Since 1953, every single Corvette came out with the engine up front. In the beginning, a six-cylinder had to make do. With the help of chief Zora Arkus-Duntov, the C1 received the 4.3 small-block V8 in 1955 with 195 horsepower on tap.
Chevrolet used Zora Arkus-Duntov stickers on the C8 during the New York preview of the mid-engine sports car, and that’s a reference to the engineer’s push for a mid-engine Corvette. No fewer than six decades since Chevrolet rolled out the CERV I, the golden bowtie will make the switch that was supposed to happen a long, long time ago.
Scheduled to premiere on July 18th, the C8 Corvette is the star of a 30-second teaser on YouTube. “You won’t believe your eyes – or ears,” says Chevrolet in the video’s description, and “the next generation is the most anticipated Corvette ever.” Took them long enough, don’t you think?
The clip starts with Zora Arkus-Duntov getting behind the wheel of the CERV I, the Apollo rocket, and F-14 fighter jet. Chevrolet then cuts to the C8 driving hard on the Nurburgring. The soundtrack comes in the guise of a V8 at full throttle.
Being based on the LT1 in the Stingray from the seventh generation, the 6.2-liter engine should develop more than 460 horsepower. The best-case scenario would be for Chevrolet to crank out 500 horsepower out of the LT2.
There’s a second during which the driver appears to take his foot off the gas, and the sound appears to be that of a manual transmission during upshift. It’s not, though, because the C8 comes with an eight-speed DCT and nothing else. The dual-clutch transmission should shift much quicker than a manual, even when driven like a man on a mission on the most treacherous circuit in the world.
Rumors regarding the C8 are few and far between, but most people agree that Chevrolet is also working on a twin-turbo V8 with similarities to the Blackwing that Cadillac uses in the CT6-V luxury sedan. A hybridized Corvette with all-wheel drive is also expected, featuring an electric motor at the front axle.
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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