Sneak peek at Chevrolet's next Corvette, the mid-engine C8

Spied in the new Corvette C8: GM President Mark Reuss, who can't help but grin.

The Corvette C8.

In this spy shot taken in June, 2016 at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, the small, mid-engined Corvette C8 test "mule" (left) runs with bigger siblings like the (from top to bottom) Chevy pickup, Cadillac sedan, current Corvette C7, and Chevy pickup truck.

The mid-engine Corvette concept has a long design history. The Astro II concept was introduced at the 1968 New York Auto Show. Lead engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov and GM styling chief Bill Mitchell hoped the Astro would become the next-generation Corvette, but GM management decided the public was not ready for a mid-engine car.

First runner-up for The Detroit News Vehicle of the Year is the Corvette ZR1.

With its more complicated hybrid powertrain, the Acura NSX supercar, left, is $40K more expensive than the $120,000, push-rod V8-powered Chevy Corvette ZR1.

Car and Driver reports that the 2020 mid-engine Corvette C8 - seen here in an artist rendering - will feature a high-end, AWD, hybrid trim. Power will come from a twin-turbo V-8 driving the rear wheels, and a 200-horsepower motor driving the front wheels. Combined, the system will make in excess of 1000 horsepower.

A Car and Driver rendering of the 2020 Corvette C8 - the first mid-engine version of the storied Chevy sports car.