Chevrolet has trotted out a handful of Corvette concepts over the past few months and that continues today with the new CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo. They’re futuristic supercars that were created by the Chevrolet Performance Studio in Warren, Michigan.

Interestingly, Chevrolet emphasized that while the CX and CX.R are not bound for production, “the pair will serve as inspiration to inform Corvette design language for years to come“.

Unveiled at The Quail, the CX embraces “quintessential Corvette hallmarks” while pushing the car into radical new territory. It features an evolutionary front fascia with aggressive intakes and slender lighting units. They’re joined by sleek bodywork and pronounced wheel arches, which stand out as the car is less than 41 inches (1041 mm) tall.

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Aerodynamics played a big role in the design and there are a couple of active components including the front diffuser and rear wing. Chevrolet also took a cue from the McMurtry Spéirling as the concept has built-in fans that “draw air through the open-channel bodywork, generating massive downforce and adjusting the airflow over the rear diffuser to refine aerodynamic balance in real-time.”

The jet-like canopy opens forward to reveal a minimalist cabin with Inferno Red sports seats wrapped in premium silicone leather. We can also see milled aluminum components and forged carbon fiber accents.

On the technology front, the Corvette CX has a motorsport-inspired steering wheel with an integrated display. Chevrolet said it’s used to operate all major controls and keep the driver’s focus on the road ahead. Aiding in this is a ‘digital windscreen,’ which apparently acts as a massive heads-up display.

Since we’re in fantasy land, Chevrolet said the car features four electric motors that generate a combined output in excess of 2,000 hp (1,491 kW / 2,028 PS). They’re powered by a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery and give the concept four-wheel torque vectoring.

Corvette CX.R Vision Gran Turismo

The Corvette CX.R Vision Gran Turismo follows in the footsteps of the standard CX, but was designed for racing. As a result, it wears a black and yellow livery as well as a more extreme aero package.

The changes immediately stand out as we can see a larger front splitter, revised intakes, and sportier side skirts. They’re joined by a fixed rear wing and a ventilated engine cover.

Drivers will find a lightweight carbon fiber dashboard and purpose-built seats wrapped in suede. The cabin also has a revamped steering wheel and yellow accents.

Chevrolet envisions the race car would use a twin-turbo 2.0-liter V8 engine that runs on e-fuel and produces 900 hp (671 kW / 913 PS). It’s connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which sends power to the rear wheels.

The car has also been outfitted with three electric motors as there’s one for each front wheel as well as a third in the aforementioned gearbox. The company said this would provide “instant torque” as well as a combined output of 2,000 hp (1,491 kW / 2,028 PS).

Both cars will come to Gran Turismo 7 later this month as Chevrolet worked with Polyphony Digital to incorporate them into the iconic racing game.

Even with the next-generation C9 Corvette likely deep in development ahead of its rumored 2029 debut, General Motors is already looking beyond. The company just offered a look even further down the line, imagining what a C10 could look like if it were drawn up today.

Their newly opened Advanced Design studio in Pasadena, California, pulled the cover off a striking new Corvette concept, one that leans hard into hypercar territory while rethinking the future of America’s most famous sports car.

Purists might want to look away, since this vision drops the V8 in favor of an all-electric powertrain. That choice appears to contradict recent comments from Corvette’s chief engineer, who suggested the sports car isn’t going fully electric any time soon. Then again, he did describe a fully electric Corvette as still firmly in the realm of “science fiction” which, in fairness, is what this concept is, even if it could loosely influence the eventual design of the real C10.

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This is the second of three Corvette design studies scheduled to be revealed in 2025. It follows an earlier concept from GM’s European design team in the UK. According to GM, this project isn’t tied to production plans. Instead, the intent was to give designers full creative freedom to “reimagine what the Corvette could be.”

While GM stopped short of directly naming it the C10 in their release, the “C10” badge displayed on the front fender leaves little room for interpretation.

More than a Sports Car

Rather than resembling a Porsche 911 rival, the SoCal Corvette appears to have more in common with future hypercars from Koenigsegg or Rimac. It features aggressive mid-engine proportions, with bodywork that functions as part of the car’s aerodynamic system – similar to the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

The bumper intakes have hints of the C8 Corvette, combined with an F1-style carbon fiber front wing and ultra-slim LED headlights. The profile is mostly hollow, directing air to the massive rear diffuser. The rear end includes an active aero spoiler and air brake, design elements more commonly seen on high-performance exotics like Bugatti.

One of the standout features is the removable, front-hinged single-piece canopy. It lifts off to reveal a track-focused two-seat cabin. Inside, the cockpit includes a slim digital instrument cluster, an augmented-reality head-up display, and an additional screen mounted on a yoke-style steering wheel.

Sorry Folks, The Future’s Electric

Underneath, the Corvette concept is based on a carbon fiber tub and envisioned with a fully electric powertrain. GM notes the use of a T-shaped prismatic battery pack, which allows for low seating and improved airflow around and through the chassis. These choices point to performance priorities while also emphasizing aerodynamic efficiency

More: Forget About Supercars, This Corvette Is Coming For Hypercars

Back to the one-off Corvette hypercar, it measures 182.5 inches (4,669mm) long, 86 inches (2,184mm) wide, and only 41.4 inches (1,051 mm) tall, with a wheelbase of 109 inches (2,767mm). Compared to the current C8, it’s slightly longer and wider, with a much lower roofline. Its dramatic stance is accentuated by the futuristic alloy wheels measuring 21 inches at the front and 22 inches at the rear.

Global Vision, SoCal Lens

Brian Smith, design director, GM Advanced Design Pasadena explained the philosophy behind the project:

“Southern California has been at the heart of automotive and design culture for a century, and GM has had a deep design presence here for nearly 40 years. We wanted to ensure that this concept was developed through that SoCal lens, but with a global and futuristic outlook. Duality of purpose is the basis of this concept’s design strategy. The defining design aspect is the single-piece, front-hinged canopy than enables the entire upper shell to be removed, transforming the concept from an agile, slick sports car to a lightweight, open-air track car.”

We’re looking forward to the next Corvette concept that will be the work of a different design team, offering another perspective on the brand’s future. In addition to the Pasadena studio, GM also operates design centers in Detroit, Los Angeles, Leamington (UK), Shanghai, and Seoul, bringing a unique cultural influence to the table.

General Motors

High-horsepower showdowns are always a spectacle, especially when they pit cutting-edge electric speed against old-school combustion muscle. That’s exactly the case with the new Chevy Corvette ZR1, which has caused a stir in the performance car world with its 1,064-hp V8 and the largest turbochargers ever fitted to a production car.

But can all that power outmatch one of the fastest production EVs on the planet, the Tesla Model S Plaid, on a drag strip? A new test sets out to answer that question.

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To most casual observers, the Corvette ZR1 may seem like the favorite. However, for those who are familiar with Tesla’s capabilities, the two are actually quite well-matched.

Thanks to a pair of mighty electric motors, the Model S Plaid delivers 1,020 hp and benefits from all-wheel drive. It is heavier than the Corvette, tipping the scales at 4,812 lbs (2,183 kg), compared to the ZR1 Coupe’s 1,665 kg (3,670 lbs). Despite this, the spec sheet would suggest that Tesla has the advantage. Tesla says it can sprint down the quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds, whereas Chevy says the new ZR1 needs 9.6 seconds.

Muscle vs. Electrons

In the first of a few drag races between the new Corvette ZR1 and the Model S Plaid, Drag Times gave the jump to the C8. Initially, the two pick up speed at similar rates, but as the race progresses, the Tesla pulls ahead to take a commanding win. In this race, the Tesla set a time of 9.243 seconds, whereas the ZR1 needed 9.8 seconds.

It was a similar story in the second race. However, the Tesla won even more convincingly as the YouTuber didn’t give it such a big head start. The Corvette driver also failed to match the time of his first run, running the quarter-mile in a somewhat disappointing 10.3 seconds. In the third and final race, the Tesla again set a 9.2-second quarter-mile, whereas the ZR1 was left trailing with a 10.2-second time.

As we’ve seen many times in the past, it’s much easier to set consistent acceleration times in a high-performance EV than it is in a gas-powered car. So for now, the Model S Plaid comes out on top. Now we just have to wait and see what the all-wheel drive hybrid ZR1X can do, with Chevy suggesting it’ll dip below the 9.0-second mark in the quarter-mile.

The mid-engined Corvette C8 has already passed the midpoint of its production run and talk of its successor is beginning to take shape. With the C9 rumored to debut around 2029, people have been speculating whether the next iteration might abandon its trademark V8 roots in favor of a fully electric powertrain.

Fortunately, recent comments from a top GM engineer suggest there’s no need to worry – at least not yet. The Corvette will hold onto its V8 rumble, embracing a more measured hybrid approach instead of going all-in on electric.

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Tony Roma, Executive Chief Engineer for Global Corvette and Performance Cars at General Motors, recently spoke with Autocar to shed light on what’s next for America’s favorite sports car. While acknowledging that EVs are clearly part of the industry’s future, Roma dismissed the idea of a fully electric Corvette as something still firmly in the realm of “science fiction.”

A Corvette EV? Not Anytime Soon

The engineering boss made it clear that his team won’t be making an electric version just to comply with the European regulations, which are set to ban ICE-powered vehicles after 2035. If an EV does one day carry the Corvette name, he said, it will need to earn it. As he put it, “nobody wants” a Corvette badge on a car that doesn’t live up to its legacy.

Back in April 2025, General Motors’ new design center in the UK unveiled a Corvette-inspired concept. Presented as a design exercise, it sported a futuristic hypercar shape and a fully electric drivetrain.

According to Michael Simcoe, GM’s Senior Vice President of Global Design, it was meant to honor Corvette’s design heritage rather than serve as a preview of a future production model. Roma’s comments now confirm that this project isn’t headed for the assembly line anytime soon.

What Makes a Corvette, According to GM

For him, performance metrics alone aren’t enough. While electric vehicles can easily deliver blistering acceleration, he believes the Corvette should be focused on something more enduring: the experience behind the wheel, noting that “it has to be engaging” and that “the art of driving” remains central to the brand’s identity.

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He emphasized the importance of a strong power-to-weight ratio, as well as cost and range, but placed even more weight on the “visceral connection” a driver feels with the car. Roma admitted he’s driven many excellent EVs, but said most of them lack the emotional spark that makes a great performance car memorable.

“The computer does so much of the work,” he explained. What he wants on a Saturday morning drive is simple: “to fire up an engine and listen to all those noises.”

In his view, the transition to electric will only happen when the alternative is truly better: “Our cars will be all-electric when an all-electric car is better than what we have right now. And until then, we’ll continue to do what we’re doing right now… Everybody should just take a deep breath and relax, and we’ll get there when it’s time.”

Simplicity Over Complexity in Hybrid Design

The chief engineer also dismissed the idea of turning to plug-in hybrid technology for Corvette, citing drawbacks like added mass, higher costs, and unnecessary complexity. He said such a system would only be worth considering if it allowed GM to meet specific regulatory targets based on electric-only driving range.

While speciality makers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren are already offering plug-in hybrid supercars, Chevrolet has gone in a different direction with the Corvette E-Ray. Roma explained why.

“I won’t poke anybody in particular, but some of our competitors have been criticized for the games you have to play to get the car in the right mode, and which charging mode and this and that and the other. But when you drive an E-Ray, you just fire it up and drive it. It’s just a hybrid. It charges the battery for you. It does everything. If you want to override and make it charge the battery faster, there’s a button for that. But other than that, that’s pretty much it, and keep it simple, keep it usable.”

What Comes After the C8?

All signs point to the next-generation Corvette sticking with a V8 engine, possibly paired with a self-charging hybrid system. That keeps the formula intact while still allowing for incremental updates that improve efficiency and performance without losing the essence of what the Corvette is all about.

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Although the C9 is expected around 2029, there’s still more to come from the current model. Roma recently hinted that the 1,250-horsepower ZR1X isn’t the C8’s final act. “It’s just the latest chapter,” he said, promising that the team continues to push the platform to “new performance highs.”