Mid-Engine C8 Corvette CAD Images Leaked

Well, well, well, looky here.

We have what appears to be screen shots of a desktop workstation depicting a mid-engine, V8 powered car. Whether they’re of the upcoming Chevrolet supercar is up for debate, but assuming it is, it’s a very delectable update of what’s in store for Corvette fans.

What the hell are we looking at? LEFT: LT1 motor and cradle from front accessory drive angle. RIGHT: Ditto, but from from the rear 3/4 view with transaxle visible. Note shorty headers with cats in place and four mounts for engine/transaxle unit.

The pics and posts have come and gone on the internet but they originated on CorvetteForum by a poster named Firebirdfan and wound up on Jalopnik with some interesting comments:

Coil springs.
Magshocks (or spool valve, either way, fancy shocks).
Upper front arms look to be similar to C5/6/7 with trunions.
Lower front arms look to be similar to C5/6/7 with camber eccentrics.
Rear subframe is HUGE and is a very strange mix of cast parts and welded tube. Can’t tell if it’s welded or bolted together in the middle.
Engine is an LT1.
Looks like factory shorty headers instead of cast manifolds.
Engine has alternator relocated.
Not sure what the upper-right accessory pulley is for. Upper left is water pump, lower right is AC.
Oil filter looks easy to get to.
Oil cooler clearly shown above filter.
Half-shafts look to be the “bolt on flange” style (no draining trans to remove shafts).
That transaxle is BEEFY. Like, dear god. Can’t tell if it’s auto or manual. If I had to wager, that’s the automatic (guessing from shape of bottom of trans and what looks to be coolershanging around it).
Giant flat space above transaxle is more than likely for intake box/filter.
No turbos shown.
Frame looks to be similar to C5/6/7 with giant hydroformed rails (probably still aluminum). Disppappointing. I was hoping for proper unibody. Hopefully with a fixed roof it’ll be stiffer.
Brake rotors are 1 piece. Calipers are MASSIVE.
Side skirts are mechanically fastened just like C5/6/7. Still going to be horrendously expensive to fix if damaged.
Brake ducts clearly shown on front.

If these pics are indeed are the real deal, this is a quantum leap for Corvette and GM. If you add the crazy motor that GM just patented, we’ve got a future Corvette that will dwarf every model that preceeded it.

This blueprint would make a great high-end Cadillac as well, and seems like a spin-off with a Crest emblem would be a natural. GM certainly has thrown in a boatload of money and sweat in doubling the size of Bowling Green, so we think two models of this mid-engine architecture are coming soon.