Hear The Sound Of The Next Corvette's Mid-Mounted V8
We’ve known for some time that the successor to the current ‘C7’ Chevrolet Corvette is going to be mid-engined. Few car industry ‘secrets’ are quite so badly kept, so it was no surprise this week when a big batch of Nurburgring testing photos did the rounds on the Internet, confirming what didn’t really need to be confirmed.
But as to what will sit in the middle of the ‘C8’? That’s more of a mystery. Now we have this Nordschleife testing footage to examine, the powerplant question is becoming a little easier to answer.
Judging by the exhaust note, we’d put money on it being a V8, but the configuration is a little harder to nail down. To our ears, it’s a little too muted to be a big, naturally-aspirated eight-banger. A twin-turbo unit is our guess. Most of Chevrolet’s competitors have been ditching N/A engines in their performance cars for smaller turbo lumps, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the US firm do the same.
That being said, previous reports have suggested that - while a twin-turbo version is indeed on the cards - there will also be an entry-level N/A C8. Here’s hoping Chevrolet goes for this why not both approach.
The car should be fully revealed at some point in 2019, going on sale the following year.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Who remembers the early C8 test mule which was discusted as a Holden UTE?
clearly a corvette front and rear, but that bonnet is to short… it’s unnatural, i can see the vette genes but it is not a vette…. not sure if can bring myself to liking it :/
Worlds most budget supercar?
this is wrong…
Looks very stable and almost no roll. Bet it is some clever engineering.
Its sounds like an Agera with the boost turned wayyy down
If a Corvette has its engine in the middle, and sounds more like an elephant with a mute in its trunk than a muscle car, is it even still a Corvette?
Hmm….American made Mid Engined Sports car? so basically they are just going to remake the awful Pontiac Fiero? this isnt going to end well
Good ‘ole ‘Vette was and still is special for its Front-engine RWD layout. Make it rear-mid and you’re changing what made the car special in the first place. What made the ‘Vette so special, was not speed, nor handling, but sheer bluntness in having a car that screams and has “American Looks”. It seems GM is trying hard to copy what the Corvette has never had and what Euro supercars have standard (mid/rear layout). Want a faster car, stay true to your roots. Downsize the good ‘ole V8 to maybe 4.2-5.0L displacement from the massive 7.0L one and add some hybrid tech over the rear axle to balance it more towards a 50/50% and improve performance. It saddens me that the future of this car as a true icon will only live as a memory in the future.
I get where you’re coming from but to be fair, have you seen how many times Chevrolet has attempted to make a mid engined Corvette? It’s been in the works for around 40 years. As a non-American the Corvette now seems to represent the US of A’s best effort to make an internationally competitive sports car. If finally allowing themselves to branch out and do what they have wanted to with the Corvette to be the best car it can be, I’d say all power to them.
I hope it will debut on Detroit on January