The C8 Corvette made its debut on July 18, 2019, to a thoroughly modern world filled with modern supercars — and a mid-engined layout. Sure, it’s still largely considered America’s budget supercar, but the C8 was definitely a bold new direction for the nameplate. Is it for better or for worse? That’s, perhaps, harder to say, but it was certainly a significant enough departure to inspire a Jaguar designer to come up with an alternative.

Jason Battersby, Jaguar Exterior Design Manager, presented an interesting concept in an Instagram post: A retro-inspired C8 design that brings back the traditional front-engine rear-drive formula in a sleek, curvy package. In the post, he calls it a “true homage to both C2 & C3 gen Stingrays,” and we can certainly see where he’s coming from. For one, Battersby has good taste — these are some of the best-looking Corvettes ever designed. And while the proportions are certainly wider and more aggressive, reflecting modern sensibilities, the inspiration is unquestionably the 1960s ‘Vettes, with that signature combination of muscular proportions with more delicate lines.

Obviously, being an unofficial design study by someone outside of GM, don’t expect anything more to come of this, much to our chagrin. That said, it is unquestionably evocative, utilizing language not seen in a Corvette in decades to make a more traditional grand tourer rather than the supercar we actually received. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at Battersby’s renders.

Peter Brock’s approach to designing the original C2 Stingray wasn’t too dissimilar from this exercise, in principle. Brock drew inspiration from European sports cars and streamliners, combining that with the DNA of the 1959 XP-87 Stingray to design the C2’s timeless body. In this case, what goes around comes around: an American drawing from European design heritage created the original, and now the reverse is true for this rendering.

The restyling that Jaguar’s Jason Battersby presents has an arrowhead front end with aggressive side haunches, both characteristic features of the C3; the split rear window, meanwhile, resurrects a feature famously offered on the 1963 “Split Window” C2 Corvette — a car worth its weight in gold today. The front and rear ends both echo the C2 as well, with the sharp front teasing hidden-door headlights and the sharply tapering rear reminiscent of early Stingray designs. If anything, it’s actually quite similar in style to the failed 1965 XP-833 Pontiac Banshee.

More modern accents complete the picture: carbon-fiber aerodynamic devices on the sides, an aggressive rear diffuser, and minimalistic mirrors designed for aerodynamic efficiency, among other things. What’s most striking, however, are the overall proportions; if the pictures are true to scale, this car would be just as low and short as the vintage examples, although with a wider stance. Overall, it serves as a striking example of how to combine classic and modern design features to create a timeless package. Needless to say, we’re both impressed at the rendition and saddened that it’ll likely never see the light of day.