General Motors raised a lot of eyebrows when they announced that the C8 generation of the Chevrolet Corvette would become a mid-engined car. Since the introduction of the C1, it has always been a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car. But the original creator of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, had imagined the Corvette as a mid-engine sports car since the 1960’s. Zora passed away in 1996 but he would have been thrilled to see the all-new mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
This new C8 generation uses an updated version of the 6.2L V8 that is found in the previous C7 Stingray. It produces 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Optioned with the Z51 Performance package and those numbers increase by 5 hp and 5 lb-ft of torque. While it’s significantly less power than the C7 Z06, this new C8 Stingray actually has the same 0-100 km/h time as the 650 hp Z06; 3.0 seconds. This is all thanks to the new mid-engine layout as well as the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sadly, there won’t be any manual transmission offered with the C8 Corvette.
The interior has also been completely redesigned with the driver in mind. All of the controls and screens are pointed towards the driver, almost like a jet fighter cockpit. The most prominent feature of the interior is the climate control row of buttons that extend from the dashboard to the back of the center console. But while this new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette lost its traditional trunk, it still has plenty of storage options. There is a “Frunk” (front trunk) which can accommodate a couple of small bags as well as a larger storage compartment just behind the rear bumper. This trunk can accommodate the removable roof or a set of golf clubs.
The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray starts at a very reasonable $67,898 CAD ($59,995 USD) and goes up from there with different packages and standalone options as well as dealership markups. This is a very desirable vehicle at the moment with very limited production numbers. Eventually more will be made as production starts to ramp up which will drive prices closer to the MSRP.
There will also be more powerful and track focused versions of the Corvette to come in the next few years. There are already spy photos of a Z06 variant with a naturally aspirated 5.5L DOHC flat plane crank V8 engine that will produce in the vicinity of 600 to 625 hp. Joe Biden slipped in an interview that an all-electric version of the C8 will come soon and will be called the “E-Ray”. There are also rumors of a ZR1 with a twin-turbocharged version of the 5.5L V8 that will produce around 800 hp. And finally a top spec “Zora” edition is also said to be in the works with a hybridized version of the twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 and an eAWD system. The Zora Corvette is rumored to produce 1,000 hp. Exciting times coming for the Corvette but until then, enjoy the pictures of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray.
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