It looks as if the new mid-engine Corvette->ke1280 is more than a collection of rumors on the Internets and thoughts in my head. Car and Driver has just released a large piece stating that their sources have all but confirmed that the next Corvette will be mid-engined. More than that, they are saying that the new architecture won’t be for just a single, range-topping model. Rather, every Corvette form here forward will adopt a mid-engine configuration. That places the base level car as a better competitor to something like the Porsche Cayman S, and opens the top-level cars to compete against things like the Lamborghini Aventador.->ke3624

There is a lot in this article that seems very feasible and I agree with huge portions of it, but there are also a few things that seem a little out of the question; at least for now. Some of the more far-fetched ideas include a Corvette with an AWD hybrid system in as little as five years; with a V-6 engine no less.

Worse yet, Car and Driver seems to think that the only way Chevrolet->ke199 can package a mid-engined car is to kill of the manual transmission and go to exclusively using a seven-speed dual clutch. As with all things that pertain to car models that are years and years away from production, take everything you read here with a big dose of salt.

If you are interested in a second view, we are currently working up our own renders and I am tracking down some other sources to see if I can find out any new information. We will be using all that to update our main Corvette Zora piece.

As always, keep those eyes right here on TopSpeed.com to get all the news and details about this crazy, new Corvette and any other new and exciting car that may be coming out soon.

Note: 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pictured here.

Click past the jump to read more about Corvette's future.

Why It Matters

We have already discussed that the new Z06 Corvette with its 650-horsepower, supercharged V-8 is reaching the ultimate performance threshold. There is very little GM can do to dramatically improve the performance and still keep the model as a usable, everyday car. The most cost-effective way to dramatically improve performance would be to create a mid-engine model. By moving the weight of the engine rearward, GM will be able to increase traction for better speed, while reducing the rotational mass for better handling.

The Corvette still has a 60-plus year reputation as a F-R designed sports car to uphold, so it seems unlikely that GM will risk killing off the entire lineup of standard designed cars with the engine in the nose. We will keep the details of this coming as we get them.

Chevrolet Corvette Zora

The Chevrolet Zora, or perhaps Zora ZR-1 is the expected name of an upcoming mid-engine supercar based on the Corvette platform. It will make use of the same aluminum architecture and small-block, V-8 engines of the new Corvette Stingray and Z06, but see them designed in a way to more properly compete with cars like the Lamborghini Huracan and Ferrari 458.

The car has a rumored release schedule of 2017.