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European C8 Corvette Loses Almost 30 HP Over Gasoline Particulate Filter

Four years ago, GM pulled out of the European Union with a whimper, selling the Opel and Vauxhall brands to PSA for a whopping $2.3 billion. The biggest of the Big Three in Detroit sells a single model in the Old Continent at the present moment under the Chevrolet brand, that model being the ‘Vette.
C8 Corvette 19 photos
Photo: Chevrolet
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There are two problems with the European version of the Stingray, though. In order to comply with Euro 6d-TEMP regulations, many automakers equip their gasoline-powered vehicles with gasoline particulate filters. This piece of hardware is designed to remove particulate matter from the gases created by the combustion process, and GPFs are highly efficient as well.

Closely related to diesel particulate filters, the GPF doesn’t allow the powerplant to breathe out as well as a non-GPF exhaust system. This interference explains the 468-horsepower rating of the Stingray in the European Union and United Kingdom, down from 495 horsepower in the United States where GPFs aren’t the norm. As for torque, the 6.2-liter motor cranks out 455 instead of 470 pound-feet (617 and 637 Nm).

This information comes courtesy of multiple dealers who spoke to Ace, senior contributor of the Mid-Engine Corvette Forum. “To me, this is a huge letdown since European prices for the C8 are pretty high compared to the U.S. market even though the 2LT trim level with the Z51 pack is standard.”

Scheduled to arrive in European showrooms in the second half of 2021, most likely as a 2022 model, the Stingray retails from €99,000 in Germany and £81,700 in the United Kingdom. At current exchange rates, that equates to $119,365 and $113,175, respectively, before local taxes and options. As for the U.S. version of the coupe body style with the same trim level and go-faster package, make that $73,195 before the $1,095 destination charge.

Having covered the problems that hamper down the appeal of the Corvette in the EU and UK, a question still has to be answered. For the same money as a two-year-old but well-equipped Porsche 911, does the American interloper have a place in Europe’s ever-dwindling sports car segment?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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