The new mid-engine Corvette has once again been spotted in the wild with progressively less camouflage.
Oh Corvette, just where will you pop up next? We don’t know where these particular spy photos were snagged since the license plates were all blurred out, but we do have Autocar to thank for them, as well as a bunch of rumors surrounding the upcoming C8-generation ‘Vette that just might turn out to be true.
Sources speaking with the British car site said that the upcoming C8 Corvette will be sold alongside the outgoing C7 model, which will get rejiggered as a sort of entry-level Corvette. Apparently having your engine in the middle is only for the best of the best. The C7 will be on the cheaper end, while the C8 will get a price premium to denote its superior mid-engineness.
However, even as it becomes more expensive than the current C7 generation, the C8 Corvette will still undercut most of the supercars sold in Europe. We don’t have the specifics or anything, but it’s not hard to make a car cost less than a $200,000 McLaren.
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We’re also told that the C8 will get an evolved version of the LT pushrod 6.2-L V8 that powers the current generation of ‘Vettes--at least, at first. There are rumors that a new overhead camshaft V8 is under development that will come in naturally aspirated and twin-turbo flavors, with the turbo engine getting at least as many horses as the current ZR1 (that’s 745 ponies for those keeping track).
Best of all, there are more rumors saying there’s a hybrid version in the works. As we first mentioned in June, a top-of-the-line version with an electrified powertrain and electric motor turning the front axle is in the works which will produce a combined 1,000 hp.
All these are big departures for the Corvette, but the next might be more than some can bear. There’s also a dual-clutch transmission being developed by Tremec that will replace the manual one. That’s a big deal when you consider how many Corvettes are still sold in manual, even today.
We’re still waiting on more info from GM, but we’re not holding our breath. The C8 Corvette isn’t due to arrive until late 2019 so long as everything stays on schedule.