2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, aka the C8. You might know it as the mystical, magical, long-awaited mid-engined Corvette. Naturally, the bulk of the conversation around this new car will focus on where the engine sits within its chassis, but that's just the beginning of this near-reinvention for one of America's most iconic sports cars. The 'Vette has always had supercar aspirations. Now, it's a legitimate threat to the best that Europe and Japan have to offer.
We'll start with the obvious: the engine itself. Welcome to the new LT2. It's still a 6.2-liter V8 and, at least in this initial flavor, it eschews forced induction. Where the base C7 made 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, however, this new one does 495 hp and 470 lb-ft -- or it will with the optional performance exhaust, at least. Without said exhaust, output numbers drop to 490 and 465, respectively. Dry-sump lubrication is standard, meaning a smaller oil pan and more consistent oil pressure on the track. That smaller oil pan sits the engine lower in the bay, which looks like it makes room for a supercharger in there.
The bigger change, though, is what it's connected to. For the first time the 2020 Corvette will have an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission from Tremec. The good news is that means no more slushbox automatic. The bad news? No more three-pedal manual transmission. Yes, I have mixed feelings about this too, but when it comes to performance there's no doubt DCTs are quicker. How quick? The new C8 will have a 0-60 mph time of less than 3 seconds. Chevroletisn't quoting an exact time yet, but considering the outgoing ZR1 needed 755 hp to clock in at 2.8 seconds, that's mighty impressive.
But of course it's not all about acceleration. The new Corvette won't truly be considered a supercar-fighter if it lacks handling, and that's the main point of running the V8 amidships. Moving the heaviest part of the car into the middle makes for fundamentally better cornering, while a new, stiffer chassis and revised suspension are crucial as well.
Moving the engine rearward means moving the cockpit forward, specifically 16.5 inches. This positions the driver much closer to the nose and, since that nose is shorter, pilots will have a remarkable view of the road ahead. The car's center of gravity is now positioned directly next to the driver's hip, a hip cradled by one of three seat options: the comfortable GT1, the sportier GT2 or the track-focused and carbon-backed Competition Sport.
Seat selection is just the beginning of the far more comprehensive customization options available to buyers of the C8, another hint at its supercar aspirations. Twelve exterior colors are on offer, along with six separate interior color schemes, plus even a choice of seatbelt color and leather stitching.
That interior is far more driver-focused than before, and a bit more edgy, too. Chevrolet's designers name-drop the F-22 and F-35 as inspiration, but that giant column of buttons running down the right side of the transmission tunnel doesn't look particularly aeronautical to me. Of course, that's not really a transmission tunnel any longer, and indeed there's no more shifter, Chevrolet switching to a pushbutton-style selector for engaging Drive or Reverse. Paddles on the wheel, meanwhile, will give manual-missing drivers something to occupy their hands on the track.
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