Brand New Corvette Stingray Lays Claim to Motor Trend “Car Of the Year” Glory

When the task of completely overhauling the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray sportscar was first announced, it was agreed worldwide that a large risk was being taken on our behalf. Moving the engine from the front of the vehicle to the middle was going to be a guarantee on improved handling and an exotic feel, but there was no guarantee the finicky masses would instantly approve. Car enthusiast magazine extraodinaire Motor Trend named the redesigned 'Vette as its 2020 Car of the Year last week, due to its sleek design, noiseless interior, and everyday functionality.

This announcement in Los Angeles was timed just right to align with the excitement of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the annual event where “what's new” reigns and dedicated auto fans see just what is in store for the year ahead. All of us here at Chuck Hutton Chevy of Memphis agree that the best way to describe this iconic new creation is “Not your everyday car, but a car you want to drive every day”. Only a single part has been carried over from the last generation, and the brand-new LT2 V8 engine is visible through a rear hatch window.

The Available Engine Appearance Package adds to the mix carbon-fiber components as well as LED lights that illuminate the engine, and warm weather enthusiasts everywhere will love the no-compromises convertible whose hardtop flows seamlessly into the body while maintaining world-class storage capability. Since performance stats still remain so high after the top goes down, this is easily the most track-capable Corvette in the brand's entire history. The two-piece hardtop can activate at speeds of up to 30 mph, using the power of six electric motors. Here via the web-based “visualizer” feature, you can hone in and select the body style, exterior colors, performance wheels, trim level, and interior color to create the 'Vette that best suits your taste.

This feature shows some of the very cool additions available for the C8, beginning with the scrape armor for the front splitter. Other choices are the carbon fiber ground effects kit, and the grille insert. There's even eye-popping options like a red engine cover, red high wing spoiler, and bags as well as battery tenders. The carbon fiber Is an undeniably unique touch: it cloaks the new 'Vette in such a sick envelope that you are guaranteed to be noticed wherever you go. The recent Motor Trend honors have made us excited that the years of engineering, many questions about mid-engined placement, and success that the new Stingray promises to brandish an exciting reality!

Autoweek Provides 0-60 MPH Data Confirming New C8 Corvette's Elite Speed Status

When all of the years of waiting finally reached an ending point and the mid-engined Corvette became a reality, one thing was evident: the finale result was a car that had the bragging rights of an otherworldly acceleration factor. As Graham Kozak from Autoweek declared last week on the blog, it is always nice to have official figures to back speed time boastings up with raw data. When the count makes it's way officially in, the base model Corvette coupe does 0-60 MPH in a shaved-even 3.0 seconds.

If equipped with the Z51 Performance Package, it has said to shave another valuable tenth of a second off the time, and with perfectly ideal track conditions could maybe even accomplish better than that. One other very well-stated sentiment regarding performance here is that the basic 2020 Corvette with the Z51 package reaches the 60 mph mark just as fast as the C7 ZR1, and this is only the beginning of the new model's determined and performance-focused development. What the Z51 Package initially brings to the table is Magnetic Ride Control magnetorheological suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential, and bigger brakes as well as Michellin Pilo Sport 4S tires.

The reason why this is so impressive is that the winning combination of a different final drive and the very sticky summer performance tires give the new 'Vette an edge that connects it to the track in a manner that outperforms cars more than twice its price. To consistently nail the speed test times on the low end, the performance-launch feature is a prime asset: you just turn it on by switching the car into track mode, then pressing the traction-control button twice. From that point on, you pretty much depress the brake, then work the accelerator until you achieve around 3,500 rpm and gleefully say goodbye to the brake pedal before launch.

Along with the acceleration figures, all of us here at Chuck Hutton Chevy of Memphis have been peering over the new 'Vette's quarter-mile times. 11.2 seconds at 123 mph is where the base car rings in, and 11.2 seconds at 121 MPH for the Z51 are the stats that reside in our “official nail-down” column. One of the main reasons that the C8 was created was for the vast improvement in traction, and putting more weight over the driven wheels gives the new Stingray star-studded straight-line track performance at the same time as A1 cornering capability.

This purely amazing machine's new intake manifold allows the engine to generate roughly 3 percent more peak power than the some engine fitted with the LT1, with increased torque taking its gratuitous spot at the top of the band. Even with the massive improvements to the LT2, this still behaves like a GM V-8, which is a noteworthy component that keeps the new Stingray at a base price on the low end. We never get tired of the “performance roar” factor that rang in after the brand-new C8 came out on the scene, and the many new converts it has claimed within its accomplished engineering feat! 

Loving The New C8? Motor Trend Weighs in on Faster Variants Coming Soon

Every year attendees can feast their eyes on the many different types of 'Vettes as they participate in the Woodward Dream Cruise: it is the world's largest one-day automotive event, drawing 15 million visitors and 40,000 amazing cars from around the world. This annual caravan to Detroit scrolls past some of the sites of Michigan's very first classic drive-ins, such as the Totem Pole that opened back in 1954. Motor Trend caught up with the C8's chief engineer Ed Piatek at a Dream Cruise event, where they were able to nail him down on just what may be in store for the future of the C8.

 

The base Stingray now sports a pushrod 6.2-liter small-block V8, and the updated LT2 makes 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Adding on top of that the performance exhaust with the Z51 package stacks five more horsepower on the galley, as well as 5 more pounds per ft of torque. Launch of the base car itself for starters was very exciting for him, because it has been more than 60 years since Chevy began to closely study the physics of shifting the weight of the engine to the rear axle. The outgoing C7 was a phenomenal car, but had recently reached a tapped out state and had achieved its maximum performance level on all fronts.

With the engine in the rear, Piatek detailed how the use of horsepower can be much more efficient and gives the 2020 Corvette “more bandwidth” right out of the gate. Taking a close look at the current generation car with 460 hp and the 0-60 time, you can add 300 horsepower to that number, and the 0-60 time does not improve that drastically. With the new C8, you start with a somewhat lower 0-60 tie, but also sporting 20 percent more of the mass on the rear axle and wider tires in the rear, so the opportunity to have an astonishingly high powered car exists.

When asked if he had any concerns about the potential of the C8 completely maxing out, Piatek did claim that he felt it was “a long way”, and reminded us that the outgoing 2019 Corvette ZR1 with the LT5 supercharged 6.2-liter V8 is rated at 755 horsepower, and 715 lb-ft of torque. The Eaton supercharger for the 2019 ZR1 is situated at 2.9 inches taller than the blowers that were in the 2009 ZR1, or the 2015 Z06.

Don't forget to ask us here at Chuck Hutton Chevy of Memphis about extra goodies for the C8 such as the front suspension lift system, which can hike the nose of the car hastily up when you reach a low curb or steep embankment. The release this year was so exciting because it offered up a prime chance for Chevy to innovate while pushing the envelope and the arrival of the C8 will forever mark 2019 as a game-changing milestone in auto history! The low entry-level pricing point, onboard arsenal of available power, and newfound stance with the engine's location have been key components during this groundbreaking release of a long-awaited champion.