[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvettes Spotted This Week in Michigan

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[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvettes Spotted This Week in Michigan

Photo Credit: @njhurren / Instagram


How does an automaker like Chevrolet flip the switch on the recent bad news regarding its halo car, the Corvette? You go public!

And by public we mean “let’s get seen” driving the C8 Mid-Engine Corvette on public streets…nearly naked without the heavy camo!

The last week has been tough on the Corvette Team after rumors circulated that the C8 could be delayed upwards of 6 months for issues with its electrical system, and that’s on top of the news that Chevrolet will not be revealing the car in Detroit next month. Because it has been over two months since the last public sighting of the mid-engines testing in the US, there has been a vacuum of any recent positive news related to the program.

So you flip the switch. Put a couple C8 Corvettes on the road Wednesday and then sit back and watch the blogs, forums and social media do their thing. These mid-engines cruising around on Wednesday were meant to be spotted, thereby reassuring the faithful that the C8’s demise has been greatly exaggerated.

Multiple sightings of the 2020 Corvette on Wednesday were shared to Instagram. First up were these photos captured by Instagram user @njhurren whose pics of the next-generation C8 mid-engine Corvette was shared publically by @rhurren505:

[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvette Spotted This Week in Michigan

[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvette Spotted This Week in Michigan

The thing that hit me right away was how different this car is compared to the Nurburgring cars we saw back in September. There appears to be a rather pronounced lip where the top of the front grill meets the body, a rear quarter window that looks more like the C7s than what we’ve seen before, and side rocker panels seem to be in place as well.

Other elements we view are the front headlights showing a verticle LED strip, and on the rear deck is a large lip spoiler rather than the wing-type spoiler shown on the ME prototype photos below.

This next sighting from Instagram user @puppiesnmuscles shows a different 2020 Corvette based on the rear spoiler and license plate. Right away I see the rockers on the drivers side and I’m thinking widebody. Maybe its the perspective from the rocker panels with the vinyl wrap, so I included one of the Nurburgring protoypes from September so you can see how dramatically different the lower side details are:

[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvette Spotted This Week in Michigan

[SPIED] Nearly Naked C8 Corvette Spotted This Week in Michigan


Another point to my theory on whether Wednesday’s drive was planned to make news is that it sure looks like Corvette product manager Harlan Charles in that rearview mirror.

Where's Harlan?


Perhaps the most positive aspect to having these two Mid-Engine Corvettes on the roads about an hour north of Detroit is the fact that they were driving! Being on such an excursion shows the Corvette team can drive these cars with the confidence that they won’t be left stranded on the side of the road. So perhaps the reported electrical issue has been resolved, or they have figured out a work-around until they do have a fix ready. Either way, there is a new Corvette coming and like most enthusiasts, we can’t wait!


Source:
@njhurren / Instagram and @puppiesnmuscles / Instagram

Related:
Has the C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Been Delayed Six Months for Electrical Problems?
Chevrolet Will Not Launch the 2020 Mid-Engine Corvette at NAIAS
[VIDEO] Corvette C8.R Night Testing at Sebring

 



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