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The Mid-Engined 2020 Chevy Corvette



The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette is the first one that's mid-engined, and there are other changes that will make it vastly different from its predecessors. There is no manual transmission—not even as an option—and a 6.2-liter V-8 "LT2" engine will be standard on the base Stingray model. It goes into production in late 2019 and should be on sale shortly after that. Chevrolet has revealed the mid-engined 2020 Corvette, will the joy of playing with it exceed the 60 or so years of anticipatory excitement? Or will it be buried in the sandbox next week?
Engine Although the engine is in an unfamiliar place, the V-8 itself is pretty familiar. Like its front-engined predecessor, its power comes from a 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 with the same bore spacing as the original small-block V-8 from 1955. Dubbed the LT2, this engine's fundamental geometry and most of its internals remain the same as the LT1's. Its bore and stroke dimensions are unchanged, and the 11.5:1 compression ratio carries over. Sticking it in the middle of the car means the engine now breathes from the rear. Exhaust manifolds are stainless steel, and every C8 has a dry-sump lubrication system. Total output with the Performance exhaust is now 495 horsepower with 470 lb-ft of peak torque at 5150 rpm. The rev limiter remains at 6600 rpm.
hevy claims that cars equipped with the Z51 performance package will go from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. This could make it one of the quickest Corvettes ever made—and that's just the base Stingray. There's a lot of stuff shoehorned into those wide flanks. Ginormous scoops gulp up air for both engine breathing and the side-mounted radiators, and the C8 is the first production Corvette with dual fuel tanks, riding almost as saddlebags just inboard from the side scoops. The most controversial element of the styling will surely be the tail, which sort of looks like it has about 8 percent too much Camaro in the rump. It's not enough to diminish the car's overall visual impact, but a more elegant tail would be welcome. A subtler change is that some of the engine-coolant heat exchangers on the C8 are mounted on each side of the nose, giving the car a unique face. All previous Corvettes have had a centered radiator. And without it, the C8 has more room for a large frunk, allowing it to uphold the Corvette tradition of being an everyday usable, two-seat sports car. The rear cargo hold, between the engine and bumper, is large enough to swallow the removable roof panel of the targa models. A folding-top convertible is due in time as well. Combine the frunk and the trunk, and you get a total amount of cargo space of 13 cubic feet, two less than the C7 Corvette's hatch.
Interior With no engine in front, the C8's passenger cell has shifted forward 16.5 inches. Getting in and out is not difficult. The side sills are modest, the doors generously sized, and the seats aren't so low that it seems like you've entered a dungeon. Looking like it was ripped off a customized 1977 Dodge Tradesman van with the image of a Nordic goddess emerging from a lake airbrushed on the side, the steering wheel is a weird hexagonal shape. It may turn out that round steering wheels have been the wrong solution all these years, but there's still something disconcerting about this one. The thick down-sloped spokes pack the usual assortment of controls. Don't look for a conventional shifter. Along the center tunnel, there's a set of buttons Chevy calls the Electronic Transmission Range Selector, ETRS for short. Should you want to shift for yourself, there are two large paddles behind the steering wheel.

 

Specifications

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
VEHICLE TYPEmid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa
ENGINE TYPEpushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement376 cu in, 6162 cc
Power490 or 495 hp @ 6450 rpm
Torque465 or 470 lb-ft @ 5150 rpm
TRANSMISSION8-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
CHASSISSuspension (F/R): control arms/control arms
Brakes (F/R): 12.6- or 13.3-in vented disc/13.6- or 13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 ZP or Pilot Sport 4S ZP; F: 245/45ZR-19, R: 305/30ZR-20
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 107.2 in
Length: 182.3 in
Width: 76.1 in
Height: 48.6 in
Passenger volume: 51 cu ft
Cargo volume: 13 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)Zero to 60 mph: 2.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.0 sec
Top speed: 190 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)Combined/city/highway: 19/16/26 mpg

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