Corvette

The mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette convertible has been filmed in public while undergoing testing in the US. The video (bottom) was filmed by Brendan Macie and posted to his YouTube channel. While the coupe features manually removable targa roof panels, the convertible is thought to have an electrically-operated folding hardtop. At the eighth-generation Corvette's launch, Chevrolet ran a short teaser video of the new drop-top version, suggesting it will go on sale shortly after the coupe.

Alex Misoyannis • Chevrolet has confirmed the eighth-generation C8 Corvette, set for a Friday reveal, will launch in ‘Stingray’ guise. The moniker was first used on the second-generation Corvette in 1963, before being dropped at the end of 1976. It made a return in 2014 to denote the entry-level variant of the C7 Corvette – the same role it'll fill within the new C8 range.

The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette will shift from its traditional front-engine rear-wheel drive setup to a mid-engine layout. Initially expected debut in the early part of 2019, the radically redesigned sports car has reportedly been pushed back to the end of year. Sources have told Hagerty three reasons for the delay: bugs in the new electrical architecture, flexing of the car's structure in high-power variants, and disagreements between designers and engineers.

CarAdvice has spotted a Corvette undergoing construction within General Motors' 85,000ft battery lab in Warren, Michigan, suggesting the next Corvette will be partially battery powered. Rumours of a mid-engined Corvette started circulating after images of a Holden Commodore ute kitted out with a giant aero kit and wide body hit the internet. This was further bolstered by images of a heavily disguised prototype sporting the hallmarks of a mid-engined vehicle.

General Motors may be preparing to join its European rivals in developing an electrified sports hero, according to records discovered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Audi has been prototyping an all-electric R8-inspired e-tron supercar since 2009, and Mercedes-Benz revealed the special SLS AMG E-Cell in 2011. Neither made it to production, but Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren and BMW have all found huge success in electrifying their halo sports models.