Photo: Chevrolet
For the first time since 1953, the Corvette is going mid-engine. Another bit of news is the lack of a manual transmission in the C8, which features an eight-speed DCT as standard.
Multiple reports on the 2020 Corvette suggested that Chevrolet had a lot of trouble while developing the C8, including electrical issues. Muscle Cars & Trucks understands the ECU “may be off-limits to much of the performance tuning community.” The encryption of the ECU is the culprit, and the ‘Vette “features a widely heightened sense of cybersecurity.”
We’re not exactly sure General Motors has the know-how to make the C8 untunable, but nevertheless, it would be an interesting development in the automotive industry. On the other hand, the aftermarket is certain to tap into the ECU as much as possible. In many ways, trial and error is the best form of learning we have.
Premiering on July 18th at a special event in California, the ‘Vette with the engine in the middle will rely on a small-block V8. LT2 is the name, and output is expected in the ballpark of 500 horsepower. Not bad in comparison to the LT1, but Chevrolet has even bigger plans for the C8.
Instead of supercharging the engine (such as the LT4 in the Z06 and LT5 in the ZR1), the mid-engine Corvette will go twin-turbo V8. General Motors has a building block in the Blackwing V8 that Cadillac utilizes in the CT6, a 4.2-liter engine that churns out 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Later on, an electrified front axle would take the Corvette closer to 1,000 ponies.
All-wheel drive for the range-topping ‘Vette wouldn’t come as a surprise, not when Ferrari is already doing it with the SF90 Stradale. The newest model from the Prancing Horse develops 1,000 PS (986 horsepower) from three electric motors and a twin-turbo V8 with 3.9 liters of displacement.
On that note, remember when Nissan came out with the R35 generation of the GT-R? The engineers said the ECU was impossible to crack, but the aftermarket did it anyway in a matter of weeks after the launch in Japan.
We’re not exactly sure General Motors has the know-how to make the C8 untunable, but nevertheless, it would be an interesting development in the automotive industry. On the other hand, the aftermarket is certain to tap into the ECU as much as possible. In many ways, trial and error is the best form of learning we have.
Premiering on July 18th at a special event in California, the ‘Vette with the engine in the middle will rely on a small-block V8. LT2 is the name, and output is expected in the ballpark of 500 horsepower. Not bad in comparison to the LT1, but Chevrolet has even bigger plans for the C8.
Instead of supercharging the engine (such as the LT4 in the Z06 and LT5 in the ZR1), the mid-engine Corvette will go twin-turbo V8. General Motors has a building block in the Blackwing V8 that Cadillac utilizes in the CT6, a 4.2-liter engine that churns out 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Later on, an electrified front axle would take the Corvette closer to 1,000 ponies.
All-wheel drive for the range-topping ‘Vette wouldn’t come as a surprise, not when Ferrari is already doing it with the SF90 Stradale. The newest model from the Prancing Horse develops 1,000 PS (986 horsepower) from three electric motors and a twin-turbo V8 with 3.9 liters of displacement.
On that note, remember when Nissan came out with the R35 generation of the GT-R? The engineers said the ECU was impossible to crack, but the aftermarket did it anyway in a matter of weeks after the launch in Japan.
Google News