March 1968: Mid-Engine Astro-II Debut, Another Gamble
The Astro II Corvette (XP-880) ignited GM’s mid-engine ambitions. Fast, exotic, and flawed, it previewed a future that wouldn’t arrive for decades.
Category: Mid-Engine Corvettes
1976 Aerovette: The Mid-Engine Corvette That Never Happened
Explore the fascinating story of the 1976 Aerovette — a mid-engine Corvette prototype that nearly became the production 1980 C4. Learn how its innovative design, engineering choices and performance potential influenced future Corvette thinking and remains a compelling “what-if” in Chevrolet’s sports car legacy.
C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Fan Rendering: Is This Making You Warm?
Since C8 mule cars have been seen for months now on public roads wearing camo wraps and photos are getting clearer and clearer, a January 2019 debut as a 2020 model seems likely. Last July very clear images of a development C8.R (racing) Corvette was seen, indicating that the Corvette Racing Team will probably race a mid-engine Corvette for the 2019 season.
Today Motor1.com published five very well done digital renderings of the C8 mid-engine Corvette, based on the numerous photos we’ve been seeing on the net. I am certain that the C8 will be a wundercar, chock full of gee-wiz goodies.
A mid-engine Corvette has been the ultimate pie-in-the-sky Vette since the 1960s when mid-engine was the best layout for balance and the state-of-the-art of tires back in the day. But we’ve come a long way, baby, since the days of 100-percent mechanical supercars. Between electronics, computers, vastly superior materials, and tires with more sticky than rubber cement; does the mid-engine layout still make sense?
Watch Footage of the Mid-Engine Corvette at the Nurburgring – VIDEO
C8 Mid-engine test driver flogging the pants off a C8 mule Corvette and having too much fun! It will not be long! I speculate that the...
The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, 1960 to C8: Part 3
While Duntov lead the charge when it came to racing Corvettes, he wasn’t the only power player inside Chevrolet with a vision for a mid-engine Corvette. Frank Winchell was a low-profile company man who, unlike Duntov, did not like or seek out fame and attention. He was comfortable in his role as a corporate man. Winchell ran the Chevrolet R&D group from 1959 through 1966 and was a “take no prisoners,” “lets try it” kind of guy. While not a degreed engineer, he had a natural sense of how things worked and specialized in the design and development of automatic transmissions.
The History of Mid-Engine Corvettes, 1960 to C8: Part 2
But at the height of the Corvair’s popularity, V.P. of Design, Bill Mitchell saw “potential” in the Corvair’s unique platform and set two of his sharpest designers to work on a radical Corvair; Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine. Two cars were built; the Monza GT was a mid-engine coupe and the Monza SS was a rear-engine open-roadster. Neither car looked like anything else on the road, let alone a Corvair. If you ever wondered where the big front fender humps on the Mako Shark-II came from, now you know!
