The clock is ticking towards the big reveal of the all-new C8 Corvette. In case you're just waking up from a coma, the C8 will officially be unveiled this coming July 18. It's always a big deal whenever an all-new Corvette arrives, but this time it's gonna be extra special as its V8 engine will no longer be located in front of the driver, but rather immediately behind him them.
The mid-engined Corvette is finally happening, a saga that began when Zora Arkus-Duntov was at the helm of Chevrolet's high-performance division decades ago. Arkus-Duntov was always at the forefront of new automotive technologies and his pioneering spirit and love for sports cars made him the ideal person to push the Corvette program to new levels. As an engineer, he knew the ideal place for that engine to be set.
Unfortunately, his ideal mid-engined Corvette never became a reality during his tenure at GM or in his lifetime. That's about to change. The MidEngineCorvette Forum has just posted this touching new image from C8 rendering artist Chazcron showing Arkus-Duntov standing beside the Corvette he long dreamed of. We also love that it's in black and white. You can't help but notice the image also showcase the C8's removable roof panel. A second new C8 image of the right rear three-quarters angle provides even more eye candy. So if mid-engined setups are so much superior over front-engine designs, then why did it take so long for GM to make the change?
Well, for a few reasons. One being that a serious amount of money was required and the Corvette is not exactly a hot-selling mainstream model. It was hard to justify the expense. Two, Corvette purists. They're a tough but devout bunch. Seeing their beloved Corvette undergo such major surgery is not easy. There was also the issue of engineering expertise. It's not that Chevrolet and GM didn't have it, but if the decision is made to go mid-engined, you'd better be willing to prove the Corvette has become a world-class sports car, or even a supercar. We don't think Arkus-Duntov would be opposed to supercar status.