General Motors Meets Blackjack But it's not what you think!

General Motors in Las Vegas have taken unprecedented steps to attempt to conceal the developments of their redesigned 2020 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette, which you can buy in your local dealership very soon.

The vehicle has been given Blackjack as its prototype code name. Blackjack is a great code name for the car considering it is a casino game that reveals all with one turn of the deck, leaving players jumping for joy.

It is the 8th generation Corvette model and began its life as a test car using parts from a Holden Ute, an Australian pickup vehicle. This sneaky but smart move was to aid Chevy in concealing their pioneering developments of their first mid-engine Corvette.

Mike Petrucci, who is the lead development engineer of the Corvette, stated that this was the first time the manufacturer had taken such concealed methods to hide developments and design of the engine. They did not want anyone knowing that the car company was producing a mid-engine vehicle.

What Do Car Manufacturers Usually Do?

It is not uncommon for car manufacturers to camouflage their latest vehicles within the testing phase and ahead of an official debut. This is not usually done using an Australian Ute, but rather, using heavy dark cladding that quickly hides the aesthetics of their latest vehicle.

There had been a lot of talk about Corvette creating a mid-engine Corvette for some time, even decades. GM wanted to make car enthusiasts wait a little more by keeping it a secret for as long as they possibly could.

Mr Petrucci spoke to the media before the new Corvette was to be released to dealerships and stated that around one dozen engineers have worked on the prototype and even implemented time drills to keep the car a secret. This included deterring spy photographers and any helicopters wanting to capture photos from the air. All of the testing was carried out in Blackjack’s lair in Michigan.

A Piece of Vehicle History

GM has claimed the new vehicle as a piece of their valuable history and hinted that the car would be included at the GM Heritage Centre in Michigan as part of their historical collection.

Getting here wasn’t done quickly with Blackjack being used for over 24 months. Engineers tested the vehicle for thousands of hours that informed further prototypes which eventually resulted in the actual design.

GM has begun production of their mid-engine vehicle from Kentucky. Blackjack informed the production of this vehicle and taught engineers a lot about what was possible.

Key Takeaways

• The 2020 vehicle began life as an Australian pickup named the Holden Ute.
• The car was given the code name Blackjack – just like the game online blackjack.
• Automakers like GM and others are not unfamiliar with concealing vehicles, but it is usually done with black cladding – not using other cars!
• GM used a lair to test the vehicle, which was also predominantly carried out at night to avoid photographers.