Trail is getting warmer...Mid-Engined Corvette

[G.Irish]

I saw a few blurbs pop up that were based off this Detroit News article, but I just now read the source article and there's some interesting tidbits.

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Some salient points:

The C8 is expected to be equipped with performance innovations like an active-aerodynamic system to enhance downforce, according to Car & Driver’s Don Sherman, who has been following the car’s development since 2014. The magazine says the next-generation Corvette will be powered by the tried-and-true small-block pushrod V-8 to keep costs down.

When Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen was asked by Motor Trend last fall if a Cadillac “halo” car based on a mid-engine Corvette might be in the cards, he replied: “It has to be one of the options that we consider. In the future there are going to be some architectures inside the corporation that will remain purely Cadillac, but then there are others where it just isn’t economically feasible to enter segments by trying to do a unique Cadillac. Then you look at what’s available in terms of corporate assets. And I’m sure you’d agree that a new, very advanced Corvette platform wouldn’t be a bad place to start.”

I was just thinking recently about the Corvette and how does an automaker go about changing the image of a car with a long history and a very established clientele base. I feel like Chevrolet has done a great job of shifting perceptions of the Corvette starting with the C5 Z06, and with a mid-engined version it could be another huge step forward in perception.

It might price some of the customer base out, but in a way that'll be a good thing. It would give the Camaro and its high-performance variants more room to breath, rather than having to compete directly with the Vette.