4 DECEMBER 2019 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
Backfires
SIC^ YOUR^ DOGS^ ON^USAT:^ EDITORS@CARANDDRIVER.COM^ORJOIN:^ BACKFIRES.CARANDDRIVER.COMshirts just threw down this
magazine in disgust.”
—Mark Wels
Studio City, CAI can’t stand that Tadge and
Tom Peters are crapping
on the Corvette and New
Balance–wearing owners.
Boomers have sustained the
Corvette. [Mary] Barra, Jue-
chter, and Peters should all
apologize for disrespecting
their paying demographic.
—Jose Lopez
Miami, FLThe generations that
brought us faded and torn
jeans, multiple body pierc-
ings and tattoos, and exces-
sive facial hair are criticizing
our appearance because
we like chrome wheels?
—Don Brimhall
Phoenix, AZ
Well, they don’t like your
shirt and shoes, either—Ed.By the time I got the issue,
the C8 had been released
for a month, so I honestly
didn’t expect to learn much
more than web articles
already contained. But your
magazine had, in addition to
the main article, sidebars on
the LT2 engine, the frame,
the tires, the design, a Q&A
with engineers, etc. I’ve been
a subscriber for over 25
years. In a world where print
media is facing challenges,
especially in the automotive
world, the type of coverage
you gave the C8 gives me a
reason to continue being a
subscriber for another 25.
—Scott Rothermel,
Grand Ledge, MII can hear it now—the wail-
ing, the gnashing of teeth:
“The new C8 Corvette hasQ&AC/D: How will you main-
tain AMG's attitude with
electrification?
Tobias Moers: EQ Perform-
ance is our move to becom-
ing the technology brand of
EQ. The type of hybridiza-
tion that we will be doing is
for performance, which will
boost the power of the
next-generation C-class
and S63. It’s a different
interpretation of hybrid;
not the same technology
that Mercedes uses. It’s a
bespoke technology for
us—a combination of a per-
formance ICE [internal-
combustion engine] and
the performance E-drive
powertrain, with a perform-
ance battery, too.no manual transmission!”
Three words: Get over
yourself. I’d be willing to
bet Ed.’s salary that an
average Corvette driver
with an automatic can keep
up with or beat the above-
average Corvette driver
with a manual on the track.
—Jeff Kleinholz
The Villages, FLSo Chevy slipped an LT2 in
the middle of the C8, bolted
it to an auto trans, and tries
to tell us it’s a Corvette? It’s
just a Euro look-alike fit only
for snowflakes. Why couldn’t
the skunkworks overcome
“structural inefficiencies”
with a little elbow grease
and some Yankee ingenu-
ity and engineer a VetteC/D: How far off is that?
TM: End of next year. Cars
are on the proving ground
now... 35 people with 10
cars. The GT 4-Door will be
the first one to have it.C/D: When will we see a
new Black Series?
TM: In a year’s time. It’s on
the ’Ring. And it will be
something different. We
changed everything: sus-
pension, aero; active aero
is there. Engine power
output, engine characteris-
tics. Something you
wouldn’t expect.C/D: What are you driving
from AMG’s portfolio?
TM: Today, I’m driving an
A45. It’s matte gray. It’s
great. We are just in the
ramp-up of the CLA and
A45, and it’s always great
to get some experience
with the car [to make sure]
everything is right. That’s
what I’m doing now.C/D: What was the
first car you owned?
TM: Opel Kadett C
coupe, and the next
one was a Volkswagen
Golf GTI.where we can do our own
rowing? God save America.
—Dave Quirk
Kronenwetter, WI
It’s almost Christmas,
so jingo all the way—Ed.I predict that within a year
or so, there will be lots of
used C8s on the market at
reduced prices by owners
tired of dealing with the
inevitable gremlins.
—Jerry Ritter
Springfield, ORIn your feature story on the
new Corvette, you criticize
(in two places!) the car
for not having a manual
transmission. Silly me, I
thought C/D was about
performance. Never mindEUROPEAN EDITOR
Mike Duff
Duff runs our
European office, which
means he works from
his home in England in
tartan footie pajamas.
When he’s not in his
jammies, you might
find him in his 1990
Benz 190E 2.5-16V. His
piece on the new VW
Golf is on page 13.10 Minutes with
Tobias Moers
AMG CEO
show to discuss the perform
brand's future.MOERS^ PORTRAIT^ BY^ PETEROUMANSKI