Rumored since approximately the Taft Administration, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, the mystical mid-engine Corvette, has finally transcended myth and arrived in reality. It’s finally here (well, after a leak from earlier tonight). Time to run down everything we know.
With a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 in the between its axles, the C8 Corvette makes 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque and uses a Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Power is sent to the rear wheels. The car has a claimed zero to 60 time of under three seconds if you option it with the Z51 pack, which gives you bigger brakes, a performance exhaust, improved cooling and a performance suspension system.
It’s geared for being quick off the line and efficient on the highway via the seventh and eighth gears, which makes it sound like it’s both a great long-distance cruiser and a red-light drag racer in one.
Also, there’s a front trunk and a rear trunk! Does that mean that the front space could be re-purposed to fit an electric motor? It’s too early to tell, but I wouldn’t put it past General Motors to use this platform to show off some electrified performance later on. I mean, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche and even Acura have all done it already.
The C8 Corvette will be very light, according to Chevrolet. Its chassis is built from mixed-materials and uses die-cast aluminum components. The entry-level model will weigh 3,366 pounds.
There will also be launch control and an electronic limited-slip differential. Six driving modes will include Weather, Tour, Sport, Track, MyMode (which is individually configurable) and Z Mode (for performance driving and accessible from a button on the steering wheel). The compression ratio is an impressive 11.5:1 and the car uses coil springs instead of leaf springs.
The targa roof panel is also fully removable and you can store it in the trunk when you want some sun on your head. There’s also a very neat front nose-lift system that’s GPS-based, which means you can basically geo-tag where you want the car to lift its face so it won’t scrape.
Chevy will offer the new Corvette in 12 exterior colors and! It will be available as a right-hand drive model. If you’re reading this from the UK, then rejoice.
But the greatest piece of news of all? It’ll start at less than $60,000. I think I audibly gasped when I heard.
Damn.
The car looks great. I thought I’d hate it after the months of seeing all the mules running around, but I really like it.
I still prefer the more rounded shapes that defined the C5 and C6 generations, but since everything these days has gone pointy and aggro, the new Corvette offers a wonderful take on modern styling. It looks like a sleeker C7 and the rear does manage to maintain Corvette-ish looks, despite being slightly squashed-looking. I’m digging those contrast-colored side vents, though.
The interior, as you saw earlier today, is quite button-heavy. The rest of it doesn’t look bad, it just looks very... snug. Cozy, actually. Like a cocoon of Corvette wrapped around you. And thank the Lord the infotainment screen wasn’t tacked cheaply on top of the dash. I’m still not sold on that steering wheel, though.
Maybe it’s because this car is reportedly pissing off Boomers, a favorite pastime of mine, but I’m so on board with it. It’s a few years too late, but it’s here at the very least. It’s also nice to see GM break free from all the crossovers and give us something we are actually interested in driving.
And the C8 should drive great. The C7 ‘Vettes were great. So were the C6 ones. Fast, planted, with plenty of feedback and giving the European supercars a run for their money. GM can build a good car when it wants to.
