General Motors has high hopes for its new mid-engined Corvette and will be releasing it in a right-hand-drive version for the first time in 68 years. Announced back in 2019, the sports car has now hit the Fuji Speedway in Japan.
Chevrolet explains that making any of the previous seven Corvette generations right-hand-drive would have been difficult due to the extensive modifications involved. With the engine now located behind the seats, the engineering task is much simpler than before.
The RHD car comes powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 rated at 497 hp as the North American version. Customers in Japan will be able to buy both the Targa and the Roadster versions starting from the equivalent of U.S. $108,000. The first batch of 300 units sold out in pre-orders within 60 hours from the announcement, marking a surge of interest after around 100 Corvettes sold annually.
Later on, the RHD Corvette will make its way to the UK, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, where it will be sold under the HSV badge.
Aside from the Corvette, the only other Chevrolet model available in Japan is the Camaro, which retains its left-hand drive layout.