Chevrolet's C8 Corvette has been subjected to countless aftermarket experiments, and many of them are about adding extra power via the classic turbo trick. Now, we have a feeling this popular YouTuber is also looking to gain attention for herself, not just the car she has built, based on her “if you’re not breaking things, you’re not driving hard enough” attitude.
The last time we checked up on Emelia Hartford’s exploits with her C8 Chevrolet Corvette, we found out that her initial twin-turbo setup was not exactly ideal. However, one can't deny that she takes a hands-on approach to building her custom ride into a 1,200-hp twin-turbo C8 monster, as proved by the second video we embedded below – a neat, under 15-minute recap of all the work done on the project so far.
Because the twin-turbo setup, along with the Forgeline wheels and Michelin Cup 2 tires, has only been completed for so long, Hartford hasn’t had the chance to properly break into the C8 Corvette, barely adding around 1,000 miles on the odometer for the rebuilt and enhanced LT2.
That's likely why she started her day at four o’clock in the morning with a little oily treat for the engine, ahead of a busy day that got her all worked up – the C8 was getting ready for its first track session following the build’s completion.
It turns out Emelia and her C8 were going to KW’s event for something special – the company unveiled its V5 coilovers there, and the Corvette should have gotten a pair just in time for that meeting... though with the health crisis and all, shipping has been quite erratic. It could also be that Emelia isn’t very lucky, considering that a few days ago, some of her parts were actually stolen.
Well, you get the picture, Hartford’s decision to hoon a barely driven twin-turbo kit both on the street and the track might spell the recipe for trouble. We do get some actual driving from the 4:54 mark, interspersed with quite a lot of (selfie POV) whining and complaining about small issues... like the obvious fact that all that power is putting a strain on the transmission.
Anyway, she finally decides to have some expert advice from someone who actually knows the track (at the 9:05 mark), but when all things seemed to have settled on the proper course, disaster stroke. Yep, there’s a red flag at the 11:20 mark followed by some fire extinguishing action from both our socialite and a friendly MX-5 Miata driver that came to the rescue.
With all the mishaps she’s been through so far, it seems that Emelia has got used to the situation. A small fire doesn’t scare her - heck, it can't even wipe the smile off her face. No wonder she’s so preoccupied with capturing the hot action on camera, right?! And, by the way, she and her team clearly decided on a fitting nickname for the twin-turbo C8, which has been dubbed “Phoenix” following the fire.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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