Chevrolet in April finally came out and confirmed something we all already knew for a long time—that the next-generation C8 Corvette moves to a mid-engine layout.
The automaker also confirmed that the C8 Corvette's reveal will happen on July 18, 2019, meaning the past six decades of front-engined Corvettes is now pretty much over. In fact, the final Corvette with its engine in front of the cabin, a 2019 Z06 finished in black, was just sold for $2.7 million at a charity auction. That's a new record for a car donated by an automaker.
Final C7 Chevrolet Corvette sells at charity auction for $2.7 million
The car went under the hammer at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Connecticut on Friday and all proceeds will go to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports injured and fallen military members and first responders, and their families. Most of the funds will be used to build houses for service men and women with serious injuries.
Like all C7 Z06 models, the final car packs a 650-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. And surprisingly, no special touches were added to mark the car's significance.
Final C7 Chevrolet Corvette sells at charity auction for $2.7 million
It's also surprising that Chevy didn't introduce a special edition model to mark the end of the C7's run. After all, there's already been several C7 special editions, including cars like the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition, 2018 Corvette Grand Sport and Z06 Carbon 65 Editions, and the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Drivers Series. There was even a Final Edition model sold in Europe, which isn't exactly a strong market for Corvettes.
Chevy probably wants all attention to go toward its newest baby: the C8. The covers will come off during a special event hosted on the night of July 18 in Orange County, California.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette
We have to imagine the version Chevy unveils will be the base model, which may end up adopting the Stingray name like its predecessor. We've speculated the engine will be an upgraded version of the LT1 6.2-liter V-8 found in the current C7 Corvette Stingray. The LT1 makes 455 horsepower as it stands today. What kind of power bump the engine may receive is unclear, but past rumors indicated an extra 45 hp for a total of 500 hp stock.
Other floated engines include a 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V-8 with 600 hp and a twin-turbo version of the rumored 5.5-liter V-8 with as much as 800 hp for more potent models like a future Z06. Atop the rumored powertrain lineup is supposedly a hybrid setup with 1,000 hp and all-wheel drive. Don't be surprised if the hybrid ends up filling the flagship ZR1 role but under the new name Zora, as a nod to legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov—a long proponent of the mid-engine layout. Stay tuned.
