Radical Chevrolet CX & CX.R Concepts Preview Future Corvette Design

The radical Chevrolet CX & CX.R Vision Gran Turismo concept duo previews what the future Corvette might look like.

It has been five years since Chevrolet debuted the eighth-gen (C8) Corvette, which is the first mid-engined Corvette to ever be produced. That said, it seems that Chevy is already gearing up for the next-gen Corvette, as it unveiled two radical concepts that might spawn the next-gen ‘Vette, named the Chevrolet CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo.

Penned by experts at the Chevrolet Performance Studio in Warren, Michigan, both the CX and CX.R concepts will serve as inspiration to inform Corvette design language for years to come.” While the automaker outright insisted that these concepts won’t directly go into production, we can at least expect the next-gen Corvette to remotely resemble these radical design studies.

Chevrolet CX Vision Gran Turismo concept

Starting with the CX, Chevy described the concept as having embraced the “quintessential Corvette hallmarks,” while pushing the nameplate into an uncharted territory. Up front, the CX gets a futuristic front fascia featuring aggressive intakes and slender lighting units.

The radical front face is mated to an equally radical side profile, featuring pronounced wheel arches, a sleek mid-engined car silhouette, prominent side air ducts, and a large set of wheels.

To go with its sleek look, Chevy has also equipped the CX with several active aero parts, including the front diffuser and the rear wing, as well as built-in fans that “draw air through the open-channel bodywork, generating massive downforce and adjusting the airflow over the rear diffuser to refine aerodynamic balance in real-time.”

Given it is a concept model, the CX gets a unique jet-like canopy opening, which reveals a minimalist and racecar-inspired cabin imbued in an Inferno Red hue. Some key equipment found here includes two sporty bucket seats with a six-point harness, an F1-inspired steering wheel with an integrated display that also houses most of the cabin’s control, a massive head-up display dubbed as ‘digital windscreen,’ and many more.

But perhaps the most radical thing about the CX lies in its powertrain setup, where this concept is actually an EV with a quad-motor setup capable of delivering over 2,000 hp (1,491 kW), while being juiced by a 90-kWh battery pack. Thanks to its quad-motor setup, the CX is also said to have four-wheel torque vectoring control.

Chevrolet CX.R Vision Gran Turismo concept

Moving on to the CX.R Vision Gran Turismo, this is essentially a track-focused, combustion-powered version of the CX concept, featuring several racecar bits and upgrades.

For starters, the CX.R gets a much more aggressive front splitter, revised intakes, and sportier side skirts. They are joined by a large GT-style rear wing, a ventilated engine cover, and a loud black-and-yellow livery that makes the concept look ready to tackle any tracks in the world.

The racing upgrade continues inside the CX.R, where it gets a full carbon fibre dash setup with purpose-built racing seats wrapped in suede. The steering wheel on this concept seems to be more race-ready than the one on the CX, and there are also a few striking yellow accents inside the cabin to match its exterior colourway.

Chevy envisions the CX.R to be powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that can run on e-fuels, capable of delivering 900 hp (617 kW) by itself. Said V8 lump is said to be mated to an eight-speed DCT automatic gearbox that helps to send the power exclusively to the rear wheels, just like a proper racecar.

The CX.R concept is also being envisioned to have three electric motors—two at the front axle and one at the rear. Combined with its V8 core, the CX.R could deliver a total system output of over 2,000 hp (1,491 kW).

While the likelihood of us seeing these radical concepts in real life is close to zero, fortunately we can still drive them in the virtual world, as both the CX and CX.R concepts will be heading to Gran Turismo 7 later this month. With this, the Chevy concept duo will join the long list of Vision Gran Turismo concepts released exclusively for the video game.