DETROIT, July 16 — Chevrolet will unveil its 8th-generation Corvette on Thursday, July 18 in Orange County, California.

Chevrolet is promising its most extreme version of the legendary sportscar which first appeared in 1953.

As proof of real change, the Corvette C8 will, for the first time, have its engine mounted in the central position, like many top Italian sportscars. The Corvette's V8 has been traditionally installed under the hood, but will now be centrally positioned behind the passenger compartment.

In its base model, the V8 could surpass 500 hp, hitting up to 800 hp in the Grand Sport version. A hybrid could also be coming.

While Chevrolet has not released images of the car, it has allowed a peek at the steering wheel, which is more modern-looking than ever with steering-wheel mounted controls and the gearshift paddles just behind. — AFP-Relaxnews