The Chevrolet Corvette is an American classic. In continuous production for seventy years, it has weathered the many storms that have rattled the American car market and remains one of the most recognisable and respected nameplates in automotive culture.

A new chapter in the Corvette’s storied history was opened in 2019 with the introduction of the eighth generation, popularly known as the C8. The first production Corvette to have its engine placed amidships, it is a radical departure from the front-engine models of the past. Some Corvette purists were upset by the dramatic change, but most welcomed the new engine placement, as well as the new driving dynamics and interior arrangement that the C8 had to offer.

Actually, the mid-engine idea is not a new one. Experimental Corvette prototypes with mid-engine placement go back to the 1960s, with plans to implement the program in the late 1970s and 1980s. The legendary Corvette engineer, Zora Arkus Duntov, had championed the mid-engine format for many years, and urged anyone who would listen at GM and Chevrolet to invest in experimental prototypes as proof-of-concept cars. Many of these experimental cars were rough-looking test mules, but there were some notable concept cars built, such as…