AP

Corvette goes mid-engine for first time to raise performance

Jul 19, 2019, 7:15 AM

This June 24, 2019, photo shows a pre-production 2020 Chevrolet Corvette automobile in Warren, Mich...

This June 24, 2019, photo shows a pre-production 2020 Chevrolet Corvette automobile in Warren, Mich. The mid-engine C8, the flagship of GM's Chevrolet brand, will have the weight balance and center of gravity of a race car, rivaling European counterparts and leaving behind sports sedans and ever-more-powerful muscle cars that were getting close to outperforming the current 'Vette. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — When you first lay eyes on the new 2020 Corvette, a modern version of the classic American sports car isn’t the first thing that pops into your head.

Instead, you think Lamborghini, Lotus, McLaren.

The eighth-generation ‘Vette, dubbed C8, is radically different from its predecessors, which for 66 years had the engine in the front. This time, engineers moved the General Motors’ trademark small-block V8 behind the passenger compartment. It’s so close to the driver that the belt running the water pump and other accessories is only a foot away.

Also gone are the traditional long hood and large, sweeping front fenders, replaced by a downward-sloping snub nose and short fenders. In the back, there’s a big, tapered hatch that opens to a small trunk and the low-sitting all-new 6.2-liter, 495 horsepower engine.

So why change the thing?

“We were reaching the performance limitations of a front-engine car,” explains Tadge Juechter, the Corvette’s chief engineer, ahead of Thursday night’s glitzy unveiling in a World War II dirigible hangar in Orange County, California.

With a mid-engine, the flagship of GM’s Chevrolet brand will have the weight balance and center of gravity of a race car, rivaling European competitors and leaving behind sports sedans and ever-more-powerful muscle cars that were getting close to outperforming the current ‘Vette.

“We’re asking people to spend a lot of money for this car, and people want it to be the best performer all around,” Juechter said.

GM President Mark Reuss said the C8 will start below $60,000, 7% more than the current Corvette’s base price of $55,900. Prices of other versions weren’t announced but the current car can run well over $100,000 with options, still thousands cheaper most than European competitors.

Corvette sales aren’t huge. Through June, the company sold just under 10,000 of them. But industry analysts say the car helps the company’s image, showing that it can build a sports car that performs with top European models.

GM says the new version, with an optional ZR1 performance package, will go from zero to 60 mph (96.6 kilometers per hour) in under three seconds, the fastest Corvette ever and about a full second quicker than all but one high-performance version of the outgoing Vette.

The “cab forward” design with a short hood looks way different, but GM executives say they aren’t worried that it will alienate Corvette purists who want the classic long hood and the big V8 in the front.

Harlan Charles, the car’s marketing manager, said mid-engine Corvettes had for years been rumored to be the next generation so it wasn’t unexpected. GM also is hoping the change will help draw in younger buyers who may not have considered a Corvette in the past.

George Borke, a member of Village Vettes Corvette Club in The Villages, Florida, a huge retirement community, said he hasn’t heard anyone in the 425-member club complain about the new design. “I think after 60 years it’s time for a change,” said Borke, who owns a current generation “C7,” bought when the car was last redesigned in the 2014 model year.

The new car has two trunks, one in the front that can hold an airline-spec carry-on bag and a laptop computer case. Under the rear hatch behind the engine is another space that can hold two sets of golf clubs.

Even though it’s a performance car, Juechter said the Corvette can go from eight cylinders to four to save fuel. Some owners get close to 30 mpg on the freeway with the current model, and Juechter said he expects that to be true with the new one. Full mileage tests aren’t finished, he said.

Engineers also took great pains to make the new car quiet on the highway, with heat shields and ample insulation to cut engine noise.

Even though the car has an aluminum center structure and a carbon fiber bumper beam, it still weighs a little more than the current model. It’s also slightly less aerodynamic due to large air intake vents on the sides to help cool the engine. The new Corvette comes with a custom-designed fast-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission with two tall top gears. It also will be made with right-hand-drive for international markets.

Higher-performance versions are coming, although Juechter wouldn’t say if the C8 is designed to hold a battery and electric motor.

Workers at a GM plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, are just starting to build the new cars, which will arrive in showrooms late this year.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

AP

close up of a peleton bike pictured, a recall has been issued for some...

Associated Press

Peloton recalling more than 2M exercise bikes because the seat post assembly can break during use

The recall includes approximately 2.2 million of the Peloton Bikes Model PL01. The bikes were sold from January 2018 through May 2023 for about $1,400.

10 months ago

Immigration Asylum Family Reunification Explainer....

JULIE WATSON Associated Press

US will let in at least 100,000 Latin Americans to reunite with families

President Joe Biden's administration has promised to offer more legal options for Latin American migrants to come to the United States to be reunited with their families.

10 months ago

two border patrol agents pictured, agents are dealing with a surge as title 42 reaches its expirati...

Associated Press

Title 42 has ended. Here’s what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing

The end of Title 42's use has raised questions about what will happen with migration preparing for an increase in migrants.

10 months ago

Rumman Chowdhury is pictured, she is the coordinator for the mass AI hacking exercise...

Associated Press

Hackers aim to find flaws in AI – with White House help

No sooner did ChatGPT get unleashed than hackers started “jailbreaking” the artificial intelligence chatbot – trying to override its safeguards so it could blurt out something unhinged or obscene. But now its maker, OpenAI, and other major AI providers such as Google and Microsoft, are coordinating with the Biden administration to let thousands of hackers […]

10 months ago

Parents of Ema Kobiljski, 13, mourn during the funeral procession at the central cemetery in Belgra...

JOVANA GEC Associated Press

Burials held in Serbia for some victims of mass shootings

Funerals are taking place in Serbia for some of the victims of two mass shootings that happened in just two days, leaving 17 people dead and 21 wounded, many of them children.

11 months ago

interest rate...

DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer

Europe’s inflation inches up ahead of interest rate decision

Europe's painful inflation has inched higher, extending the squeeze on households and keeping pressure on the European Central Bank to unleash what could be another large interest rate increase.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Corvette goes mid-engine for first time to raise performance