If this isn’t the long, and oft-rumored mid-engined Corvette, we don’t know what it is. AutoGuide has uploaded some of the first spy shots of the top secret project since early 2015, and the mid-engined sports car is in some good company.
What is believed to be the mid-engined Corvette is seen in the photos with a C7 Corvette, what looks to be a CTS-V and a Chevrolet Silverado around proving grounds. According to the report, the photos were taken from a mile away with a high-power, 50.3 megapixel DSLR.
It’s evident something big is going on here after taking a look at the revised stance of the car in comparison to the C7 Corvette, and the large opening in the mid section of the vehicle. However, no other specifics are available at this time.
Take the moment to bask in the glory of finally, finally seeing a mid-engined Corvette in the near future.
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Automotive News is reporting General Motors will spend $290 Million to upgrade Chevrolet’s Corvette manufacturing facility suggesting something major will be happening and despite Chevrolet C7 Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter repeatedly saying there is no planned mid-engine Corvette, no one can really expect Tadge Juechter to openly discuss something that is considered as being a secret project especially when GM had yet to approve money for the project; it would be interesting to hear what Tadge Juechter has to say now.
Mark my words, this recent investment is for a mid-engined Cadillac car that will debut before the Corvette version.
Much in the way that the ATS chassis was used for the new Camaro a few years after the ATS was introduced.
Cadillac is changing their philosophy. It is now going to be ‘trickle down ‘ down instead of ‘trickle up’ as it should be.
Well they also just upgraded the paint shop recently too as they do when a new C model is in the near future.
As for money approved the money has been approved at some point or there would be no mules out testing as we have seen.
Tadge will disavowal any existence of a Mid Engine right up to the point till GM is ready to officially declare it once it is nearly complete.
This is the same game we play with every new C model. They say nothing is coming and then they test mules with different bodies on the new platform as the magazines guess and guess till someone leaks the details. The only real change is today the penalty of a leak is very serious and seldom to people speak openly about these programs anymore.
The Vette program is their DARPA project and as we know with the government even the president is not always let in on the DARPA programs till late in the game. GM is doing the same as things like the new Vette are not know to many outside the Vette program.
The leaks like I got from a GM manager on the C6 do not happen anymore if they want to keep their jobs and not go to jail.
One who has spoken openly about the mid engine has been Lutz as much of this cars roots go back to the C7 as it originally was the Mid Engine car till it was slowed while GM worked their way out of Chapter 11 and settled for a more advanced C7 Front engine and move the mid engine back to the C8 when things were more stable. In other words GM profits are better to fund such a program.
It won’t be a C8, it will be a stand alone.
FYI in these photos keep in mind that they were taken from nearly a mile a way as reported.
The cars in the photo are just chase cars not bench mark cars. There were aerial photos taken of the building at the proving grounds where this car operated out of at night and it has been show to be holding Ferrari’s and even a Mclaren.
In other words the bench marks are top sports and super cars not the V Series and the C7.
Also note too that there is no production body shown here other than maybe a door at best? Industry watchers said most of this car is camo and non production parts other than the greenhouse.
At least you can use the C7 for size comparisons. By the size and look the Malibu from a couple years ago spotted in NYC/Jersey looks like it may really have been an early mule for this car and a easter egg they put out there for the true believers.
For those who do not recall a new Malibu was spotted with a engine in the back seat with Corvette rear tires and emblem on the back sporting Ferrari tail lamps. The car was white and it used all new C7 parts like the wheels. Also the nose was opened up for more cooling.
Many dismissed it as a prank but if it was someone went to a lot of work with some very expensive parts on a brand new Malibu to make a joke.
GM has done this often with the C6 under a Camaro body and even the new C7 under the C6 body.
Do you have a link to that Malibu sighting?
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/09/either-this-is-the-corvette-zora-chassis-mule-or-an-epic-ruse-spy-shots/
Also here is a quote from Lutz on the mid engine back when the C7 was being started.
C/D: How good do you think the mid-engine Corvette is going to be?
BL: I think they would unquestionably do a good job with it. Actually, the C7 was going to be mid-engine. The reason Tadge Juechter wanted to do it is because you get to a certain limit of how much power you can put down with the engine in the front, and Tadge showed us simulations to where you could go to 700 horsepower and 750 horsepower and it wasn’t going to do any good. To get the power down, a rear-mid-engine formula is really good. Tadge said, “I can’t do a good car if you don’t let me go mid-engine.” His mid-engine budget got canceled and they said, “Tadge, you’re going to have to do it and you don’t have the budget for a mid-engine car.” So after about a three-day sulk, he was told, do another front mid-engine. The issue was, to get the weight distribution we needed, the engine had to be moved back and you couldn’t do it with an X-shaped hydroformed frame. The solution, why the C7 is so good and why it is getting the power down, is because they added two inches of wheelbase and they were able to get the engine more towards the back. And it’s a lighter engine. Anyway, we should talk about Via . . .
Like I said the Mid engine was in the works 8 years ago or better but not enough money. They did not toss out anything and kept this on the shelf till there was money.
Note the car in the link is for sure a rear engine car and at the time this was done all the parts and he Bu were brand new cars in 2014.
Note the Corvette guys have dropped hints before for fun. Hence the crossed flags.
Here is where the car is on the proving grounds bench marked to Ferrari and Mclaren
http://blog.caranddriver.com/c8-in-2018-the-latest-on-the-mid-engine-chevrolet-corvette/
Building or area 54 as it is called.
Here is the idea JDN has for Cadillac halo
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/11/cadillac-president-johan-de-nysschen-envisions-his-idea-of-a-future-cadillac-halo-vehicle/
As for any Corvette based Sports car JDN said 2025
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/01/cadillac-still-busy-defining-its-flagship-vehicle/
Most of this info is clearly on the web and much of it has been re posted here at one time or another.
If you follow the reports you would have a general idea what is going on. I hold no crystal ball. Just a little inside knowledge of how GM works and creditable reports that have leaked.
How do we know we are not looking at the often rumored Cadillac roadster. Even though cadillac has said a car like that is not in the cards till maybe the mid 2020s, I don’t trust anything I hear anymore. If it indeed is a new Corvette, I would gladly welcome back the round taillights as I am not a fan of the current Vetts taillights.
Well it think the evidence of what we have found easily point to a Corvette. As of now Chevy is in pretty good shape and have most of their cars competitive or close to competitive.
Right now Cadillac still needs a larger sedan and or coupe. They also need to revamp the CTS and ATS yet as well they continue to work on several CUV models. Lets put it simple Cadillac plate is full with the volume profit cars and right now a low volume high priced sports car is just not as important as getting the rest of the line up right.
Also with the mule photos we have like this one and the Holden Ute Mule the car is clearly at this point a hard top or targa at best.
Right now the year 2025 sounds as plausible as any for a Cadillac halo sports car. I suspect they first will do a smaller less expensive higher volume sports car with front engine. Something more like BMW is doing now. There is more money in that and the image is just as good.
100 percent agreed on them needing the larger sedan.
My money’s on it being a Cadillac! Remember, GM invested $12,000,000,000 into the brand to fund new models by 2020. A Cadillac supercar would really help pull attention to the brand (especially from the younger crowd), and it makes FAR more sense for a six-figure mid-engined supercar to come from a luxury automaker.
The test mule could easily have C7 visual components slapped onto it and camouflaged to try and fool people, and potentially cover any production bits and pieces that may lie underneath. The last test mule we saw looked like a Holden Ute with a Corvette midsection, or at least rooftop. Corvette parts are probably the most aerodynamic GM has, so it makes a lot of sense to use them in testing before using a production body.
As for GM’s investment into the Corvette facility, perhaps that’s where they will manufacture the Cadillac supercar. Better to fit it into an existing facility than make an entire new one just for a single low-volume vehicle. The facility already makes performance cars, so it would make sense. It’s possible the Corvette team is leading the development of the Caddy supercar while the main Cadillac team concentrates mostly on volume models. The Corvette team can do what it does best: performance. Cadillac can take care of the luxury and design work.
I agree Cadillac needs volume models, but they also need to show the world that they actually exist. As lovely as the XT5 and CT6 are, the V models are what pull in the most attention and get all of the YouTube views. GM’s $12,000,000,000 investment into the brand needs to be about more than just filling the lineup with crossovers. Improving the brand’s image is just as important, perhaps even more important, than adding new models. It’s no secret Cadillac sales aren’t stellar. What’s the point of adding 11 new models by 2020 if no one’s going to buy them? A mid-engine supercar will do more to help Cadillac’s image than any number of crossovers and sedans they add to their lineup.
Chris, I completely agree that this is a Cadillac being developed. I expect a Corvette version also but the Cadillac will be first.
A mid-engined supercar makes more sense as a Cadillac anyway. It will be difficult for Chevrolet to sell anything in the $200K range.
The one problem is all the work Cadillac needs yet and that $12 Billion has many other more important volume profit centers to go than a low volume low profit sports car.
Cadillac is in greater need of the CT8 and related models. They also need to revamp the ATS and CTS yet. The number of unreleased CUV and SUV models will eat up much of the money.
Cadillac has never been a sports car company and is not know for sports cars or much success with them. That is not to say that they will enter this segment at some point but with so much unfinished business on the core product I think JDN’s Statement that they could not get to a mid engine sports car till no sooner than 2025 is about right.
Also JDN made it clear what he would like to see them go after for an Halo car in the short term and it was not the small car.
On the other hand Chevy is pretty much caught up and who at GM has more connection with a mid engine sports car than Chevy?
Cadillac is working to sell luxury sport sedans and SUV models. A mid engine sports car would do little to fix their image right now. The best investment is to make the core product best in class no matter what it is up against in class. That is what fixes images.
Keep in mind others in class built their images not on sports cars but sedans and coupes. BMW was built on the back of the 3 series. Benz on their sedans in several classes. Audi on the A3-A5. While they have offered sports cars they only enhanced the image the others cars built.
The world will know Cadillac exist as they continue to improve the brand. This is not something that will happen over night. Nor has Cadillac even released a JDN product yet as we are just now 2 years in on programs that take 5 years to make happen.
One has to keep in mind Sports cars do not save companies. They can enhance a company if they have their collective S&*T together. Cadillac is just now getting that together. Once the product is in place then a sports car could help enhance the company.
We only need to look to the past where the Allante and the XLR came and while they drew attention neither saved Cadillac with their sales and the product they drew attention to was still lacking and did not gain any benefit.
Right now the ATS and CTS are getting the quick fix items but there is still much to do and a revamp will do that.
Note too that the increased profits from these better cars will pay for the low volume sports car and help support it. Other wise the low volume car will result in a shot life and under developed like the XLR.
I want to see a sports car as much as anyone but we need to realize that there is much more important things that need to be done and that one sports car is not going to save them. Plus $12 Billions does not go as far as it once did.
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/01/15/cadillac-boss-says-supercar-will-come/
See you in 2025 at Cadillac
Please stop the “mid engine” confusion. Either the engine is ahead of the passenger cabin (front engine) or behind it (rear engine). There is no “mid engine” unless it is next to the driver.
Sorry but mid engine is the accepted terminology in the industry.
Now if you really want to get anal you can break it down to more detail that the industry does.
Front engine is over or in front of the front suspension center line
Rear engine is on or behind the rear axles centerline.
Mid engine is accepted as being behind the front axle centerline or in front of the rear axle centerline. Once is call front mid engine and the other can be broken down to rear mid engine.
Ray sorry but your terminology why physically correct is not the accepted definition in the automotive field. You can spit in the wind on this but we all know what that leads to. Need a towel?