An odd-looking Porsche 911 prototype was recently spotted testing in Germany, leading some to suggest that Stuttgart is developing a new, rugged model variant of the popular sports car. If this is indeed the case, if begs the question – should Chevy follow suit with a ruggedized variant of the Corvette?
Let’s start by checking out the prototype Porsche 911. Spotted near the infamous Nurburgring racetrack, this particular prototype appears to be equipped with a raised suspension, greater ground clearance, taller tires, and flared wheel arches. While the ‘Ring might seem like a strange place to test the off-roading variant of any vehicle, odds are an off-roader 911 would still spend most of its life on paved roads anyway, and should still have the sporting credentials required of the Porsche 911 nameplate. There’s some heritage to point to here as well, specifically the 911 Safari, the rough-and-ready racer that competed in off-road events like the Paris-Dakar Rally in the late ‘70s.
Which brings us to Chevrolet. There’s no doubt that off-road models are as popular as ever these days, with a long list of trail-ready vehicles on offer across the crossover, SUV, and pickup truck segments. The recently introduced GMC Sierra AT4X and Chevy Silverado ZR2 certainly come to mind. So then – what about a ruggedized Chevy Corvette?
The nameplate has already evolved massively with the introduction of the mid-engine C8, and rumor has it a further evolution is in store down the road. Way back in 2018, GM Authority captured a potential Corvette crossover undergoing testing, while in September of January of 2020, we risked backlash from the purists by publishing renderings of what a Corvette SUV might look like like. Early this year, rumor that GM was working on an all-electric Corvette crossover once again rekindled the rather controversial subject.
So then, we want to know – do you think Chevy should offer a more rugged version of the Corvette? Tell us by voting in the poll below, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Corvette news, Chevy news, GM-related competition news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Stick with the trucks . That porsche is so ugly they need a gimmick to sell them !
I agree with you to a point. But for Porsche would a 911 like this be more livable for a potential buyer who could drive this kind of 911 all year round. Maybe taking sales from Audi or bmw?
Once I saw the Blazer returning, my immediate thought was Chevrolet really needs another crossover? Ford was spot on with bringing back the Bronco in it’s true form. Now that the Blazer is milk toast, why not a ZR2 option? Beef up the suspension, oversize tires, supercharged V/6. Ford did screw-up the Mustang nameplate with the Mach-E. Corvette needs to stay a true Haylo sportscar vehicle. Electrification downstream, I’m sure it’s already in prototype build running @ Milford.
Milquetoast perhaps?
For the first time in decades a sports car gets taller profile tires and increased ground clearance instead of tires so thin that they look like they painted part of the wheel.
This would be totally needed with the quality of roads we have now. Cars with 20, 25 and 30 series tires are blowing tires and rims like crazy.
I would definitely buy a C8 with taller tires and more ground clearance. And let’s not forget a smoother ride.
Sure raise it 8 inches and put a winch on the front and rear, FOOLS!!!
No, no, no, leave the C8 alone. I like just as it is.
People already use there Porsche In rally events and take them up snow mountains they aren’t cheap crap like the US makes.
There is no reason to off road a Corvette.
Porsche does this be cause they don’t sell trucks and don’t already have extensive lines of SUV models like Chevy does.
GM has the ZR2, Tahoe, and even the Hummer to choose from to race or sell a performance version.
Slapping the Corvette name on a Traverse is not building a Corvette.
Getting greedy like this would damage the Vette name and Image. Corvette is a model not a brand. The Porsche SUV is not a 911 it is a Porsche brand model.
Corvette is a sports car and really needs to focus on road racing vs rally.
Don’t think you can call it a suv vette but just vette DNA with its own name. Then use the platform for other lesser SUV’s. You talk as if it wouldn’t sell. Let me tell you it would sell. Name it Chevrolet Sawback
Porsche used these in the Dakar Rally and world rally at times. The 911 really was not that far from the VW roots so it was not a difficult transition.
Today Porsche needs a SUV for volume as they can’t flood the market with cheap 911 models. They tried that and it failed.
Chevy has a long line of SUV models and they can just use the SS name for the same effect or Tahoe SS tuned by team Corvette.
I think Porsche is doing this to remonstrate their rally 911 car of years ago. Don’t remember the events, but the Safari Rally (with Rothmans sponsorship) comes to mind. Porsche uses the 911 to demonstrate its engineering stature. Not sure that GM has that to lean on.
I thought that too but why have it on the ring? Well I guess it wasn’t on the ring but near the ring
Terrible idea. It is wonderful Chevy is competing with the 911 more so than ever but they don’t need every sub-model like the 911 with the Vette. Does not make sense and just because someone else can do something does not mean you should do it too.
Yeah, leave the Corvette alone. Gm finally got it right after the first attempt at a mid-engine Vette in 30-40 years since their first concept model. To all you Vette lovers out there bask in your glory: Porsche already has new ice models for sale that will be addressing the current Corvette superiority. Porsche can’t afford to lose this battle. I do admit that it is time to do something with the that antiquated 911. You could only put so much horsepower into that old design. I guess that a 911 would make for a good “mudder “ race car. It is the Cayman that will be the Vette killer. Before you crucify my text, go online to Porsche USA website and check out the new 500 Hp Cayman. There is an even quicker one that isn’t available yet. You can’t beat a Vette for the bang for the buck, but you can’t beat a Porsche except in a straight line drag race. EV models don’t count
They will have to “follow” That’s all GM knows how to do.
I think Porsche needs to focus on changing their design that has looked the same for the last 100 years!
… it is called ‘Ethernal Optimization’… but at end whatever they modify, it is ever the same, which sells
Being trendy is never a good thing, let alone a great thing.
I think all Corvettes should never be compared with a VW Beetle Porsche 911 ancient concept because the Porsche 911 is technically ancient!
A jacked-up sports car like the Porsche Beetle 911 will allegedly soon be available from Lamborghini as Sterrato. Off-road is probably a strange trend now with sports cars? Any tuner can render and build something like that! New trend for SEMA SHOW 2022!
Would an SAV with the Corvette brand be possible? YES! See example!
SAV from sports car brands such as Lamborghini Ursus and soon Ferrari are a possibility for a Corvette EV SAV. Now that the Corvette C8 Z06 with the LT6 engine is known, these brands should also be seen as direct competitors for Corvette!
Porsche should leave making tacky looking cars to the Americans they’re much better at that sort of thing. Nothing worse than taking a beautiful car and turning it into something designed by the matchbox company and making it attractive for 7 year olds.
I like the concept, since I’ve always been more of a GT guy than a sports car guy, but they should do something different with the styling so it doesn’t just look like an ugly 911.
Porsche had made the best-looking 911 Turbon a little while ago then killed it. It was the one with vents on each wheel. Now it looks like a plastic smoothie. Uninteresting. So no, don’t copy them.
They’re going to count real fast.