Mid-engine Corvette Spy shots

[supra93]

[TXSTYLE]

I too am curious as to why the side vent is so damn LARGE?

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by supra93

Gotta love ho the C8 was being flaked by all of those Black SUVs like a Dignitary!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

I too am curious as to why the side vent is so damn LARGE?

How else are you going to feed a large motor?

[IMG]https://pictures.dealer.com/a/autoem...size&w=650[/IMG]

[supra93]

Here is the official C8 site.

https://www.chevrolet.com/upcoming-v...ation-corvette

[WestRace]

Hopefully the side intake scoops are just camo because they don't seem to look integrated to the rear quarter. They kind of sticking out. Looking forward to see the real thing.

Here is my concern with the C8. When the C6 came out, it was fast, but whenever being compared to the 911 S, although it was faster at the track, people always ended up picking the 911 S as the winner. When it comes to the finer things, the C6 always came up short - a lot short. GM fixed a lot of that in the C7 but still it does not quite measure up the 911 standard.

There is a lot of talk about the C8 will start around 65K or somewhere there but I just hope the C8 won't be the C6 of mid engine Corvette - fast but feeling a bit crude and unsophisticated. I still don't see how you can make a proper mid-engine with that kind of performance for 65K unless you will compromise on the quality.

[David70]

Originally Posted by WestRace

Hopefully the side intake scoops are just camo because they don't seem to look integrated to the rear quarter. They kind of sticking out. Looking forward to see the real thing.

Here is my concern with the C8. When the C6 came out, it was fast, but whenever being compared to the 911 S, although it was faster at the track, people always ended up picking the 911 S as the winner. When it comes to the finer things, the C6 always came up short - a lot short. GM fixed a lot of that in the C7 but still it does not quite measure up the 911 standard.

There is a lot of talk about the C8 will start around 65K or somewhere there but I just hope the C8 won't be the C6 of mid engine Corvette - fast but feeling a bit crude and unsophisticated. I still don't see how you can make a proper mid-engine with that kind of performance for 65K unless you will compromise on the quality.

It never seems to measure up with the 911 but because of the price difference the Corvette sales are far ahead of the 911. U.S. sales 2017& 2018 Porsche 18,753 (8970 + 9783), Corvette 43,868 (25079 + 18789) - over double. If the price is close to half the competitor you don't have to match up 1:1. Problem would be if they end up costing close to the same, all the issues that people overlook in the much cheaper Corvette become bigger issues. I also would prefer to buy a 911 but considering the price (most care to some degree) I absolutely see why so many buy Corvettes. Once it isn't a "performance bargain" they end up with a lot of extra issues, like higher expectations. Then, even faster than "X" only matters to a point, and at this point, getting 100% out of any of these cars on the road is really impossible.

Not a reply to your thread but just in general - As a buyer I wouldn't care much that I am slightly slower around an equal track with an equal driver. I have done track days (a tiny portion of the buyers actually do), they don't keep times, I don't win money, there isn't someone with exactly the same ability and in the end 1 second faster around a track doesn't matter at all to me. The never ending discussions on track times are only applicable to the internet, magazines, and car shows.

[WestRace]

Originally Posted by David70

It never seems to measure up with the 911 but because of the price difference the Corvette sales are far ahead of the 911. U.S. sales 2017& 2018 Porsche 18,753 (8970 + 9783), Corvette 43,868 (25079 + 18789) - over double. If the price is close to half the competitor you don't have to match up 1:1. Problem would be if they end up costing close to the same, all the issues that people overlook in the much cheaper Corvette become bigger issues.

That's what I was trying to point out the fact that the Corvette had those "refinement" issue because of the price. Like I said, Corvette recipe has always been affordable performance at the cost of "refinement". My point is with the mid engine Corvette, I am not sure people will over look those things. Also the price I've heard from various sources that it will be around 65K to start. In my opinion, for 65K, you can't make a mid engine with that type of performance unless you will compromise on the quality and I don't mean interior stuffs. I mean quality in term of structural integrity, drive train refinement, and handling.

Originally Posted by David70

Not a reply to your thread but just in general - As a buyer I wouldn't care much that I am slightly slower around an equal track with an equal driver. I have done track days (a tiny portion of the buyers actually do), they don't keep times, I don't win money, there isn't someone with exactly the same ability and in the end 1 second faster around a track doesn't matter at all to me. The never ending discussions on track times are only applicable to the internet, magazines, and car shows.

That was also my point. Everybody knows the Corvette is fast but up to a point, does it really matter if you are going to compromise on refinement, structural integrity issues? If you bought a C7 Z06, does it matter that it is absolutely fast but you can't explore its limits because of its compromising handling characteristics so the car may be fast, but you probably won't have fun driving it.

[eluded]

If there is no more manual Tranny than I can't wait to see the all electric version.

[pearlpower]

A vast majority of Corvettes, Porsches, BMWs, etc., are never driven hard. Once in a while a driver will poke the gas and that is the extent of it. They will never care about what so many others are consumed over, such as rigidity, 1/4, 0-60, etc., or what a magazine declares as a winner.

A new Vette is coming. Will I buy one? IDK. Give it a year to iron our any major tweaks and I will look into it as I am looking for a two door this year. But, there are so many nice cars out these days, it is tough to go wrong.

Live you life, not others. Buy for yourself, not for others. And enjoy your car.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by pearlpower

A vast majority of Corvettes, Porsches, BMWs, etc., are never driven hard. Once in a while a driver will poke the gas and that is the extent of it. They will never care about what so many others are consumed over, such as rigidity, 1/4, 0-60, etc., or what a magazine declares as a winner.

A new Vette is coming. Will I buy one? IDK. Give it a year to iron our any major tweaks and I will look into it as I am looking for a two door this year. But, there are so many nice cars out these days, it is tough to go wrong.

Live you life, not others. Buy for yourself, not for others. And enjoy your car.

I feel the same. Have had tons of car that you can't really explore the limits of on the street.

I could afford to buy quite a few different cars that are 2-3 times the cost of my current C6 when it sold new...well with a little persuasion of the wife.

But I ended up with what I did because the price was right and it performed well enough for me to have some fun when I wanted to. Out of the box and stock, they are pretty impressive IMO for their price point. And my car doesn't sound like a tin can with any rattles.

But just a little bit of money in motor and suspension upgrades makes the car a different animal. It responds so easily to mods thrown at it, and the aftermarket is huge.

The biggest allure to me was that I enjoy wrenching on my cars. With the Corvette I can do that easily and a lot cheaper than what most may think. I can even do my own tuning.

But for around $5K in the mods I mentioned above, I have a car that has 460/465 to the rear wheels...and can also eat corners in the mountains like it's on a set of rails. It has so much more capability in it than I do as a "weekend driver".

Plus I have other hobbies that I enjoy putting money into aside from also liking to be debt free.

Now when the C8 does come out, I will probably gravitate over to a C7. I always buy a generation behind as I find the best deals that way. And for a car that I can pay cash for and not have any debt, it's been a fun ride as I am currently on my 6th one.

Also call me lucky, but I have never had an issue with any of my Corvettes. I have thrashed the shit out of all of them when given the chance, and not once had to worry about any issues or concerns when getting into it for the next drive.

[ec90]

I wonder if they're having to drop the targa top for rigidity or lack of storage for the roof.

[N54Yankee]

Originally Posted by ec90

I wonder if they're having to drop the targa top for rigidity or lack of storage for the roof.

Good question, I wonder? I've only had mine off 4-5 times in the years I've had mine I would have preferred not even having a targa but had no choice. Targa or vert and I not a fan of convertibles for a sports car. Having the top snap solidly into the rear storage sure was a great design feature though.

[c1pher]

I would say look at the Alpha 4c....its spider is essentially a targa.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

Good question, I wonder? I've only had mine off 4-5 times in the years I've had mine I would have preferred not even having a targa but had no choice. Targa or vert and I not a fan of convertibles for a sports car. Having the top snap solidly into the rear storage sure was a great design feature though.

That's what absolutely mystifies me about the 911 Targa. I would just want a simple roof section I can store behind the seats, not a huge monkey-motion where half the car has to come apart and adds a ton of weight to the already rear-weigh biased car and where all of the actuators may or may not be working 10 years in the future. IMO, a Targa should be a simple roof section, that's the point of it IMO, otherwise, you get a convertible.

[N54Yankee]

The C8 mid engine is currently in production and base model will have 530hp, 70 more then the base C7.
Little over two months to reveal in Orange County, Ca.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

The C8 mid engine is currently in production and base model will have 530hp, 70 more then the base C7.
Little over two months to reveal in Orange County, Ca.

Any rumor on their ability to figure out all three pedals?

[N54Yankee]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Any rumor on their ability to figure out all three pedals?

I haven't heard anything definitive. Seems like they're keeping it mum as the Manhattan Project. We might have have wait till the reveal.

[supra93]

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g2...pe-spy-photos/

[TXSTYLE]

https://www.motor1.com/news/347814/m...ble-rendering/

[ec90]

Huh, lines on the wrap make it look like it keeps the targa. But where to store it? Up front would be a feat in one section. I think the Aventador splits it into a two piece hard top that fits in the frunk.

[supra93]

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...edly-untunable

The aftermarket may have a tough go with the mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette.

The mid-engine sports car has a "unique encrypted ECU system," according to a Tuesday report from Muscle Cars & Trucks. Per the report, any changes in the pursuit of more horsepower to the ECU will be a difficult task, if not impossible.

It's worth noting the 2020 Corvette will likely be one of the many new cars from General Motors to use the automaker's new electrical architecture, which has been floated as one of many reasons why the car was subject to delays. The "digital architecture" not only boosts output for future in-car technologies but also puts a major focus on cybersecurity. The latter is reportedly one of the major roadblocks to ECU tuning.

In the event re-programming fails, the mid-engine Corvette will enter a "recovery mode." Like a rolling computer, the car will need to be rebooted. Those who don't have the resources to restore the car's ECU will be left with a "bricked" sports car, sources said.

ECU tuning is often an essential means of squeezing more power from a car. It can be as simple as unlocking more power from the parts that are already there or retuning to match new parts, including new or larger turbochargers or superchargers. Yet, where there's a will, there's a way. That way may involve a few bricked mid-engine Corvettes along the way. The Corvette has always been a prized car for aftermarket companies to tinker with. This time, they may not be able to crack into the ECU and if they can they will have to be careful not to brick the C8.

The 2020 Corvette will—finally—debut on July 18 in California. The common thought has been that the car will come with an upgraded version of the Corvette's current pushrod 6.2-liter V-8 making about 500 horsepower. However, the Muscle Cars & Trucks story expects the engine at launch to be a dual-overhead cam V-8 called LT-2. It was previously speculated that a DOHC V-8 with a flat-plane crank would come later and make about 600 hp. Rumors also suggest a twin-turbocharged V-8 and even a hybrid powertrain are on the table. The latter could sport all-wheel drive with its electrified running gear.