The XP-897 GT: Chevrolet's Rotating Corvette

A Unique Experiment in Corvette History

When people think about the Chevrolet Corvette, a rotary engine isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. The iconic American sports car has long been defined by big V8s, rear-wheel drive, and aggressive styling. But in the early 1970s, a very different kind of Corvette was being dreamed up. One that ran on Wankel power and came together with a surprising bit of German engineering expertise.

At a time when emissions regulations and fuel economy concerns were reshaping the industry, Chevrolet was willing to experiment. The brand had already been exploring rotary engine tech in-house, but wanted to go further, faster. That’s where an unexpected collaboration came in, and it gave rise to a Corvette unlike anything seen before or since.

The XP-897 GT: A Radical Rotary-Powered Corvette

This rotary Corvette experiment took shape as the XP-897 GT, a concept car developed in 1973 that broke nearly every rule in the Corvette playbook. Instead of the traditional front-mounted V8, this car had its engine behind the seats, a setup more in line with European exotics of the day. But beyond the engine layout, the bigger deal was that the XP-897 GT ran on a rotary engine.

Specifically, it used a two-rotor version of GM’s Wankel rotary engine. At the time, General Motors had secured a license from NSU and had been developing rotary engines as part of its futuristic powertrain strategy. The two-rotor unit installed in the XP-897 GT produced around 180 horsepower, which may not sound like much today, but in the context of the early '70s and the car’s lightweight fiberglass body, it was a compelling setup.

The XP-897 GT’s unique powerplant wasn't just a design exercise either. The car was fully drivable and showcased at various auto shows, including Frankfurt. But what made it truly special was the fact that Porsche was the one that helped build the car. GM sent the design and parts to Stuttgart, where Porsche assembled the chassis and made it a reality. The irony of Chevrolet’s flagship sports car being prototyped in the heart of 911 territory is hard to ignore.

Porsche Helped Build The Chassis For A Corvette

While the XP-897 GT was very much a Chevrolet concept, it was Porsche that actually brought the car to life, at least physically. GM had a tight timeline for getting a working version ready for the Frankfurt Motor Show, and Porsche was contracted to help build the running prototype based on Chevrolet’s clay design. The German firm built the chassis using steel sections and a backbone-style frame, housing the rotary engine transversely behind the seats.

The collaboration wasn’t advertised at the time, and it remains one of the lesser-known stories in Corvette history. But without Porsche’s engineering input and ability to quickly prototype the concept, the XP-897 GT might never have left the design studio.

The chassis Porsche delivered was functional, and it also included fully independent suspension and a level of build quality that reflected their motorsports pedigree. While this didn’t translate into a production partnership, it showed how open GM was to global thinking when it came to experimenting with the future of the Corvette.

The XP-897 GT Previewed A Mid-Engine Corvette Long Before The C8

Although the C8 Corvette eventually went mid-engine in 2020, that idea had been floating around GM for decades. The XP-897 GT was one of the most serious early attempts to test the layout. With the rotary engine placed behind the driver and a short, low-slung front end, the XP-897 GT had proportions that closely resemble today’s C8 Corvette.

Its compact rotary engine made mid-engine packaging much easier than a traditional V8. That let designers keep the silhouette sleek and futuristic, with a long rear deck and a cab-forward stance. The car sat low, with minimal overhangs and fixed, flush-mounted headlights that emphasized its futuristic profile, departing from the pop-up headlight trend seen on other Corvettes of the era.

From a styling perspective, the XP-897 GT also drew inspiration from the Corvette lineage, featuring cues like a split rear window and quad taillights. But there were enough differences to signal it was something new. The roofline was more aggressive, the glass area more expansive, and the body lines sharper. Even without the rotary engine, this mid-engine layout was a bold preview of what could one day be possible.

Why The Rotary Corvette Never Made Production

Despite the innovation packed into the XP-897 GT, the car never moved beyond the concept stage. The rotary engine program at GM ultimately hit a wall. Reliability concerns, poor fuel economy, and increasing emissions standards made it clear that Wankel engines weren’t going to be viable for mass-market applications anytime soon. By 1976, GM had officially pulled the plug on its rotary program.

Without the rotary engine, there was no powerplant that fit the XP-897 GT’s compact mid-engine design. A conventional V8 would’ve required a total redesign. Additionally, the oil crisis and tightening federal regulations shifted GM’s priorities toward efficiency and downsizing, not exotic sports car experimentation.

As for the prototype itself, it was returned from Porsche to GM and eventually sent to the scrapyard in 1977. But not before a British engineer working at GM’s UK technical center reportedly rescued it. The car resurfaced decades later and remains in running condition today, making it one of the rarest and most fascinating footnotes in Corvette history.

What The XP-897 GT Tells Us About The Corvette's Evolution

The XP-897 GT may never have made it to production, but it represents a key moment in the Corvette's evolution: a time when GM was thinking far outside the box. It was a wild experiment with rotary power, sure, but it was also a serious effort to rethink the Corvette as a global sports car, borrowing ideas and expertise from across the Atlantic to create something that could compete with the best from Europe.

The fact that Porsche was involved, even behind the scenes, speaks to just how bold this project was. In many ways, it laid conceptual groundwork for the mid-engine C8, even if nearly five decades would pass before it became reality. Today, the XP-897 GT stands as a symbol of what could’ve been: a Corvette with the heart of a rotary and the precision of German engineering.

It’s easy to see the XP-897 GT as a curiosity, a relic from a weird time in automotive history. But it’s more than that. It’s a reminder that even icons like the Corvette have moments where they take big risks, think differently, and imagine something totally out of the norm.