General Motors has remained tight-lipped about the 2020 Corvette C8, but a new report is suggesting the model has been delayed for three separate issues.
According to Hagerty, the Corvette is one of several upcoming vehicles that will use a new electrical architecture. Engineers are reportedly having problems with the architecture and it’s taking them longer than expected to iron out all the issues.
The second problem reportedly impacts high-performance variants which are equipped with a new twin-turbo V8 engine that is claimed to produce between 900 hp (671 kW / 912 PS) and 1,000 hp (746 kW / 1014 PS). While the engine doesn’t seem to be an issue, the massive power output is reporting causing a “structural distortion of the aluminum spaceframe.” The problem is reportedly bad enough that it’s breaking the glass in the hatch covering the engine.
The final issue is a bit more mysterious, but the publication says designers and engineers are having a disagreement about something on the model. There’s no word on what the issue is, but Hagerty suggests possibilities could include everything from visibility complaints to ergonomic problems with the Corvette’s radically different interior.
Despite the issues, the publication speculates the 2020 Corvette could be unveiled this summer. That’s not official at this point, but they believe the debut could be timed to coincide with the National Corvette Museum’s 25th anniversary which kicks off on August 28th.
Regardless of when and where the Corvette is unveiled, the base model is expected to use an upgraded 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces at least 500 hp (373 kW / 507 PS). The entry-level variant is slated to retain the Stingray moniker and we can expect higher performance models to follow in the future.
