General Motors held the official opening of its new advanced design studio in England this week, and announced that it will be revealing a series of Corvette concept cars from each of its global design studios throughout the year, with the first coming from the new UK branch. The announcement sparks questions for the quintessential American sports car, questions like, “what, is America not good enough for you?” Save your metaphorical torches and pitchforks for the next Tesla Takedown — this isn’t actually the next-gen C9 Corvette, just another example of GM using the Corvette’s daring spirit as the foundation for a dramatic design exercise, which it describes as “rethinking what a Corvette could be with a true blank-page approach.”
Jokes aside, it’s no secret that the U.S. is currently in a precarious position thanks to our Commander in Chief, but international influence is actually a big part of the Corvette’s history. The man who secured the future for the Corvette to be an international beacon of hardcore American motorsports, Zora Arkus-Duntov, was an immigrant, after all. But letting an English design office dictate the future of the blueblooded good ol’ boy Corvette? That feels a bit sacrilegious. You can let out a sigh of relief though, since GM says there’s no production intention behind the concept, and the next two Corvette studies will be done by American design studios.
At least it looks cool
The English electric Corvette concept looks like it would support the serious performance of the Corvettes we know and love, from its sleek shape to its aero-intensive body and its giant 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels. It even integrates a Formula 1–style halo roof structure with a spine that bisects the windshield, giving a subtle nod to the split rear window on the classic Corvette Sting Ray. GM says the exterior design showcases a distinct division between the upper and lower halves of the vehicle, with the upper half focusing on Corvette’s classic design elements. The lower half, in contrast, focuses on integration of the EV battery. Trick aerodynamic features increase EV range and efficiency in some settings and increase downforce in others, including a sculpted underbody with fan assistance to suck the car to the road vis-à-vis one McMurtry Spéirling, and active ducting to redirect air over and through the vehicle.
Don’t be spooked when you see more internationally designed Corvette concepts come out later this year. The next two will come from GM’s Detroit and Los Angeles design studios, while the UK studio will also produce a new GMC concept vehicle that will also be unveiled later this year. Though GM says these Corvette concepts have no production intent, the brand has previously said it’s working on an all-electric Corvette (and the lineup might expand to additional models), so some design elements could make their way to the eventual C9.
General Motors
