What will the New 2020 C8 Stingray Weigh

[freeman1215]

Been reading a number of threads about what color, engine size & power, options, etc. the new car will have, but have not seen one on how much we think the new C8 will end up weighing. Any opinions? Think we are also making the assumption that the body will remain a composite material as it is now, but who knows?

[ZORA 69]

Manufacturers of performance cars are always striving for less weight. One can only assume that the C8 will not be heavier than a C7 and hopefully less. We'll see

[JB]

My guess is 3400 lbs for the base vehicle...

500 hp, 500 lb ft of tq...

less than seven lbs per hp is cool.

[Ronstar]

I’ll be surprised if it’s lighter than the C7

[64stingray]

I wish it would be under 3200 but i think it will be around 3400 as well.

[Milliwatt Rob]

Are we talking 3400 wet and fueled, or 3400 dry?

[SheepDog]

I can only guess. So I'll guess my hope (3200), not my caution (3400), nor my fear (3600).

My guess is 3200 lbs curb. Minimally optioned Stingray.

Rational:
Because it is a new design and light weighting was a design objective. The heavier stuff is behind the driver and closer together
Assumption: that the materials are 3% to 5% lighter than comparable C7 (2014) materials .
Assumption: A soft ware program cut a few (2%-3%) percent weight .
Assumption: if the C7 were designed/built today, same design modified for lightness, the weight would drop 200lbs+.

Nobody ask the HP but weigh is meaningless with out the HP.

3200lbs would be quick with a 505 HP engine; fast with 540HP and lightening with 580.

Over 540, some whee over.

That is the surprise.weight and HP.

[freeman1215]

It is going to be interesting. More power = more weight? Gosh I hope not.Two more days and we will hopefully know. Three more days and I will know because I'll be there! Can't wait to see the new car in person!

[John]

Let us assume that the C7 Stingray has an exact ratio of 10 pounds for every horsepower (which we know it does not, in fact much less).

What if the C8 Stingray weighs 50 pounds more but has more 10 more HP, e.g. a resultant better weight per horsepower ratio than the C7 Stingray. More weight is not good in so many ways, but it can be more than compensated by with a better weight to HP rating and other component changes.

Additionally, literally due to no long drivetrain, the ME C8’s powertrain percentage losses will be less (maybe by just 3% but by some number greater than 0%).

Let us further assume that because the 2020 Stingray has hundreds of pounds of greater weight over/near its rear drive wheels, that a specific amount of applied power would result in most cases in a) less tire spin and b) more forward acceleration.

All the above is going to result in better 0-60 acceleration times for the C8 Stingray. And with more efficient braking due to its near rear axle engine location and thus better utilizing its larger rear brakes, the ME Stingray could well have better braking (and certainly will have better braking efficiency and lesser total brake system weight). Lastly, lacking a FE configuration with consequent long drivetrain, it would be very surprising if the ME Stingray does not a lower center of gravity, e.g., better handling.

We have so many details to learn in just 50 hours.

Hope I see you there freeman1215 — with all of us next to our new 1,000 best friends.

[freeman1215]

Great detailed and well thought out reply John. Guess my biggest concern on this "rear bias" car would be understear, like the 911. Your post also reminds me that we will need a new general percentage for horse power loss through the drivetrain. Will no longer be 15% - 18%.

[John]

You caution on understeer is a good one. My prediction is that just like McLaren, all ME Ferraris and even AWD and ME Lambo’s averaging 57% rear wheel weight, the C8 Stingray will be within 1% of that mark. Interestingly, and you are so right about Porsche’s known understeer tendency (though they did reduce it over the years), whereas the outgoing 911 has 60% of its weight on its rear wheels, the new 2020, 911 increases that to 61% (e.g., IMO going the wrong way).

What we want to read from magazine and professional driver reviews of the C8, is that GM has via this means and that, avoided the dreaded understeer issue.

[freeman1215]

My opinion is that Chevrolet will need to accomplish/address this programatically, somehow. After all, the front wheels will now be "pushed" into a turn to some greater extent with less weight over that axle. And you're correct. We will not know for sure until they hit the test tracks. I for one, cannot wait!

[JB]

Understeer was specifically dialed in by the engineers before active handling was perfected to protect the drivers from snap oversteer...

with features like ptm that old school thought process to dial in understeer on rear engine or rear mid engine vehicles isnt necessary...

[John]

The C8 Stingray’s tires are 245’s; that is as wide as every other ME I know of (exception the mega weight 12 cylinder Lambo’s). Porsche’s new 2020, 911 similarly has larger front tires than before (I believe they are also 245’s), to help them to turn corners.

Here’s an earlier thread with most of the ME tire sizing.

https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...ire-generation

Having this width front obviously helps cornering bite.

I have faith that the Corvette team has long thought about this issue, and with probably a combo of factors, insured that the C8 will not suffer from snap oversteer, instead be safe for all but idiots. Whether even the Z51 version however is factory set up for outstanding track use, will need future reviews. As always, I remain the optimist.

[JB]

Anybody worried about snap oversteer in todays age of electronics is way off base...same thing for worrying about understeer...

it was the old days before active handling and ptm that the lawyers were pressuring engineers to tune understeer at the limit of handling in rear engine vehicles so you couldnt get another Ralph Nader type storyline of the corvair unsafe at any speed nonsense...


those days are long gone....active handling explored early in in I believe 1998 in the c5 as an option and became standard in 1999.


i remember how proud gm was of active handling in corvette the summer of 1998 as they held auto x like events across the country for consumers to test drive their latest and greatest c5 corvettes...

gm is silly not to really run corvette events like that any more...

ot was back in july of 1998 that many of us got a taste of what corvettes driving was all about in one afternoon..

sold me on the corvette and Ive been a customer of new corvettes and other gm vehicles to the tune of over a quarter of million dollars worth new gm vehicles including three new corvettes preparing for a fourth.


get people behind the wheel for a few hours and all other of lifes concerns fall by the way side...


I remember first telling my wife I really enjoyed driving that c5 corvette and I was thinking of buying one...twenty years ago maybe now its actually 21 years ago this july...and my lovely young bride back then as I was approaching 39 years old said plain as day...


you buy that corvette...ill divorce you. Take the house, all the money, the kid and the car...


so as any young red blooded american boy would do...

i didnt say anything, called up a chevy dealer and ordered one...

7 weeks later I had forgotten that I even ordered a corvette when the phone rang and it was the dealer hours away in long island at a long closed down dealership i believe...now this dealer salesman was a retired executive from JJ newberrys who retired and went back to work selling corvettes...he drove a 1996 blue grand sport c4 and he pucked me up at the train station....


i remember giving that dealership 6900 dollars in GM bonus points I had accumulated as I had bought all the diapers and **** needed for my then 3 year old son...cvs had an agreement with gm credit card to offer up not only the five percent in bonus points but another five percent as an added bonus...

i had the citibank card for another 300 dollars a s well...i leased that new bright red corvette z51 with a total cash outlay of 47 dollars and 67 cents...i think my payment back then was the grand total of 289 or 389 a month..for 39 months...i dont remember which..

if I remember correctly i said to myself if my wife followed through with her threat to divorce me all she would end up with was a lease and off I went.

back then my beautiful bride was a real fiesty girl....a new mother and all...

when i rolled into tje garage that night in a bright red red corvette i remember her smoking in tje garage as the two car garage door of our new home opened...she almost swallowed that cigarette as we never smoked in the house because of the baby....and as I opened the corvettes drivers door to get ot i laughed as I said to myself...this is it...

my lovely and loving wofe said to me....as I opened the door....

good for you for finally doing this for myself...


ended up to be one of the best things I ever could have done for my marriage...


after the lease ended i bought tjat corvette for a few more months until I test drove a then new c5 z06....it was all over...i had to buy myself that car....

this time I went to my wife and said honey...i think I have to have this car...but I wanted to tell her about it ahead of time...(at this time we had already figured out my son was full blown autistic and a handful...

my even more beautiful wife looked at me and asked can we afford it..li smiled and said..of course im paying cash...she said I was a good hisband, a good father and of course go buy yourself that new corvette...

an epic story...one that I will remember for many many years...

every time i got in my various corvettes i remember that sentiment....

made me a very happy man


its been decades since and to this day as I start up my corvettes since I still smile...

corvettes have been part of the enjoyment of my life as my son now turning twenty four this year enjoy cruising the twisty roads of bear mountain and the seven lakes during the early morning hours...

the moralmof the story to young married men with a kid...if you want a corvette ...take that little ******* out in the child seat early sunday mornings and all of a sudden that hpnew baby momma will also fall in love with corvettes as she gets to sleep late on sunday mornings...

sorry for the trip down memory lane and ling winded rant...

just fun memories of now a much older man...

i smile as I hear young prepare for becoming a father and they consider selling their beloved sports car...


im like dont sell your sports car at that point in life.......thats a great time to order up a new one...

give your bride those precious hours of sleep , peace and quiet...she too will become a fan of corvettes...

tjats how you end up gaining support for your sports car fever...

press down on that accelrator as your rounding the bend of a multitude of mountain passes all the while your spouse snoozes away...

come home with a huge smile on your face and lo and behold your spouse is smiling too...

to this day one of my sons favorite activities with his dad is to drive in his corvette...

with autism he can barely soeak, he requires 24/7 care...yet he always manages to to utter the words...”I want to drive”

you cant make this **** up...its epic ....