We knew it was coming – it was only a matter of time.
Yes, we’ve been discussing it for months and months, but now it’s finally real. The mid-engine C8 Corvette is coming. At last, General Motors stopped playing coy and revealed its existence with some cheeky, still camouflaged photos in Manhattan. However, there was one addition: a date. “07.18.19” highlights its debut. The “8” is picked out in red as the C8 Corvette.
So what do we know about it? We’ve gone on for quite awhile about this car over the past few years, and for good reason. It’s a radical departure from what has defined the Chevrolet Corvette since its inception in the 1950s. Instead of a front-engined sports car, here we have something more akin to a mid-engine exotic. By that change alone, it’s clear GM is gunning for the likes of European elites like Porsche and Ferrari.
Its low-slung body, aggressive front end and sloping rear roofline also give the game away as to this car’s intentions. Now, they’ve been quiet on what exactly is lurking in that engine bay. Some rumors suggested it could be a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 a la Cadillac CT6-V. Others have kept it more in line with the C7’s current engine. That would be some version of the pushrod 6.2-liter LT-series V8 that’s in the current car. If that comes to pass, reports suggest GM will name the new engine the LT2 instead of the LT1 as a nod to its new location.
Like the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, it seems Chevy engineers are going with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic from Tremec for the C8 Corvette. Unlike the outgoing C7, that will be the only transmission choice. That means if you want the seven-speed manual gearbox, you’ll have to stick with keeping your engine up front.
Headaches along the way
Now, we were supposedly going to be in the launch window for the C8 Corvette by now. Multiple delays were reported, and we caught a glimpse of the car on the back of a tow truck. Now, though, it seems GM is finally confident enough to show a camouflaged version of the C8 Corvette to the world. And, in just three months’ time, they’ll take the wraps off the production version.
As for which specific versions we’ll get, there’s still a bit of cloudiness. The Stingray name will most likely stay for the base model, and GM also trademarked the “Zora” name for its top-end performance versions. As for the Z06 and ZR1, we suspect those versions will show up in time, if not immediately at launch.
Pricing is the big question mark for the 2020 C8 Corvette. It won’t likely be cheap, in light of the switch to a mid-engine platform. We’d expect it to cost somewhere in the $60,000 range to start. That would be around $5,000 more than the current C7’s asking price. There’s also no official on-sale date. Mind you, the July 17, 2019 date is for the debut. However, the car may arrive before the end of the year, or in early 2020. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates!
