Chevy reveals new 2020 Corvette Stingray

Chevrolet debuted its 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray on July 18, and car aficionados are ready to rev their engines over its major design shift.

Mainly, the new C8 has its engine behind the driver’s seat, or mid-engine. This is different than previous Corvettes, which all featured an engine in the front. And even though the previous model of the car is among the fastest ever made in the U.S., according to CNBC, this new design puts the Corvette in line with global competitors, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

As Corvette executive chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, explains in a video from the official Chevrolet YouTube account below, “We felt like we were reaching the limit of our performance capability in the architectures that we had, and so we had to do something to move that forward.”

The new iteration of the Corvette is thus designed for comfort, ease of driving and speed.

The Chevy Corvette first debuted in 1953. The new C8 model is so named because it’s the eighth generation of the car. And it’s the first with the engine behind the driver.

The mid-engine design means better steering, braking and higher visibility from the driver’s seat.

As the Chevrolet site describes, “This all-new mid-engine sports car is so much more than Next Generation – it’s next level. At once precise and powerful, the Corvette Stingray has been completely redesigned from the ground up to deliver a thrill on every drive.”

“The car is rotating about you and that’s a very different driving experience,” said Juechter.

The base model can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds and has a 6.2-liter, 8-cylinder, 495 horsepower engine. (In comparison, a non-sporty base model sedan like the Toyota Camry has a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder, 178 horsepower engine.)

You’ll be able to see the Corvette’s engine behind glass.

The C8 also has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Jalopnik points out that you can already start playing around online with what features you’d like in your dream C8.

The planning for the mid-engine Corvette has been years in the making, so car experts were excited to see the new sports car debut at last.

“Critically, it also serves as a rolling indicator that GM still has a pulse and wishes to wring every last drop of potential and excitement from the automobile as we currently know it,” wrote Car and Driver.

The new model is expected to start off with a base price of around $60,000. Porsches and Ferraris start in the $200,000 price range.

Want to know more? Chevy’s site for the new car has an extensive selection of “Corvette Academy” videos explaining the new car, from exterior and interior features down to the “bespoke transmission.”

We can’t wait to see this new Corvette in action!