Is this the vehicle GM should have built?
The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette is out, and people love it. It has the potential to be the performance bargain car of the century, with a starting cost below $60,000 and an LS2V8 positioned behind its driver. Although the original design of the C8’s mid-engine Corvette was not that old, it took a while to get there. We are trying to find out more about the design process.
An anonymous individual with GM design ties is helping us on this front. We have previously shared a collage of early C8 concepts sketches with this person’s permission. We now have a sketch by this individual, which shows a single Corvette design, and it was created shortly after the C6 Corvette debuts. This should give you an idea of how long this American supercar has been in production.
This single design feels more like a foundation than the collage above. These forward-canted side intakes, which first appeared on the Corvette Indy Concept’s 1985 Corvette Indy Concept, are still there. This design element would eventually transition to the production C8. Although the overall design has a Corvette Indy/CERV III feel, there is a lot of production Corvette influence. The C1 Corvette grille pays homage to it, and the flared front fenders are reminiscent of the C3 Corvette. The flat, wide hood gives it a C4 look, while the wheels almost match those on a C5Z06. It is also very ugly in appearance. We mean it in a very positive way. It is taller, longer, and wider than the C8. Although this sketch does not include any Chevrolet badges, it could still be identified as a Corvette. Although the new C8 retains some of its predecessors’ DNA, it is not as well-remembered as this concept.
We don’t know where this design fits in the hierarchy of C8 concept designs. Many Motor1.com editors think this car is better than the 2020 Stingray. This begs the question. This car is the one that should have debuted as the Corvette’s new mid-engine Corvette.