Mid-Engine Corvette Road Test

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New Chevrolet Corvette

SuperCar for under 60K  
Zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds on a car that costs just under 60K. That alone is completely amazing. The stunning Porsche Taycan Turbo S electric car can take you to the same dizzying speeds but costs $185,000. A Bugatti Chiron can handle similar go-fast chores, taking you from zero to 60 in 2.3 seconds for a cool three million dollars. A Lamborghini Aventador will set you back $421,321 and hit 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, while a Ferrari SF90 Stradal will rocket you to the same stratosphere for half a million. For that kind of money, you could have the new mid-engine Corvette in every color, a different Vette for every day of the week, for the cost of one Ferrari. That is certainly the aim of this new for 2020 high performance sports car from Chevrolet, to bring you true supercar performance at an All-American Chevy price.  

The visual appeal of this roadster is amazing too. In fact, it looks like something Batman might tool around in as his daily driver when not fighting crime. Perhaps it was created by the same person who designed the Transformers. In fact, the C8 generation, mid-engine Corvette has been in the works at Chevrolet for years. It is the first Corvette to mount the engine just behind the driver. Despite its mid-engine placement, the car is actually slightly larger than previous models by five inches in length and weighs about 100 pounds more than the C7.   

Driving this car is an entirely different experience than any Corvette that precedes it. In every way, the C8 has joined the ranks of much more expensive supercars. The 6.2-liter, LT2 V8 engine delivers 495 horsepower and 470-pound feet of torque with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission producing a top speed of 194 mph. The wishbone suspension is drastically improved with coil over shocks. To keep this super car's temperatures in check, there are twin radiators up front for cooling the engine and a trans cooler that is mounted on top of the transmission.   


Options  
Every option imaginable is available on this Vette for more performance, a louder exhaust and luxury leather. From a distance, the car looks like a Lamborghini or Ferrari. This C8 has got to be the greatest super car bargain of all time. The optional front lift system is a good idea on a car this low so you don't wreck your front end over speed bumps. It senses such hazards and automatically adjusts the right ride height accordingly.  

The 1LT base model includes the 10-speaker Bose audio system and the 2LT version bumps it up to 14 speakers as well as a navigation data recorder, memory seats and rear cross traffic alert. The 3LT luxury option bathes the entire interior in rich Napa leather.  

1LT Coupe 
Starts at $58,900
Bose 10-speaker sound system. Excellent GT1 seats.  

2LT Coupe 
Starts at $66,200
Bose 14-speaker system, heated seats, head-up display. Navigation and Performance data recorder, memory seats, rear cross traffic alert.  

3LT Coupe 
Starts at $70,850 
The ultimate in luxury performance includes 13 interior color options, leather-wrapped instrument panel and doors, plus GT2 seats in Napa Leather.  


Corvette History   
The Corvette has been with us since 1953 and has evolved from a country club cruiser to a true performance icon. The idea was to take on British sports cars with a very American two seat roadster. The first Corvette offered a fiberglass body, 3.9-liter straight six engine and a two-speed automatic transmission. Debuted at the Motorama Show in New York City, only 300 of the cars were built that year. But in 1955, Chevy put a 4.3-liter V-8 under the hood to offer true sports car performance.  

The car was updated in 1956 with the classic Corvette look and a zero to 60 time of 7.5 seconds. The completely redesigned Sting Ray appeared in 1963 with independent rear suspension and Chevy's 327 V-8 available with an automatic or four-speed manual gearbox. As the years flew by, so did the Corvette, offering ever bigger engines and better brakes. The Shark-like C3 appeared in 1968 and by the '70's, a 454 cubic-inch engine was available. In 1978, Chevy celebrated the 25th Anniversary Stingray (one word now) with a new fastback rear end which became the Pace car for the Indy 500.  

The fourth generation C4 was launched in 1984 with a lower center of gravity and a 205-hp 350-cubic-inch V8. In 1990, the Z-1 version went from zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds, beating a Porsche 911 Turbo. The look of the Corvette was again redone in 1991 and the 300-horsepower model was dubbed the LT1. The C5 Vette arrived in 1997 and was a completely new animal. It was eight inches longer and 4.4-inches wider than its predecessor, looking sleek and evolving more into the silhouette we are familiar with today.  

The high performance Z06 arrived in 2001 with 385 horses and at 3,126 pounds, the car had a greatly improved power to weight ratio. The C6 was unveiled at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show and was the first Corvette in years to shed the hidden headlights that began with the Sting Ray moniker in 1963. The LT2 version pushed 400 horses. The ZR1 returned in 2009 including a big supercharger to make a whopping 638 horsepower.  

The seventh generation Vette arrived in 2014 with a new aluminum frame and a carbon-fiber hood. An eight-speed automatic replaced the six-speed tranny in 2015. The Z06 reappeared in 2016 with a 6.2-litr V-8 offering up 650 horsepower and a zero to 60 time of just 3 seconds.  

Now, 68 years from its inception, the eighth generation Corvette has written an indelible inscription in the sand for all the would-be gods of horsepower to bow before; only cars of valor may pass. Â