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.
