11 Compelling Corvettes GM Killed and Why

When the C8 Corvette was launched in 2020, featuring a mid-engine configuration, it wasn’t a “new” idea; it was more of a 60-year-old ghost finally finding a body. For decades, Chevrolet had been using the Corvette as a “rolling lab,” experimenting with radical ideas that explored new styling, tech, and engine layout possibilities. This resulted in fascinating concepts and prototypes that never made it to production, leaving fans with a “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” dilemma.

You could say that the Corvette has never been short on ambition, but rather on permission. But it’s not because General Motors is incompetent, but instead conflicted and often overly cautious. For years, this cautiousness left many Corvette enthusiasts with the feeling that the car was not realizing its full potential. Throughout the Corvette’s seven-decade history, a pattern repeated: engineering proved what was possible, but leadership said, “not yet.” However, with every Corvette concept that GM “killed,” something valuable was learned that paved the way to the modern Corvette.