2020 Corvette C8 Unveiled

[Mitchi]

As I wrote on the 'grams, I think this looks like some kit car or sports car build by Marussia, W Motors or the likes. A company you'd never hear of again because they're going into bankrupcy after building something like three cars.

Price-wise it's a bargain, but it's just an edgy F430 that doesn't really seem to know it's identity. Let's wait for the first proper tests.

 

[TC]

I think the design, inside and out, was a missed opportunity. Back in the day the designers at GM had a lot more balls, just look at the difference between a 1962 Corvette and a 1963 Corvette:

But it seems the leadership at GM decided the new mid-engine Corvette had to comply with corporate styling rules, so they took the C7 and the Camaro and mashed them together. In the end I don't think the end result is an ugly car. I even like the interior, in a function over form sort of way. But it does come off as rather generic.

When I heard that GM was going mid-engine with the Corvette, I didn't like it, but I did immediately think of one of my favorite American supercars of all time:

But the car GM is releasing will not have a manual transmission, which is a punch in the gut, and it's definitely not a jaw dropping, innovative design. It's almost like GM saw what Honda did with the NSX and decided to go one better. I think it will be infinitely more successful than the new NSX, and I hold out hope for a manual eventually, but this is just the base model car, so we will see where it goes.

 

[Der Stig]

I can’t wait to see one of these in 10 years where the button landing strip is worn down and it has backlit white splotches all over it.

The C8 sounds like a good car judging by the spec sheet, but I’m not sold on the looks yet. I’m still not really sold on the C7 even.

 

[LeVeL]

 

[Spectre]

But the car GM is releasing will not have a manual transmission, which is a punch in the gut

Several people on different sites have pointed out that most humans will not be able to shift a conventional automotive manual fast enough to achieve the claimed </=3 second 0-60 and other metrics. Hand shift in the H-pattern and foot clutch is just biomechanically slow; even in the world of motorcycles, where vehicles that can make 60mph in less than 3 seconds are already common in the marketplace and production bikes are starting to knock on the door of 2 seconds, we're starting to really see that the human operator is the bottleneck in performance at that level. Even with the much faster hand clutch and implementing the faster GP shift pattern on the sequential gearbox, we're looking at even skilled riders often not being able to get the advertised acceleration out of their machines.

I don't see any maker trying to implement a real sequential shift full manual gearbox these days, let alone GM. Not at this performance level, not on a street car. That's fine IMHO - just implement a proper paddle shift system (emphasis on proper) and I'd be happy.

 

[GRtak]

What do you mean by a proper paddleshift?

 

[Spectre]

What do you mean by a proper paddleshift?

Sturdy, solid metal with a good weight to the effort and a good tactile detent feel, not plastic and flimsy and squish. Box that's attached to it should shift instantly once you pass the detent. Paddles should be finger operated and behind the steering wheel, not thumb buttons in the wheel or on the front of it. Optionally, they could be push and pull, not just pull, but most implementations won't do that - as for how that works, say that a pull on the left paddle shifts up where a pull on the right paddle shifts down; in a push-pull system you can operate the gearbox manually using just one paddle and hand if so desired - if you want to use just the right paddle, you would pull it towards you to shift down, but you could push it forward to shift up.

 

[TC]

I get that twin clutch, and even modern torque converter automatics, can shift faster than a meat sack with a stick. In fact, I'm extremely glad GM didn't cut that corner and try to use their 10 speed torque converter auto on even this base model C8. But it would have been an amazing thing, to offer a RWD, NA V8, mid-engine supercar, with a manual gearbox. That is just cool, in a way that clinical computer controlled repetitive 0-60 times are not. It also would have made it more of a proper Driver's Car™.

My wet dream now is that GM will go back to its roots, bore out the LT2 to 7.0L, add a manual gearbox, strip out some weight, and call that model the Z06.

 

[LiveToWin]

I'm not a fan of the air intake bulge extending into the door or the way they decided to deal with the climate control buttons, but the performance (at least on paper) for the price is pretty impressive. I wonder how the DCT will hold up long term, has this unit been used in anything else before? On paper it also looks like they have also managed to keep the car semi-practical as far as trunk space is concerned.

I'm looking forward to seeing one in person.

 

[prizrak]

humans will not be able to shift a conventional automotive manual fast enough to achieve the claimed </=3 second 0-60 and other metrics.

Who gives a shit? Advertise the 0-60 of the autotragic like Ford did with 2018+ Mustangs and offer a manual for the people who care more about the experience than the spec sheet.

 

[Spectre]

Who gives a shit? Advertise the 0-60 of the autotragic like Ford did with 2018+ Mustangs and offer a manual for the people who care more about the experience than the spec sheet.

Given that people sue if their engines are 1hp less than promised or the car will not do (for them) the stated performance specs and are only off by .1 sec? And that the target market for the Vette due to the price is up high enough for the potential customers to be able to dispatch lawyers?

Also, the current Vette buyer demographics lean towards people who are not going to be able to easily operate a clutch of sufficient holding power with that engine. The average Vette buyer is a 59 year old male. The average Mustang owner is 41-44.

 

[prizrak]

 

[prizrak]

Also, the current Vette buyer demographics lean towards people who are not going to be able to easily operate a clutch of sufficient holding power with that engine. The average Vette buyer is a 59 year old.

It makes similar power to C7 which comes in proper transmission, if they manage to drive that I don’t see how they couldn’t C8.

EDIT: Hellcat came in manual
EDIT2: R8 came in more power with a manual and I doubt their demographic is much different

 

[Redliner]

Box that's attached to it should shift instantly once you pass the detent.

Take it with a grain of salt, since this is marketing, but I read somewhere that the gearbox is supposedly linked directly to the paddles, like in the McLaren Senna, so there should be no "decision making" when you request a gearshift. You move the paddle, gear is changed.

 

[TC]

It makes similar power to C7 which comes in proper transmission, if they manage to drive that I don’t see how they couldn’t C8.

EDIT: Hellcat came in manual
EDIT2: R8 came in more power with a manual and I doubt their demographic is much different

I believe the C7 Z06 had the highest take rate for manuals in the Corvette lineup. Here is a chart with the 2016 figures:

Even the 755hp ZR1 Corvette had a manual option, but I cannot find stats for it. Too new, I guess.

 

[prizrak]

I believe the C7 Z06 had the highest take rate for manuals in the Corvette lineup. Here is a chart with the 2016 figures:

View attachment 3555838

Even the 755hp ZR1 Corvette had a manual option, but I cannot find stats for it. Too new, I guess.

Another thing is that Chevy needs to be courting a younger demo rather than cater to boomers, just look at HD’s problems.

 

[Spectre]

Take it with a grain of salt, since this is marketing, but I read somewhere that the gearbox is supposedly linked directly to the paddles, like in the McLaren Senna, so there should be no "decision making" when you request a gearshift. You move the paddle, gear is changed.

Which is as it should be, but I wasn’t claiming the new Vette didn’t have this - I was just defining what I see as a ‘proper paddleshift’ per GRTak’s request.

 

[Spectre]

Another thing is that Chevy needs to be courting a younger demo rather than cater to boomers, just look at HD’s problems.

I don’t disagree, but keep in mind that GM is bleeding cash and they’re not going to get another bailout for the foreseeable future. For now they need to court their core clients to keep the model afloat - and that would be ‘Corvette collectors’.

Perhaps much later they will release a stripped down model like the old Viper ACR or a pure track toy like the Mustang FR500 and offer a manual in that.

 

[GRtak]

Where do you get the idea GM is bleeding cash? Everything I can find says they are doing fine.

 

[TC]

I almost forgot about this. At the official unveiling event thing, GM teased the actual convertible model of the C8 as well.

Definitely see a lot of 570S Spider in there, but I really like it.