Well, that’s about all we know for sure. Rumblings of a mid-engine Corvette have taken a life of their own in recent months and GM has all but confirmed the rumors. However just earlier today, our colleagues at Car and Driver published photos of what looks to be a Holden Ute on the surface, but actually isn’t.
Our eagle-eyed readers will notice the the Ute is sporting a C7 Corvette roof, cabin module and exterior mirrors, while it wears a Holden SSV body, front fascia and widened versions of its wheel flares. Out back is a high-rise spoiler for increased downforce and a 2×10 for a rear bumper, in the event the car ever needs pushed back into the garage, as C&D tells it.
You’ll also notice a fuel filler cap on the B-pillar and the cooling ducts blended into the rocker panels – all hints of a rear/mid-enigne layout. With Commodore/Ute rumored to be getting cancelled for 2016/2017, it would be logical to assume that this isn’t a future Holden vehicle under development. Many experts in the industry cite this as the “C8 Corvette.”
However, we have a few thoughts on that ourselves. It’s been said that this rumored mid-engine ‘Vette will sell 
alongside the current seventh-generation car, at least initially, but will eventually phase out the C7 as its replacement. Fair enough, but the Corvette was always a direct competitor for the Porsche 911 and that would be like saying Porsche will eventually cancel its flagship sports car for a line based entirely off of the 918 at a price that’s comparable to the 911 – doesn’t make sense.
If the Corvette is set to switch to mid-engine, in a way that is suggested by Car and Driver and other outlets, we feel that Corvette will lose its core customer base as the entry-level price will almost certainly double. If and when a ME Corvette does come to fruition, dubbed Zora, ZR1 or otherwise, we think it will be a limited run model aimed directly at the supercars from Europe. We’ll keep you posted as more develops.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
