CAD drawings that look suspiciously like the mid-engine Corvette have leaked.
Early yesterday morning images allegedly depicting the still-under-development mid-engine Corvette were posted online. This straight up looks to be the C8 and there are a few quick conclusions we can draw about the new car based on the drawings.
The biggest news is that the Corvette will finally abandon its antiquated transverse leaf spring suspension it’s been using since the dawn of time in favor of conventional coilovers, with magnetic or spool valve dampers likely to be made available on higher performing trims. The upper and lower front suspension arms look to be similar the C7, meaning there could be some part sharing employed on the new car to keep costs down. The rear subframe is positively massive and looks to use an interesting material matrix, it’s possible lessons learned from the lightweight mixed material Omega platform were put to use.
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The drawings likely pertain to a base model C8, based on the absence of a supercharger pulley or turbo snails, the engine looks to be a 6.2-liter small-block LT1 V8. The shorty-style exhaust headers replace the C7’s cast manifolds and curve upwards which probably means Team Corvette is looking to maximize top end horsepower, rather than mid-range punch. It also means the LT1 is going to scream like an old-school Can-Am racer.
The engine and transaxle mounts look to be of the active variety which should help keep the car flat during aggressive cornering. It’s also possible GM has redesigned the half-shafts in order to allow for quick changes without having to drain the transmission first. In terms of the frame, it doesn’t look like a proper unibody, hydroformed rails appear to be in use, which could mean the C8 was actually born from the C7’s Y platform.
GM won’t even publicly acknowledge that a mid-engine Corvette exists, let alone that it’s nearing completion, but reliable sources tell us it should make its debut at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Stay tuned.
