Neovette Imagines A Front-Engined Future For The Corvette

For over 65 years, the Corvette had always followed the same formula: a two-seat, front-engined sports car with rear-wheel drive. That all changed with the C8 Corvette, which retained the two seats and rear-wheel drive, but adopted a rear mid-engined layout.

So, what if Chevrolet were to go back to a front-engined layout for the next-generation Corvette? One designer, Leyang Bai, tried his hand at imagining one, and it looks to the sports car’s older iterations to envision its future.

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Called the Neovette, it draws inspiration mainly from the C2 and C3 generations, and while that might not be readily apparent, the cleverly-incorporated cues begin to reveal themselves the more you look at it. From the C2, the car most notably features its tapered greenhouse, “picnic basket” B-pillar, and pointed rear bumper. As for the C3, we can see the exaggerated fenders, pinched nose, and power bulge in the hood.

Bai also worked on incorporating another historic Corvette staple into his design: pop-up headlights. However, while we traditionally think of pop-up headlights as, well, popping up, these units actually act as covers that retract down into the body, similar to what’s found on the Vector W8 and Jaguar XJ220. Plus, in true modern car fashion, the headlights even have their own DRL “signature,” with the covers only hiding the car’s high beams when not retracted.

On the inside, Bai set out to create a space similar to the C8’s in the sense of its driver-focused nature, only with less of that cocooned feeling created by the obtrusive center tunnel. His goal was to make for “a more inviting space, while the overall aesthetic remains sharp and highly layered,” and we think he accomplished that well.

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Lastly, Bai imagined his Neovette as an with a hybrid drivetrain in order to keep up with the shifting industry. And while that might not sound like a future for the Corvette that many want to accept, it’s bound to happen at some point if GM wants it to stick around for the long haul.

Overall, while the design might not immediately scream “Corvette,” neither did the C8’s for a lot of people, so maybe it’s worth giving this one a chance. Plus, we could totally see GM pulling another radical design change in the (highly unlikely) event they ever did return to a front-engined layout.

Note: These renderings were created by Leyang Bai and are not related to or endorsed by Chevrolet