8. Chevrolet Astro II XP-880
Even though they didn’t call this concept a Corvette, everybody at the 1968 New York Auto Show knew it was the study of the next generation of America’s favorite sports car. In those days, Zora Arkus Duntov, a Chevrolet engineer and Bill Mitchell, the head of GM design lobbied hard for Corvette to go mid-engine to achieve better weight distribution, balance and performance.
So the Astro II was one of the first in a long line of mid-engine Corvette concepts. And for a while, it looked like Chevrolet would produce it. The concept was a fully functional prototype with the engine behind the passengers. It was a 390 HP big block V8 that powered the rear wheels and gave the Astro II convincing performance numbers.