Scoop! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette is a Go

[Rob]

Scoop! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette is a Go

By Angus MacKenzie, Jonny Lieberman, Scott Evans | August 14, 2014
Motor Trend Magazine

You like rumors? Hot, hard-to-resist rumors? Here’s one to jack your blood pressure through the roof! The next Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be mid-engined. That’s right, kids! Multiple sources have told us that the next version of the Corvette ZR1 will be mid-engined. One of these sources even stated that the next-generation Corvette -- the C8 -- will ship with its engine mounted in the middle. The rendering above, by Tom Matsumoto, shows what the mid-engined Corvette could look like.

Full Story: Scoop! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette is a Go - Motor Trend

 

[Mac]

To be honest, I think GM would be better served to give a different name to a mid-engined supercar than Corvette... but there is usually one room for one halo car per company.

Hopefully this isn't just another rumour...

Mac

 

[ROCKETBLOCK]

I beg to differ with you Mr. Mac.
CORVETTE is the holy grail. A GM mid engined super/hyper car deserves nothing less than CORVETTE name. IMHO

I too, hope it is more than a rumor.

 

[Mac]

I beg to differ with you Mr. Mac.
CORVETTE is the holy grail. A GM mid engined super/hyper car deserves nothing less than CORVETTE name. IMHO

I too, hope it is more than a rumor.

Two ways to look at it, I suppose. The best of the best is the Corvette... OR Corvette tradition: front engine, rear wheel drive, two seated fun...

Mac

 

[Otter]

... OR Corvette tradition: front engine, rear wheel drive, two seated fun...

Mac

Like pop-up headlights and round tail lights?? :L j/k.

Saving my pennies, just in case, that is one sharp rendering.

 

[6 Shooter]

 

[jrose7004]

Since Zora was a mid engine car advocate, it should be called a Duntov.:stirpot

 

[Chas]

Kinda seems like it is a mid engine. ... I have 4 feet from the nose to the front of the engine block.

Just sayin.......

 

[Huskerman]

There are mid engine Corvettes racing in the Tudor series right now isn't there.....? That could be a learning platform for the coming new car.....I like the idea of a family of Corvettes....that's kinda warm and fuzzy......

 

[koolaid117]

Saw this article in Car and Driver. Now here it is on Jalopnik. It seems this might really happen. Wish I could afford it.

Here's Chevy's Plan For The Mid-Engined 2017 'Corvette Zora'

 

[Hib Halverson]

A mid-engine "supercar" Corvette, likely to be called a ZR-1, has been in the long-term plans for a while. One of my good sources told me about it about a year ago.

As the car has moved from design to development, more leaks at coming out. The program has been known inside GM as "Zora" or "the Zora" for a while.

It's obviously, going to have more power than a C7 Z06. It also going to need all-wheel drive and a lower curb weight than the somewhat portly '15 Z06.

I'm still guessing that it will have a IC engine of 400-500 horsepower driving the rear wheels and another 200-300-hp worth of electric motors driving the front wheels.

 

[Tuna]

Price? I'm going to guess the MSRP will be between $150K and $200K.

AWD with ICE driving the rear wheels and Electric driving the front.
Composite chassis to keep the weight down.

 

[kpic]

Probably dust off and tweak the CERV from the mid 1980s.

"Chevrolet built two Corvette Indy prototypes, one which was nonoperational and would make the rounds among the different auto shows and another that would be used for engineering purposes. The race-engine was ditched for a 350 cu.in. V8 engine, which was tuned in part by Lotus and later used in the production Corvette ZR-1 from 1990-1995. A prototype for the car, by now a development project for the upcoming CERV III, recorded a top speed in excess of 180 mph and a 0-60 mph of under five seconds.

Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/08/mid-engine-corvette-1986-corvette-indy-concept/#ixzz3DUZ4zveF"

 

[koolaid117]

A mid-engine "supercar" Corvette, likely to be called a ZR-1, has been in the long-term plans for a while. One of my good sources told me about it about a year ago.

As the car has moved from design to development, more leaks at coming out. The program has been known inside GM as "Zora" or "the Zora" for a while.

It's obviously, going to have more power than a C7 Z06. It also going to need all-wheel drive and a lower curb weight than the somewhat portly '15 Z06.

I'm still guessing that it will have a IC engine of 400-500 horsepower driving the rear wheels and another 200-300-hp worth of electric motors driving the front wheels.

The C/D article mentions the name as the Corvette Zora ZR-1. However, I think they should drop the ZR-1 and just call it the Corvette Zora. It's unfortunate that he did not live long enough to see a mid-engine Corvette that may bear his name in homage.

 

[kpic]

Every time we turn a key we owe Mr. Duntov a thanks. He was one hell of an engineer.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Probably dust off and tweak the CERV from the mid 1980s.

"Chevrolet built two Corvette Indy prototypes, one which was nonoperational and would make the rounds among the different auto shows and another that would be used for engineering purposes. The race-engine was ditched for a 350 cu.in. V8 engine, which was tuned in part by Lotus and later used in the production Corvette ZR-1 from 1990-1995. A prototype for the car, by now a development project for the upcoming CERV III, recorded a top speed in excess of 180 mph and a 0-60 mph of under five seconds.

Read more: Mid Engine Corvette: 1986 Corvette Indy Concept | GM Authority"

Yep. That's it. The manufacturer of the best value in the high-sports market and the product that dominates the market is going to "dust-off" a near 30-year old concept car and "tweak" it.


Who's coolaid are you drinkin' "kpic"?

 

[Hib Halverson]

The C/D article mentions the name as the Corvette Zora ZR-1. However, I think they should drop the ZR-1 and just call it the Corvette Zora. It's unfortunate that he did not live long enough to see a mid-engine Corvette that may bear his name in homage.

My guess is GM will use "ZR-1".

Sad to day but the target market for Corvette these days probably does not know who Zora was.

As for price...I'll say it will come in at about twice the cost of a '15 Z06.

 

[koolaid117]

My guess is GM will use "ZR-1".

Sad to day but the target market for Corvette these days probably does not know who Zora was.

As for price...I'll say it will come in at about twice the cost of a '15 Z06.

Thanks for your response Hib, you probably have more insight than most on this, I was only guessing because GM trademarked the name Zora a few months ago. Just hoping the Halo car would get a new halo name, but ZR-1 will work because everyone knows it's the King of the Hill.

 

[kpic]

Yep. That's it. The manufacturer of the best value in the high-sports market and the product that dominates the market is going to "dust-off" a near 30-year old concept car and "tweak" it.


Who's coolaid are you drinkin' "kpic"?

I'm familar with Kool-Aid, but not coolaid.

The mid engine article I posted simply documents how far ahead of his time Mr. Duntov was; so I wouldn't categorize it as "coolaid." Every era of design engineering is limited by cost and manufacturing capability. Other limits are packaging, tolerances etc.

It is about weight distribution, not where the engine and power train components are located. My wish to dust off the design would be a true slip based (wheel rotation speed differential based) and a 50-50 weight distribution. 50-50 is 50 front and 50 rear no matter where things are located. I believe this would give the Corvette an advantage over the Porsche AWD with its ~58% at the rear. To me, winning is better than innovating and losing.

I'm not a fan of an IC engine and electric motors hybrid, but that is personal opinion.