The C8 Corvette is much more than the holder of the 2020 North American Car of the Year accolade. It is Zora Arkus-Duntov’s wish for a mid-engined supercar embodied in the nameplate he loved most, and the eighth-generation model also happens to be properly fast at the world’s most challenging racetrack.
Back in December 2019, rumor had it that Chevrolet lapped the Green Hell in 7:28.3 with a pre-production example of the breed, Z51 package included. The official lap time, on the other hand, is 7:29.9 according to The Big G.
Confirmed by Chevrolet in teaser video for a documentary series, the 7-minute and 29-second lap pretty much mirrors the performance of the Camaro ZL1. Compared to the Corvette Z06 and Corvette ZR1 from the previous generation, the mid-engined Stingray Z51 plays second fiddle (7:13 and 7:04 unofficial lap times).
The most important takeaway is that the Camaro ZL1 couldn’t keep up with the ‘Vette even though we’re talking about a difference of 155 horsepower. This goes to show that going mid-engined pays dividends in the corners, improving turn-in and corner-exit handling as well as high-speed stability.
Price-wise, there’s not too much between the ZL1 and Z51 considering that the go-faster 'Maro retails at $64,695 and the ‘Vette with the performance package can be yours for $65,990. What else does the future hold for the eighth gen?
First and foremost, the Z06 will transition to a flat-plane crankshaft V8. The high-revving powerplant – codenamed LT6 – takes inspiration from the 5.5-liter engine in the C8.R racing car, and in road-legal flavor, it’s expected to develop approximately 600 horsepower. The ZR1 and E-Ray will follow suit, packing a twin-turbo V8 and an electrified front axle translating to e-AWD.
Filed in December 2015 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Corvette E-Ray could be the most trailblazing ‘Vette ever if Chevrolet can price it lower than $200,000. The Acura NSX will be eating the newcomer’s dust, along with full-fledged exotica such as the McLaren 720S and Ferrari F8 Tributo.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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