GM Gifts 2020 Corvette Stingray Development Prototype To National ‘Vette Museum

It would be fair to say that development prototypes don’t get nearly as much respect as they should, given their role in the launch of all-new models.

The standard practice in the auto industry is to crush all the test mules and development prototypes once the production car hits the road. Unsurprisingly, the same fate awaits many 2020 Corvette C8 test cars, but we can take comfort in knowing that one of them has been saved from the crusher.

Also Watch: Are These Prototypes Hiding The Upcoming C8 Corvette Hybrid?

This week, General Motors gifted the National Corvette Museum a mid-engine Corvette C8 built in 2018 as a powertrain development vehicle and used primarily at the Milford Proving Ground. This means this prototype gets some well-deserved recognition as it is now on permanent display at the museum’s Skydome.

This makes NCM the only location outside of GM’s traveling 2020 Corvette Stingray display to exhibit a C8 ‘Vette. The prototype has been used mainly to put the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to the test on GM’s own track.

Initially, the car wore camouflage but the foil has now been taken off, revealing body panels painted black, grey and white. As the photos show, it also features makeshift head, tail and reverse lights as GM tried to keep the design of those parts hidden from prying eyes, while other unusual details that are easy to spot include the elongated exhaust pipes and some diagnostics equipment.

GM’s gift comes right on time, as the National Corvette Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend. To mark the milestone, the NCM will also offer two 2020 Corvette Stingrays as part of a raffle organized to fund its day-to-day operations.