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Corvettes have been racing for more than 60 years. Have you ever wondered how they got their start? In today's Vettecademy, take a look back at the beginning of Corvette Racing with the mastermind behind it, Zora Arkus-Duntov.

07.1 8 .19 1970 XP-882 April 2, 1970 was a notable day for Corvette fans, as the XP-882 mid-engine Corvette concept made a surprise appearance, wowing the crowds at the New York auto show. Even this early in the mid-engine Corvette story, such a model had already taken on mythical status among the faithful, and the XP-882’s drop-dead looks gave Corvette lovers everything they didn’t even know they wanted. And then some. Corvette lead engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov’s team started working on the XP-882 in 1968. Two prototypes were built around small-block Chevy engines, with plans for big-block power and eventually all-wheel drive. Zora had been playing with AWD since his experimental mid-engine CERV II racer. The styling group designed a new look that was crisp, edgy, and low-slung, yet it still looked like a Corvette. Despite fierce resistance from sales, styling, and engineering, Chevrolet general manager John Z. DeLorean canceled the XP-882 project in August 1969 to pur...

For a period starting in the late 1960s, it looked like everyone was going mid-engine. After Lamborghini turned the world on its head with the excruciatingly beautiful Miura in 1966, mid-mounted drivetrain layouts became de rigueur in 1970s supercars. Ferrari followed suit with the 206 Dino and later 365 GT4 BB, Lancia with the Stratos, and even Maserati joined the fray in 1971 with the mid-engined Bora. It wasn’t just the Italians, either—Mercedes-Benz tested the handsome C111 platform, and later BMW launched the M1. If there was a high-performance, high-dollar car in the 1970s, you can be sure the automaker at least tested a mid-engine platform. Unsurprisingly, that also included General Motors. After its CERV II concept successfully demonstrated the General’s capacity for cutting-edge tech, serious attention was turned toward moving the Corvette’s V-8 thumper amidships. Papa Corvette—Zora Arkus-Duntov—really, really liked the idea of a mid-engined Vette to keep up with Europe’s...

During his tenure as the general manager of Chevrolet, John Z. DeLorean always seemed to have his eye fixed on something over the horizon. After the Corvette XP-882 mid-engine prototype chassis improvements were approved (the 882 would morph into the XP-895), DeLorean authorized the design team headed by Bill Mitchell to create a new body for the updated prototype. Something rounder, with big wheel flares, a sugar scoop rear roof treatment, and NACA ducts on the hood. While the final design was nice, it strayed further away from the Corvette “look,” and was actually closer in style to the Two-Rotor (XP-987 GT) mid-engine Corvette prototype. Oddly, the body was mostly made of steel and the car weighed about 3,500 pounds all in—about 100 pounds more than that of a production ’73 Corvette. This would yield no performance improvement at all, so what was the point? It needed to be lighter. It needed to be a car like the Reynolds Aluminum Corvette Prototype. Reynolds Metals (of alum...

The Petersen Automotive Museum will host two days of special events celebrating the life and accomplishments of former Chevrolet chief engineer, race driver and “Father of the Corvette” Zora Arkus-Duntov. The two-day celebration will feature several high-profile events including a VIP reception, exclusive Corvette rally event, Corvette cruise-in and a special panel discussion on the history and future of the Chevrolet Corvette. On Saturday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. the Sportsman VIP Night reception will feature an exclusive and unique Corvette display, along with gourmet food provided by Drago Ristorante and one-of-a-kind opportunities to network with Corvette experts and Corvette community VIPs. Attendees will also receive an exclusive Chevrolet Corvette book. On Sunday, July 28 at 7:30 a.m., the Constellation Rally will take participants on a scenic route from Pasadena to the Petersen through the heart of Los Angeles. Three iconic Corvettes from the Petersen collection will tak...

It is January, so it is NAIAS. The anticipation is beyond words regarding one particular automotive dream, the Corvette. Everyone wanted it last year. But it didn't come out to play. People were guessing all year, when it will be shown. Now we do know the presentation is yet to happen. Every next Corvette generation is a real automotive event that fuels the soul of all the car enthusiasts everywhere. And this a mild understatement.   What is even more special is that this time around Corvette has yet another surprise up its sleeve (from the many), the very fact that it will go rear mid-engined.  Finally. That is precisely what Zora would say.  Now this is something out of this world. By the way GM has just trademarked the Zora name. Just before Detroit.  Talking about Detroit...    GM has many options for the new generation Corvette. One is a surprise reveal of a concept car that may/would mean that the production version is not that...

Happy 65 Corvette!

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...