A few years back, who would have thought that GM would give the green light to a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette? Yet here we are, as more than half a year after it broke cover, production commenced and the first units have started arriving at dealers.
This means that we can finally see if it’s worthy of the ‘Vette moniker but more importantly, if it is really a more affordable alternative to established European mid-engine supercars.
Now, Corvettes have always offered a great bang for the buck, and on paper, the new one promises to continue this legacy. It has an MSRP of just under $60,000 and a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 that rests behind the seats and delivers up to 495 HP (502 PS / 369 kW) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque with the performance exhaust system. Nought to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) is dispatched in less than 3 seconds, the quarter mile is run in 11.2 seconds at 121 mph (195 km/h) and flat out, it will do 194 mph (312 km/h).
Watch The 2020 Corvette C8 Blast From 0-124 Mph
Placing the engine in the middle of the car has brought major design updates. Thus, the C8 has a shorter nose, longer tail and big air intakes behind the doors. As with previous Corvettes, the roof panel is removable by hand and can be stored in the trunk, which leaves almost no room for luggage, but luckily, it also has a frunk to compensate.
The cockpit is driver-focused, with every control being angled towards those sitting behind the wheel. The overall build quality has improved as well, with the Alcantara, carbon fiber trim and plastics making it feel more premium.
The driving dynamics depend on the selected mode, so you can get a relatively comfortable cruiser on public roads and a demon on the track. The clever engineering that went into it helps it cope with massive lateral Gs as well as overheating while being thrashed around on a hot day.
Now, we’d better let CNET’s RoadShow take it from here, as they recently had the opportunity to drive the C8, both on public roads and at the Spring Mountain track in Nevada. So, is it everything that enthusiasts were hoping for? Spoiler alert: Yes! But you’d better head on down to find out more about it.