It’s hard to believe it’s been five whole years since the C8 Corvette entered production. The mid-engined shot heard ’round the world as a thorough reimagining of America’s sports car in the vision of Corvette godfather Zora Arkus Duntov is still putting down big numbers, but GM’s already working on a replacement. This isn’t it. Instead, this Corvette Concept from GM’s new UK-based styling studio is a show car in the purest sense of the term, no concessions to production, no change-a-few-things-and-that’s-basically-it. However, some of its influence might be felt in the next-generation Corvette.
On first glance, there’s a dramatic split between the more traditionally styled upper surfaces and the heavy aero channeling of the lower body, a bit like an Aston Martin Valkyrie or Ferrari F80, only more extreme. We’ll get back to the top side of this Corvette concept in a bit, but the philosophy of extensive Venturi tunnels and a heavily sculpted floor should offer a blend between huge downforce and clean upper surfaces at the expense of cabin space.
That being said, the upper surfaces of this show car have an appeal all their own. Without a fixed rear wing, the resulting curves drape over the chassis like a tablecloth, all while conveying some classic Corvette styling tropes. The split rear window from the 1963 model makes a reappearance here, along with a split windscreen necessitated by a fanciful floating canopy with wraparound windows. Like I said, show car, not an exact preview of what’s to come. The bulging fenders also have a whiff of C2 to them, rising above the bottom of the greenhouse.
Taking a closer look at this show car, you can’t help but notice relatively few heat exchangers and absent exhaust tips. Were they just omitted for show car purposes? Not quite. GM claims this concept features “EV battery technology embedded into the structure,” and while the prospect of an electric Corvette sounds sacrilegious, the electrification of the Corvette E-Ray hybrid might just be a glimpse of things to come.
I worry about the concept of an electric Corvette, because ever since 1955, the Corvette has almost always been a very engine-focused experience. Contrast the roar of a high-compression small-block in an early C3 against the flat-six thrum of a late-’60s Porsche 911, the sheer headroom of the LS1 in the C5 Corvette against the difficulty of making an early Boxster quick in a straight line, and the banshee wail of a brand new Corvette Z06 against the supercharged Camry soundtrack of a Lotus Emira. Short of the 1985 to 1988 C4 with the Z51 package, a driver’s car so thoroughly dominant it was banned from SCCA showroom stock racing and corralled into its own one-make series, the Corvette has largely been a car you buy for V8 power in a sports car, rather than one that’s simply the best at any sub-Ferrari budget.
Taking away the V8 would plunge the Corvette into a brave new world, one where sedans like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Lucid Air Sapphire are some of the quickest cars on the planet regardless of body style. With many tracks having restrictions on electrified vehicles and 5-to-60 mph being the metric most consumers gauge everyday performance by, would an electric Corvette have much of a market? Answers on a postcard, please.
On the plus side, if this Corvette show car doesn’t tickle your fancy, don’t worry, more are on the way. As Michael Simcoe, GM’s VP of global design, stated in a media release, “As part of the Corvette creative study, we asked multiple studios to develop hypercar concepts, which we’ll see more of later this year.” Honing in more, Autocar reports that this is the first of three individual studio prototypes, and all are expected to “influence a single, final show car that will be unveiled in the second half of this year.” If that final show car is anything like the 2009 Stingray concept, expect it to influence the next-generation Corvette. With such a tight timeline to the expected reveal, it wouldn’t be surprising if that car’s already completed, so we’ll be watching for it very closely.
Top graphic credit: GM
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This is NOT how you do retro modernism. This is an abomination in the eyes of god.
I kind wonder if trying to move the ‘vette upmarket at all is a bit of a mistake, it’s more sports car than super car and a lot of its appeal is in the value proposition. I like EVs quite a bit and, if done well, they would sell a few Evettes but I think I agree on the v8 experience thing. Can’t imagine it being a big seller… Maybe if they made it into a crossover and threw in a couple of styling cues from the coupe?
Please don’t speak a GM Mach E into existence, please and thank you
I like the callback to the 25th anniversary Vette:
https://www.autobarnclassiccars.com/vehicles/1095/1978-chevrolet-corvette-25th-anniversary
That said ,this is clearly a design exercise with elements that will never make production, like the callback to the split rear window Vette on the windshield.
It looks like a Corvette but also looks “futuristic for the sake of futuristic”
Seeing that the Corvette is supposed to be America’s sports car, I feel that the British designing this is payback for all that tea we dumped 250-ish years ago.
They also did the GT40 for us
does anyone have an article on the C4 Z51’s SCCA career? Id be very interested.
As for this thing, the upper surfacing looks Corvette enough, but the light signature doesn’t do anything for me. I wonder if they’d be able to fit the double circle taillights around those big aero tunnels or something.
Good call on that. I miss the circle taillights. The most recent ones recall NFL players and there eye black. Or a Camaro. I didn’t like the Camero (sic) taillights either.
The market has spoke loud and clear, no one wants electric sports cars!
The split front windshield looks dumb too.
Aside from having boringly quiet motors, no engagement with gear changes, unsatisfying touch-screen interior controls that are even harder to use than normal in a car with a taut suspension, significantly heavier weight, a loftier price, and longer refueling times, what’s wrong with electric sports cars?
Some of that doesn’t necessarily need to be part of an electric car, everyone’s just some how decided it does. Specifically the touch screen controls, there’s literally no reason an electric powertrain dictates that everything inside the car can’t still be analog
It looks like a catamaran.
I feel confident that a Hot Wheels designer was involved in this.