Spy photos have surfaced on Road & Track of what is very likely the upcoming mid-engine C8 Corvette. It’s long been rumored the Corvette was going mid-engine, purely in a bid to stay competitive with the likes of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi, Ferrari, Ford — pretty much the rest of the world. Because while trying to tame close to 700 horsepower in a front-engine rear-wheel-drive layout is great for burnouts, it’s not so great for trying to get around a track as fast a possible. GM making a mid-engine supercar is a very good thing indeed, but if it’s not a Cadillac first, it’ll be a huge mistake.
Over the past few years, GM and Cadillac have desperately fought to bring the brand upmarket to compete with Germany on every level. And while the current crop of Cadillacs are incredible cars, it’s hard not to forget the fact that Chevy gets most of the engines and power trains first, which make Cadillacs look like lame, rebadged afterthoughts.
Audi, BMW, Mercedes and the like all introduce the best technology and design at the top and let it trickle down the lineup. It makes the more affordable models more desirable. GM finally have a chance to make things right and establish this new mid-engine V8 supercar as a Cadillac, and then let Chevy have it. That way, instead of Cadillac getting a hand-me-down from a lesser brand, it’s the Corvette that gets the prestigious Cadillac engine. If GM cares — at all — about really boosting Cadillac’s image, this new supercar better be a Cadillac. (And we all know what mid-engine Cadillacs can do.)
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