New Mid-Engine Corvette Test Mule Sightings

It seems like we have been discussing the rumors of a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette for years, because we have. Although GM execs have denied that a mid-engine Corvette program existed, spy shots captured here and there show what is clearly a mid-engine sports car, but lately, the majority of Corvette related spy shots and videos have focused on what many believe to be the next Corvette ZR1.

The influx of footage showing what appears to be a camouflaged C7 Corvette with far more extreme aerodynamic bits than the current Z06 have stirred the ZR1 discussions, pushing the mid-engine Corvette discussions to the backburner, but that is about to change thanks to a new batch of spy photos.

Mid-Engine Corvette with the ZR1
Over the past few years, spy photos and videos showing the mid-engine Corvette and the aero-heavy C7 Corvette (presumably the ZR1) have taken turns sweeping across social media. A mid-engine Corvette test mule photo set would pop up and we would all talk about that for a while until a photo set of the ZR1 Corvette would pop up, and then we would all focus on that car. Each time, the newest photos seemed to lead some people to believe that we would only see one or the other, but the newest pictures show what could be the mid-engine Corvette next to the Corvette ZR1 mule.

The Corvette ZR1 mule in these images isn’t anything new and the mid-engine mystery car is the same one that we have seen in the past, but the fact that both of these cars have been caught testing together gives credence to the suggestion that GM will eventually release both a higher performance C7 Corvette and a mid-engine supercar.

Note: We don’t have ownership rights to the photos in question, so you can check them out at Motor Trend.

We cannot really tell anything about either of these test mules from the pictures, but there is no question that one of the cars has a physical layout which would suggest a mid-engine design – with a short hood in front of a cockpit which is far further forward than on the current Corvettes, and a longer rear area behind the cockpit. This is the same basic shape as most of the modern mid-engine supercars and there is no way that GM fit an engine in the front of that car.

Now, the question is whether this mid-engine mystery car is related to the current (C7) Corvette, the next generation (C8) Corvette or some unique chassis which has no relation to any other (read: Rear wheel drive) Corvette production model. In fact, it might not be a Corvette at all. There have been rumors that GM could make the mid-engine supercar a Cadillac, or it could have its own unique name – such the “Zora”.

Word on the street is that this mid-engine supercar will debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, but until then, we will all continue to speculate the dream about a Corvette-based Ferrari killer.