General Motors unveils Chevrolet Corvette successor concept by new England-based design team

General Motors has unveiled an “advanced design study” of the Chevrolet Corvette concept car that has been developed by the manufacturer’s UK design team, alongside the official opening of its new 24,584 sq ft advanced design studio in Royal Leamington Spa, England, which is outfitted for both digital and physical clay model development.

The Corvette concept car shown, designed by the UK team involving multiple design studios is the first of several Corvette concepts that will emerge throughout this year, according to the carmaker.

These concepts are intended to contribute to a single show car that will unveiled in the second half of this year, and this will likely inform the design of the successor to the current C8-generation Corvette, according to Autocar.

The Corvette concept car measures 4,669 mm long, 2,178 mm wide and 1,033 mm tall, with wheels measuring 22 inches in front and 23 inches at the rear; its seat height is a ‘race car inspired’ 127 mm, says GM.

This draws inspiration heavily from rear-mid-engined race cars, and with the historic Corvette centre-line design cue that features a windshield central spar that is part of its halo roof structure. Additive manufacturing is used for its body structure for the goals of low weight, manufacturing efficiency, lower parts count and agility when driving, according to GM.

Constructed around the central spar is what the company calls ‘Apex Vision’, the car’s glasshouse is of a wraparound shape which aims to minimise visual obstruction, and its wing doors use powered closures. As with its body structure, the Corvette concept’s body panels are also made using an additive manufacturing process for integration of components and a smaller number of parts.

Beneath its exterior, GM says that the Corvette concept employs a pushrod suspension layout akin to those used in race car, and while its design ofthe upper half is distinguished by classic Corvette cues, the lower half focuses on “functional technical design” where EV battery technology is embedded into its structure, while aerodynamic elements aim to channel air efficiently without wings or spoilers.

Its methods of airflow management are dubbed Aero Duality, alluding to on-road efficiency as well as on-track performance. This directs air through the vehicle to improve efficiency and range, while its track performance is aided by configurable aero surfaces such as deploying dorsal fins and spoiler venting for “aero vectoring” to improve cornering performance.

Meanwhile, its track application is aided by a sculpted underbody, a lowered ride height and fan assistance to use ground effect, the latter method recently also featuring on the GMA T.50 and T.50s, themselves following the fan-drawn airflow method used on the McLaren F1.

While there was no intention for the UK-designed Corvette concept to be put into production, the British team was tasked with using a fresh perspective to “completely rethink the Corvette nameplate, pushing the boundaries of design and technology,” sources told Autocar. With the final show car scheduled for public unveiling in the second half of this year, a possible debut could be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, it said.

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