UK Advanced Design Studio Reveals Corvette Concept Study

General Motors inaugurated its new UK Advanced Design Studio in Royal Leamington Spa and celebrated by unveiling a radical Corvette concept car. The studio, led by former Jaguar designer Julian Thomson, forms part of GM's global network and is tasked with imagining what mobility and performance might look like 5–20 years in the future. To mark the opening, the British team developed a hypercar‑style Corvette concept as part of a global creative project that will see additional concepts revealed throughout 2025.

GM's press release highlights how the concept pays homage to the Corvette's historic design while embracing a futuristic aesthetic. The car features a singular vertical central spine dubbed "Apex Vision," inspired by the 1963 split‑window Sting Ray, which provides structural rigidity and a panoramic view by minimising windscreen pillars. Thomson explains that the design divides the vehicle into an expressive upper half echoing classic Corvette cues and a functional lower half that integrates EV battery technology and aero‑ducting to channel air efficiently. Innovative aero‑duality allows the car to reconfigure for on‑road efficiency or track‑oriented downforce with active ducts and deployable fins.

The concept's additive‑manufactured body structure emphasises lightweight construction, while fan‑assisted aerodynamics and a race‑car‑style pushrod suspension point to a possible electrified future. Autocar notes that the brief was deliberately open, asking the UK studio to "completely rethink the Corvette nameplate" while remaining true to its centre‑line focus. Thomson sees the European studio as crucial to GM's plan to expand Cadillac and Corvette in the region, offering fresh design perspectives and understanding of European tastes.