2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8: New Mid-Engined Icon Unveiled

After hundreds of leaks, false information and spy shots, the mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette C8 is here.

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 looks a lot like every rendering we’ve seen in the last year, but the fact that the look isn’t a surprise doesn’t mean the new mid-engined Corvette isn’t spectacular. It doesn’t really look like any past ‘Vette in many ways, but there are plenty of nods to the past when you look more closely.

When we take everything we know about the new Chevrolet Corvette C8, compound it and take a step back to ponder, we realize that Chevrolet has done everything right with its new halo car. In a world where EVs are trending and current Corvettes are forgotten on showroom floors, Chevrolet needed to make a splash. A simple new generation with a bit more power and a more agressive design wouldn’t have worked in a changing automotive landscape. Putting the engine behind the driver changes the entire complexion of the car, and will likely change its entire personality as well.

What We Know About the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8

We’ve been talking about a mid-engined Corvette since 2016 and obviously engine position is the most distinctive feature of the new C8 generation.

A 6.2-liter V8 engine taken from the current Corvette’s LT1 trim will serve as the base powertrain in the Corvette Stingray with 495 horsepower sent to the rear wheels if the Z51 Performance Package is selected. If not, there’s a healthy 490 horsepower on tap. There’s no more manual on the Corvette, only an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters. You had to expect that to happen. Chevrolet says the Corvette Stingray with a Z51 package reaches 60 mph in under 3.0 seconds…

A 500-horsepower mid-engined car is already a great start, but more is coming. Early reports suggest the 2020 Corvette C8 will offer a range of models with outputs ranging from 600 hp to 1,000 hp in a hybridized top-of-the-line trim. No word yet on what these different trims will be called, but Z06 and Grand Sport will likely be back. The top model could be called Zora given its electric component.

What is really impressive here is that Chevrolet says that pricing will be similar to the current Corvette which means a base price below $60,000 in the U.S. and $70,000 in Canada.

Think about that for a second. A mid-engined car with nearly 500 horsepower for $60k? Mind officially blown.

The interior is very Corvette-like and completely centered around the driver. A very long row of buttons for individual functions is a nice and distinctive touch that will please users who don’t like navigating menus for things like heated seats while a central infotainment system housed in a large center screen serves as the command center for all of the car’s functions.

We could talk all day about the various features of the interior, but let’s just sum it up by saying it looks very modern and very good overall. We just wish there was a stick shift in there somewhere.

Orders will begin being built this year with early deliveries beginning in 2020.