[res2112]

It’s time for an updated report on the mid-engine C8 Corvette, and here’s the game plan as we understand it from our impeccable source: The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette (code name: ZERV, perhaps chosen as an homage to Zora Arkus-Duntov’s 1960s mid-engine CERV concepts) will bow in production form at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2018 with a version of today’s pushrod V-8 engine delivering 450 to 500 horsepower. Expect a base price of approximately $80,000.

When volume production begins, presumably later in ’18, today’s C7 Corvette will expire, although there should be remaining stock for those who prefer the traditional powertrain layout used for more than six decades. The C7’s final hurrah will occur at next year’s 2017 NAIAS, when a swan-song mega-power edition debuts, possibly wearing the illustrious ZR1 badge.

A notable power upgrade to the C8 will occur in January 2019, attributable to a new four-cam, 32-valve V-8 set to be presented at NAIAS. That C8 surely will top $100,000. To continue building momentum, Chevy hopes to show, in 2020, a hybrid E-Ray Corvette—a term GM has trademarked—with electric front-wheel propulsion. C8 Corvettes may wear ZORA identification of some sort (such as ZoRa1) to pay homage to Zora Arkus-Duntov, the car’s spiritual godfather and mid-engine advocate from 1955 to 1975.




Thank you Car and Driver

 

[Norm]

I take this with the ol' grain of salt. Car mags have been pushing this for the last 2-3 years (same rendition of car as well), in my opinion to................sell magazines. If it ain't written on official GM letterhead, or some GM big shot announces it, it ain't happening. Maybe one day, but not anytime soon. If it does, I'll eat my words.

 

[jsvette]

ummm, think perhaps Car and Driver is looking to sell magazines? This is little different (including the exact same rendering) that appeared in their September 2014 issue...:suspicion:

 

[C7 Zo6]

Cant remember a generation of Corvette to only be 5 years or less????!!!! But who knows?! Pic looks cool! We have all seen it..
We just need to enjoy our C7's for now!! Time will tell!!

 

[meyerweb]

But there's other information (from the current supplier of C7 body panels) that indicates it won't debut until 2019, and will be manufactured alongside the current C7. And a supposed "corvette dealer" has said it will be a twin-turbo V6.

I don't believe anything attributed to unnamed insiders, sorry.

 

[NostraD]

Those artist renderings of the Mid-Engine C8 remind me of my Cadillac ELR (EREV), more so than my C7 Stingray.

Here's a quick comparison shot. What do you think?

 

[MSG C5]

I'm fully confident that GMs mid-engine C8 will look a lot better than any of the speculative renderings the cars rags are publishing to sell magazines.

 

[jsvette]

Those artist renderings of the Mid-Engine C8 remind me of my Cadillac ELR (EREV), more so than my C7 Stingray.

Here's a quick comparison shot. What do you think?

View attachment 47473

Hay, I seem to remember someone saying Caddy will have the first mid-engine sports car :topsy_turvy:

 

[elegant]

I do not have enough fingers to count how many times Car & Driver and many of their competitors have been very wrong on Corvette predictions in the last decade and a half.

However, we should give C&D's above prediction one kudo, for it has one sentence of accuracy. We will leave it at that.

 

[Charlie Dog]

...We just need to enjoy our C7's for now!! Time will tell!!

I'll be enjoying my C7 long after the mid-engine C8 hits the street. :blksmile:

 

[elegant]

I'm fully confident that GMs mid-engine C8 will look a lot better than any of the speculative renderings the cars rags are publishing to sell magazines.

Just as the C7 looking better when revealed by GM than the earlier renderings of it. I love what Ed Welburn said when he was shown some of those renderings before the 1.13.13 Reveal, that none of those who get out of our design studio.

 

[Olblue75]

Really hoping they don't change till at least 2020 I got 3 years till I turn 50th birthday present, still working on paying on the wife's new Denali too...

 

[Poltergeist]

Yep it's all gonna happen. Including the Hover conversion in 2020. Seen all happen after the upgrades to my Delorean.


layful:

 

[elegant]

Really hoping they don't change till at least 2020 I got 3 years till I turn 50th birthday present, still working on paying on the wife's new Denali too...

Would not worry a bit. If the mid-engine comes on line as 2019 model -- which I believe for reasons below, they are not going to bring out a mid-engine model one year and a next gen front engine no earlier than two years thereafter because the Corvette engineering and development team is truly tiny in terms of the number of its employees.

Why will the mid-engine not come on line until 2019?

1) No mid-engine is going to be painted in the current (old) paint shop, and while the paint shop is scheduled for completion next April, it will then take several months of equipment install, testing and validation of the new process. Then the shop starts with the three new 2018 colors and then sequentially, brings over the "legacy" (pre-2018) colors one by one. Then, when the last color has been moved over, they then need to do a complete equipment removal and an environmental decontamination or the old/current paint shop. And only then can they finally start constructing the mid-engine assembly line, be it Cadillac or Corvette.

2) Just like the Ford GT appearing at the NAIAS Auto Show now 14 months ago, and still not ready for sale until roughly this fall, GM would need 1 1/2 years between the reveal of the mid-engine concept and its production.

Count me in the group that feels that there will be two distinct Corvette versions at some point, a mid-engine and a front engine version.

As I posted above, not buying anything but one sentence in C&D's latest prediction.