(Photos: General Motors) We had to wait. We had to wait through a presentation by renowned astronauts. We had to wait through concept cars like the CERV test vehicles and the Corvette Indy prototype. We had to endure years of gestation on this vehicle, and we’ve had to endure the drip-feed teasing that was truly unnecessary, but for all of that waiting…the decades of checking out, from the days of Zora Arkus-Duntov’s work with the 4-Rotor prototype in 1973 to the days of a sliced-and-diced Holden Ute sneaking around test facilities. Those days are gone. The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is official, it’s present and accounted for, and last night, it was fully de-camouflaged and revealed to the world.
We will keep things short and sweet for you: The engine is a new 6.2L V8 dubbed “LT2”. It’s an 11.5:1 pushrod V8 with a dry-sump oiling system designed to be effective at over 1g of lateral acceleration. The LT2 is good for 495 horsepower and 470 ft/lbs of torque in the entry-level model and there’s no doubt that bigger and badder versions will be coming soon. Unfortunately, the seven-speed manual is gone, replaced by the Tremec-designed M1L eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The suspension setup is composed with short/long arm double wishbones front and rear. Magnetic Selective Ride Control v4.0 is found on Z51-equipped cars, and a front lifting system that raises the nose two inches and can be programmed to remember up to a thousand GPS points for automatic nose-raising can be optioned. Brakes are four-piston at both ends, Brembos up front and on the Z51, at the rear. The dry weight of the new C8 is 3,366 pounds. 
There’s tons of technology involved with the C8 Corvette, but here are a few items that should be looked at. First off, there is no mechanical shifter for the DCT. That is now controlled by the Electronic Transmission Range Selector (ETRS) and is composed of buttons for Park, Neutral and Low/Manual Shift, and two pull toggles for Reverse and Drive. Per GM’s press release: “The shifter has been designed to be more attractive and compact than a standard shifter.” Another bit, one we like better than the shifter, is the “Z Mode” and corresponding button on the steering wheel. Basically, you go into the “MyMode” configurations, set up how you like the car to perform when you’re ready to get on the chip, and the Z Mode button is your scramble button. Hit it, everything automatically goes to your personal setup and it’s time to get down. That beats the hell out of scrolling screen after screen to set up your own personal track-day weapon. And that is barely scratching the surface of what’s going on here tech-wise.
In the spirit of keeping this short, we’ll touch on the one other item that everyone wanted addressed from the moment a mid-engined Corvette was a possibility: how much will it cost? Official pricing was not announced at the reveal, but General Motors President Mark Reuss did say that the base-line figures for the new C8 are going to be under $60,o00. Now, let’s be sincere for a moment: nobody is going to get s scrape-by, $60,000 C8 Corvette. But in the land of mid-engined sport machines, that is still a tantalizing point. Look at the competition and the pricing structure they run and compare it to the new Corvette and it’s evident that there was a solid attempt to keep the cost in-line with typical Corvette pricing…meaning, more bang for the buck compared to the other options in the marketplace.
Production will begin in earnest later in the year at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky and will be hitting dealerships soon thereafter.
I look back through the years and think of the Corvettes that had such beautiful lines and styling. To me unfortunately this isn’t one of them…..
I agree. Corvette has always had a clean design but this one with all of body lines, body lines on top of body lines. Too busy!
Looks like an uncomfortably tight seating…hope for a ” massage seat” option. Big guys and girls…GM will sell you a pickup.
Queue all the folks who can’t afford one to start complaining now. Remember when the C7 came out and people were up in arms about the tail lights?
I’m a bigger fan of previous generations but my hats off to GM. Great looking car with performance to match. Luckily I still love my Z06. Maybe time for a Procharger on it?
Enzo Ferrari called…he’s claiming “Copyright Infringement”!!!!!
It looks like a FERRARI!
I’m wondering what this will do to earlier Corvette pricing? Will C4’s drop even lower? Or will everything start going even higher? And how will sales go after the new wears off? If I knew I would buy lottery tickets.
I like the C7 better, but this had to happen. Corvette will spank all the exotics now that they have equal platforms.
Hey its a McLerrari, just like a kit car!
Even used the butt ugly Camaro rear end to save money
I was thinking the same thing about the rear bumper. Then again, I also thought GM took the styling team for the Camaro, increased their dosage of the drugs they were taking, and told them to go have fun. Overall, a very dissapointing result.
I also like it, I’m sure it took a lot of time to not develop the same old thing but to move forward. Just trying to talk my wife into it now.
Sorry – not a fan – lambo whatever copy – should have used a different name. Camaroghini comes to mind
Wow, it’s beautiful, looks well thought out. I’m reminded of the “83” Corvette, that never happened, because GM wasn’t ready. They look more than ready for 2020.
It was mentioned this new car, will somehow affect the pricing of previous Corvettes. Seems like an odd concern to me. I didn’t think that most Corvette owners bought them for investment, but rather to enjoy the car. Maybe that’s just me.
You guys are funny! I see it as a pretty big leap in performance and the package it comes in looks pretty cool to me.
This Camarenzomclarenghini was supposed to be from a fresh sheet of paper. The designers cut out a bunch of styling cues from photos of 7 or 8 different high ends and put them in a box. Then they drew out the parts and pasted them together. Viola ! The affluent unwashed will buy them just because. Those who know will turn their noses up and seek happiness elsewhere. Just another Tupperware two-seater from GM. Yawn……….
I like it. It may be “generic supercar” looks, but also has generic supercar performance without a generic supercar price tag. They’ll probably be depreciated to the point I can actually own one by the time the kids have grown up.
Sure it looks like it was influenced by the other mid engine supercars, what do you expect? Go ahead and pay for one of those. The performance value here is unprecedented, but people will complain, no matter how good it gets
GM missed the boat here. they should have priced them at $250k and only made 250 of them, made you fill out an application to buy one and make you wait a year for it. Oh wait, Ford already done that. What a nice car and priced less than a pick-up truck. There is no more bang for the buck available anywhere in the world.
First the camaro they can not sell and will stop building now this i think gm is on its way out ram has out sold chevy trucks all year so far.This is not a vette which is a car i like dont call it a vette call it corviar 2 or something.
While not a big fan of the new GM, I love it! At $60k, this will further dampen Camaro sales. Will be scouring the IAA listings for a nice rebuilder (or donor) after the launch. Is this a mid-life crisis?
I think the car looks great, and it links itself to the original Corvettes that came before it. I\’m not a guy that can afford one but if I could there would be one on it\’s way to my garage right now. And to all you GM haters of late that are on the Dodge bandwagon/payroll. Where\’s Dodge\’s RAM to compete with anything close to this engineering? Oh yea your snake got discontinued cause no one bought it.
Kinda like the Camaro’s sales right now huh?
Can’t wait for them to be exported to Australia and re-badged as a Holden
well if you want a cheap Ferrari there ya go
i wont ever be able to get one so who cares
Paddle shift automatic piece of crap
Attention GM
you had your taxpayer “bailout” a few years ago. The UAW – UNION is now in charge OK. The new Blazer is an ugly crap can, now this ( sales will tell in a few months ) … we will NOT bail you out ever again – just remember that .
I do appreciate that they went mid engine, but the styling is not trend setting and the rear end is horrid. They went mild instead of wild.
Nope, that is not a Corvette it’s a wannabe Ford GT !!!
Panic response to the Ford GT? This Ferrari clone has no right to bear that illustrious name and one of America’s finest sports cars is no more.So good bye to the Corvette and hello to an overpriced clone with a warmed up antiquated OHV motor in the back.
OHV? I don’t think a flathead would cut it.
What? You\’re ACTUALLY saying something nice about a GM product?
\”illustrious name and one of America’s finest sports cars\” Has the NHS changed your meds?
Curmudgeans. I’m pleasantly surprised. They’re gonna gut some supercars.
Looks like it the bastard son of Italian Stallion. Or a cheap kit car Ferrari with camaro taillights. Not much left of the once beautiful corvette. Im not sure why gm felt the need to lean on the Italian supercars design instead of making it look more like a corvette. Im sure its fast and a fun driver, however as a corvette fan i would not reconise it as Being a corvette if i did not see the emblems.
I wish the body was wider for some deep dish wheels. Not a fan of the flat look. Other than that, it’s sweet looking.
No stick sucks row it through the gears with your thumb no thinks gm.
It looks like the love-child of a C7-Fiero, one-night stand.