Spy Photos and Video Give More Clues to What GM Has In-Store For Their Mid-Engine Corvette
As has been the case for the past several months, the internet continues to be flooded with photos and videos of the 2020 mid-engine Corvette.
Photo credit: KGP Photography – Car and Driver
While GM still has yet to formally announce when the mid-engine Corvette will makes its official debut, it seems likely (given the number of camouflaged mid-engine Corvettes that have been spotted and photographed) that the announcement is imminent.
While we continue to wait for that announcement however, we are pleased to share the latest revelations that have been made by those devoted souls who spend many hours each day trying to capture the latest and greatest images of the mid-engine Corvette.
First off, it is apparent from this most recent group of image that the mid-engine Corvette will feature a removable roof panel (a staple of Corvette that goes all the way back to the 1984 model (before that it was T-tops)). While a removable roof is certainly cool, the question that has been raised is whether or not the mid-engine Corvette will have adequate storage space to store the roof? Regardless, a removable roof is exciting news for Corvette enthusiasts who enjoy the flexibility of driving their coupe in the open air.
A photographer who happened to snap some revealing photos at the North South Straight Away of the GM Proving Grounds in Milford captured an image that shows the mid-engine Corvette will feature a flat-top steering wheel with a squared off design. This is definitely a departure from earlier versions of the Corvette, though it is definitely reminiscent of the steering wheel found in the Pratt & Miller-designed C7.R Race Car.
Looking to the wheels on the car, new close-ups of the wheels show that (on the prototypes at least) the mid-engine Corvette will feature rubber similar in size to that used on the C7 Stingray. Assuming the wheels on the prototypes are the final design for the production model, it is possible to discern what tire sizes the future Corvette will wear on their re-designed alloy wheels.
Photo credit: KGP Photography – Car and Driver
The tire sizes are:
- 245/35ZR19 in the front – equivalent in size to the fronts of the C7 Stingray
- 305/30ZR20 in the rear – notably wider than the rears on the C7 Stingray, but not as wide as those on the C7 Grand Sport, Z06 or ZR1
Closer examination of the rear wheels also reveal a dual-caliper setup for the braking system which will provide maximum braking power on the new Corvette.
Photo credit: KGP Photography – Car and Driver
Moving to the rear of the car, the flying buttresses and vented rear deck appear to be designed to provide added aerodynamics as well as increased airflow into the engine. It is hard to ignore the similarities between the new mid-engine Corvette’s design and that of other mid-engine supercars including some of the newest Ferrari models as well as the McLaren 570S. As with those other cars, the open-air deck with heat-extracting vents will help to keep the Corvette’s powerplant at a more moderate temperature in any driving condition.
If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to watch the video of the mid-engine Corvette on the open road. The exhaust note and mechanical sounds strongly suggest that the new Corvette is being powered by a naturally-aspirated V-8 engine, which indicates that GM has maintained the tradition of installing a small-block engine as the new car’s power plant.
Sources: GM Authority, Car and Driver
