GM unveiled the mid-engine Corvette C8 for the 2020 model year, making a giant leap in terms of performance and engineering for the iconic sports car nameplate. However, according to former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz, The General had actually approved the development of a production-spec mid-engine Corvette as far back as 2007.
In a recent interview with The Detroit News and “Car Radio with Henry Payne,” Lutz discusses GM’s earlier intentions to move the Corvette’s engine behind the cabin.
According to Lutz, the idea centered around whether or not GM “had the money.” The former GM exec states that, at the time, the mid-engine Corvette design was “smoother” and more “angular” than the current mid-engine Corvette C8, something akin to a Ferrari or McLaren. However, Lutz says the program was canned “because it was an all-new architecture, came up to around $900 million. Well, when bankruptcy was imminent, chapter 11 was imminent, a lot of programs had to be stricken, and that was one of them.”
As a result GM, opted to reduce the Corvette capital investment budget to basically “zero” and continue to produce the C6 Corvette for “quite a while longer.” Lutz continues by saying that once additional funds were available to once again develop the Corvette, the C7 came out with a longer wheelbase “for better balance.” Lutz calls the C7 a “similar, but much more-capable car than the C6.”
C7 Corvette left, C8 Corvette right.
Following the traditional pattern of model releases for the C7 Corvette, from the base model, to the Z06, to the Grand Sport, to the ZR1, GM finally got around to releasing the mid-engine Corvette C8. However, if funding didn’t dry up, Lutz estimates that a mid-engine Corvette may have been released as early as 2011 or 2012.
Of course, it bears mentioning that the essential idea of mid-engine Corvette is certainly much older than all of this, with decades of history to point to, all the way back to the “Father of the Corvette,” Zora Arkus-Duntov. Even so, it’s interesting to think about what may have been had GM escaped bankruptcy.
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Comments
Must be a slow news day. This is really old news.
Many may not remember the new Malibu that had the Corvette drive train in the back seat the Vette team used for testing. It had corvette wheels in the rear and Ferrari tail lamps and drove it around NYC.
That was a big hint at what was coming but few picked up on it.
https://www.autos.ca/general-news/spied-malibu-bodied-corvette-badged-test-mule/attachment/chevrolet-malibu-corvette/
Phony… Non-manufacturer tags, GM certainly wouldn’t stick a Corvette badge on a car with camo!
Along with all of the mules testing in Australia. If the C7 was the first gen no telling what the C8 could have been by now.
wonder if they would have gotten the cooling thing worked out on Z06’s with the rear engine instead?
My father worked at Chevrolet Engineering in the COPO department during the 1960s and early 1970s. COPO would often receive orders from Chevrolet dealers for non-standard combinations of options on passenger cars and trucks for evaluation and approval if possible. About once or twice a year, a request would come in for a mid-engine Corvette. It was always good for a few laughs.
I worked on the C8 before and after the bankruptcy. Before it was canceled because of bankruptcy the C8 was completely packaged, all the engines were set up even the Z06, and Eray, plus a dual turbocharged variant. when it came back online we were pricing out parts and fine-tuning the packaging. The car was fully designed inside and out when I retired on the last day of 2013. My take on this. The C8 has to have had the longest development time of any car GM has ever come out with and that’s why it has been such a great car.
Zora Arkus-Duntov is not the Father of the Corvette, Harley Earl is.
Zora did not become an employee of GM/Chevrolet until May 1, 1953, well after the introduction of Corvette on January 17, 1953.
Harley Earl was Grand Marshall of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Races in September, 1951. His personal car at the time, the concept car Le Sabre was race parade car.
The Le Sabre was parked just feet front Franklin Street, where he watch the races from the seat of his Le Sabre; Jags, Healeys, BMWs, MGs, etc., all the European sports cars.
He decided then and there that America needed to have a sports car and GM needed to design and produce it. A month later, upon his return to Detroit, Harley started “Project Opel”, and the rest, as it said, is history!
Mike 8TY4SPD&MNL13GS Corvettes
Zora Arkus-Duntov was the Corvette mid-engine zealot.
I tried to edit my last comment but it would not save it so I added to it. When they say it was approved in 2007 that doesn’t mean now let’s start working on it. Before a car can get approved it has to be designed along with the pricing of the build, showing a profit, and production feasibility all the numbers have to add up, so I would say this started in 2005. I worked on the C8 before and after the bankruptcy. Before it was canceled because of bankruptcy the C8 was completely packaged, all the engines were set up even the Z06, and Eray, plus a dual turbocharged variant. when it came back online we were pricing out parts to try to save money and fine-tuning the packaging. The car was fully designed inside and out when I retired on the last day of 2013. My take on this. The C8 has to have had the longest development time of any car GM has ever come out with and that’s why it has been such a great car.
The mid engine Aerovette was also approved for production in 1977 and in the production feasibility stage when it was cancelled due to the projected costs.
There was a 2nd time in the mid 80’s when a mid engine Corvette was on the table again, during the advanced development of what would have been the next generation Fiero, which was tied into the GM-80 FWD F body program as well. It never got beyond the advanced concept proposals and it died then the next gen Fiero and FWD F-body programs were scrapped.
It would have been inspired by the Corvette Indy concept cars from 1986-87.
GM also considered putting the CERV IV concept from 1990 into production as an exotic “Super Corvette” with an over $150,000 price tag and a turbocharged LT5 DOHC V8.
The rear of the C7 Corvette in the photo looks CLEAN. The C8 rear is designed like a European car, not as appealing.