When Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette at long last reaches the market, it could compete directly with the blisteringly-fast Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S; new spy photographs depict three of GM’s camouflage-toting RMR Corvettes in a convoy on public roads with a 911 Turbo S in tow. Like the ‘Vettes, the Porsche wore a manufacturer’s plate on the rear, suggesting that General Motors has acquired the twin-turbocharged, rear-engine Porsche coupe for the purposes of benchmarking its own exotic, super-high-performance sportscar against it.
Road & Track published the spy photos, noting that benchmarking the forthcoming mid-engine Corvette against some of Porsche’s finest seems to fit with an established pattern; it is known that GM purchased Porsche 911s in the past to test previous versions of the Chevrolet Corvette against. Despite historically having engines installed at opposite ends of the vehicle, the two are natural rivals as both have been in continuous production for more than half-a-century, and each is the most famous and iconic performance sportscar from its respective manufacturer.
Granted, the forthcoming mid-engine Corvette is expected to cost less than half what the Porsche 911 Turbo S costs – according to some projections, far less, with Automobile speculating the new halo car could start as low as $65k. The fire-breathing hunk of metal that will sit behind the driver is still shrouded in mystery, but many suspect that a new, dual-overhead-cam V8 dubbed “LT5” could be in the works.
Regardless, if GM is indeed ensuring that its mid-engine Corvette can keep pace with the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo S, it ought to be a monster of a performance machine.
Comments
Also at the proving grounds they had a Ferrari and Mclaren. They were spotted outside the building the Vette team uses.
That one picture on the R&T website looking at the front 3/4 of the car is deadly. That’s the best view of the car by far so far….. looks amazing
You can actually see part of it in one of the photos posted earlier this week.
The truth is Porsche has bought a good number of Corvettes over the years too.
Back in the old SCCA Escort show room stock racing days they used to get one nearly each year to figure out how they were getting beat.
This is so cool, when anyone thinks Corvette they naturally think mid engine super car. Will there be a GMC version?
“This is so cool, when anyone thinks Corvette they naturally think mid engine super car.”
They’re about to think of the Corvette as a mid-engine supercar…
…and so will you.
Too bad that it will never be a direct competitor (in spirit) to the Porsche 911 Turbo S. One is a Porsche while the other is a Chevrolet. The difference is night and day between branding.
You are the kind of idiot who would jump off a bridge if someone told you to do it.
Dont you expect you t understand that though…
Well, well, well, we got ourselves a keyboard gangster that doesn’t know me at all but will try to make an assumption about me.
Next time kid, use your words in a meaningful way like countering my view point and telling me your opinion. Only then will you be able to sit in the big boy table.
Why would the C8 not be a direct competitor to a Porsche? Cost? Performance? Status?
Status, like he said one is a Porsche and one is a chevy. Also cost it will probably cost half as much…. doesn’t sound like a direct competitor to me.
Reg: “expected to cost less than half what the Porsche 911 Turbo S costs – according to some projections, far less,” _ Really! Not likely. The price will be commensurate with the build cost. GM can’t slash thousands of dollars from the cost of the build, let alone ignore development costs which will have too be amortized to some degree. Get real and cut the specious unfounded noise on the cost of the new Mid-engine Vette.
Reg: “expected to cost less than half what the Porsche 911 Turbo S costs – according to some projections, far less,” _
There are Two Types of People in this World.
No. 1 _ Those Who Can Extrapolate from Incomplete Data
If the mid engine corvette has this kind of performance and is has a similar price point to what the current corvette does now with a little increase!
The i think current corvette owners will have no problems sliding into a c8
Chevrolet is using the Porsche 911 Turbo S as their benchmark for the C8 Corvette and this tells everyone that from Day One out of the showroom, the C8 Corvette is a beast and will challenge for the throne as the world’s best.