[RUMOR] Is This Panel From a C8 Corvette Prototype that Crashed at VIR?

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[RUMOR] These Are Suppossedly Parts Left Over From a C8 Corvette Prototype Crash at VIR


Did one of the C8 Corvette Prototypes crash last week while testing at Virginia International Raceway?

And was that car one of the rumored Twin-Turbo versions?

This latest rumor comes from a Corvette Forum member named “Tool Hoarder” who posted about how the crash delayed entry to VIR where he was working as an instructor. He later added pictures of camo-wrapped panel that is alleged to have come from the car.

Here is “Tool Hoarder’s” original post:

I was instructing with NASA at VIR this weekend. Thursday an email was sent delaying any entry into the paddock until 7:30 PM at the earliest which is a good bit later than normal. Event organizers apologized explaining that their hands were tied with a private “high security” track rental. Chatter in the paddock this weekend was that Chevy was there testing the TT C8 and that one crashed which caused the delay in them wrapping up and leaving on time. This was confirmed to me by a source I won’t give any details on.

Someone needs to get a drone on stand-by in Danville

[RUMOR] Is This Panel From a C8 Corvette Prototype that Crashed at VIR?

[RUMOR] Is This Panel From a C8 Corvette Prototype that Crashed at VIR?


Our first impression is that the camo design is dead on identical to the wrap we’ve seen on the C8 Corvette prototypes previously. It’s a pretty large panel too as these photos were taken with it sitting on top of a residential trash can.

Speculation is that this could be a fake panel used for disguising the side intake vents based on the curved opening on one side. We know from various spy photos that the Corvette team has added fake lines, curves, and other padding to defuse the design elements of the car under it and the side intake cove has been at the forefront of those discussions.

Below is a C8 Corvette Prototype from an earlier sighting this month in Detroit and you can see how that panel might fit on the rear quarter of this prototype.

[RUMOR] These Are Suppossedly Parts Left Over From a C8 Corvette Prototype Crash at VIR

Photo Credit: Brian Williams / Spiedbilde


So going back to this rumored crash, we certainly hope the development engineers testing are okay. The Corvette Team has spent a considerable amount of time with development testing of its cars at VIR and the data from the crash (if true!) will be analyzed to determine what happened. Crashes at race tracks during development happen but we know that after all the testing is done, the end product will be a mid-engine sports car worthy of the Corvette name.

And if I can make a suggestion for “Tool Hoarder”? If you are able to hang onto this panel until after the reveal, you should try to get it signed by members of the Corvette team because that’s a pretty cool piece of C8 memorabilia!


Source:
Corvette Forum

Related:
[SPIED] C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Prototypes Testing in North Carolina
[GALLERY] C8 Mid-Engine Corvette Prototype Shown with Production-Ready Lights (47 C8 Corvette Spy Photos)
[SPIED] Two Quick Videos of a C8 Mid-Engine Corvette in the Detroit Area

 



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3 COMMENTS

  1. Surprised that Chevrolet wouldn’t have made a point of collecting all stray pieces from the crash site, particularly pieces this large.

  2. DougR, maybe they intentionally left this out there. So that they could tease us, and make us figure out what piece it actually is.

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