The era of the mid-engine Corvette has finally begun. After more than a half-century of empty promises, a Vette with the engine behind the driver has finally turned into reality. Meet the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray – the most anticipated car to be launched this year. Breaking a longstanding tradition in the automobile industry is a big, big deal, especially when it deals with a successful product. After all, it risks angering the patrons. And General Motors took almost forever to break the mold and take the risk to change the iconic Corvette. But the American automaker had extracted all the performance they could from the front-mid-engine layout and they had to move the engine to the rear. The result is as stunning as one would expect!
The new Stingray is powered by a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 which is placed in between its axles. The engine is tuned to produce 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque and is coupled to a Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch transmission which sends all the power the rear wheels. For the very first time, a new Stingray has been launched without a manual gearbox. An optional Z51 pack adds bigger brakes, a performance exhaust, improved cooling and a performance suspension system. Chevy claims the new C8 Stingray with the Z51 pack has a zero to 60 time of under three seconds, which is seriously quick. It is also equipped with launch control and an electronic limited-slip differential.
In term of aesthetics, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray looks like a proper, modern mid-engine supercar while retaining a lot of design elements from the C7. The headlights and tail lamps are sharp and aggressive, which perfectly blend with the straight and sharp lines of the sports car’s exterior styling. Chevy will offer the new Corvette in 12 exterior colors. On the inside, the cabin looks thoroughly modern thanks to the big floating infotainment screen and the digital dash. But the best thing about the new Corvette is the price-tag. While a lot of people speculated that moving to the mid-engine platform will significantly increase the price of Vette. But GM surprised everyone by saying that the base price for Stingray is $60,000. That’s right! We have a game-changer on our hands and as a petrolhead, I couldn’t be happier.
[Via:Motor1]
