Auto journalism veteran Don Sherman sat down with Autoline After Hours earlier this week to dish the latest details about the Chevrolet C8 Corvette. Through his network of sources and other tidbits of news, Sherman paints an enthralling picture about the current state of the program—which General Motors has yet to officially acknowledge it exists—while also speculating about several aspects of the mid-engine Corvette that’s been 60 years in the making.Â
Sherman believes the C8 Corvette will enter production by the end of the year as a 2020 model with deliveries starting around February 2020 due to a developmental delay. That lines up with rumors we’ve reported that production will begin in December. Sherman added that he believes Chevrolet will unveil the car near the end of August during the National Corvette Museum’s 25th-anniversary celebration. This would avoid any conflicts with other auto shows or reveals.Â
Sherman also corroborated another interesting Corvette rumor—price. Late last year, Bob Lutz noted the mid-engined C8 Corvette could see a modest price increase over the current C7 Corvette. Sherman expects the C8 Corvette to start in the $60,000-$70,000 with a pushrod V8 engine. After that, there will be a litany of powertrains, including one nearing 1,000 thanks to a hybrid powertrain. There could be a full electric powertrain, too, as GM pushes toward an all-electric future.Â
The discussion has a host of interesting tidbits—encompassing the entirety of the Corvette’s 60-plus-year history. Finally, though, it seems head honchos at General Motors have the business case they’ve been looking for to green-light the project. We could have had a mid-engine Corvette several years ago, too. GM executives gave the go-ahead for a mid-engine Corvette, but the company’s financial missteps put the car on hold with the automaker putting its efforts into the C7 we have today. GM won’t acknowledge its existence; however, we should have proof soon enough of its existence. Oh, and dealerships are taking deposits.Â
The C8 Corvette discussion starts at the 5:55 mark—it’s filled with interesting bits of info. Check it out.Â
Comments
C7 Corvette sales have come to a near standstill with inventory of over 250 days as buyers are simply holding their money in anticipation of placing deposits for the C8 Corvette with a revolutionary mid-engine and if former GM Exec Bob Lutz is right that the base C8 Corvette’s price being not much more expensive than the current C7 Corvette then first year’s sales of the C8 Corvette may be over 30,000 units.
The electrical overhaul delay really screwed up the marketing strategy for this vehicle and progression from the C7. And you are now seeing the results as GM scrambles to implement a stop-gap marketing plan that tries to sell the C7 until the C8 arrives. Problem is the cat is out of the bag and people are having none of it.
Very unfortunate and I can honestly say typical bad.GM execution. Top management has a lot of blame on this one for not monitoring the details. The car people in the company like me have a lot of respect for the Chevy team that produced the C8 as they have done some extraordinary engineering and design on the cars. But GM exec oversight did drop the ball on the launch.
What got left out here was Chevy when it canceled the Mid engine Tadge had to lengthen the wheel base to get more handling and he was quoted it is at the limit.
The real selling point is they can not extract anymore performance from the present car and the mid engine was the only way forward.
You read now on the ZR 2 and it is fast but not easy to drive even with the electronics. The new car will take performance to the next level.
There will be a 50/50 love hate for the new car but it will be 90% by the time it reaches 6 months and after the road test come most will embrace it. This has been an issue with every new C design.
“There will be a 50/50 love hate for the new car but it will be 90% by the time it reaches 6 months and after the road test come most will embrace it. This has been an issue with every new C design.”
^This. It happens EVERY
SINGLE
TIME.
I hated the idea of a mid engine Vette 2 years ago, but I’m warming up to it now. Should be badass.
Apparently the new 2020 C8 Corvette will inherit the name Stingray.
My late husband liked Vettes. When we were first married he took me to “Harry’s Chevys” in downtown Cleveland and we did the nasty in a new Corvette on the showroom floor. When Harry came to see why we were gigling he threw us out.
It was a fun afternoon-er!