C8 Corvette Rendered with Front Engine Design Has Us Thinking

C8 Corvette ZR1 rendering is beautifully done, but the result still looks very awkward.

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is the first to come from the factory with the engine mounted behind the driver. The move to the midship design has been controversial, to say the least, but the performance numbers make the C8 hard to hate. The new Stingray is the quickest Corvette ever in terms of 0-to-60 times, out-sprinting the supercharged models from the C7 era ever with far less power. Of course, the relocation of the engine has made for a perfectly balanced car on the track, so whether you are on a curvy road or a drag strip, the C8 Corvette Stingray is one of the best ever.

However, some people just can’t get past the fact that the engine is mounted in “the wrong place”. These critics insist that the Corvette should continue on with the engine mounted up front, just like the first seven generations. Those folks prefer the general shape and proportions of the ‘Vettes with the engine mounted up front, using that as their reason for disliking the C8.

According to AutoEvolution, graphic artist Rostislav Prokop has used his skills to transform the C8 Corvette into a front-engine sports car. He even added the aero bits of a ZR1 package and in his Instagram video, he even added the grumble of the exhaust system at idle. It sounds great, but it just doesn’t look right.

Front Engine C8 Corvette

In the Instragram video below and in the images captured from that video, we get a great look at the front engine C8 Corvette ZR1 created by Prokop. Unlike the actual C8, which has a very short front end, greenhouse that sits further forward and a longer rear end behind the B-pillar, this Corvette ZR1 has a long front end, a short rear end and a greenhouse that is situated further from the front bumper.

What makes Prokop’s work different from so many online renderings is the fact that he shares walkaround videos of the cars that he creates. This allows us to see the front engine C8 Corvette from every angle. Not surprisingly, adjusting the proportions to accommodate an engine up front makes it look a great deal like the previous generations through the fenders, doors and quarter panels. Basically, it looks like someone put the C8 front fascia and taillight panel on a C7 Corvette ZR1 with a widebody kit, and it looks very odd.

That being said, we imagine that some people will like this look and use this video as proof that the C8 would have been better off with the engine mounted up front. As time goes on, we wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see someone graft a C8 front fascia onto a C7 to create a front engine C8, but for now, this rendering gives us a great look at the modern styling on the original chassis layout.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com