GM finally did it ... Bout dang time ... !!

[Dragstews]

If you think that the mid-engine Corvette is a new idea, think again. It’s been 60 years in the making.

The idea of a mid-engined Corvette is not new. In fact, it was 60 years ago this year when the first functioning prototype based on that very idea was put together. Known as 1959 CERV I (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle), this open-wheel single-seater rocket was the brainchild of Zora Arkus-Duntov, a Belgian engineer of Russian descent who joined Chevrolet in 1953, just after the birth of the first Corvette.

Duntov, who was also a very competent race driver, fell in love with the idea of the Corvette, but was appalled by the crude mechanics and incompetent behavior of its first iteration. Duntov thought that the mid-engine layout he would spend his entire career championing was the perfect cure to the little roadster's maladies. His 23-year career with General Motors is intimately intertwined with the Corvette’s history, and his failure to finally switch the Corvette to a mid-engine platform was a lifelong source of frustration for him.

But Duntov planted the seed of a mid-engined Corvette in the heart of Chevrolet, where many more prototypes based on that idea were produced during the next six decades, some of them directed by Duntov himself, and many of them made after his time with the automaker. Today, 66 years after the arrival of both the Corvette and Duntov in Chevy’s history, and on the eve of the unveiling of the very first mid-engined Corvette, we see fit to take a look at the mid-engined Corvette prototypes of the last 60 years. Enjoy.

[Fetch]

Can't wait to see the blokes on Top Gear tear one up.

[Dragstews]

[confab]

They've been plotting this for a couple of generations now. C4 was the last conventional driveline.

The C5 put the transmission in the rear, front engine, connected with a giant drive shaft.

Slowly working their way back.

They may be scared of rapid, major, modifications.. Because the last time they did that was 1983. The result was spectacular. Fastest American production car and the Corvette became a true, world class, sports car platform. The design could hold its own with anyone. It was so good, they banned it from some competitions, leading to Corvette only road racing called "Corvette Challenge"

But the cost was a lost year of production. (You can't buy a 1983 Corvette because none made it to production. The kinks weren't worked out of the wild new design yet.)

Even when it did come back on the market, it was with the Crossfire injection setup from 82. Took them another year to work the Port Injection system out and get it to the showroom.

They're always pushing boundaries and occasionally they just throw everything out and revamp.

[Dragstews]

The XP-819, developed in the mid-1960s, was an engineering exercise to test a rear engine concept for the Corvette. The body was designed by Larry Shinoda. You can see styling cues in XP-819 that later appeared in Shinoda's famed "Sting Ray" design. A GM marine engine powers the car so the two-speed transaxle would operate properly. The entire chassis, suspension, and steering are custom made components unique to this car.



Actually, the XP-819 was the result of a clash between Zora Arkus-Duntov and engineer Frank Winchell, who'd been involved with the Corvair project. Winchell contended that you could make a balanced, rear-engine, V-8 powered sports car by using an aluminum engine and larger tires on the rear to compensate for the rear weight bias. Duntov adamantly disagreed. A loose design was drawn that received some very unflattering comments from Duntov and Dave McLellan. Winchell asked designer Larry Shinoda if he could make something beautiful with the layout, to which Shinoda told him that a tape drawing could be shown after lunch. Shinoda and designer John Schinella sketched out the basic shape shown here. Duntov asked Shinoda, "Where did you cheat?". It didn't look "too bad", so a working prototype was ordered. Shinoda supervised the styling and Larry Nies' team of fabricators built the car. In only two months the XP-819 was on the test track.



It turned out that Winchell's theory about rear-engine, V-8 cars didn't work out very well. However, Shinoda's design was well received. They were obviously into the "shark thing" and picked up styling points from the Chaparral cars. It even had wheels from a Chaparral.

This car was definitely a Corvette, even though the back end was big. Unfortunately, with all that weight behind the rear axle, it was only a matter of time before it crashed during a high-speed lane change test. Paul vanValkenberg crashed it because he put the same (standard) size Corvette rim on the car front and rear and then wet down the track and went out and lost it. He bounced it off the wall a couple of times and pretty well wrecked it.



It was then sent off to "Smokey Yunik", where it was later found. The chassis was cut in half and usable parts were removed. What was left was stored in an unused paint booth as just "old junk." Years later, a Corvette collector was buying some parts from Yunick and offered to buy the junked XP-819. So the pile of car scrap was rebuilt and finished as a streetable car, like a kit car.
A cast-iron V-8 was used in place of the original all-aluminum engine. We're talking serious rear weight bias here. It's quick and now does awesome wheelies!

[rockman96]

Not to thread jack, but this thread reminded me of another GM... The Corvette Corvair. Only 3 were built, and obviously Neve made it to production. But, cool nonetheless.

https://www.corvettes.nl/gm_prototypes/corvair/

[Fetch]

All things considered....IMO they did a better job with the body back then

[Dragstews]

And for the 54 Vette was also this ....



Superior Glass Works to sell 54 Sports Wagon based on C5 Corvette

About two years ago, there was a nasty rumor that Ford was developing sedan and wagon variants of (gasp!) the Mustang. Torches were lit and pitchfork futures soared until Ford totally debunked the rumor.

But 55 years ago, something similar took place at the 1954 Motorama in New York when Chevrolet displayed a Corvette-based wagon called the Nomad. The difference in the two stories, according to at least one Web site, is that the public absolutely loved the show car's styling. Smelling opportunity, GM management rushed the Nomad into production without even one trace of Corvette styling.

There are those who still hold a grudge against GM for not following through with a Corvette-based station wagon. For the latter fans, their 55-year wait might be over if they saved at least $2,300 a year.

For $125,000 Superior Glass Works will sell you a 1954 Corvette Nomad recreated in fiberglass and fittingly built on a Corvette C5 chassis. The choice of engine, interior and wiring is up to you after you get it home and at extra cost. A $50,000 deposit will reserve one of the 25 copies to be built. Brad Peterson, owner of Specialty, tells us that pre-orders were not taken and no cars have yet been sold. But if you're interested, he said you can check out the Superior 54 Sport Wagon in person at Back to the 50s in St. Paul, Minn. June 19-21 or at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, August 6-9.







($125,000 !! ... I hope to kiss a duck it would be free shipping)



Wonder if that ^^ could be made into a mid-engine ..??
(Screw Dat ... Drop it down on a Shelby Series One Oldsmobile)

The Series 1 was produced in both supercharged and naturally aspirated versions (but supercharger was optional). Supercharged cars were also outfitted by the factory with larger brakes and a heavy duty clutch. Performance is in the "supercar" category with a 0-60 time at 3.2 seconds. Nicely optioned, Series 1 had power steering, power disc brakes, factory air conditioning, power windows, and an AM/FM/CD audio system. The convertible top folded away out of sight in a compartment located behind the cockpit. Some component cars were sold as a roadster with no convertible top.

The Series 1 had dual wishbone suspension with coil-over remote reservoir dampers mounted inboard, and actuated by "rocker arms". The engine was mounted completely behind the front axle and drove a drive shaft supported in a "torque tube" that spun a 6 speed ZF trans-axle specially modified for the Series 1. The chassis was made of extruded and formed 6061 aluminum. It was welded together and then post-heat-treated for maximum strength throughout. Then aluminum honeycomb panels specially designed were bonded into the floor boards and rocker panels for added structure and stiffness. The body panels were carbon fiber and fiberglass laminate. The engine, torque-tube, trans-axle, and damper mounts were all rubber-isolated from the frame. The supercharged prototypes produced near 600 bhp and 530 lb⋅ft (720 N⋅m) of torque. The Goodyear Eagle F1 tires were based on an IMSA racing "rain tire" that had been used for the "show car" model. Goodyear built custom tires for the car.

[Dragstews]

This is a giant leap for GM to do this move on the Vette ...

Kinda wonder what's next for the Vette, maybe a new Bio-fuel will be soon to follow ....



Not to be out done, Buick had a contender too ..



And Pontiac ... Well, those Boys went off the deep end in 54'
(Got a Straight 8 in it)



.../// https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DVDVVXX \\\...

[Dragstews]

Did I mention Olds .... ??

[Mwatson]

I can honestly say I've never wanted a Corvette, at least not a modern Corvette. But after watching the Jay Leno's Garage episode with it, I'm fucking sold man. We have finally stepped into world-class, world beating, super car territory, and it's about god damn time.

Mike

[Dragstews]

The options ....

[AbbandonZK]

The options ....

Another option.