The mid-engine Corvette might easily be the worst-kept secret in the entire automotive industry. We've seen leaked patent applications, order guides, and countless test mules, some of which have crashed. From the information we've garnered thus far, it looks like the C8 Corvette will launch with some sort of V8 engine, either turbocharged, normally aspirated, or both, and likely come mated to a manual transmission or a new dual-clutch unit.

Based on leaked documents, it looked like the Corvette would use a seven-speed Tremec transmission but subsequent leaks showed order forms for an eight-speed dual-clutch. There are very few eight-speed dual-clutch transmissions currently available that can handle the torque of a Corvette but Road&Track believes there is already one on the market that fits the bill completely.

ZF's new 8DT unit is currently used in several Volkswagen Group cars such as the Bentley Continental GT and Porsche Panamera. This transmission acts as a replacement for the 7DT, which was used in the Panamera, 911, and, 918 Spyder. So what makes R&T believe this is the transmission that will be used in the upcoming Corvette? Well, leaked CAD drawings show a match between the Porsche 918's ZF 7DT-75 and the transmission on the C8. The drawings show a similar casing and upper mount location.

We hope this hunch turns out to be correct because using a ZF transmission could fix one of the biggest faults of the previous generation Corvette. The manual transmission was great but GM's eight-speed never felt as quick in the real world as Porsche's PDK. Using this ZF unit would also give GM the ability to build a hybrid Corvette since the dual-clutch was designed with hybrid use in mind. As for its durability, ZF says the 8DT is rated for up to 738 lb-ft of torque, which should be plenty for the new Corvette.