RIGHT
Thestartlingnew
Corvettewillgointo
productionlatethis
yearandisexpected
tobeavailableherein
late-2020,orpossibly
early 2021FARRIGHT
Traditionalround
steeringwheelgives
waytoanoblongwith
flattopandbottom➜
➜
GENERAL MOTORS began developing the
C8Corvette shortly after the C7 was
launched in 2014. They were faced with an
important challenge – not only developing
themid-engine car but also keeping it
underwraps.
Without a suitable modern mid-engine
chassis available for development, they
builtone. Then they chose to disguise
theirearliest mid-engine mule as a Holden
VEute. Given the lack of utes in America,
thisseemed the perfect disguise for
development and testing.
They paired an existing small-block V8
toanadapted Porsche PDK transmission,
fabricated the rest of the car around the
drivetrain, and tacked on the front end of
a Holden. They called it Blackjack.
This ute-mutant looked like it could
havecast for a role in the latest Mad Max
film.It was a completely unconventional
vehicle and didn’t resemble other GM
products. The front guards of the Holden
bodywork were widened and it had what
appeared to be the bed of a ute, but with
anunusually tall, fixed spoiler tacked on.
Despite GM’s best efforts to keep it
hidden, the test car was captured by spy
photographers early in the development
cycle,which led to speculation in 2015
thatBlackjack was indeed a mid-engine
Corvette mule.ITSTARTED AS A VE
HE WEEK OF APOLLO 11’s fiftieth anniversary
dovetailedperfectly withthe launchof the 2020
Corvette.Coming 50 yearsafterthelunarlanding,
General Motors celebrated NASA’s achievement,
withastronautsonhandasambassadorstoremindthepublic
that rockets at the rearhad powered them tothe moon.
Withoutmissinga beat,Corvetteshowedtheworldthatrear
engineplacementishighlyeffectivefornotjustastronauts,
butalsoforAmericansportscars.
CorvettechiefengineerTadgeJuechtertoldtheaudience
of assembled media, dealers and Corvette owners: “Our
missionwastodevelopa newsportscarthatcombinesallof
thethingswedoreallywelltodaywiththeperformanceand
drivingexperienceofmid-enginesupercars,allwhilemeeting
requirementsfromallaroundtheglobe,includingright-hand
drivemarkets.”JawshitfloorsacrossAustralia.
That’sright,anall-newCorvettehasfinallybeen
developedforus,andit willbeherebylatenextyear
orearly2021.Right-handdrivemodelsweren’ton
display(thisbeinganAmericanevent,afterall),but
Juechterreiteratedthatright-hookhadbeenpartof
thenewcar’splanfromthebeginning.
TheiconicAmericansportscarhasa reputation
forsupercarperformanceata fractionoftheprice
ofa Europeanexotic.Thiseighth-generationmodel
marks a major turning point with this, the first
productionmid-enginedCorvette.
Visually,ithasalloftheCorvettehallmarks,with
a striking,angulardesignandathleticproportions.
The long bonnet has been replaced by a short,
aggressivenose,andthecabinisnowsetforward.
Mid-engined sports cars are revered for their
optimalweightdistributionandeffectivedynamics,
offeringbetter handling, brakingand acceleration
than a front-engine/rear-drive configuration.
They’vebeencausingastirsinceSirJackwonthe
1957 Formula1 WorldChampionshipina Cooper.
Rumour suggests the Corvette engineers
hadhopedto developtheprevious C7 asa mid-
enginedcar,butGMatthetimewasentangledin
bankruptcy,governmentbailoutsanda subsequent
reorganisation.Assuch,theCorvette’slifeasa front-
enginedcarwasextended,andtheplatformtaken
totheextremes,includingthe485kW Z06andthe
all-conqueringZR1withits563kWsuperchargedV8.
TheC8isanall-newCorvetteinnearlyeveryway.
ItretainsonlythegoodstufffromtheC7.Carried
overaresome ofthecomponentsof thenaturally
aspirated 6.2-litre LT1 V8 base engine, now dry-
sumpedforimprovedlubrication during thehigh
G-loadsoftenencounteredbysportscars.
The newLT2intheC8usestheLT1’sprovenvalvetrain,
pistons, connectingrods and forgedcrank. Itmakespeak
power– a healthy 369kW – at 6450rpmand peak torque
of 637Nmarrives at5150rpm, whichmakes itan unusual
powerplantfor2020.Wherecompetitorsshinewith torque
curvesthatresemblethevenerableshapeofUluru bywayof
smalldisplacementsandcleverturbocharging,Corvettehas
goneaboutmakingpowertheold-fashionedway.
Withpeakpowernearthetopoftherevrange,thisnaturally
aspiratedV8needstorevand,byitsnature,willrewarddrivers
willingtoexploretheLT2'sentirebandwidth.Maximumrevs
arelimitedto6600rpm,justliketheoldLT1.
Thankstothedry-sumpdesign,theLT2sitsextremelylow
50 september 2019 whichcar.com.au/motor