Chevrolet has released a teaser video of the C8 Corvette and if it looks familiar, there’s a very good reason for that.
The American car manufacturer released the first teaser clip of the of the C8 in April but that video consisted of little more than a number of flashing images showing different Corvettes throughout the decades. This clip is a longer version of that original teaser and pays particularly close attention to the various mid-engine Corvette concepts and prototypes produced throughout since the 1950s.
The story of the mid-engined Corvette starts way back in 1959 with the CERV I, masterminded by Chevrolet engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. Throughout the decades, GM’s bow-tie brand created a number of different mid-engined one-offs, including the stunning XP 817 from 1964 and the XP 882 Aerovette from 1976. Included in the teaser is footage of Zora actually driving the CERV I and CERV II.
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Chevrolet’s more modern experiments came in 1986 with the mid-engine Indy Corvette. This car was later followed up by the CERV II prototype from 1990 complete with an exceptionally sleek design.
It’s pretty obvious that Chevrolet is trying to promote the history of its research into mid-engined cars prior to the launch of the C8 Corvette. While we would have loved to see a ‘Vette with a powertrain behind the driver decades ago, it is good to finally see Zora’s ambition coming to fruition.
The Chevrolet C8 Corvette will be launched on July 18. The entry-level model is tipped to retain the Stingray moniker and may receive a modified version of the 6.2-liter V8 LT1 delivering approximately 500 hp and paired exclusively to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.