The Mid-Engine Corvette is Coming, Teases Chevrolet

There has always been rampant speculation about upcoming car releases, especially for popular models like the Corvette, but nothing compares to the excitement about the potential release of a mid-engine Corvette in the near future. What sparked these rumors and why is everyone so excited for this new ‘Vette? We’ll take a look at that, but first lets get right down to why we think this is most likely going to happen.

photo: Hagerty

Chevrolet Teases Mid-Engined Corvette to Dealers

One dealer from New York – Nate Chandler –  is giving us hope that many of the rumors are true. On Tuesday, April 3, he posted from the Chevy Find New Roads dealer’s conference that he had received a glimpse of the next-generation Corvette – and it was looking very much like a mid-engine model. Now, we have no official pictures or anything – phones and other recording devices were banned from the preview room – but according to Nate, the C8 is a supercar, with a Lotus-esque front hood and a bumper that reminded him of the 2019 ZR1.

This all but confirms that the new C8 Corvette is coming and that it will likely be a mid-engine model. We won’t know more until Chevy makes an official announcement but that should be enough to tide over the most die-hard Corvette fans until that day comes.

Prototype Spotted

In 2015, car enthusiasts spotted a Holden-bodied vehicle that was being carefully kept under wraps – the car spy cameras only managed to snap about 15 pictures before it was covered up tightly with an opaque black cover.

What they did manage to see spoke volumes though – it appeared that Chevy was working on a mid-engine Corvette.

Now, most of the information in the original article was speculation based on a bunch of low-resolution photographs, but that didn’t stop it from setting the internet aflame with the idea that they might soon be able to get their hands on a mid-engine ‘Vette.

Why a Mid-Engine?

What’s the big deal about a mid-engine sports car as opposed to a more traditional one with the engine in either the front or the back?

It’s all about weight. Rear engine cars are great for traction but they also tend to oversteer. Front-engine cars, like most passenger cars on the road today, have very little traction in the back wheels. Mid-engine cars get the best of both worlds – the bite of the rear engine car but the stability of a front engine model. Having the engine in the center helps to balance out the weight, and improve the car’s handling, especially at high speeds.

That stability is ideal for the Corvette, which is all about power and speed.

Cadillac or Corvette

Now, it’s entirely possible that the prototype spotted by Car and Driver’s spy drone is a Cadillac, not a Corvette. It was announced recently that Cadillac was having one of their newer sports cars, with a 4.2L Twin Turbo V8 engine, assembled at the Corvette Assembly Plant, but nothing about that prototype looks like a Cadillac to us.

We hope they don’t make us wait much longer – we’re all dying to get that first glimpse of the showroom ready mid-engine Corvette!

About the author

Scott Huntington

Scott Huntington writes about cars all over the internet, but muscle cars are his one true love.
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