Mid-Engine Corvette fans, your time has come. “Zora” is alive and well. Car and Driver recently snapped up these photos of GM testing their new mid-engine performance flagship car.

Don’t mind the hideous body camouflage and paneling (notice the Chevy SS front clip), this is protocol for manufacturer testing. while the cabin itself, roof panels, and exterior mirrors are pieces from the current Corvette Stingray. Other points of interest: Notice the fuel-filler located on the driver’s-side B-pillar, and the cooling intakes located down the rocker panels.

According to Car and Driver, they estimate a projected wheelbase of 98.9 inches, some eight inches shorter than that of today’s Corvette. Obviously, a tighter wheelbase quickens steering response and cinches up the turning radius. C&D figures that 60 percent of this potential Corvette ZR1’s mass will be supported by the rear wheels, enhancing launch traction and ridiculous braking. There are rumblings that the engine bay may eventually play host to a small, 3.5- to 4.0-liter V-8 that could depart from the traditional pushrod motor.

The C7 was developed on a pretty modest budget and it’s selling like hotcakes. Hopefully now the Corvette team gets everything they need to make a killer Corvette and a Cadillac halo car to take on the R8.

These recent images indicate that the C8 Zora sports car is on schedule to arrive in showrooms in about 20 months, as a 2017 model, and it will be sold alongside the front-engined Corvette.