by Hagerty GM’s worst-kept secret is that the eighth generation Corvette will have a mid-engine layout, enabling design, performance, and engineering that will rival the best of Italy’s supercars. To tide you over until the C8 appears on the show circuit in 2019, here’s a capsule history of past mid-engine experiments. During a visit to Zora Arkus-Duntov’s home to pose a single question—Why were you so obsessed with mid-engine designs?—the Corvette’s patron saint confided that his inspiration dated all the way back to 1957, following the Corvette SS’s DNF at the 12 Hours of Sebring. “That’s when I concluded that the heat source [the engine] must be located behind the driver,” he said. Although the official explanation of the DNF was a failure of a rear suspension bushing after only 23 laps of racing, driver John Fitch’s feet were being cooked by the eight uninsulated exhaust pipes located in close proximity to the magnesium firewall and floor panels. The inherent advantage...