There's a new article up on Topspeed which goes over some of the main reasons why its taken GM so long to develop this mid engine sports car. They firmly believed that Corvette buyers would be very hesitant to move around from the traditional front engine, RWD layout that has been the sole option for Corvettes in the past. https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-ne...-ar183023.html

The last time this model was rumored was back in 2008 when GM had recently filed for bankruptcy. I don't believe that they ever got past the concept stage until now. This shows that the company finally has some financial stability and hopefully that means they are willing to take some risks with the C8.

GM had no business creating this vette till other car makers made it possible by stiring up the market for such caliber of vehicle. They can thank McLaren

The C8 is long overdue and it shows that buyers are in the market for something new. As impressive as current Corvette models are, there have been reports of fairly significant issues by owners who've taken them to the track.

a successor to the current Corvette, sure but no one asked for a mid-engine Corvette, its just GM trying to get into a market that other have shown a lot of interest in.

People have been clamoring for a mid engine vet for more than a decade, but it was never expected to become reality. Successful models like the R8 and i8 have helped pave the way for this configuration.

I don't know if you could say that the R8 was ever really successful, and it looks like this may be the last MY for it. I agree however that if it wasn't for all these new hypercars going mid engine, that GM probably would have never pushed this C8 past concept stage.

The R8 got stuck in a lull and Audi didn't stay on top of updating and keeping it fresh. I know they've tried to correct this with the new RWS version but its too little too late. What do you guys think of the facelift?

I think the R8 can still do well and the issue comes down to not matching rivals, so far its up to par with the McLaren 570S and that alone is an achievement.

I think the new facelift is sharp looking, but they haven't made a big enough adjustment to price. Similar to the NSX its a beautiful and extremely capable car, but there is just better value to be found elsewhere.