mid-engine c8 corvette

Last Call: The mid-engine C8 Corvette is almost here…

Jeff Glucker

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I don’t feel like the C7 Corvette has been here that long. It launched as a 2014 model year machine, and it’s proven to be quite a competent sports car. I’d say that most folks are fairly split on the styling, but the general consensus is that it’s a strong step forward over the C6. Especially on the inside. But now the C8 is nearly upon us. And it looks like we’re finally going to have a true mid-engine Corvette.

Don’t be one of those “Internet Experts” who replies that it’s always been mid engined. Front-mid mounted engines are bullshit. A true mid-engined vehicle has its power-producing parts behind the driver. Regardless, whatever the new Corvette is packing and where it’s being packed, will be revealed on 7/18/19. So stay tuned.

Rumor has it: The C8 Corvette may be available with 1,000 horsepower

Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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36 responses to “Last Call: The mid-engine C8 Corvette is almost here…”

  1. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Somehow stumbled across this glorious SAAB 96/Volvo 240 fusion:
    https://i.ibb.co/7p1tmdP/IMG-20190412-065043.jpg
    A bit of googling revealed this one:

    Portlandia Outtake: The Volvaab – A Proper Swedish Greenhouse (Updated with additional picture)

    Reply
    1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      That must have some, um, interesting handling characteristics. I wonder how much the second story addition weighs?

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Changing the glass for plexiglass sure would help. Most 240 drivers drive around with some concrete or a 20 litre oil canister in the trunk anyway, at least in the winter, so that would counteract the raised center of gravity. Either way, this must be a fantastically airy thing, even though a standard panoramic roof would be…more practical.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          Black, with A/C that probably doesn’t work anymore? Looks like a sauna to me. No thanks!

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            It seems to be located in Portland, which suggests that the watertightness of all seams is more important than proper ventilation. ?

          2. I_Borgward Avatar
            I_Borgward

            I’ve seen it out in the wild. It looked to be a very clean graft.

      2. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Changing the glass for plexiglass sure would help. Most 240 drivers drive around with some concrete or a 20 litre oil canister in the trunk anyway, at least in the winter, so that would counteract the raised center of gravity. Either way, this must be a fantastically airy thing, even though a standard panoramic roof would be…more practical.

        Reply
    2. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      A bit reminiscent of the Mini Chairman conversions by Gowrings intended for wheelchair access.

      https://www.minimarcos.org.uk/altpics/chairman/p4.jpeg

      Reply
  2. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    Old and busted: $60,000 plastic car without a trunk
    New hotness: $80,000 plastic car with a frunk?

    Reply
    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Don’t remember about the C7, but the C5/C6 had pretty large trunks didn’t they? Could never understand how the C3 didn’t have one though.

      Reply
      1. salguod Avatar
        salguod

        The C3 had storage space but no access except from the passenger compartment. Some late C3s had an opening glass hatch, I think.

        Reply
        1. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          Yes same as the Frogeye Sprite

          Reply
  3. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    I’ll see your early Corvette with power behind the driver, and raise you a center driving position.

    https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NYA71naMyrE/WHLeai-oqgI/AAAAAAAEhBs/WKQkQGxb2DUB-iqNILBdNFYT59Afr4QLQCLcB/s1600/snails2.jpg

    Reply
    1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      Proto-Speedycop?

      Reply
  4. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    The “I’m not a robot” test made me click a picture of a telescopic boom loader that it deemed it a tractor before I could tell you this. I forgot why I was logging in to begin with. Brilliant troll job on Captcha’s part. Half of the reason I am a car enthusiast at all is the pedantry. You’re going to set up a gate keeper that is just offensively wrong?

    Reply
    1. Manxman Avatar
      Manxman

      I had to pick out bicycles. Before that it was crosswalks, but I failed that one and had to start over again. But I was persistent.

      Reply
    2. kogashiwa Avatar
      kogashiwa

      The addition of captcha on Disqus is especially maddening because Disqus barely works at all on Safari and never, ever is able to keep me logged in.

      Reply
  5. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    It completely makes sense that the Vette is going mid-engine, but part of me thinks it’s a shame that it is losing its classic sports-car proportions. The long-hood, short-deck styling has for years set it apart from its competition. The spy photos above show what looks like a bastardized MR2. And while I think the MR2 is fun to drive, it isn’t much to look at.

    Reply
    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Think of it as the new NSX. That’s what it’ll be mistaken for anyway.

      Reply
  6. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    “The mid-engine Corvette is nearly here….”

    Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

    “The mid-engine Corvette is 60 years in the making”

    https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/01/30/sixty-years-in-the-making

    Reply
  7. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I’m sorting out the expected expenses of my next daily beater (my grandfather’s bricknose F150), and it’s going to need wheels and tires. Much to my friends’ disappointment, I’ve decided to keep it base-model themed and run dog-dish hubcaps with painted steelies. Given that, I’m thinking the tires should be mounted black side out / white letters in. White-letters-out is IMO more of a muscle car or sport off-roader kind of look, and this truck will be anything but sporty. Thoughts?
    (I do plan to install a Truetrac diff and lower ring/pinion gearing, but that’s just so I can actually drive on wet grass without “1WD” spinning and for better towing.)

    Reply
    1. neight428 Avatar
      neight428

      Go full grandpa theme and see if you can find some really skinny tires with thin whitewall stripes.

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        That’s a good idea that I considered, but the tires I want are ATs, and only come in reversible RWL. I am going with stock size, though: 235/75R15, which are relatively skinny.
        https://generaltire.com/sites/default/files/styles/main_tire_prod/public/tires/images/product_images/2018-08/Grabber_ATX_Lt3Q.png?itok=uCIyeqiY

        Reply
    2. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      When I bought a set for my C1500 and requested the white lettering face in the tire guy assured me that was the default orientation on a work truck. I think he called it the blue collar dress code or something.

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        That sounds about right to me, too. I’ll probably black out the white letters, though, because I don’t like them showing on the inside either.

        Reply
    3. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Is bricknose 90-91 type era?

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        Yep– 1987-1991. This one is a ’91. They’re generally considered the least attractive generation, but I kinda like the truck’s simple design. It’s appealing in a Volvo 240 kind of way.

        Reply
    4. salguod Avatar
      salguod

      My Ranger has white letters. It’s not sporty but I think it looks good.

      BTW the fronts are the stock size at 235/60R15, the rears are 30×9.5R15. Gives it a fun rake, even more lackluster acceleration and a speedometer that’s off by 10+ on the highway. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1bca045a616f2c32041fb3f4624df686a1147397f6419ea08d9c7eba55b3a338.jpg

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        I had a white ’97 shortbed with white letter tires, and I liked it that way. Rangers are inherently sportier than F150s.

        Reply
  8. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    “Don’t be one of those ‘Internet Experts’ who replies that it’s always been mid engined.”

    I prefer to be one of those Internet Cranks who replies that it’s all been downhill since the loss of the Blue Flame Six.

    Reply
    1. I_Borgward Avatar
      I_Borgward

      What? The pre-merger Packards were the last good cars! It’s been nothing but crap ever since!
      (a quote from an old roommate)

      Since we’re invoking crankery: Oh, Captcha, how I loathe thee. Let me count the ways.

      Reply
    2. Manxman Avatar
      Manxman

      And the C1 had a real trunk. And the coolest dash in the history of Corvettes.

      Reply
  9. nanoop Avatar
    nanoop

    The whirling wheels on the lead photo are a hint: they look like Fuchs wheels, so this one here will be a Porsche 914 killer, for sure.

    Reply
  10. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I know I’m one of those “internet experts pedants,” but as much as I’m interested to see how the C8 turns out, ultimately, I just don’t know how much the front(ish) engine layout is really a limitation. The engine is still between the axles, it’s still well-balanced, it has plenty of racing pedigree, and as mentioned, the enormous cargo space is still a small asset. Furthermore, there are plenty of front-engined higher end sports cars that are taken seriously enough (AMG GT, GT-R, the entire Aston Martin lineup), that the mid-engined thing feels like scrambling to find any reason the Corvette isn’t seen as competitive enough.

    I mean, given GM’s history of building performance cars focused on absolute numbers over holistic involvement, I’m not sure moving the engine will change much, and frankly, as long as you can buy one from the same sales person who’s slinging Equinoxes, there will always be some arbitrary standard used to declare the Corvette as not good or sophisticated enough.

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Personally, I think they’re doing it to generate interest more than anything else. Performance-wise, the Corvette is pretty amazing, but it doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I might take a brief peek at a C2 or C1 at a car show, but otherwise a Corvette may as well be a Camry to my eyes. Perhaps GM is trying to create enough buzz to attract the attention of people like me.

      Reply
      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I’m sure that’s a part of it, that the Corvette has been consistently following the same playbook for 35 years now, and if it’s only appealing to a shrinking base, they have to do something different and shake things up a bit.

        Reply