After years of speculation General Motors finally confirmed the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8. The car will be launched on July 18th, 2019 with sales kickstarting by the end of the year.
C8 is one of the worst kept industry secrets. Spy photos and street spot videos appeared almost on a weekly basis. We heard so often about it, it became almost annoying. Even so, this is the first time the manufacturer has ever acknowledge its existence.
So yes, the C8 Corvette is happening. GM released a set of photos of the car – still wrapped in camouflage. However, Chevrolet also added stickers with the much-anticipated release date.
The car was officially announced last night by GM CEO Mary Barra at the Siller Foundation charity event in New York City. The head of General Motors arrived a camouflaged C8 Corvette, driven by no other than chief engineer – Tadge Juechter.
Despite the announcement, we don’t really know much more about the car. GM is keeping quiet about the technical details until the launch, which leaves us just one option – to speculate more.
So, what we think we know about the 2020 Corvette C8 is the following:
The base model will likely use an upgraded version of the 6.2-liter V8 engine that currently sits in the Corvette C7 and Camaro SS. The engine will be modified to fit the rear-mid-engine layout and perhaps given a power boost to take it above 500 hp.
The price tag is expected to go between $60,000 and $70,000. The current base Corvette C7 goes for around $55,000. So, it won’t be wildly more expensive.
We believe the upcoming high-performance versions will use an all-new engine. Rumors suggest a twin-turbo, DOHC, 5.5-liter V8 with a flat plane crankshaft with an output of 700+ horsepower and 700+ lbs/ft of torque.
Finally, we have our fingers crossed for the hybrid version, which will add electric motors to the front wheels, making the car AWD and boosting power above the four-figure benchmark.
We’ve known for some time now, that the C8 Corvette will break tradition and go for a dual-clutch transmission instead of a manual or an automatic. For a while, everyone thought it’s going to be a 7-speed Tremec DCT. New information suggests GM may use the ZF 8-speed DCT which is equipped in a number of VW Group vehicles and will also go into the 2020 Porsche 911 model.
We’ll have to hold our breath for another 3 months before we get confirmation on the final powertrain specifications. But at least we know 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is coming for sure.
