There has been no official word from General Motors on the next generation Chevrolet Corvette – and with the current generation debuting just three model years back – there is really no reason for the automaker to talk about the next generation so soon. However, the crew at Car & Driver has insider information that suggeststhat the C8 Corvette could arrive as soon as the 2018 Detroit Auto Show and when it does, it will have a new mid-engine design.
Keep in mind that nothing that we are about to discuss is official, but you would think that the crew at Car & Driver would have some pretty reliable inside sources. In this case, their source within GM has explained that the C8 Corvette project is well underway with the code name ZERV. The project is so far along that the automaker already has plans to introduce the C8 Corvette at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and when it arrives, we will finally see our mid-engine Corvette.
This mid-engine C8 Corvette that will debut in just over a year and a half will still be powered by some variation of the current Corvette LT1, but it is expected to pack between 450 and 500 horsepower. No other information on the car itself is discussed, but the mid-engine C8 Corvette is expected to have a starting MSRP around $80,000.
Next, early in 2019, likely after the C8 Corvette that debuts at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show goes on sale around the U.S., there will be a new engine option introduced. This new engine will offer far more power and it will use a 4 camshaft, 32 valve setup, which certainly sounds like a modern take on the C4 Corvette ZR1’s LT5. This mid-engine Corvette is expected to start around $100,000.
Should this information prove to be true and we do meet a new mid-engine C8 Corvette at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, we will be witnessing a massive change in the legendary Corvette. This change would assure that it is able to go toe-to-toe with the best from Italy’s exotic coachbuilders, but at the same time, a price ranging from $80-100k will alienate some buyers.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
