Mid Engine Corvette C8.R Photos Give Us Best Look Yet at New Supercar
New photos of the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R have been sent over to us by our intrepid spy photographers, giving us our best look yet at the forthcoming American supercar.
After the publication of these photos, doubters and naysayers of the rumored mid-engine Corvette can probably give up the act. It’s very obvious that the vehicle seen in these high-quality shots is a Corvette and it’s very obvious that it has the engine mounted aft of the passenger compartment. The race-spec C8, which was spotted testing at Road America ahead of its race debut in 2020, gives us our first look at the mid-engine ‘Vette’s absolutely massive side air intake. It also shows off the vehicle’s angular, wedge-like front end and if you squint enough, you can also make out its narrow taillights.
Those big side intakes are likely feeding a Small Block V8 of some sort. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but leaked CAD drawings of the vehicle’s mid-mounted V8 indicate it will arrive with a twin-turbocharged DOHC V8 rumored to be called the LT7. An audio recording of this prototype putting in the laps at Road America was posted by the racing-obsessed folks over Sportscar365 this week, with the racecar sounding as though it has a small displacement turbocharged V8. You can listen to the audio clip yourself just below.
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In addition to the V8, those same CAD drawings showed off the mid-engine Corvette’s transaxle. The racecar will also get a transaxle, but it will probably be a sequential transmission and won’t be related to the road car’s in any way. The road car is expected to get a dual-clutch gearbox.
SEE ALSO: Watch the Mid Engine Corvette Accelerate Hard From a Stop
This racecar certainly looks different than the road-going mid-engine Corvette will, but if you can imagine away the wild-looking aero kit, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how Bowling Green’s latest creation will look.
The mid-engine C8 Corvette is expected to debut alongside the C8.R racecar pictured here at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. If only the father of the Corvette, Zora Duntov, were here to see it.
Discuss this story on our Corvette Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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You all gotta remember its just buying the emblem...there are so many insane speed shops everywhere today and they have proven time after time that if you have enough $$ they can make a brick the fastest thing youve ever seen?
THIS C8 IS NOT A YOUR PAPAs Corvette ! IT is a brute ,hairy,hightech beast !