Spotted: Mid-Engine Corvette and C7 ZR1

Talk about one hell of a dream team — the two highly-anticipated Corvettes nipping at super car status have been captured together by KGP Spy Photography, courtesy of Autoblog. The recently released  photos show what’s believed to be the mid-engine Corvette and C7 ZR1 while undergoing testing, and they look ready to get into trouble.

It’s hard to miss the similarities and differences between the cars, while just sitting side-by-side in full camouflaged attire. However, word on the street suggests that the mid-engine version is likely going to be known as the C8, and shares the same A-pillar rake, windshield, roof panel, side glass and taillights of the standard car.

This might just be a case of GM using a lot of the same components while the car is still in the design phase, in order to figure out the configuration before the aesthetics are nailed down. That’s just a thought, though, as the camouflaged Corvette does look rather ‘finished,’ as opposed to looking like something from the Johnny Cash song, One Piece at a Time. This doesn’t really settle anything about the rumored mid-engine “Zora” being a C7 or C8, but we’re pretty eager to get some answers from GM.

On the other hand, it does have plenty of differences; like the shorter front end and extended rear — an expected configuration when the engine is at the other end of the car. It also has slots at the door and doors skins that look like they were made to direct airflow.

The highly anticipated models are still a little ways out for consumer acquisition. You can expect to see the C7 ZR1 by 2018, but the official timeframe with this one is still up in the air. We were actually a little shocked when it didn’t make an appearance at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The mid-engine model is probably a couple of years out still. Each car could carry a hefty price tag as well, so GM isn’t going to start production until the cars are pure magic.

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