The C8 Corvette became the first production Corvette with a mid-engine layout.
Chevrolet unveiled the eighth-generation Corvette in 2019, and the 2020 model introduced the production car’s long-anticipated move from a front-engine arrangement to a mid-engine layout. The change placed the V8 behind the passenger compartment and ahead of the rear axle.
The new architecture improved weight distribution and gave the Corvette a silhouette more closely associated with exotic sports cars. Chevrolet retained the Corvette name while fundamentally changing its engineering layout, so the car remained recognizable but was mechanically revolutionary for the line.
The C8 is sometimes confused with earlier experimental mid-engine Corvettes, including the 1960s Astro II concept. Those vehicles previewed the idea but were not regular-production Corvettes. The C8 was the first one sold as a series-production model.