Every Corvette made from 1953 to 2019 had the engine in the front, the transmission in the middle and differential in the rear.

Tadge Juechter, who is 63 and a 41-year General Motors veteran, led the engineering team that changed all that. The eighth generation of the Corvette ushered in a new era for America’s favorite sports car in many ways. Its engine and transmission have been relocated behind the driver, the car features one of the industry’s most advanced electrical architectures and it introduces several new weight-saving manufacturing techniques.

That the new midengine Corvette has a trophy case full of awards and a full order book stretching deep into next year is not a surprise to Juechter’s boss, GM President Mark Reuss. “It has shattered the perceptions of what this company can do with passion and excellence for every part of the car,” Reuss told Automotive News.

Reuss says Juechter’s team “broke every barrier” to produce a car that the entire company is proud of. Few, if any, $59,995 sports cars can reach 60 mph in just three seconds while carrying two passengers and two sets of golf clubs and get 27 mpg on the highway.