette prototype...



That kicked around for several iterations over six years, with a couple of wankel engines (2- then 4-rotor) before it got a v8, finally getting signed off for production for 1980. <fails to hold breath>

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Edmundo2 said:
Looks like a crap kit car. Also looks to be 20 years old already...Badly proportioned and lacking any fluid design or cohesion. Pretty bored of generic mid size mid engined cars but this looks especially dull. Seems a shame when the Corvette was starting to get good and stand out. Hope the old one continues along side..

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 3rd September 18:58
Oh yes, they’ll make a front, mid and rear engined version rofl

You can’t tell much from the camouflage, apart from it’s very obviously made mid engined. It’ll be epic, the usual whiners won’t buy one anyway and they will sell buckloads. I really hope it comes to the UK properly damped and gives us another alternative to the ever dull 911 at a sensible price point.

Good shout IMO.


Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 3rd September 20:42

boxerTen

501 posts

203 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
British Beef said:
Why does Chevrolet need to make the iconic Corvette mid engine?

Well set up front engine has near same weight distribution as a mid engine, their performance on racetrack confirms this.
Not true. Well set up front-engined cars can get to about 50/50 front-rear weight distribution, but ideally you want a rearward weight bias to aid traction, something like 60/40 as typically found in mid-engined cars.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Looks like a pleasant if slightly generic silhouette. Here's hoping that they keep the surface treatment restrained rather than covering it in god-awful creases and lines as seems to be the preference these days.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
boxerTen said:
Not true. Well set up front-engined cars can get to about 50/50 front-rear weight distribution, but ideally you want a rearward weight bias to aid traction, something like 60/40 as typically found in mid-engined cars.
It's not an absolute, different people like different balances. For me 40/60 is about right but some people prefer a more nose-heavy car so the rear is looser on the throttle.

The idea that 50:50 is somehow "perfect" is pure marketing bullst but it's still some people's preferred balance.

redroadster

1,729 posts

231 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
Will be a bargain and sound epic please make in rhd

gigglebug

2,611 posts

121 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
yonex said:
Edmundo2 said:
Looks like a crap kit car. Also looks to be 20 years old already...Badly proportioned and lacking any fluid design or cohesion. Pretty bored of generic mid size mid engined cars but this looks especially dull. Seems a shame when the Corvette was starting to get good and stand out. Hope the old one continues along side..

Edited by Edmundo2 on Monday 3rd September 18:58
Oh yes, they’ll make a front, mid and rear engined version rofl

You can’t tell much from the camouflage, apart from it’s very obviously made mid engined. It’ll be epic, the usual whiners won’t buy one anyway and Ford will sell buckloads. I really hope it comes to the UK properly damped and gives us another alternative to the ever dull 911 at a sensible price point.

Good shout IMO.
So, because of the camouflage, you couldn't possibly tell that it looks a little dull (which you can and it does if I am honest) but you can clearly already tell that it is going to be "epic" with hardly any details at all. Right. Presumably you'll consider anyone that doesn't instantly want to suck it's dick a whiner as oppose to someone who just has a differing opinion to yourself?

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 3rd September 2018
quotequote all
gigglebug said:
Right. Presumably you'll consider anyone that doesn't instantly want to suck it's dick a whiner as oppose to someone who just has a differing opinion to yourself?
"Audi A3 Sportback 2.0TFSI Quattro S Line"

Oh dear...