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!
