Mid-Engine 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray Revealed
A mid-engine Chevrolet has been in the making for about six decades. Mid-engine prototypes have been designed and built over the years and several had nearly been green-lit. Yet General Motors kept getting cold feet and always decided to stick with the more traditional front engine.
While Corvettes have traditionally had front-loaded engines under their distinctively long hoods, mid-engines carry certain advantages. Mid-engines are installed behind the seats, thus being closer to the center of gravity. This offers better handling and can even help keep the wheels on the pavement.
Corvettes have long been fast off the line. However, the mid-engine should allow the 2020 Corvette Stingray to be more nimble on the track. While Corvettes can keep up with many Lamborghini’s and Ferraris at the drag strip, they struggle a bit through twists and turns.
The 2020 mid-engine Corvette Stingray should be able to keep up with many of the fastest hypercars out there. The gigantic 6.2 liter engine is expected to crank out 495 horse power and 637 Nm of torque. This should allow the 2020 Corvette to hit 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds or less.
However, if you’re a fan of manuals, you’re going to be disappointed. The 2020 Corvette Stingray will be the first Corvette for sale to not be offered with a manual transmission. Instead, it will be equipped with a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) that was developed in collaboration with TREMEC.
While some long-time fans will be disappointed by the redesign, the 2020 Corvette Stingray should be the best performing Corvette of all time. And it’s expected to start at under $60,000, a rather palpable price tag for hypercar performance.
