Customers in right-hand-drive markets such as the U.K., Australia, and Japan have two less-than-ideal options if they want to drive the Chevrolet Corvette in their home countries: drive a factory left-hand-drive example as-is, putting up with all the awkwardness that this involves, or pay a large chunk of cash to have an example converted to right-hand-drive. Needless to say, both options have their drawbacks.
But Chevrolet could, in theory, alleviate the pain of RHD-market buyers by offering the forthcoming Chevrolet Corvette C8 in both configurations, and in fact, we’ve heard whispers that the automaker is fixing to do just that, making the mid-engine Corvette available in right-hand-drive from the factory. Today, neither the Corvette nor the Camaro is available in RHD from the factory, effectively forfeiting numerous markets while the LHD/RHD Ford Mustang sells in droves, even achieving the status of “best-selling sports coupe in the world” in recent years (per Ford Authority).
2016 Ford Mustang in right-hand-drive configuration. Photo: Ford
True, the Mustang and the Corvette aren’t exactly direct competitors, and that will be even more the case with the arrival of the more expensive mid-engine Corvette, but even still, some number of Mustang buyers in international markets might gladly trade in their pony cars for Chevrolet’s sporty two-seater.
The C8 generation might even prove an ideal candidate for a factory right-hand-drive configuration, due to its rear-mid-engine layout. With less stuff up front under the hood, there’s less to get in the way of the steering shaft, so changing up the packaging to put the wheel on the right side of the cockpit should be less of a challenge than in a conventional front-engine car. When Ford first introduced the 2016 Ford Mustang GT in right-hand drive, the car was down some 20 horsepower on the North American version as a result of Ford having to redesign the exhaust to accommodate the steering equipment.
Stay tuned for all the latest mid-engine Corvette news.
Comments
A clean sheet design from the ground up. No hard points or structurally integral parts that get in the way. There shouldn’t be a single good excuse, only bad and lame excuses the come down to penny pinching.
If the 911 that sells in lower volumes can offer RHD, and the Mustang that sells in higher volumes can offer RHD, then GM doesn’t have any excuse not to.
Why is this question even being asked?
Yes it will be when it hits the global market.
Converting a mid engine is so much easier to RHD than nearly any other car.
The C7 would have been an expensive process to engineer and build in low numbers. E,I i are the the drivetrain up front you have tons of room work with at minimal expense.
Why ? Because GM tries to give up their global market even GM authority know that…
Take it from an Australian, This is so STUPID !!!
It’s time to give the Great American Military a Great American Mission – to invade and conquer all RHD markets, with sickening force to match the amazing stupidity of keeping this ancient tradition going for no reason at all.
Let’s have Jim Mattis present plans to invade Australia, invade Britain, invade Malaysia (that one will actually be difficult), invade Japan, Cyprus, and the most wicked RHD enemy of all, the Isle of Man. We will have American boots on the ground to patrol every street, every highway, every London Mews, to ensure pacification to the left side for the wheel.
On the other hand, these countries could do it like Sweden in 1967. “Dagen H day” happened at midnight, everybody had to just cross the road, y’know, like the chicken. Most Swedes got drunk for the occasion…
Just think if politicians spent their time working on this stuff, so American car makers can waste less money on stupid government regulations, because which side the country drives on is a regulation, uh huh. But no, instead the politicians waste all their time on blaming abuse victims for making SCOTUS nominees sob-n-wail like crybabies without their dummy in their mouth. Whaaaaaaaaa, whaaaaaaaa, whaaaaaa, gimme my SCOTUS gown NOWWWWW !!!
Despite the Mustang being the “best-selling sports coupe in the world”, there are probably more non-V8 than there are V8 sales…Some areas have their own gas guzzler type of taxes as well…I’m sure it’ll be desirable, though…