OT: The New C8 Corvette is Revealed

[RU4Real]

60 years in the making. No fewer than half a dozen formal prototype efforts during that time. At least four generations of "will they do it this time?" teasing. Finally, the new 2020 Corvette is a mid-engine car, just like a McClaren 720 or Ferrari F8.

It's radically different. The design language has been revised to accommodate moving the engine behind the seats, while still retaining key 'Vette styling cues. The leaf spring suspension is gone, for the first time in the car's 64 year production run. There is no manual transmission, not even as an option - power is directed to the wheels via a Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is fully electronically controlled - there is no shift linkage.

The chassis of the C8 is entirely aluminum and carbon fiber, so the structure is stiffer than any previous version. Curb weight is quoted at 3366 lbs. which, combined with the 495 hp from the 6.2 liter V-8 (designated LT2) will allow 0 - 60 times of 3.0 seconds. All this can be had for a base price of $59,995.

The styling of the new mid-engine car may be polarizing, but I personally think it's pure hotness.

 

[Upstream]

It's nice. But it isn't an Accord.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

I think it looks pretty bad ass! Scarlet red keeps it on brand :okay:

 

[T2Kplus10]

60 years in the making. No fewer than half a dozen formal prototype efforts during that time. At least four generations of "will they do it this time?" teasing. Finally, the new 2020 Corvette is a mid-engine car, just like a McClaren 720 or Ferrari F8.

It's radically different. The design language has been revised to accommodate moving the engine behind the seats, while still retaining key 'Vette styling cues. The leaf spring suspension is gone, for the first time in the car's 64 year production run. There is no manual transmission, not even as an option - power is directed to the wheels via a Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is fully electronically controlled - there is no shift linkage.

The chassis of the C8 is entirely aluminum and carbon fiber, so the structure is stiffer than any previous version. Curb weight is quoted at 3366 lbs. which, combined with the 495 hp from the 6.2 liter V-8 (designated LT2) will allow 0 - 60 times of 3.0 seconds. All this can be had for a base price of $59,995.

The styling of the new mid-engine car may be polarizing, but I personally think it's pure hotness.

Hmm, I need to think about all this for a while. 87 vette was my first car and my dad had a old, light blue 64. Not saying the look is good or bad yet, but as of now, just don't know. May be too far of a departure from the norm.

It's a gorgeous car, but is it a vette?

 

[T2Kplus10]

60 years in the making. No fewer than half a dozen formal prototype efforts during that time. At least four generations of "will they do it this time?" teasing. Finally, the new 2020 Corvette is a mid-engine car, just like a McClaren 720 or Ferrari F8.

It's radically different. The design language has been revised to accommodate moving the engine behind the seats, while still retaining key 'Vette styling cues. The leaf spring suspension is gone, for the first time in the car's 64 year production run. There is no manual transmission, not even as an option - power is directed to the wheels via a Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is fully electronically controlled - there is no shift linkage.

The chassis of the C8 is entirely aluminum and carbon fiber, so the structure is stiffer than any previous version. Curb weight is quoted at 3366 lbs. which, combined with the 495 hp from the 6.2 liter V-8 (designated LT2) will allow 0 - 60 times of 3.0 seconds. All this can be had for a base price of $59,995.

The styling of the new mid-engine car may be polarizing, but I personally think it's pure hotness.

Real - What are the benefits (and downsides) of the mid-engine design? What's the point of moving to it?

 

[Upstream]

Hmm, I need to think about all this for a while. 87 vette was my first car and my dad had a old, light blue 64.

Your first car was a Corvette? Most people get an old, beat-up, used car as their first car.

 

[rutgersal]

By the time you add all the bells and whistles, youll probably be closer to 75K, and maybe even approach 100K, if you get every available option. But still, the design looks like a Grand Slam to me. This is a Car GM needed to build. Fantastic!

 

[RU4Real]

Real - What are the benefits (and downsides) of the mid-engine design? What's the point of moving to it?

Weight distribution and the corresponding impact on Polar Moment of Inertia.

Cornering is all about two things - grip and turn-in. Grip comes from tires and suspension geometry. Turn-in is facilitated by weight distribution. A car with weight placed on the ends (front engine, differential and fuel tank in rear, for example) will be more reluctant to rotate on its axis than a car with its weight concentrated in the middle.

The common analogy is that of a figure skater executing a spin. They begin their rotation with their arms extended and, as they pull their arms in closer to their body, they spin faster. Same with cars.

So a mid-engine car will change direction very, very quickly.

 

[RU4Real]

By the time you add all the bells and whistles, youll probably be closer to 75K, and maybe even approach 100K, if you get every available option. But still, the design looks like a Grand Slam to me. This is a Car GM needed to build. Fantastic!

Untrue. Again. Jeez, Al...

There are 3 trim levels which are predominantly based on powertrain and suspension. The higher two trim levels will get a more powerful engine, the highest trim level will get adaptive suspension and will basically be a track car, similar to the current ZR-1.

That's not "bells and whistles".

 

[RUSK97]

It's a gorgeous car, but is it a vette?

I’m with you there. I know they’ve done their best to retain certain styling cues, but frankly, it still doesn’t look like a Vette. But then this is revolutionary, not evolutionary.

Did they keep the fiberglass body-on-frame? Or is it all-aluminum now?

 

[masice520]

Corvette has completely gotten away from muscle car and has fully embraced the super car model essentially eliminating the middle class from becoming a prospective buyer.

 

[RU4Real]

I’m with you there. I know they’ve done their best to retain certain styling cues, but frankly, it still doesn’t look like a Vette. But then this is revolutionary, not evolutionary.

Did they keep the fiberglass body-on-frame? Or is it all-aluminum now?

The body panels are a combination of fiberglass and carbon fiber.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

To me, its a Ferrari from the headlights back. I don't really think that is a bad thing.

 

[RUSK97]

Weight distribution and the corresponding impact on Polar Moment of Inertia.

Cornering is all about two things - grip and turn-in. Grip comes from tires and suspension geometry. Turn-in is facilitated by weight distribution. A car with weight placed on the ends (front engine, differential and fuel tank in rear, for example) will be more reluctant to rotate on its axis than a car with its weight concentrated in the middle.

The common analogy is that of a figure skater executing a spin. They begin their rotation with their arms extended and, as they pull their arms in closer to their body, they spin faster. Same with cars.

So a mid-engine car will change direction very, very quickly.

Why do you think the 911 has so vehemently resisted this change, sticking with the rear engine layout? Those +2 seats are useless except for the family lapdog.

 

[RU4Real]

Corvette has completely gotten away from muscle car and has fully embraced the super car model essentially eliminating the middle class from becoming a prospective buyer.

Um...

2020 Corvette Stingray - Base price: $59,995.00
2019 Porsche 911 - Base price: $113,000.00
2019 McLaren 570s - Base price: $192,000.00

 

[RU4Real]

Why do you think the 911 has so vehemently resisted this change, sticking with the rear engine layout? Those +2 seats are useless except for the family lapdog.

Pure tradition. The 911 is an archetype in itself.

To be fair to Porsche, they've done amazing things with suspension geometry to enable neutral handling. The 911 may well be the class of the category.

 

[fischy5000]

To me, its a Ferrari from the headlights back. I don't really think that is a bad thing.

Agree. Would def think 'oh there's a Ferrari' if that drove past me.

 

[RU_DIO]

I miss my 'Vette

 

[RUSK97]

Corvette has completely gotten away from muscle car and has fully embraced the super car model essentially eliminating the middle class from becoming a prospective buyer.

Sixty K and change isn’t making It unreachable to the middle class. Now up through the C7, it was a car relatively suitable for being a daily driver. We’ll see if that remains the same for the C8. What this would mean is this could be your one and only car for a household unit of 1-2. Which boosts its reachability.

And FWIW, I don’t think the Vette has been considered a muscle car in decades. If ever. That’s what the Camaro is for. This car serves a different purpose.

 

[RU_FML]

Love the new look. From the side it actually looks a lot like the new NSX which I also love. Much cheaper though.

 

[rutgersal]

Untrue. Again. Jeez, Al...

There are 3 trim levels which are predominantly based on powertrain and suspension. The higher two trim levels will get a more powerful engine, the highest trim level will get adaptive suspension and will basically be a track car, similar to the current ZR-1.

That's not "bells and whistles".

Not untrue. You said trim levels. I said bells and whistles. Same thing. The top of the line zr1 goes for $153K today. There will be 0 corvettes sold at 60K which is a marketing gimmick. Average retail price will be much higher.

 

[RU4Real]

Sixty K and change isn’t making It unreachable to the middle class. Now up through the C7, it was a car relatively suitable for being a daily driver. We’ll see if that remains the same for the C8. What this would mean is this could be your one and only car for a household unit of 1-2. Which boosts its reachability.

And FWIW, I don’t think the Vette has been considered a muscle car in decades. If ever. That’s what the Camaro is for. This car serves a different purpose.

Two notes on this.

First, the Camaro is being discontinued following the 2023 model year. There will not be a 7th Gen Camaro.

Second, the only believer in "muscle cars", anymore, is Dodge. The Camaro ZL1 1LE is one of the fastest cars, ever, around the Nurbergring. The Camaro in general has received universal praise for its exceptional handling ever since it was ported to the Alpha platform with 6th Gen, in 2016.

 

[LOU-RU85]

That is a fantastic design. Really a home run. Too bad they don't have a manual transmission option though. I think this model will be a big hit.

 

[RU4Real]

Not untrue. You said trim levels. I said bells and whistles. Same thing. The top of the line zr1 goes for $153K today. There will be 0 corvettes sold at 60K which is a marketing gimmick. Average retail price will be much higher.

Trim level is not the same as "bells and whistles". "Bells and whistles" is content such as infotainment systems, nav, electronic monitoring, heated seats & steering wheels, etc. Cars are frequently differentiated as "trim levels" based on drivetrains and suspension systems.

Please stop. Just stop. You repeatedly derail car threads with your lack of knowledge.

Tell us some more about how run-flat tires ride just as well as regular tires.

 

[RUSK97]

Real - What are the benefits (and downsides) of the mid-engine design? What's the point of moving to it?

Weight distribution and the corresponding impact on Polar Moment of Inertia.

Cornering is all about two things - grip and turn-in. Grip comes from tires and suspension geometry. Turn-in is facilitated by weight distribution. A car with weight placed on the ends (front engine, differential and fuel tank in rear, for example) will be more reluctant to rotate on its axis than a car with its weight concentrated in the middle.

The common analogy is that of a figure skater executing a spin. They begin their rotation with their arms extended and, as they pull their arms in closer to their body, they spin faster. Same with cars.

So a mid-engine car will change direction very, very quickly.

So what’re the downsides? No possibility of a backseat. It’s just two seats (or sometimes three abreast like in select McLarens. The C7 Vette had cavernous cargo space under its rear glass compared to its competition other than the 911. Also having a beastly engine with 8-12 cylinders pumping furiously behind you has the possibility to introduce noise and heat.

 

[miketd1]

Not a “bad” looking car, but there are a lot of poor transitions visually in terms of its lines. So many “lines to nowhere”.

I fear it’ll look dated quickly.

Actually, with all the teasers over the years, it kinda already does look dated.

Same thing happened to the next gen NSX.

EDIT: Wish it looked more like this..

 

[RU2055]

Looks like a Lambo.

 

[RU2055]

First, the Camaro is being discontinued following the 2023 model year. There will not be a 7th Gen Camaro.
.

WHAT?!!!

 

[RUScrew85]

By the time you add all the bells and whistles, youll probably be closer to 75K, and maybe even approach 100K, if you get every available option. But still, the design looks like a Grand Slam to me. This is a Car GM needed to build. Fantastic!

I'm going to need to see a price list before I pass judgement. The Vette is not supposed to be a six figure supercar. It's better looking than I feared but I've seen pre-release pics of the interior. Does the bar between the driver and pass really have a line of buttons down it?

ETA: It does. That's pants-on-head retarded. That interior is terrible.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Weight distribution and the corresponding impact on Polar Moment of Inertia.

Cornering is all about two things - grip and turn-in. Grip comes from tires and suspension geometry. Turn-in is facilitated by weight distribution. A car with weight placed on the ends (front engine, differential and fuel tank in rear, for example) will be more reluctant to rotate on its axis than a car with its weight concentrated in the middle.

The common analogy is that of a figure skater executing a spin. They begin their rotation with their arms extended and, as they pull their arms in closer to their body, they spin faster. Same with cars.

So a mid-engine car will change direction very, very quickly.

Interesting, where is the gas tank on the new Vette?

 

[RU4Real]

WHAT?!!!

I know. I'm not happy about it, either.

GM cites poor sales performance. Enthusiasts and critics have long said that sales would go up 50% of GM would just fix the shitty interior. It's really bizarre.

To your previous question, the clear downside of a mid-engine car is, as you point out, lack of passenger space.

As for cargo, you're right again - the monster hatch compartment is gone. Instead, the cargo arrangement is precisely as you'll find in a Porsche 718 (Caymen / Boxter) - a small cargo area behind the engine and a larger one "under the hood" in the front. Chevy says total cargo area in the C8 is 13 cubic feet, just shy of the total in the C7.

It's obviously not a car that can haul your tailgate gear. But most people who can afford a 'Vette can afford something to haul shit from Home Depot. It's precisely the reason why I bought my Golf Sportwagen.

 

[RUScrew85]

Two notes on this.

First, the Camaro is being discontinued following the 2023 model year. There will not be a 7th Gen Camaro.

Second, the only believer in "muscle cars", anymore, is Dodge. The Camaro ZL1 1LE is one of the fastest cars, ever, around the Nurbergring. The Camaro in general has received universal praise for its exceptional handling ever since it was ported to the Alpha platform with 6th Gen, in 2016.

No 7th Gen Camaro in 2023. They'll drag it back out eventually. You'll remember they didn't sell them for a bunch of years a couple of decades ago as well.

 

[RU4Real]

Interesting, where is the gas tank on the new Vette?

Saddle tanks, one on each side just inboard of the rear intakes. Weight distribution, weight distribution, weight distribution. They've clearly spent some time on this.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Saddle tanks, one on each side just inboard of the rear intakes. Weight distribution, weight distribution, weight distribution. They've clearly spent some time on this.

Good that they went the whole way with the new design, not half-assed. Will it still fit someone 6'8"? I fear not. Believe it or not, the C4 I had had plenty of leg room. Seat all the way down and back was fine for me. Now with the engine behind the driver.....hmmm.

 

[RUScrew85]

Here's the official link

https://www.chevrolet.com/upcoming-vehicles/next-generation-corvette

 

[RU4Real]

Good that they went the whole way with the new design, not half-assed. Will it still fit someone 6'8"? I fear not. Believe it or not, the C4 I had had plenty of leg room. Seat all the way down and back was fine for me. Now with the engine behind the driver.....hmmm.

Interesting - the C8 actually has 3" more space in front of the rear firewall than the C7, allowing for an additional 13 degrees of seat recline and another inch of seat travel. So it might actually fit your freakishly elongated frame. :)

 

[RUScrew85]

After looking at the pics. It's very nice from the side and angles. The read fascia is pretty busy looking and I still don't like that they've gone away from four round tail lights. But I get the branding decision starting on the C7's rear. I don't love it but I get it. I don't love the black parts on the nose either but it's there for the same reason as the rear so I get it.

I hope it sells well - I'm hoping to pick up a C7 for a short period of time next summer or the summer after. If it sells well I'll get a better price on the C7.

That interior though. Ugh. Why is there a wall between the seats and can the passenger even see the touchscreen?

 

[rutgersal]

I'm going to need to see a price list before I pass judgement. The Vette is not supposed to be a six figure supercar. It's better looking than I feared but I've seen pre-release pics of the interior. Does the bar between the driver and pass really have a line of buttons down it?

ETA: It does. That's pants-on-head retarded. That interior is terrible.

Eww. I agree. That bar is terrible.

 

[RUScrew85]

Good that they went the whole way with the new design, not half-assed. Will it still fit someone 6'8"? I fear not. Believe it or not, the C4 I had had plenty of leg room. Seat all the way down and back was fine for me. Now with the engine behind the driver.....hmmm.

Dude you're 6'8"?

 

[RUScrew85]

Eww. I agree. That bar is terrible.

With the buttons down the spine? WTF? They could have put all that button functionality on the touchscreen. Heck it probably is. Those buttons are like I don't even know.

The driver basically has to look at the passenger's knee to find the, what, seat warmer button or defroster or heat while driving. That's distracting.

I see a lot of rich Vette fans going straight to Foose or Kindig to fix that interior.