GM cross-town rival, Ford Motor Company, has obtained a Chevy C8 Corvette Stingray for benchmarking purposes, according to a report in our sister publication Ford Authority. The car the Coupe body style with Torch Red paintwork and the Z51 Performance Package).
The purpose of Ford benchmarking the C8 Corvette is not directly obvious, but the Blue Oval does offer at least two Mustang models – the Mach 1 and Shelby GT500 – that could be considered C8 rivals within Ford’s current North American line-up to the Corvette Stingray. Their performance and pricing are similar, but the GT500 is clearly more powerful. The Stingray is currently the only model in the Chevy Corvette range, but it’s well known that it will be joined by several more powerful models. The most dramatic of these will be the C8 Zora, whose hybrid powertrain is expected to produce around 1,000 horsepower.
The way the positioning works out, Corvette begins where the Mustang leaves off, in terms of performance. Furthermore, the Mustang Shelby GT500 is supercharged and front-engined, while the Corvette C8 Stingray is naturally aspirated and mid-engined.
But the one thing that the C8 and the Shelby GT500 both have in common is that they are fitted with dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
Another perspective is that Ford is not looking at the Corvette Stingray as a Mustang rival at all. Earlier this year, Ford Authority reported that the company had filed to trademark the name Thunderbird with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 13th.
There hasn’t been a T-bird since 2005, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be one in future. Perhaps such a vehicle could be a rival to the Corvette, just as the first-generation model was back in the 1950s.
As Ford now knows very well (if it didn’t before), the C8 Corvette Stingray is powered by GM’s 6.2L V8 LT2 engine, which is rated at 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque with the Z51 Performance Package, or 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque without it.
The C8 Corvette is built exclusively at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky. It is the first mid-engine vehicle in the 68-year history of the nameplate, and the first mid-engine Chevrolet production car ever.
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Comments
FORD GT is the Pace Car Exotic for the FoMoCo there’s room for a EV AC COBRA or rear engine Pantera between it and the Shelby Cobra GT500
Ford screwed up on the GT. I garnered tons of new but gave back little in profits and sales.
It was a poster car that few have even seen in the wild unlike the Corvette the obtainable dream.
Ford could have built a street GT that still could age win Lemans but also competed with Chevy in show room sales and profits.
Forget the Tbird name as it is one of the most damaged names in the industry. It was great on the original car but it went to a luxury car, then a sedan, then a large coupe again. Then a smaller mid size coupe, vanished then came back as a poorly executed roadster. The name has damaged mixed identity.
Correct!
Just that company think how to get a vehicle to run properly…
Figuring Out Repair Defects…..
OTOH a Pantera return is perfect between Mustang and GT.
Ford would evolve a mid engine Pantera into a luxury dump truck within a few years.
The Corvette nameplate has been with us several years beyond the 58 years stated in this piece.
It has indeed. The article has now been corrected. Thanks for your comment.
Common Core math is the pits.
Gm please redesign c8’s rear. It looks cheap and dated af. Vomit
Appearance is 100% subjective. We Corvette owners will continue to buy them.
This former Corvette owner stopped buying because of the C8 styling/packaging. If I come back to the Corvette fold again, it will be in a classic c2 or C3.
Both good choices. I had a stock 327/350 back in the daythat would pull away from a friends XKE on the top end. Lots of good memories
I have a 67 427/435 coupe, and I ordered a new C8 Convertible because I think it’s time to update, but I will always keep my C2. I ordered my C8 9 months ago, and maybe my number will never come up. I will wait one more year.
If we can get one
Yes by all means, redesign something they can’t build enough of to satisfy customer demand. Seriously?
Maybe a split window, maybe a blown big block, maybe one with batteries, oh wait, it’s coming.
At least someone else can see this thing is frig’n ugly.
Why is GM sending Corvettes to other country’s, when it cannot keep up with orders in our own country?
If somebody is willing to buy something from you for $7, and somebody is willing to pay $14 for the same thing, who would you sell to?
Italian: Its true that the Ferrri Tributo is probably the most beautful car in the world. It puts everything to shame including the Corvette. Since it was on the street before the Corvette, the C8 designers had plenty of time to copy it and they didn’t. The Vette is designed to be an every day driver with space for suitcases, golf clubs etc. The Ferrari is a garage queen. Different cars for different populations of owners. Affordable high performance vs. price is no object toy. Both great cars.
So what? Was it so necessary to make a fugly rear even in the second generation(c7-c8)? They have started it with the C7 and now this. Oh, and the non mce 6th gen Camaro.
It looks awful. Cheap, sharp, dated and angular.
Front is ok, interior is great. Was it so hard to make smth good for the rear? Ferrari has nothing to do with it.
C7 is nice looking too.
You realize your opinion does not = fact correct? As pointed out before demand is outpacing supply.
If I were a Ford executive, I would also want to drive a C8. I am sure they are enjoying it.
That’s what I was thinking! LOL
You missed it by 10 years, Corvette has been with us for 68 years… since 1953.
You mean it’s 2021 already … ?
Thank you for pointing out the error. The article has been corrected.
The people at Ford Motor Company are curious to see what all the [C8] excitement is about .
They just need what gm killed; 88 fiero gt . then take their 7.3 liter v8 , give it an aluminum block , add di , vvt , leave one head off and add balanced idler arms to the unused con rods (Ducati supermono ) , change the firing order to 1,3,2,4 ( yamaha r1 crossplane ) , and voila ; 3.7 liter 4 cylinder that sounds like a flatplane v8.