Maybe it's because the top-dog ZR1s were only just launched, or maybe we're getting old, but it feels like the C8 Chevy Corvette hasn't been around all that long. Yet, its first model year was 2020, six whole years ago. That's nearly the equivalent of the C5's and C6's entire lifespans, and longer than the C7's. So perhaps it's not that surprising that GM has been showing off ideas for future 'Vettes with a few concepts. Car designer Khyzyl Saleem decided to pick up what Chevy has been putting down, blending these GM concepts and the current C8 design for an unofficial C9 that has us more excited than ever for a successor. He recently shared several images on his Facebook account (embedded below) and yeah, it looks good. Real good. The C8 Cleans Up Nicely Now before we dig too deep into the design, here's a quick refresher on who Khyzyl Saleem (The Kyza) is. He's an artist and designer who imagines all kinds of wild versions of cars new and old. He has also developed real-life body kits for a number of vehicles, created designs for Need For Speed video games, and even helped create the TWR Supercat, a restomod of the Jaguar XJS. The point is, Saleem isn't just a great Photoshop artist. He knows his stuff when it comes to cars. As for the design, Saleem calls it the C8-X, a nod to the two vehicles he drew inspiration from: the current C8 Corvette and Chevy's CX concept. You can see that a regular C8 is the core of the design, since it has the same greenhouse and rear engine cover. From there, Saleem has basically cleaned up all the creased, angled panels of the C8 to bring it more inline with the CX. The head and tail lights have also been thinned out. It results in an impressively elegant shape compared with the C8. Jared Rosenholtz / CarBuzz / Valnet Saleem also adds some of his own flair, such as the extremely wide fenders, deep front lips and side skirts, and enormous rear diffuser. It all still looks proportionate and well integrated, though. He also added a couple of older Corvette cues. He specifically noted the auxiliary next to each other in the lower grille like those in the C5-R race cars. We also noticed the C6 Z06-style intake inlet just above those lights. Jared Rosenholtz / CarBuzz / Valnet The C8 Likely Has Life Left In It Now Chevy's own concepts, along with Saleem's, might have us excited for a new generation of Corvette. Plus, the C8 has already lived a full life by the standards of some generations. We're pretty confident, though, that the C8 at least has a few more years left. As we already mentioned, the ZR1s only just hit the market last year, and it would be wild to end the generation just a year or two later. Besides having one fresh variant on sale, it also seems that Chevy is on the verge of launching another. One of the surprise hits of the C6 and C7 Corvette generations was the Grand Sport trim. It combined some light performance upgrades with the more aggressive bodywork of the Z06 and ZR1 models, and spy shots of what seem to be a new Grand Sport show the same playbook in use. What About The Corvette Zora? Sothebys, GM heritage When the C8 Corvette debuted back in 2019, rumors were already flying about a new flagship Corvette trim called Zora. It was named for Zora Arkus-Duntov, a former GM engineer who worked on Corvette in the early days and is often referred to as the "father of the Corvette." He championed a mid-engine Corvette decades before it actually happened, and as an ode to his dedication, a new trim calleld Zora was expected at some point during the C8's run. That could still happen, but at this point, it's highly unlikely. The model long rumored to be the Zora was actually the ZR1X, merging the ZR1's twin-turbocharged 1,064-hp engine with the Corvette E-Ray's electric powertrain to create a 1,250-hp AWD monster 'Vette. However, there's nothing saying Zora couldn't appear in the C9 Corvette lineup. That's especially true if new engines are in the works. Reports have been mounting that a new V8 will be coming to the C8 Corvette and carry over to the C9. GM previously announced a new line of small-block V8s, and they're expected to have more displacement than current offerings in both its trucks and cars at 5.7 and 6.6 liters versus 5.3 and 6.2 liters. So, with new engines and a new trim, we could see the C8 sticking around for a few more years while the C9 gets dialed in. In any case, let's hope it looks as good as these renderings.
Liked by Amélie Scott, Jenna Carter
Liked by Amélie Scott, Jenna Carter
Liked by Amélie Scott, Jenna Carter