C8 Corvette Documentary Reveals Engineering Secrets: Video

January 4, 2021 12:56 pm

Back in December, Chevrolet released the first part of its new C8 Corvette documentary, which highlighted the process that its talented team of artists and sculptors went through when designing the new mid-engine sports car. Now the automaker has released the second part of the film, which turns the spotlight on the engineers responsible for the vehicle’s chassis and powertrain development.

The second part of the documentary follows the Corvette engineering team during their time at the Nurburgring. This daunting 12.93-mile German race track has become the go-to destination for automakers when developing new vehicles, as it puts virtually every aspect of a car to the test over a single lap. The circuit features 154 unique corners, extreme elevation change and a very long main straightaway, giving the engineering team an abundance of relevant data to work with after just one or two laps. Its close proximity to an unrestricted section of Germany’s famous Autobahn highway is an added bonus, too.

Going to the Nurburgring isn’t all about making a car faster, though. While the C8 Corvette is an undeniably impressive performance car, the vast majority of customers will be using it as a road car first and foremost. This where the Corvette development team’s job gets a little tricky. Making a car fast is easy when convenience and comfort aren’t much of a priority, but the best engineers know how to strike that perfect balance between road-going comfort and on-track performance. The rather bumpy and old track surface at the Nurburgring makes it a good location for testing a production road car’s suspension setup and overall comfort.

This clip also features some insight from (now former) Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin, who was present with Chevy at the Nurburgring to give his pro-level feedback to the engineering team. Gavin was a longtime member of the Corvette Racing team before his departure last year and has been a key part of the development process for every single one of the team’s cars, from the C5-R all the way to the C8.R.