Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes
To keep pushing the limits without having to do ridiculous things, they do need the mid engine.
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And to enable hybridization. I'm willing to bet that's the biggest reason the switch was made. Long-term niche viability in a changing automotive landscape. Chevy already pretty much has the American-made two (or two-plus-two) seater market to itself. That market won't become marginalized until the majority of Baby Boomers die off, and that's at least 10-15 years away.
Think about what the C8 will be in the next 5-6 years -- and what the C9
could be in, say, 2025. Realize that except for some key revisions (the ditching of leaf-spring use being one), the hardware of the C8 fundamentally differs little from the C7. That will allow Chevy to incrementally develop the Corvette, year by year, to drive consistent sales and keep the car vital in the landscape of both its competition and the automotive industry in general.
The more I think about what the C8 is, the more I'm impressed with the thinking behind it and its positioning as basically a Halo car for the masses. I mean, Ford isn't really even building passenger cars anymore, and its comparable Halo car is effectively unobtanium -- and Dodge isn't even in that game anymore now that the Viper is dead and the Hellcat(s) are milking the muscle-car wayback machine niche for all it's worth.
What does that say about the direction Chevy wants to go with the C8? Everything, in my mind.