The Mid-Engine Corvette’s Wild Style

A Brief History of the Corvette

When Chevrolet hit a sales slump in the early 1950s, the automaker created a sports car it hoped would bring foot traffic into dealer showrooms. After a wildly successful debut at GM’s 1953 Motorama show in New York City, the Corvette went into production. The company built 300 Polo White fiberglass bodies with red interiors and straight-six cylinder engines.

1954 Chevrolet Corvette

Since then, the Corvette has been America’s sports car. There was a brief challenge from Ford when it created the Thunderbird in 1955, but Ford spurned calling it a “sports car,” instead opting to use the term “personal car,” despite it being arguably sportier than the ’Vette. By 1958, the Thunderbird had a back seat and four doors, which ended the Corvette comparison.

Read: 8 Chevrolet Corvette Generations, All the Details from C1 to C8

Behind the Driver and Passenger Seat

After decades of rumors of a mid-engine Corvette, it finally launched in the all-new 2020 Corvette Stingray. It used a naturally aspirated dry-sump lubricated, pushrod-actuated firebox with four-into-one exhaust manifolds. The 2020 ‘Vette produces 490 horsepower via the 6.2-liter V-8 LT2 positioned directly behind the driver and passenger seats.

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – 5.5L flat plane crank LT6 V-8 engine (Photo: Chevrolet)

For 2024, the engine remains the standard and familiar V-8 LT2. Adding the $6,345 optional Z51 package with a throatier dual-stage performance exhaust ups the horsepower to 495. The Z51 also adds:

• More efficient engine cooling
• Larger Brembo brakes
• Modified suspension components
• Stickier Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP summer tires—19 inches up front, 20 inches in back

A front splitter fitted below the bumper and a multiplane rear decklid spoiler add 400 pounds of downforce, improving high-speed stability. All that power is delivered to the rear-wheel drive Corvette through the standard eight-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission with manual-shift mode and paddle shifters. A manual shifter is no longer offered, likely disappointing Corvette loyalists.

The driver mode selector—standard on all new Corvettes—further manages all that power, allowing you to choose from preset Weather, Tour, Track modes and customizable MyMode. There’s also Z Mode, which allows you to personalize almost every aspect of your preferred driving experience.

Performance Numbers

The powerplant under the hood of the C7-generation Corvette isn’t much different from the C8. But moving the cockpit forward nearly 17 inches and the engine behind the seats changes the front-axle-to-dash ratio to a short hood, so the weight distribution is now 40/60 front-rear rather than the old 50/50.

Mid-engine 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in Rapid Blue (Photo: Chevrolet)

Adding it up—a few more ponies, a more favorable rear weight ratio over the wheels, and the launch-perfected twin-clutch transmission—means the C8 makes it from zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, an astounding 1.1 seconds quicker than the C7. It completes the standing quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds, according to Chevrolet. By comparison, those are almost the same numbers as the current Porsche 911 Carrera S as tested by Car & Driver.

Bold Exterior Design

Corvette design stylists took the C8 revision and refinements to an extreme. Some enthusiasts believe it can no longer be recognized as a Corvette. Previous generational iterations have been evolutionary, but the styling overhaul of the C8 is revolutionary. It has hints of Ferrari up front, a touch of NSX or Ford GT in the profile, and a mild suggestion of Lexus LC 500 out back.

Mid-engine 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray  (Photo: Chevrolet)

Chevrolet says the mid-engine Corvette was “first engineered as a convertible,” though it is now available as a coupe or convertible. The coupe’s top is removable and lifts off for open-cabin motoring, which makes the convertible a moot point. One person can easily remove or reinstall the top, plus it fits inside the trunk. The rear trunk can also hold two golf bags, and the frunk (under the hood) has space for some luggage or packages.

The convertible has a retractable top powered by six electric motors and can be lowered through its gyrations in 16 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. A power-operated glass divider between the cabin and the engine also helps control turbulent cabin wind. The two-piece top is finished in the body color.

Styling aerodynamics include large side air intakes for engine cooling with pass-through airflow ports on the Corvette’s rear bumper. If there is any hint of traditional Corvette styling, it would be the sloping hood, although it’s considerably shorter.

What’s It Like Inside?

After years of scorn for its cheap interiors, the C8 cabin wows with top-shelf materials, design, and build quality. Slipping into the bolstered, low-slung driver seat, you’ll first notice the odd-shaped and awkward-looking squared-off steering wheel. Hand-wrapped leather hides in the 3LT trim easily match the best of European supercars.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray interior (Photo: Chevrolet)

The mid-engine Corvette’s real-metal switchgear is stylish, and the overall layout is attractive. There’s a large, angular panel that separates the driver and passenger. It bisects the cabin with a switchgear rail that houses the HVAC switches on top, powering the narrow air vents about the instrument panel. The starter is a pushbutton, and the drive mode selector occupies a space on the center console.

There’s a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with a reconfigurable gauge display, and an 8-inch touchscreen mounted mid-dash slightly angled toward the driver. Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 Plus system has Bluetooth audio streaming, a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment is delivered via a high-performing, 14-speaker Bose audio system.

The Need for More Speed

While nearly 500 horsepower is enough for most, Chevrolet offers a massive 670-horsepower Z06 high-performance model, which has 460 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of 195 mph. Chevy also announced it plans to release a track-only version called the Z06 GT3.

Mid-engine 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in Accelerate Yellow (Photo: Chevrolet)

Coming later is the 2024 E-Ray (shown at top of page), the first electrified Corvette with all-wheel drive and, in EV-only mode, front-wheel drive. Even quicker than the Z06, GM says the E-Ray rockets to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. It can complete the standing quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds. The E-Ray will be offered as either a coupe or convertible.