1968 Corvette Astro II XP-880

Debuted at the 1968 New York Auto Show, the Astro II (eXperimental Project 880) was General Motors’ first, real foray into a mid-engined Corvette concept. Using a backbone frame housing a mid-mounted 427-cu.in. V8 engine, the Astro II came in nearly 300 pounds lighter than a standard Corvette and with all the mass centered in the frame, also boasted 1G of cornering grip. Sadly, the Astro II never went beyond the prototype stage resulting in a 52-year wait until the mid-engined C8 Corvette came to market in 2020.