[PICS] Too Early for C9 Corvette Renders? Check out this Front-Engine Design from Brazil

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[PICS] Too Early for C9 Corvette Renders? Check out this Front-Engine Design from Brazil

Photo Credits: Ruperto Mallosto


We haven’t even gotten full-steam into production of the C8, and already somebody is imagining what the C9 Corvette could look like.

This particular example, from the mind of Brazilian designer Ruperto Mallosto, has absolutely zero chance of ever seeing the light of day coming out of the Bowling Green factory that assembles Corvettes, mainly because it’s a front-engine design.

C9 Corvette Rendered With Front-Engine Design, Looks Very Sharp


While it’s obvious that General Motors is 100 percent committed to the mid-engine Corvette, we have to admit we like the look that Mr. Mallosto came up with if they did return to the front-engine architecture in a few years. It’s very reminiscent of the actual C7 front-engine car, with its long hood and short rear deck, but at the same time with a different enough and simplistic enough look at both ends to make people go, “Whoa!”

This drawing did raise a question for us: If the Corvette ever became strictly electric, would the weight of the batteries make it feasible to revert to a front-engine layout? The idea behind changing the engine’s location to the rear of the car was to make the weight distribution better, leading to better handling and performance capabilities.

C9 Corvette Rendered With Front-Engine Design, Looks Very Sharp


We’re not smart enough to know what the effects of a totally electric-powered architecture with its heavy batteries would do to these characteristics – it may be that such a Corvette would still be better off as a mid-engine design. But if that turned out not to be the case for an electric C9, Mallosto’s drawing is a good jumping-off point, in our opinion.

We’ll play devil’s advocate and wonder just what the effect would have been on, say, a 1997 or a 1980 or a 1967 Corvette if the engine had been yanked out of the front end and moved behind the driver. Challenge to aftermarket shops like Gas Monkey, how about making a custom mid-engine Split Window Coupe? Now that would be something to see!

C9 Corvette Rendered With Front-Engine Design, Looks Very Sharp


Source:
Pedro Ruperto Mallosto via AutoEvolution.com

Related:
[VIDEO] What if the C8 Corvette Was Rendered as a Front Engine Sports Car?
[PICS] C8 Corvette Rendered as a Front Engine Model
[PIC] C8 Corvette Rendered Low and Wide by Instagram Designer

 



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12 COMMENTS

  1. ‘Great lines… ‘some appearance cues reminiscent of the recently-retired C7 AND the new-kid-on-the-block C8… But yeah … it IS too early to be speculating too heavily on the C9… whenever its debut might occur… there are enough people out there who haven’t yet been formally introduced to the stunning beauty of the C8 up close an’ personal. And I cannot imagine that the C9 would be a return to the front engine layout ~ as suggested by this Brazilian design. ‘All in good fun, though…

  2. At least it looks like a Corvette instead of a 90’s Ferrari. I love my C7, this rendering seems like a more acceptable albeit farfetched model transition from C7. Not a fan of the C8 as a Corvette.

  3. It may be too early for us to think about the C9 but GM stylist should have started working on it as soon as they finished the C8.

  4. First: A note to the headline-writing editor…these are “renderings” NOT “renders”.
    Second: I fairly certain that the batteries in a C8 are going to be located in the center tunnel of the existing chassis… both Low and Center work well for great handling.

  5. Now that is what a Vette is supposed to look like. Bad enough all of our cars became clones let’s leave the Vette with its North American identity!!!

  6. I’ll take one of those! And yes. I’m keeping my C7 Z06. But this will be good just as I wear my current one out.

  7. I like it! With some tweaking to the rear end, this is real close to the front engine car I wish the C8 could have been.

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