If you didn’t stay up to watch the Livestream, it was an event for the ages. We’ve been waiting long enough, so the crowd of invited guests went wild then 3 new Corvettes made their appearance. The exotic car world is now on notice, as the 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray was revealed with 495 horsepower and a low price.
Starting at the front the low nose and dash offer great visibility. Without an engine in the way, the steering system is 50% stronger than the C7. Moving the cockpit forward puts more weight on the rear tires. This allows the base model to reach 60 mph in under 3 seconds. This also puts the driver of mass and rotation very close to the seats. If you want to drift, the car rotates around the passengers. This means you won’t feel any G-Forces when cornering. A first for any American car.
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Not only is the aluminum frame lighter, but it also uses die-cast junctions to be much stronger than the C7. Upfront where the engine used to be, there is room for groceries or luggage under the hood. This is the first Corvette to offer a 5-piece luggage set, and the bigger pieces can be stored in the rear trunk. A deep cargo well behind the transmission can hold the Targa top or almost anything you need to carry. It is surrounded by the first carbon fiber crash structure on an American car.
Styling was handled by my favorite GM designer: John Cafaro. He is responsible for two cars I have owned: 4th Gen Camaro (1993-2002) & C5 Corvette (1997-2004). His style is unmistakably Italian, and he was given help by Top Peters. He designed the C6 and C7, so that is where this car gets its angles and inlets. Both of them retired last night, leaving the C8 Corvette as their coup de grâce after decades at GM.
Moving forward, the transmission is an 8-speed transaxle developed by Tremec. The first six gears are close ratio for blistering acceleration, and the last two are deep overdrives for highway cruising. The 6.2L V8 is an improvement of the current LT1. It uses gorgeous stainless headers and revised internals to make 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque.
Thrills continue inside. Cheap plastics have been replaced by machined metal. The squared-off steering wheel was inspired by the C7.R racing program, and all controls are aimed at the driver. A 12″ screen handles infotainment and various apps, both of which receive updates over the air. Separating the seats is a spine covered in leather. It contains all A/C, seat heat, and comfort controls which keeps the dash free of clutter.
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Bose developed a 14-speaker system to keep you entertained, and the front suspension rises 2″ to prevent scrapes. This system is GPS-linked, so the car remembers where you need to raise the front end and does it for you. The Performance Data Recorder now has higher resolution cameras front and rear, the latter serves as a panoramic backup view in reverse. It appears as if the manual transmission is dead, at least for now. We can deal with this because the price will make you happy. Base model Corvettes will start under $60,000. If this is all too much for you, our dealers are offering great incentives on the remaining C7 models. Click the link below and stay with us for all your Corvette news.