GM Cancelled the Mid-Engine Corvette. So They Built This Instead. (C7)

GM cancelled the mid-engine Corvette just before Christmas, months before it went bankrupt. So the team built a "placeholder"... and it became the fastest, most powerful Corvette of its time, and the last front-engine Corvette of all. This is the story of the 2014–2019 C7 Corvette: the Stingray name returning after 37 years, the square taillights that made fans furious, the 650-hp Z06 that ran too hot, the Grand Sport revival, the C7.R that won Daytona by 0.034 seconds, and the 755-hp ZR1 nobody planned. 📊 BY THE NUMBERS • 2014 Stingray: LT1 6.2 L V8, 455 hp · aluminum frame · from $51,995 • 2015 Z06: LT4 supercharged 6.2 L, 650 hp and 650 lb-ft · 0–60 in 2.95 s (Chevrolet) • 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona: two C7.Rs finished 0.034 s apart • 2019 ZR1: LT5, 755 hp · 212 mph two-way average • Last C7: a black Z06, built Nov 14, 2019 · sold for $2.7 million for charity • About 190,000 C7s built 🚗 WHAT KIND OF CAR OWNER ARE YOU? Take the free 60-second garage quiz and get tool and care picks matched to how you drive (restorer, detailer, weekend cruiser or track-day driver): https://claude.ai/artifact/FHpvTVCy9X... 🔧 GARAGE KIT: keep your classic looking like the day it rolled off the line 1. 1:18 diecast of this episode's car: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=diecast+C7... 2. Breathable car cover: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=breathable... 3. Battery tender (for cars that sit all winter): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+te... 4. Detailing kit (wash, wax, clay): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=car+detail... 5. Microfiber towels: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=microfiber... 6. Floor jack + jack stands: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=floor+jack... 7. LED work light: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=LED+work+l... 8. OBD2 scanner ('96 and newer): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=OBD2+scann... As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 🏁 WATCH EVERY CORVETTE GENERATION IN ORDER (playlist):    • The Corvette Sting Ray: Five Years That Ma...   CHAPTERS 0:00 The call that cancelled the mid-engine C7 0:46 Stand down 1:55 The name comes back 3:29 The taillights 4:20 Six hundred fifty 5:14 The Grand Sport 6:12 The yellow cars again 6:53 The one nobody planned 7:59 The last one PHOTO CREDITS (via Wikimedia Commons) CC BY 2.0: Charles from Port Chester, DrivingtheNortheast, John Bauld, Mark Seymour, Patricia Drury, Prayitno, Republic Country Club, Richmond AACA, Sarah Larson, Steve Jurvetson, Tino Rossini, zombieite CC BY 3.0: Doug Fawley, Norbert Aepli CC BY 4.0: Norbert Aepli, OWS Photography CC BY-SA 2.0: Al R, Alexandre Prevot, Eric Kilby, RAVDesigns, rgbRandomizer, steve lyon, Zytonits CC BY-SA 3.0: Clément Bucco-Lechat, Stardust1939, Tuner tom CC BY-SA 4.0: Alexander Migl, Calreyn88, Damian B Oh, Danpetreikis, Ken Pauley, Kpauley, MercurySable99, Michael Barera, Ssu CC0: Cutlass, 先従隗始 Public domain: Bull-Doser VIDEO CLIPS (CC BY, used with credit) buyavettedotnet: 2014 Stingray (   • 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 1LT Coupe  ), 2015 Z06 (   • 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 1LZ Coupe  ), 2019 ZR1 (   • 2019 Corvette ZR1 3ZR *7 SPEED*  ) · Summit Auto 4K Reviews: 2017 Grand Sport (   • 2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2LT GRAND SPORT HE...  ) · Robert MacCready: Daytona 2018 (   • Daytona 24 hr Friday 2018  ) SOURCES Hagerty ("Tadge Tells All," 2025; last C7, 2019); CorvetteBlogger (Bob Lutz podcast; 2014 price; Z06 lawsuit; last C7 auction); Motor Authority (Z06 performance; 2017 Z06 cooling; ZR1 wasn't planned; ZR1 212 mph; Grand Sport); GM Authority; Christian Science Monitor; Cool Hunting (Tom Peters interview); Mac's Motor City Garage; LSX Magazine; IMSA; racecar.com (2016 Rolex 24); Saratoga Automobile Museum; Boston.com/Tribune Narration: licensed AI voice. Every vehicle is shown in its correct year and trim, with real, credited photos and footage. Music: YouTube Audio Library. Subscribe for the full stories of the most iconic sports cars, trucks and motorcycles:    / @concepttoicon   #C7Corvette #CorvetteZR1 #CorvetteHistory