Photo: KDesign AG via Behance
A mid-engine sports car and an SUV seem to be at the two extremities of the automotive spectrum, so how could one's design be so convincingly transposed into the other?
Well, first of all, the vehicle you see in the pictures isn't exactly an SUV, but rather a crossover - and a sporty one at that. The rendering is obviously based on the Jaguar I-PACE EV, and even though we don't know why the artist chose that particular model as their starting point, we might have a solid guess.
One of the traits of a mid-engine design is the position of the cabin. Due to the engine sitting behind, the cockpit is moved significantly forward compared to vehicles with a front-mounted engine. That gives them that very specific silhouette, as well as nearly complete freedom over the aerodynamics up-front.
Pretty much the same goes for electric vehicles, even though the reasons behind it are a little bit different. With the engine completely removed and replaced by the much smaller motor that sits low in-between the front wheels, there is no reason not to move the cabin forward, giving these two - the EVs and mid-engine sports cars - an unlikely common design trait.
Well, we can't speak for KDesign AG, but it was either this reason to pick the I-PACE, or the fact it was red. Given how easy it is for these guys to make the cars any color they want, we tend to lean toward the first hypothesis.
However, there's a problem. The Corvette can pull off this short nose design because it's a mid-engine car. Give it four or five seats, and it runs out of places to house the 6.2-liter V8 engine. So, while this Corvette C8 crossover looks undeniably great, there is one very important question it needs to answer: what's powering it?
The answer is pretty simple, and you can thank Ford for it. If the Blue Oval can get away with an electric Mustang crossover, why couldn't Chevrolet do something similar with the Corvette? We're not saying it's a good idea or one we would endorse, but it is a theoretical possibility and, given how cool this rendering makes it look, it may not be such a bad one.
It's up to Chevrolet to weigh the risks (Corvette fans with pitchforks and torches gathering outside the company's HQs) and benefits (a significant awareness boost on an increasingly EV-centric market) and make a decision. Recent reports suggest it might not be such a farfetched idea, so just how ironic would a Mustang/Corvette rivalry in the electric crossover segment be? We can already hear some people sobbing.
One of the traits of a mid-engine design is the position of the cabin. Due to the engine sitting behind, the cockpit is moved significantly forward compared to vehicles with a front-mounted engine. That gives them that very specific silhouette, as well as nearly complete freedom over the aerodynamics up-front.
Pretty much the same goes for electric vehicles, even though the reasons behind it are a little bit different. With the engine completely removed and replaced by the much smaller motor that sits low in-between the front wheels, there is no reason not to move the cabin forward, giving these two - the EVs and mid-engine sports cars - an unlikely common design trait.
Well, we can't speak for KDesign AG, but it was either this reason to pick the I-PACE, or the fact it was red. Given how easy it is for these guys to make the cars any color they want, we tend to lean toward the first hypothesis.
However, there's a problem. The Corvette can pull off this short nose design because it's a mid-engine car. Give it four or five seats, and it runs out of places to house the 6.2-liter V8 engine. So, while this Corvette C8 crossover looks undeniably great, there is one very important question it needs to answer: what's powering it?
The answer is pretty simple, and you can thank Ford for it. If the Blue Oval can get away with an electric Mustang crossover, why couldn't Chevrolet do something similar with the Corvette? We're not saying it's a good idea or one we would endorse, but it is a theoretical possibility and, given how cool this rendering makes it look, it may not be such a bad one.
It's up to Chevrolet to weigh the risks (Corvette fans with pitchforks and torches gathering outside the company's HQs) and benefits (a significant awareness boost on an increasingly EV-centric market) and make a decision. Recent reports suggest it might not be such a farfetched idea, so just how ironic would a Mustang/Corvette rivalry in the electric crossover segment be? We can already hear some people sobbing.
Google News