Some Corvette fans were, understandably, a bit upset when they learned that their traditionally front-engine sports car would switch to a mid-engine layout in an attempt to woo younger customers and raise the nameplate’s performance yardstick.
While the mid-engine layout of the new Corvette C8 should help Chevrolet get younger buyers in the car and help it beat the likes of Porsche and Ferrari on the race track, it’s a massive change that does represent a major departure from all Corvettes that preceded it.
If you find yourself among the folks who wish the Corvette C8 would have been front-engine, then this digital rendering is for you. It was done up by amateur artist J.B. Cars and takes the front and rear ends of the Corvette C8 and sticks them on the front-engine body of the Corvette C7.
The result is a little awkward-looking, but it does give us a rough idea of what the Corvette C8 may have looked like if General Motors didn’t decide to go the mid-engine route.
It’s also quite interesting to see that the front and rear fascia from the Corvette C8 wouldn’t look entirely out of place on a front-engine vehicle. The unchanged side profile from the Corvette C7 is what gives this digital mock-up a bit of an odd appearance, in our opinion, but it’s otherwise quite well done.
Let us know what you think of this front engine Corvette C8 rendering in the comments below.
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Source: J.B. Cars on Instagram
Comments
Have to remember that it looks awkward because the artist was trying to push a square peg through a round hole in the mock up. The design elements from the C8 would have transitioned over to a Front-Engine very well IMO. The rear shot looks sharp utilizing the new tail lights. The rear quarter panel where it meets the door needs more love, but like I said Square Peg Round Hole.
Chevrolet could consider using this as a potential starting point for their next generation Camaro.. just morph in some style cues of the Camaro into this rendering and the job is complete.
Chevy would never had done this.
Forcing mid engine styling onto the C7 platform is just the lazy way to do styling.
I really like the “front engine” rendering much better than the current mid-engine design. The front-engine design looks much sleeker, longer and more proportionate & stable to the ground…Just my opinion.
If the size of the air intakes on the rear quarter panels were reduced about 40% and the rear spoiler removed and replaced with a very small lip spoiler with no gap to the bodywork, I’d say it would pass the appearance judges.
I definitely prefer it, to what the 2020 looks like.
Back in the 50”s and 60’s, If GM made it, the Country bought it…no questions asked. GM had the home court advantage back then, and they had great designers, along with a Huge Share of the Market…
I’m not one of those, that was against the C8 Corvette, but I did, and still do Agree with those in the Auto Industry, that feel the C7 should have continued, for at least three more years, along side the C8, possibly under another name ( Super Vette orEuto Vette?? )
Now, we will just have to see, if the younger buyer has the ability to step up to the Chevy Plate, and put
their money where their mouth is $$…Their has been so much talk, about the average age, of a C7 Corvette buyer…what’s the average age of a Ferrari buyer, the Maserati buyer, the Porsche buyer??
Yep, I’m a front engine, rear wheel drive guy, who has a passion and respect, for the C7 Corvette, and I’m looking forward to purchasing one of the last ‘Corvette Classics’…
Wow I like it a lot ! Now that I would buy !!! It flows a lot better than mid engine thing. Just my opinion.
I actually love this rendering of what the front engine version would have looked like…I still believe they should have both and the Corvette should have always been a separate brand at GM and have all kinds of vehicles even SUV’s…
Love it.
SOOOO much better than the actual C8.
Mid-engine cars are awful. Proportions are all wrong.
Love it.
SOOOO much better than the actual C8.
Mid-engine cars are awful. Proportions are all wrong.
This drawing and the C8
This might not be the prettiest thing (not even close), but I like the idea. The C8 is a great car but NOTHING AT ALL about it screams corvette. First they decide that the corvette has to be a supercar and therefore mid engine, no manual. What next, V12? Back when Zora`s time, the corvette was just a 2 seat muscle car. back then, better handling (i.e. mid engine layout) would do it good. once the c4 came around, the corvette started earning its reputation of leaving mid engine and rear engine cars in the dust. Therefore, the reason is lost that the corvette should go mid engine. If there shouldbe a mid engine corvette, it should at least take some design cues fo the classics, or at least 4 round tail lights.
What I think the C8 should be like
First of all, this is NOT a prediction. OK, so if the C8 were to be front engine, I would start with the C7. The C8s dct would be optional with 6 speed manual standard. All models would get RWD and AWD modes (Z06 would be AWD only). Ive heard the C8s dampers are even better than the ones in the C7 Z06 Z07, so that would be included in the Z51. Z51 would also include a black blade spoiler, bigger brakes and wheels, and extra 10hp. There would be 2 engine options in the stingray, LT2 (376) and a 580hp 427 (427). There would also be 2 heritage packs available on the stingray, ’63 on the 376 and ’67 on the 427. The heritage editions would not be equiped with Z51, but Z51 suspension would be optional.
The ’63 would include a split rear window (for the coupe), wheels kind of like those found on the 1963 stingray, a special retro interior, and ’63 edition badges. The ’67 editin would include chrome sidepipes, the original hood scoop, special interior, big chrome 5 spokes, and ’67 edtion badges.
The vehicle would have circlar LED tail lights, headlights like the C7s but they bent sideways like on the f12 tdf but more exagerated. Behined the bent part would be vents, eack facing the same wayas the bent part of the light. The backwards side scoops would be larger than those on the C7 and more like those on the c6 All models except for ’67 would have hood scoop like that on the 2009 ZR1. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/147281850290609405/ link to vette with side scoops I liked.
GS would be a very track oriented model with no AWD and a 670hp 427. Z06 would basically be an AWD version of the C7 ZR1 (non ZTK) but with the styling I described before and all of the spioler bodycolor except for the upright side parts. Z07 would get stiffer springs, big wing, and other more track oriented equipment. ZR1 would be more of the cruiser/Super GT. It would get an 800hp 6.2L SC V8 and really luxurios interior, no wing.
I will add another comment on some other details later. Please, tell me what you think via reply.
Maybe also a C1 styled ‘corvette classic’ with 3 engine options 3.6L v6 (blue flame), 5.3L v8 (V8), and 400hp 5.7L v8 (SS350).
A miata rivaling li’l ray would be cool to with a 260hp SS.