Certain Chevrolet fans had long been urging the automaker to pull the trigger on a production mid-engine Corvette, with Zora Arkus-Duntov – the late, great father of the sports car – pushing for such a vehicle during his tenure at General Motors.
Chevy listened to fans and is currently reaping the rewards, with the mid-engine Corvette C8 generating a ton of hype online and a staggering amount of interest and orders – the first of which are being delivered.
That said, there are still many Corvette fans who wish the vehicle stuck with its front-engine layout. As impressive as the mid-engine Vette is, it’s hard to blame these enthusiasts. After all, the Corvette has been front-engined since its inception and we all know that major changes such as this can be hard for many to accept.
So, how would the Corvette C8 have looked if it did stay front-engine? YouTuber and digital rendering artist TheSketchMonkey recently sought to answer that question, rendering a front-engine Corvette C8 for his viewers in a recent video.
TheSketchMonkey’s front-engine Corvette C8 retains the same front and rear fascias as the production mid-engine model and features a similar window cutout shape. The big differences are in the overall profile of the vehicle. Mid-engine vehicles have more of a cab-forward design, so the theoretical front-engine Corvette C8’s cabin is positioned more rearward, giving it a longer nose. The rear side intake vents have also been tossed out, as they aren’t needed to cool the engine any longer. That said, the front-engine Corvette C7 had intake vents mounted on the tops of the rear fenders, which helped to cool the transmission and differential.
It’s worth pointing out that GM Authority also took a crack at rendering a front-engine Corvette C8. Our rendering used the Corvette C7 body as a basis and featured the same front and rear fascias from the Corvette C8, along with the mid-engine sports car’s new five-spoke wheels.
Check out TheSketchMonkey’s video embedded below to see his creative process in rendering his rehashed Corvette C8.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette news, Chevrolet news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
They both look good! It would be nice if Chevrolet offered both styles a’la Ferrari. Especially if they intend to move Corvette to more of a sub brand.
I personally like the front engine design better! though I will say it is very close to the last generation C7, albeit more Aston Martin like. Honestly, cant go wrong with any corvette from any generation IMHO.
I’d have to agree, the F engine layout, perhaps is more conventional to the eye, thus more pleasing, but its great looking. Nice work. I think the Middie is simply insane, can’t wait till I can order one…
I am in the camp that thought and wished for two Corvettes: A midship engineed Corvette Zora and a traditionally-configured Corvette Stingray. I’d still like to see that although obviously it isn’t going to happen.
While technically and from a performance capability standpoint, the C8 may represent an advancement, it has lost the stunning design Corvettes were once known for. The C2 and C3 are miles ahead of the C8 in terms of looks. Like most mid-engineed cars, the C8 lacks beautiful proportions.
I’d love to see a modern Corvette that is stunning to behold again as the C2 and C3 were in their day and continue to be to this day.
Totally agree… 2 Vettes in the sub-brand could have been a game changer… They need to do the Vette Mako SUV as well… (I named it Mako.. 🙂 )
Would they sell enough to justify two models? The mid engine is superior in every way performance wise, so if we just get one, say goodbye to front engine.
Tell that to Porsche… once a single model company and now…. there is no reason Corvette should not become a brand in and of itself spawning other models. Many other brands have gone from one vehicle or vehicle class/style and added models. The brand has such global recognition. The profit margin on the C7 was staggering and there is no reason, other than Typhoid Mary and her EV Fantasy, where every nickel has to go to this potential market, that this shouldn’t be totally explored. I think they should at least try… But that could be the Boomer in me trying to capture my lost youth… or your arrogant Millennialist
witlessness…
4sport SUV (with makoshark, manta ray, and E-ray trims), Stingray (with only 396, 427, and GrandSport), and zora (with Z51, Z06, and Zr1 trims). Good?
Love the front engine. Do both. They should have thought of it themselves!
Would they sell enough to justify two models? The mid engine is superior in every way performance wise, so if we just get one, say goodbye to front engine.
keep the c7 as is but replace the interior with the c8’s. i’d go for that.
I also like the front engine better.
HMMM. I wonder why they did ask for a reader survey this time.
Maybe afraid they would loose the vote this time.
I wonder if the Front Engine enthusiasts are the same ones that bemoaned the loss of round tail lights?
I am both
I expected the C8 to cost a lot more than it does. If it had, they should have offered two models, the front engine model being a refreshed C7. But priced as the C8 is, there is no need for two models.
I hope the Corvette design team reads these comments. Our contributors make a solid case for a front engine car and I agree. The mid engine C-8 lacks the beauty we have associated with the car for over 60 years.
IMO A front engine Vette could be offered under a Vette sub-brand with rwd only and available manual transmission.
GM sought out AM General, LLC to acquire the HUMMER brand because they were not configured to build anything under 40,000 per year economically (profitably) because they are a volume manufacturer.
That said, does anyone really believe splitting Corvette into two “divisions” could possibly make sense?
GM is not a specialty vehicle manufacturer. They would have to sublet production like they did with AMG.
Now, that said, maybe a case could be made for that– electric Corvette??????
No doubt, a front engine Corvette borrowing C8 styling cues would make it a popular car; but one would need to remember that the problems that the C7 experienced would exist in this car as getting traction would never match that of the mid-engine C8 which means with equal power, the C8 Corvette would still leave a front-engine C8 in the dust.
AWD? I am willing to pay the price of performance, if they could make a truly beautiful (DBS Superlagera levels of beautiful) front engine vette. V8 soundtrack, 7 speed manual, hatchbach-fastback-targa, you have my money.
How much money did your mommy give you?
If chevy stayed in the low end segment in the 60s instead of moving upmarket (which many blame the ‘vette for), chevy would still need performance cars. I guess they could do Chevrolet Performance dealerships, taking lightweight basic cars and putting bigger engines in them. Affordable performance. They would sell SSs, Zs, and Vettes. In this scenario, Vettes and other performance chevys would have their own sub brand, allowing for mid engine and front engine Vettes. An idea that would make building a mid engine corvette easier, would be baseing it off of a corvair, but lengthening the wheelbase so that the engine could be more twards the front. One of zora`s ideas was to make a rear engined vette. He and his team made a few prototypes, (complete with corvair engines) but it never got farther than that. If this happened, than there would be a possibility that Pontiac and Olds would still exist. Chevy would be at the low end, making cheap, affordable cars. Pontiac would build cars like modern day LT/LTZ/Premier/High country chevys. Olds would have similar interior quality to modern caddilac, but instead of trying to be more german than the germans (like caddilac today), they would simply focus on being a distinctly american luxury car maker. Caddilac would be a true low volume exotic-american-luxury car maker.
With a V16 mid engine ultra luxury halo car.