This Wild New Chevrolet Corvette Concept Could Preview The C9
Believe it or not, the mid-engine eighth generation Chevrolet Corvette is nearly six years old. The first Stingray launched for 2020 and the new 2026 Corvette ZR1 will be shipping to customers soon.
The introduction of a ZR1 often heralds the end of a Corvette generation, although it doesn’t look like that will be the case this time around. Despite the car having a 1,064 hp turbocharged V8 and a top speed of 233 mph, Chevrolet has at least one more version of the Corvette that will follow it.
Everyone expects it to be named the Zora after famous Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov and to combine the front-wheel electric drivetrain from the Corvette E-Ray with either the Z06 or ZR1’s mid-mounted V8 powering the rear wheels. But what comes after that?
General Motors is starting to think about it and has tasked its global network of design studios to give it their best shot in a series of concepts that will be revealed throughout this year.
“As part of the Corvette creative study, we asked multiple studios to develop hypercar concepts, which we’ll see more of later this year,” Michael Simcoe, senior VP of global design said in a news release. “It was important that they all pay homage to Corvette’s historic DNA, but each studio brought their own unique creative interpretation to the project. That is exactly what our advanced design studio network is intended to do – push the envelope, challenge convention and imagine what could be.”
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The first comes from GM’s new advanced design studio in Royal Leamington Spa, near Birmingham, U.K.
The effort features gull wing doors and a split front window that forms a structural halo, similar to what’s used on open wheel race cars today. It was designed to be constructed using additive manufacturing — also known as 3D printing — and a minimal number of parts to keep the weight low.
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A central tunnel underneath collaborates with a fan to evacuate air and vented surfaces to provide downforce-producing ground effects and active aerodynamics. A pushrod suspension setup like that used on Cadillac’s prototype racing cars enhances its track driving capability.
The powertrain isn’t detailed, but Chevrolet says it has “EV battery technology embedded into the structure” and a video teaser includes an electric motor sound. GM President Mark Reuss said in 2022 that a fully electric Corvette was on the horizon, but there haven’t been any official updates on it since then.
Unless this is it. Hmm…