Someone is busy working on Labor Day.
We know it's coming. GM knows we know. Heck, it'sbarely a secret at this point. The C8 Chevrolet Corvette will be the most radically different Corvette ever due to changing the location of the engine from front to midship. While we've seen someC8 spy shotsin the past along with aspy video here and there, today our spy photographers caught something a bit unexpected at the Nurburgring: a far less disguised C8 test mule.
What was it doing at the 'Ring? Take a wild guess. Best of all is that this particular test mule reveals more design details than ever. Gone are the black sheets covering various sections of the body, replaced by a camouflage wrap.
But you don't have to look too closely to see the C8's styling. And one thing is for 100 percent sure: it's mid-engine. Just look at the large side exhausts. Out back you can see taillights that appear to be fairly similar to those found on the current C7, meaning they're angular rather than circular. There's also a rear spoiler, diffuser, and quad exhaust. Up front things are a bit more difficult to make out but it appears the headlights also sport an angular design. Even the side mirrors look production-spec.
In other words, this prototype is darn close to the real deal, save for the wrap.
Under the hoodBehind the seats still remains a bit of a mystery, but sources have indicated that the C7's LT1 V8 will be carried over, though it'll receive a number of updates.
Total output should be around 500 hp. Further down the road, a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 with upwards of 550 hp will arrive. There's even talk of a new naturally aspirated 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 with 600 hp in the works. It's rumored there are plans to add a couple of turbos to it as well, increasing output to 800 hp. Ultimately, a front-mounted electric motor will arrive and, combined with the latter engine, a total of 1,000 hp will be on tap. But on this fine Labor Day, enjoy these C8 spy photos, by far the best ones we've had to date.
Join The Discussion