The myth is real.

Moving the Corvette's motor to the middle has been an idea General Motors has hung onto ever since Zora Arkus-Duntov almost made it happen in 1960. His mad brilliance has left behind behind a long legacy of dreamy concepts both from his time at GM and after, but the idea was always dismissed as too expensive and boutique both for the company from an economics standpoint, and for the Corvette's traditional clientele in terms of what they want.

Well, the contemporary thinking seems to have shifted at the top of the Renn Cen, because that's a real, live, mid-engine Corvette--and those are engineers expeditiously trying to conceal it after the sharp shooting drone was spotted overhead.

This prototype looks much more advanced than the clunkier mules out testing earlier this year, and for the most part, its sheet metal looks production ready.

We still don't know much about the car, but this brief look may have given us a few clues. The car's certainly riding higher than a liquid-slick supercar ought to, which could indicate an active suspension, or all-wheel-drive, or both. The latest rumors have the mid-engine Corvette offering three different powertrain options--two gasoline and one hybrid--codenamed LT2, LT6 and LT7.

The body, and possibly parts of the platform will be made from SMC composite and carbon fiber. Allegedly, there will also be fixed, targa and full glass roof options to choose from.

There's a raised portion on the car's short snout that looks like a covered heat extractor mounted horizontally on top of the car's nose, which is odd for a mid-engine layout.

Typically, front cooling happens from radiators mounted low in the bumper or lodged in the middle of the car's front end in the case of the Ford GT--it's possible the prototype we're looking at is driving its front two wheels using an electric motor.

Production of the mid-engine Corvette won't begin until January 2019 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with the entire family of models and trims on sale before mid-2021.