How Chevy Created the 2020 Mid-Engine Corvette

www.popularmechanics.com ^ | Jul 19, 2019 | By Ezra Dyer

[brownsfan]

Never, ever buy the first model year of any GM product. Unless you want to get really familiar with your dealer’s service department.

[RayChuang88]

There may be another reason for the mid-engine design: GM is quietly working on an all-EV Corvette possibly using ZF’s new two-speed electric motor. Imagine 0-60 in 1.75 seconds (yikes!).

[z3n]

lol ouch. I did it gain. I ran a thread on a tangent because of one of my stupid stray side comments. By that logical almost all cars are mid engine because the engine is behind the front and infront of the rear axle. Don’t mind me, please. I say goofy things some times. My point was mostly that I would love to test drive it more for how it probably handles than just how it accelerates

[blackdog]

Hello Panterra.

[Red Badger]

What? You don’t want to be the guinea pig?..................

[Dacula]

Try these links for a perspective of the Corvette.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020-chevrolet-corvette-stingray-vs-ford-gt-a-specs-comparison/

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020-chevrolet-corvette-stingray-configurator/

[Red Badger]

they’ll need all that up front trunk for the battery!..............

[Arlis]

My Corvette-owning buddies are freaking out. One says mid-engine Corvette is anti-American! Hates it. I say it was, technologically, inevitable for Chevy to continue to raise the bar. It could go no higher with a front engine than the incredible, fantastic C7.

But Porsche was there years ago. For me, the key quote is: “We’re doing something here that Porsche couldn’t do, unless it inverted its lineup,” Juechter says. “It’s 911 performance along with the best attributes of the Boxster and Cayman.”

My 2011 Cayman S has a 911 engine with better than stock 911 ECU mapping. No, it won’t compete with the C8, or even a high-performance C7, but it’s way more than enough for me.

The low weight and low price of the C8 are incredible. Loved driving a C7, can’t wait to take my Cayman S to the Chevy dealer to get a test ride in a C8.

Kudos to GM and Chevrolet for achieving this.

[brownsfan]

“What? You don’t want to be the guinea pig?..................”

GM management has no problem letting the first buyers of their unrefined products help them shake out the bugs.

[RayChuang88]

Not really. They’ll put the big battery pack in the middle, since we don’t have an engine compartment to deal with with an EV (for the most part).

[Ancesthntr]

“Never, ever buy the first model year of any GM product. Unless you want to get really familiar with your dealer’s service department.”

---

Never, ever buy the first model year of ANY car company. That’s a lesson I learned from my high school economics teacher in 1979. He, a former Navy Commander, was driving around in a ‘63 Lincoln Continental, and some of the guys were giving him $hit about it. He said, “OK, you’re in an Econ class, you’re going to learn some practical economics.” He went on to explain that he had the ‘58, which was the first year of that body. Ford had reduced the engine displacement and bumped up the compression ration in order to get better fuel economy (why, no one gave a rat’s hindquarters back then?). Anyway, he had 3 ring jobs because they hadn’t tested it enough. 5 years later, they had worked out the bugs...starting with blowing out the displacement and lowering the compression ratio. He said that he not only didn’t have a ring job on that car, but that he never even leaked a drop of oil (which was saying something back then). Lesson learned: let the other guys (a few hundred thousand of them) be the guinea pigs. I’ve carried over that lesson to every new product, or model thereof, in any area of technology.

[alternatives?]

Had a Fiat X1/9 back in the day, mid-engine design. Fun to the max to drive!...............

No power, not reliable, but very fun to drive.

[momincombatboots]

Nice shot..

[Kickass Conservative]

Everyone hated the C-7 Rear end too.

Where are the round taillights?

Why is the bodywork above the rear diffuser so big? It looks like Paul Begala’s (now Oman’s) Forehead.

I still bought one and I’ll be buying one of these.

[mikeus_maximus]

“IMHO, designers made the body work too busy and gave it a really ugly ass end. The truth about handling and performance will make itself known in the near future, reliability somewhat later. I am thinking this may be more a Lambo/Ferrari wannabee muscle car than a pure sports car.”

Hate to have to agree. Lambo/Ferrari and other Italian cars have always had a “soul” because those companies have had a wealth of racing history behind their production configurations, and they understand that their target demographic wants not only performance but an artistic, visceral design and quality and flair in the interior. A late 60’s Alfa GT Veloce is configured much the same as a BMW 2002— but to the driver the first is like a long wet kiss, while the other is like a firm handshake. Corvettes are like eating a chili dog.

I look at this thing and know that America engineers can do it like the Italians, if they want to. Our premier sports car doesn’t have to use bespoke leather interiors and other perks for the super rich. But it does have to handle well, eschew plastic parts bin everything, and have a coherent exterior design. This thing looks like a committee concoction by C-level students thrown together for a design school project. It just screams “Detroit”— hairpieces, short sleeve dress shirts with 20 year old ties, the whole nine yards. I wonder who they think their buying demographic is going to be? Aging Baby Boomers? Mid-aged professionals who otherwise buy Porches? Millennials? All equally unlikely.

I fear this is just another American automotive “whatcouldhavebeen.”

[Red Badger]

Where are the round taillights?

That was my first question.

Why is the bodywork above the rear diffuser so big?

To keep the rear end on the ground, I guess.............

[Tijeras_Slim]

Better looking than a 914 and that’s all I’m going to say.

[Red Badger]

Spent more time under it than in it!......................

[PreciousLiberty]

“I am thinking this may be more a Lambo/Ferrari wannabee muscle car than a pure sports car.”

The front-engine Corvettes already have outstanding handling. This will up the ante a good bit from what I understand.

I’m also confused as to how exotic Italian sports cars aren’t “pure sports cars”. This is a direct competitor in every way, at 1/3 the price or less.

[Arlis]

May I humbly offer the opposite opinion?

I think the C8 will out-sell the C7 in the same years the C7 has been out.

Why? 98% of Corvette lovers will love it. The C7 was a home-run - in spite of its ugly rear end. A world-class super-car for well under $100k. Tell me that’s not an incredible accomplishment.

This car is perhaps a greater jump that that from the C6 to the C7, with hard-to-believe price points. Still the most bang-for-the-buck performance car in the world - by far.

The C8 will bring in a whole new group of customers, I believe...those who truly understand the handling benefits of a mid-engine car. And who knows, maybe even a few Porsche owners? Key word: few.

These thoughts from a mid-engine Porsche owner and lover for 8 years........and will be for many more........I’ll never want a C8, for a dozen reasons - but already I respect it.

Any other Porsche owners on this thread? Doubt it..........