Photo Credit: TopSpeed.com Chevrolet has yet to start retail production of the 650 horsepower C7 Corvette Z06 but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about future Corvettes. In case you’ve been living under a rock or were quarantined with some type of communicable disease, the latest rumor is that Chevrolet is working on a mid-engine […]
Car & Driver: 10 Cars That Paved The Way For A Mid-Engined C8 Corvette
A mid-engined Corvette was closer to production reality than you might think.
It May Become A Reality As The 2017 Corvette ZR1
By Don Sherman from the October 2014 issue of Car and Driver
Two hours into the 1957 12-hour Sebring Grand Prix, driver John Fitch dove into the pits to abandon his Corvette Super Sport. Officials were told a failed rear-suspension bushing prompted the DNF, but the real reason behind the early retirement was that Fitch couldn’t take the heat. Literally. Exhaust pipes snaking through the experimental sports racer’s magnesium body had cooked his feet.
Pondering the demise of his Sebring project, Corvette patron saint Zora Arkus-Duntov concluded, “The heat source must be behind the driver.†From then on, Arkus-Duntov’s pursuit of a mid-engined Corvette never wavered. His legacy is this family album of experiments, prototypes, concepts, and stillborn production proposals.
To test his theories, Arkus-Duntov built the single-seat Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicle with a 353-hp aluminum-block V-8 driving the rear wheels through a four-speed transaxle. CERV I served as a test bed for the production C2 Corvette’s independent rear suspension. After attacking Pikes Peak, Arkus-Duntov lapped GM’s Milford proving grounds at 206 mph in this car.
To read the rest of Don’s Car And Driver blog and to see these special 10 cars, click here.
Photography by Michael Furman and the manufacturer
[POLL] Do You Think Chevrolet Will Actually Build a Mid-Engine Corvette?
Over the last few weeks, the interwebs have been all aflutter with the latest round of mid-engine Corvette rumors. A couple weeks back Car and Driver even posted a rendering of what a mid-engined Corvette might look and surmised that it could be called “Zora”. Since this is our weekly poll, we to hear what […]
Car and Driver Dishes New Report on the Mid-Engine 2017 Corvette ZORA ZR1
Despite the world-class reviews of the C7′s Corvette Stingray and the coming main attraction, the 650 horsepower 2015 Corvette Z06, you would think we would be content to focus on the most advanced Corvettes ever produced. But as always, there are rumors afoot about a next generation Corvette and the main question on everybody’s minds […]
The Rumor Mill Heats Up Again with Talk of a Mid-Engine Corvette ZR1
If you’ve been following Corvettes for sometime, you are probably aware of the oft-repeated rumor will basically goes like this: The next generation Corvette will feature a mid-engine design. As in the engine goes behind the seats, but in front of the rear axle. Motor Trend came out yesterday with a “hot scoop” saying they […]
GM’s Reuss Confirms the C8 Corvette is Already in Development
During an event last week to promote the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, General Motors global product manager Mark Reuss addressed the crowd and talked about some of the issues facing the automaker in the wake of a series of recalls and an ongoing investigation into faulty ignition switches.
Being the Global Product Manager, Reuss also made a few comments about the future of the Corvette that will make any crossed-flags fan happy.
Reuss said that the automaker is already working on the next generation Corvette, the C8. Details are light of course as Chevrolet is still in the first year of C7 production, but that won’t stop speculation for the future of America’s favorite sports car.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Reuss would not rule out a hybrid or electric Corvette either, echoing comments he made last August to the LA Times.
High-end sports cars are already utilizing hybrid technology and energy recapturing systems like the KERS on Ferrari’s La Ferrari and the McLaren P1. Of course, the trick for Corvette’s engineers is to find a way to make such technology cost effective for Corvette’s price point.
But there’s plenty of time between now and the next Corvette to work out these questions. The C7 Stingray is still in its inaugural year of production with the flagship Corvette Z06 coming in 2015. If we estimate a five to six year production run for the C7, now we’re looking at a 2018-2019 time frame for introducing the C8.
Source:
Detroit Free Press
Related:
Is a Hybrid in the Future for Corvette?
[VIDEO] GM’s Mark Reuss Talks Corvette Stingray with Motor Trend’s WOT
[VIDEO] Chevrolet Introduces the “Big Nasty†Corvette Z06 Convertible
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