NEXT- GEN CORVETTE TO BE MID-ENGINED
Hardcore 1,000hp hybrid in play for C8 version of America’s spor ts car, out in 2019
The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette will switch to a midengined layout for the first time in the model’s history.
Recent photographs of a test mule confirm years of rumours that the next generation of America’s sports car, due on sale in late 2019, will undergo the most radical change in the car’s 65-year history.
In a further break with tradition, the new Corvette, known by its C8 model code, will be sold alongside a version of the current car. Sources inside General Motors, which owns the Chevrolet brand, indicate that we can expect a slightly revised version of the existing C7 as an entry-level alternative.
Although the C8 will carry a price premium over its front-engined sibling, it will be sold at a price that significantly undercuts the junior supercars offered by other manufacturers.
There will be no surprise in the choice of launch power plant, with the C8 set to reach the market using a developed version of GM’s current LT-spec 6.2-litre V8. Although this engine still uses pushrods, and will be unable to match the low-down torque of turbocharged alternatives, the all-alloy unit has many virtues: it is light, responsive, relatively cheap to build and able to generate around 500hp with little work.
It also gives a clear connection between the radical new car and the front-engined Corvette that will continue in production. This could be advantageous given the existing car has an older and more conservative buying profile than other sports cars in the US.
Punchier power plants are a certainty, however — especially given GM’s history of offering faster variants soon after the launch of a base car.
Media in the US have reported that these will include a newly developed overhead camshaft V8, set to be sold in both naturally aspirated and twin-turbo forms, the latter sure to produce at least as much as the 750hp of the current supercharged Corvette ZR1. Beyond that, a hybrid version will add an electrically powered front axle to the mix, potentially giving a total system output approaching 1000hp.
Another big change will be a new twinclutch transaxle gearbox, developed by transmission supplier Tremec and effectively removing the option of a conventional manual version — a significant shift given the relatively high percentage of current Corvettes that are still sold with a clutch pedal.
Like its rivals from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, the new Corvette will display its mid-mounted engine through a glass cover. Expect the sort of aggressive aerodynamics necessary for good high-speed performance, possibly including active elements.
The chassis is believed to be an aluminium spaceframe, and it will have the glassfibre bodywork that has been used by every previous generation. While the C7 Corvette has a ‘targa’ roof with removable panels, it seems likely that the C8 will shift to a more conventional split between coupe and a convertible, the latter to follow at a later date.
There is no confirmation of righthand-drive production, which would seem like a long shot despite the success that the Ford Mustang has enjoyed in right-hand drive markets.