THE MUTANT MID-ENGINED UTE
A MUTANT HOLDEN UTE SENT SHOCKWAVES AROUND THE WORLD AND PAVED THE WAY FOR A CORVETTE REVOLUTION
Its name within GM was Blackjack; the Aussie mash-up that was the development bed of C8 Corvette
BLACKJACK IS AN intriguing card game of skill and chance. A rather apt name, then, for the Holden ute testing mule that helped spawn the most radical rethink in Corvette history.
Built using a VE Holden SS-V ute – well, parts of one – Blackjack was created in 2013 to help GM wrap its head around how to engineer a
mid-engined performance car.
The result is arguably the coolest Holden ute ever created. Stretched, flexed and bewinged, its V8 engine is housed in an extended tray and those flared arches concealed wider tracks.
The cab-section is from a C7 Corvette (the Holden nose and rear end were simply grafted on) and inside, Blackjack’s cabin is test-mule crude.
Beyond acting as an early test bed for the powertrain, Blackjack’s key role was in developing the Corvette’s new aluminium structure and the set-up of its multi-link rear suspension.
Interestingly, that enormous rear wing isn’t there for downforce but is actually inverted to create lift as the engineers fine-tuned Blackjack’s aero balance and pitch during suspension testing.
Secrecy, as you can imagine, was paramount. To keep Blackjack away from prying eyes, spotters were deployed to identify spy helicopters when engineers dared let the ute-based mash-up see the light of day.
If the spotters raised the alarm, Blackjack would scarper back to its top-secret garage, known as ‘The Lair’.
Of course other test mules were built, but they’re all considerably more Corvette-like in form and function. The Aussie ute-based creation stands as the obscure unicorn, and wonderfully, we’re told it still exists. We’ve already put in a request to drive it. Stay tuned.