This Is The New Mid-Engine 2020 Corvette C8
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Following a livestream debut event in Tustin, California, the mid-engine 2020 Corvette C8 has finally arrived. This latest eighth-generational changeover brings with it a brand-new platform and performance strategy for the iconic sports car, introducing a host of changes to the nameplate. Here are the highlights.
Let’s start with the powertrain. Mounted just behind the cabin in the midship position, the mid-engine 2020 Corvette C8 is motivated by the naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 engine, which produces 495 horsepower at 6,450 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 5,150 when equipped with the performance exhaust. That’s an increase of 40 horsepower and 15 pound-feet over the standard Corvette C7 Stingray. And because the engine is now mounted in the middle, rather than up front, even higher power levels (such as will be offered by the upcoming Z06 model) will actually be put to good use.
The sprint to 60 mph takes less than three seconds with the Z51 Performance Package, making the C8 the quickest entry-level Corvette of all time.
Output is sent to the rear wheels through the new M1L dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. No word yet on a manual transmission option, but it’s looking unlikely.
Inside the cabin, customers will have access to GM’s latest infotainment goodies through a next-generation high-resolution screen mounted adjacent to a 12-inch customizable instrument cluster. Highlight features include wireless phone charging, real-time traffic info, and learn-as-you-go voice recognition. On the comfort side of things, the C8 will offer a heated steering wheel and three seating options with increasing levels of lateral support.
The mid-engine 2020 Corvette C8 also boasts all-new styling, with more-balanced proportions in line with the model’s new mid-engine layout, as opposed to the nose-heavy, cab-back proportions of the previous Corvette C7. LED tail lamps and low-profile headlamps take care of lighting, while a large rear hatch shows off the V8 powerplant. A removable roof panel lets in extra atmosphere, and can be stored in the rear trunk. Further storage is found up front, and both trunks combine to offer upwards of 12.6 cubic-feet of cargo volume.
Handling chops are upped thanks to Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0, which is available with the Z51 Performance Package. The package also includes larger brake rotors, improved cooling, and a performance exhaust, among other components.
Like the Corvette C7, the 2020 Corvette C8 will be produced exclusively at the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Prices for the base-model Stingray start under $60,000.
There’s plenty of other details to discuss here, and we’ll be covering it all in-depth, so make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette news, Chevrolet news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
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50 years ago, america put a man on the moon. today, gm has landed the camaro’s rear on the corvette. bravo.
It’s the Corvette rear end and always has been. The Camaro is the one that borrowed parts of it.
I love the way this car looks!
You demonstrated the saying “haters gonna hate”. Bravo.
i don’t hate it. the interior looks pretty incredible. the way the engine is showcased is really cool.
when i saw the back hatch lift up to expose the engine and the rear cargo compartment, it made something ordinary look special. there was drama there.
the jagged cutlines on the front hood were reminiscent of the trailing edge of a b2 bomber.
it seemed like there was a zig-zagging triangular theme that screamed stealth jet fighter.
everything that is except the rear. too me that is too close to a camaro. it doesn’t fit with the rest of the vehicle.
but for under $60K, this vehicle is amazing. it is not that much more than a supra and a heck of a lot less than a 4 cylinder cayman or f-type.
and luckily for me, i’m more than happy with the base version w/o the rear wing. i think it is the best looking of the bunch and w/o the wing, the rear looks less cluttered.
so yeah, i want one.
Time to put the Camaro issue to bed.
#1 the rear was a Corvette to start with. We wen through this argument on the C7.
#2 the rear design island has been co opted to a number of Chevy products even now the Blazer.
#3 we all can look and see GM has done this in the past as we had round tail lamps on the Vette, Camaro, Chevelle, and Impala. It is nothing new.
#4 in context of this car the rear fits and will not be mistaken for a Camaro or Mclaren. It looks like a Corvette on site.
#5 what ills the Camaro is not the tail end. It is the fact high priced coupes with limited use are all in decline no matter the brand. They all should be over 100K units but combined but they combine struggle to beat that volume.
So sit back and enjoy a significant part of automotive history as it unfolds in front of you. You got to let it go.
Farming downvotes, eh pal?
This car looks good, including the back end.
The beginning of the end for BMW.
Well, I just got done watching the reveal. Mark Reuss said the car would start under $60,000. Holy Crap. Does make one start to wonder just why you’d want to buy a M2 – or even an M2 Competition – when you could get this thing for equivalent money.
Looking at the interior, I think the M4 just got put on serious notice as well.
I doubt that you will be able to find $60K C8 for a while. If the demand is high the price will go up. It might affect sales in US but not globally. Foreign emissions laws are a lot stricter and hence BMW went for turbo small displacement engines. Also most BMWs are used to go to shopping malls and on the race track, so utility is much greater in M2/M4 cars than corvette.
German luxury buyers will never guy Chevrolet or even GM aside from maybe GMC or Cadillac.
I’ve had 2 BMW 7 series, one Mercedes, one Volkswagen (still thinking of an Audi at some point), and currently have a C7 Corvette (the 52nd vehicle I’ve owned since I was 16). It’s true a diehard German luxury buyer probably wouldn’t consider one, but on the other hand, Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs are pretty popular in Germany. I think Europeans who aren’t extremely brand-centric would consider one.
The Ford Mustang has a long presence in Germany since it was introduced by Ford several decades ago.
Camaro is much more exotic since GM was quite reluctant to sell typically US cars here.
It will not end BMW as too many people buy BMW for the name and for the sedans or coupes with back seats.
Now it may make a dent in Porsche sales, Mclaren sales, R8 sales and possibly even steal sales from the very expensive models too.
It will impact the Supra and GTR4.
Could really impact Camaro, Challenger and Mustang sales as they are in a similar area price wise and most are weekend play cars like the Corvette.
I remember the many names here that said this was going to be over $100,000 because it was mid engine and mocked me when I said i thought it would be below $70k. Well I was wrong too it is cheaper.
Honestly, BMW has been falling off for years. The previous gen 3 series was a disappointment and the current (new) 3 series is dead on arrival in comparison to it’s competition. Ultimate Driving Machine my ass, that saying only applied in the 20th century when it was created.
Agreed. Not to mention the scary reliability issues BMW and Mercedes have been having for the last decade or so.
Starting at under 60K! Wow this might be the most successful generation yet! The performance for the Z51 stingray is crazy! Some exciting vehicles on the horizon for GM. I hope this starts a new good era for the company overall.
Mark Reuss just announced at the presentation the starting price is under 60k! This beast has a 0-60 under 3 seconds! Waiting for more technical specs but we’ll done Chevy!
LT3 package + Z51. I’m sitting here trying to figure out how to scratch together $75 – $80K it’ll take to buy one with a lot of the goodies you’d want.
The Base lt2 has a dry sump. You won’t need the z51 unless you like that ugly spoiler and are planning to track the car often. Save the 15-20k and put it toward a C9.
It’s a good day to be an American, that’s for damn sure.
I thought the presentation was excellent. It’s nice to see people on that stage with a passion for the Chevrolet division instead of just a marketing brand under GM. Let each one of these divisions be the very best they can be and push each other to the position they once held.
Wow – they can get all of the superb performance, great looks and nice looking materials into this car for $60K base. Can GM please have these engineers and designers please work on a new small-sized truck platform and target $20K?
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
My kid can walk to school, anyway.
Also, as much as I love the car and how it embodies America, I have two major issues:
1. I am not a fan of the design at all. Especially the door side vent monstrosity.
2. I sincerely wish GM could muster up these resources and ingenuity for a proper volume car. The rest of the lineup is plasticy and average at best. Good thing they dumped all the money into a two seater super car!
“I sincerely wish GM could muster up these resources and ingenuity for a proper volume car. The rest of the lineup is plasticy and average at best. Good thing they dumped all the money into a two seater super car!”
That’s why I yawn/troll at the Vette. Chevy have a practical joke lineup outside of SUV/truck for the masses but top-dollar into a car that doesn’t do anything but stroke the egos of the 2 Wall Street buyers of this car (oh and the Floridian seniors since the car have now DCT) , I’m surprised they didn’t change the name to “Chevy Allante” .
The few complements I’ll give is this, the C8 just made NSX, GT, some of Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari and other exotics obsolete with mass production, mid-engine and low price.
Autoweek already mentioned the C8 Stingray will be the base of a Vette sub-brand (think Geo) with a Vette based SUV and sedan.
This is a brilliant effort by GM. Finally, the corvette gets a transmission that it can kick Porsche and other direct competitors butts..
I am still convince that if the C7 had a dual clutch transmission it would’ve performed a little better against the competition as well.
However, the C7 is history and the C8 is the future and so far I love what I have seen.
They can’t get the power to the ground in the front engine version.
$60,000! How is that freaking possible.
The Vettenista just forgot the C7.
Good job Chevrolet–car has the wow factor–nice interior–it will be noticed on the streets–great starting price.
I still prefer the long-hood proportions of front-engined Corvettes and the side vents look kinda weird but $60k is one hell of a starting price.
I’m not a fan of the design personally. It doesn’t look bad, But I never really did care for mid-engine proportions.
That being said, NOBODY can deny that it actually IS a million times better than the C7. Its a much better value, is more of a supercar, and they did keep some of the practicality of the current car. I’m impressed.
Looks are good. Price seems right. But at the end of the day, it is still a Chevrolet. If you think Porsche and BMW customers are going to want to associate themselves with a bunch of GM retirees and MAGA lovers, you have another thing coming.
GM has a massive problem with their brand management. A Chevrolet really only resonates positively with a truck, everything else is a net negative. GMC is okay, Denali a bit better. Buick and Cadillac (except Escalade) are Dead Men Walking.
As good as the Corvette may be, its buyers will continue to be Jersey Joeys, GM Retirees, and the front row of a Trump rally.
You can take the boy out of Michigan, but you can’t take the Michigan out of the boy.
And you can’t take the Hitler out of MB, Porsche or BMW!
What row were you in at the rally? Let me guess, retiree?
Bayou Bob you must be in love with the boring style of benz and bmw
Bob,
I agree with you to some degree. My father was a GM engineer, so I get the family discount, but the only GM car I’ve had in 20 years if my current ATS V (which I love). In the interim I’ve had Infiniti, BMW, Audi, Land Rover and Mercedes.
But I do think this car will take some sales from the imports. From the pictures I’ve seen so far, GM FINALLY got an interior right. The car has more storage than any competitor save maybe a 911? The exterior is ok, in my view, but a little over styled (again, just one persons opinion). But if I can convince myself that this thing can get through an Iowa winter with snow tires (I know, sacrilege to some but some drive their 911s year round) I may actually buy this thing.
Since GM isn’t making a Cadillac coupe anymore, and I’m not a sedan fan, I’ve been perplexed at what to get when my lease is up…..this might be the ticket. I was considering a Supra, but for similar money this thing will each it’s lunch.
Properly equipped, this puppy will be $80k.
Yeah buddy! I was looking at the Supra but the Vette is the real deal.
Sounds like you spent way too much on something european and now you’re mad because Chevrolet can do it better for cheaper.
It’s still a Chevrolet…and kicking the crap out of those overpriced, maintenance-hog, trailer queen european sports cars. You can’t give GM its due. it has created a segment changing product. No apologies needed. It’s better, from looks to performance. All of your dismissive comments about the people that buy them speaks more to your dysfunction than to those purchasers. They know value when they see it.
Being a Chevy lover my entire life, this was a great day. Being the current owner of a Camaro, Silverado and an Equinox, I can honestly say that this C8 is not only the flagship for Chevrolet, but I hope elevates the Corvette to new heights on the world stage. The proportions of this C8 are incredible and the look is stunning. I am ecstatic with the product and I can’t wait to see one in person. Awesome job Team Chevy! You can call me homer. A proud homer.
haha, I am also a proud owner of an equinox, silverado, and camaro.
🙂
They’ll sell like hot cakes. Chevy pulled it all out on this one. And thank god they finally put a world class interior, with legit materials! This is the level of interior materials that CT6 and Escalade need to showcase. Here’s hoping this is a preview of the next chapter of GM interiors.
Targa roof off looks nasty is the best way
A few days ago, on this site, in discussions about the new DOHC twin-turbo LT7 engine that will be offered in the C8 Z06, commenters were offended by the thought that a fancy-engined Z06 with only 650 hp (speculated) would be slower than the outgoing ZR1. One guy kept pounding a torque argument, saying “with a little more torque, but 50 hp less, you will be quicker.”
I called BS and said we have no idea how the chassis dynamics, weight distribution, dual clutch transmission and other factors will impact the performance of the C8 vs the C7. Well, now we have a better idea…
According to Tadge, in last night’s unveiling, the new C8 Stingray Z51 is “quicker 0-60 than every other Corvette before it, except for the 755 hp ZR1.” Think about that for a minute…
That means this new car, with 155 fewer horsepower, and 180 fewer ft lbs of torque, is quicker to 60 mph than the outgoing Z06/Z07. That, my friends, is freaking amazing. Assuming the Z51 package is a $5k adder, we’re talking about $65k, or $20k less than a C7 Z06. Unfreakingbelievable!
I cannot fathom what this car will do with more than twice the horsepower (previously speculated at 1,000) in the forthcoming ZR1 model!
The truth is many here have little clue to what to expect or even understand what is coming. Just look how many said this was never going to be under $100K and GM was going to kill the car.
The coming models will rock the auto industry and you can bank on that. Even with the added power it will still undercut the best buy big dollars.
GM finally has a package that will take advantage of the power it can make. We were at the end of the C7 and this is just the jumping off point for the new car.
Now it all makes sense how the hipo version dang near killed the chassis during development. We really aren’t ready for what’s to come.
This will sell like cold canned beer on a troop ship.
Respect USA from Georgia.
This is just unbeliavable. 60k+ and u get less than 3 sec for 0-60. A world class interior, which is better than every sportscar/supercar’s interior on the market now…
BMW Supra? Arrivederci.
This car will damage sales of many brands. No doubt.
Great job.