2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Mid-Engine American Supercar
Rumors of a mid-engine Corvette have echoed in auto enthusiast circles for over 50 years. Yes, you read that right—gearheads have been looking forward to this day since the mid-sixties.
Many prominent car magazines anticipated the release decades and decades ago, but it wasn’t until the middle of 2016 that there was any photographic evidence that the mid-engine Corvette might be real. Spy photos of the car wearing heavy camouflage started popping up all over the internet and “maybe it will actually happen” quickly turned into “when are we going to get to see it?”
For the last few years it was obvious that the car’s release to the public was on the horizon, but just out of sight, until early this year. The C8 was spotted being tested on racetracks and on the streets of Michigan wearing a black and white patterned wrap to hide the contours of the body. What GM couldn’t hide was the shortened nose, the large side scoops and the lengthened rear section that screamed “mid-engine.”
It was the worst kept secret in the automotive industry. Finally, in April 2019 GM finally decided to confirm that the C8 Corvette was coming and embraced all the leaks and rumors and drove the camouflaged car around New York with the date of the release stamped on each door.
Today, is 07.18.2019, and the new Stingray Corvette is beautiful.
We love the slippery low-slung look, the top of the engine peeking out from under the rear window and the massive air scoops on either side of the cockpit.
Next Gen Engine and Transmission
But what’s powering the new Stingray under all that masterfully angled and aerodynamically shaped sheet metal? The new ‘Vette’s rear section houses a 6.2L V8 LT2 and transfer power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. The naturally aspirated LT2 V8 produces 495hp and 470 lbs.-ft of torque, but expect higher-end versions of the car to have considerably more power (and a higher cost). It lives up to it's fast-looking exterior with a sub three-second 0-60mph time (when equipped with the Z51 Package), which is the fastest of any entry Corvette ever.
Handling
It should handle well, too. The torsional rigidity of the Corvette's reengineered structure combined with sophisticated suspension geometry and coil over dampers should create excellent ride comfort while still allowing for well-balanced handling on the track.
Pricing
All these new improvements to the Corvette are extremely exciting, but what surprised us was the most was the entry level MSRP. We speculated that it would be right around $100K—but Chevy claims the base model will be priced under $60,000. Unfortunately, that number is just a starting point as we're sure there will be initial release dealer markups and the performance packages will certainly cost a pretty penny.
"Our mission was to develop a new type of sports car, combining the successful attributes of Corvette with the performance and driving experience of mid-engine supercars," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette executive chief engineer.
We think they met their mark on the new C8, and can't wait to get behind the wheel of one. We'll keep you posted.
Check back with Driving Line for an in-depth look at the new technology of the 2020 Corvette Stingray coming soon.
Photos by: Stacy Pittas
Click here to see how the 2020 Chevy Corvette compares with the latest version of the Ford GT.
