After many decades of rumors, false starts, and tantalizing prototype cars, the mid-engine Corvette is finally a reality, and I cant think of a more highly anticipated unveiling of any car in production. The mid-engine layout brings with it connotations of exotic hypercar status that Corvette enthusiasts have craved since the early 1970s when the notion was first dangled in front of the public. Sister site MotorTrend.com compiled a list of the nine times a mid-engine Corvette has been on its cover , and the first instance dates back to December 1969 with an issue theme of potential mid-engine cars for 1971. A second good read is Motor Trend s piece on eight mid-engine Corvette prototypes that never made it into production . I think its fascinating that for more than half of the Corvettes existence, rumors and speculation of an ultra-high-performance mid-engine version of the car has captivated the public, and its equally fascinating to read how close the rumors came to being reality at different times in the cars history. As a kid in the 1980s, I liken the release of the C8 to that of the C4, the long-anticipated successor to the C3s 15-year production run. When the 1984 Corvette hit the major car mags in early 1983, I got every issue I could get my hands on. Motor Trend , Car & Driver , and Road & Track all had huge page counts devoted to the new car, complete with technical drawings, cutaway illustrations, and insider photos from Chevrolet of the car in development, and I had all those issues. The aluminum front suspension was exotic and elegant (compared to its predecessors), the styling was futuristic (yet evolutionary), and the digital dash was something that could satisfy the most hard-core sci-fi nerd. One memory of the early C4 that is solidly etched in my brain was when a patient car salesman at our local Chevy dealership let me sit in the driver seat of a 1985 Corvette. He switched the ignition on so I could see the instrument panel start-up animation and let me flip the headlights on and watch them tumble open. The 13-year-old in me is still grateful to that guy today. My parents were shopping for a Celebrity wagon at the time, and that was the closest Id ever get to a Corvette for several years to come. Somewhere today, theres a 13-year-old enthusiast who is looking forward to the C8 with as much anticipation as I did back then. Honestly, the 46-year-old me is almost as excited as well. I had Corvette posters on my wall. I loved the mid-engine Corvette Indy concept car from 1986, and with each spy photo of the C8 we came across, I hoped this would really be the version that the mid-engine rumors would become a reality. Now that it is coming to be, we hope it lives up to its nearly 50-year hype. From the specs, it seems to. More detailed information can be found on MotorTrend.com and SuperChevy.com , but the brief details include: 2L pushrod V8 with 495 hp and 476 lb-ft of torque An eight-speed dual clutch transmission Magnetic Ride Control suspension 3,366-pound dry weight 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 3 seconds Those specs are impressive, but Im a little disappointed to see that, at least for now, there is no manual-transmission option. Also, rumors of an overhead cam V8 remain just that. Be sure to check our sister publications for many more technical details, and in the coming months, HOT ROD will be diving into the development of this car and the technology that went into it. The post 2020 Corvette Unveiled! Will it live up to the Hype? appeared first on Hot Rod Network .