Manoli Katakis 
The latest in the never-ending list of “what if?” questions is in regards to the rear design of the all-new C8 Corvette Stingray, and the decision to separate the exhaust tips for the first time since the C4 Corvette of the 1980’s and 1990’s. What if they stayed in the center like the C5, C6 and C7?
The rendering is brought to us by @TheSketchMonkey on Instagram, who appears to be a designer by trade. SketchMonkey turns the openings where the C8 Corvette exhaust tips would be into ducts, and changes out the center rear bumper for a quartet of exhaust tips, just like on the front-engined C7 Corvette.
We wonder what 2020 Corvette Stingray exterior design chief Tom Peters would think about this. Or what you think about it. In our opinion, the centered exhaust tips make things look a little off balance. With the lights up top and stretched out to the sides as far as they can go, the rendering makes the visual weight of the C8 Corvette appear top heavy. Separating the exhaust and placing them to the far sides definitely makes the mid-engine supercar appear more planted an athletic – which telegraphs its capabilities to onlookers better than if they were anywhere else.
The overall design mission of the C8 Corvette was to be the poster vehicle for the next generation of automotive enthusiasts. Or to put it in Peters’ words, to “design it for the 10-year-old kid” in an effort to attract a new wave of young and affluent buyers from all over the world. At the same time, there are a couple of throwback design cues, such as the vertical placement of the Stingray emblem that lines up with the visible engine cover, which mimics the split-window Corvette design of 1963.
The 2020 Corvette Stingray launches late this year, with 490 base horsepower and a starting price of under $60,000.
