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The C8 Corvette Feels More Comfortable and More Useful Than All Comparable Mid-engine Sports Cars
by Safet Satara, on July 31, 2019, 08:00
Bigger is better! Or is it? Car enthusiasts all across the U.S. will ponder this for years to come thanks to the fact that the new 2020 Corvette C8 is larger compared to its peers. It is longer, with a bigger boot, longer wheelbase, and more meat to carry around. I cannot call this a surprise considering that the new Corvette has to be a daily usable, affordable, and ready to accommodate daily shopping needs regularly - this only requires substantial luggage capacity - a number that hovers around 357 liters in the C8. Try to find that much trunk space in other mid-engine cars.
As far as the weight goes, GM did an excellent job of keeping it at reasonable levels, but you can do only so much without building your car from some crazy expensive unobtanium. At about 3,600 pounds (ready for a drive), the Corvette C8 isn’t the lightest, but no one should care about that at a $60k starting price.
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The new Chevy Corvette C7, at 182.2 inches, measures exactly 5.3 inches longer compared to the Corvette C7. If you do carefully examine the pointy front end and the size of the boot opening in the back, I think that the reason for generous dimensions presents itself. It is a three-fold reason.
Adding much-needed real-estate increased the space in the back, allowing the engineers to form rather generously-sized boot. So much so that you can easily fit the roof of the C8 Vette in there. Neat!
The front end gets an enlargement pill too. I don’t believe that we ever had such a pointy front end on the Corvette. The design decisions required a bit more meat in the front. That’s for sure!
Then, there’s the sheer matter of packaging. The dry-sump V-8 behind the front seats, but in front of the rear axle needs a lot of space. If the GM tasked the C8 Corvette to sit in a garage of the people who are all about turbocharging and downsizing, then the Vette would not have a big boot in the back, it would replace the V-8 with a V-6, and the front end could lose some of its razor blade sharpness. That way, GM could save a bit of space and move the transmission a tad forward, easily shortening the car. Luckily, this did not happen.
All close competitors - the Acura NSX, Audi R8, Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracan EVO, McLaren 570S, McLaren 720S, and Porsche Cayman - have considerably smaller engines in the back. Plus, none of them can match the inside comfort of the new C8 Corvette. That is a big deal!
But, don’t search for added inches in the front or the back overhangs. The Corvette does seem to be a proportional mid-engine sports car in that regard. The added inches hid between the wheels.
2020 CHEVY C8 CORVETTE WEIGHT COMPARISON
The only official number we have for the C8 Corvette’s weight is 3,366 pounds! I believe that this is the weight of the base version, and I know that this number does not include any fluids. Add a Z51 package (all of you will do it, I know it), fill all the fluids, and you are looking at 3,600+ lbs.
That’s some 150 pounds more compared to the Corvette C7.
In fact, the only car comparable car that has more weight is the freaking Honda NSX. And that because of its insane three-electric motor setup and a lot of batteries. If you remove that you would get far lighter NSX compared to the mid-engine Corvette.
The reasons for such heft hide deep within the C8 Corvette’s structure. Instead of using massive carbon-fiber sheets, magnesium, and a smaller engine, GM engineers opted for as much aluminum as possible. Compared to almost all other cars on this list, GM integrated aluminum sheets to increase rigidness of the Corvette. For example, GM engineers formed that central enclosed tunnel between the driver and passenger seat out of aluminum. In the Audi R8, for example, that piece, along with the whole dash wall, is CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic). It is the same story with the Huracan.
McLaren went an extra mile here and formed an entire carbon-fiber monocoque. Ferrari, however, kept the advanced aluminum spaceframe on the F8 Tributo. However, it managed to keep the weight down by adding carbon fiber touches, such as carbon fiber intake plenum, carbon fiber rear spoiler, and building a bit smaller supercar overall.
Then, there’s the engine.
Even the naturally aspirated V-10 in the R8 and Huracan have are smaller by one liter in terms of displacement. Don’t even get me started with other engines with forced induction!
So, the Corvette C8 isn’t as stiff, as light, nor does it have some fancy new propulsion toys as the cars noted here. It is a pure, raw machine that makes heavy use of the cheaper tech to go as fast as the newest cars available. The reason for its less than stellar structure is only one - the price. I can live with that.
2020 CHEVY C8 CORVETTE PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
First, let’s get one thing straight! The only performance estimate we have about the new C8 Corvette revolves around its 0-60 mph time. According to GM, the mid-engine ’Vette, equipped with a Z51 package, can do 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. 2.9 seconds is believable.
Let me tell you right away that the 0-60 mph time does not reveal jack **** about the performance. We need to know about the C8’s quarter-mile time, 60-80 and 80-100 mph acceleration, and, after all, a top speed, to be able to draw any real conclusion.
After all, some did clock the Lambo Huracan at that speed. Plus, it would have to be able to get close to a seven-minute pass on the Nurburgring. We are yet to see what the new ’Vette can achieve. I do, however, believe, that the top-end versions of it - the ZR1, Z06, and even the fabled Zora - could match the ferocity of the best Italian supercars. We have to wait for them, however!
All in all, I will estimate the 2020 C8 Corvette’s performance here and compare it with the performance of its physically closest competitors.
2020 CHEVY C8 CORVETTE PRICING VS. OTHER MID-ENGINE OFFERINGS
I will say it - the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is the biggest surprise on the car scene I have ever seen. This comes from a guy who lives in a time when Volkswagen invented DSG, Toyota popularized hybrids, and McLaren became the craziest thing out there. I say this for just one reason - the C8 Corvette’s sub $60,000 base price. That is incredible, to say the least. In an instant, the significance of all other cars listed here somewhat perish.
That one cannot hold a candle to the Corvette’s V8. On the other hand, for the $252,800 price of the F8 Tributo, you can have four units of the mid-engine C8 Corvette. I know that the Ferrari F8 Tributo is cooler, quicker, smarter, and everything, but four mid-engine Corvettes that go like stink is better than one Tributo (who does share its bones with a ten-year-old car) in my book.
[Parts of article were redacted and other parts did not copy]
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The C8 Corvette Feels More Comfortable and More Useful Than All Comparable Mid-engine Sports Cars
by Safet Satara, on July 31, 2019, 08:00
Bigger is better! Or is it? Car enthusiasts all across the U.S. will ponder this for years to come thanks to the fact that the new 2020 Corvette C8 is larger compared to its peers. It is longer, with a bigger boot, longer wheelbase, and more meat to carry around. I cannot call this a surprise considering that the new Corvette has to be a daily usable, affordable, and ready to accommodate daily shopping needs regularly - this only requires substantial luggage capacity - a number that hovers around 357 liters in the C8. Try to find that much trunk space in other mid-engine cars.
As far as the weight goes, GM did an excellent job of keeping it at reasonable levels, but you can do only so much without building your car from some crazy expensive unobtanium. At about 3,600 pounds (ready for a drive), the Corvette C8 isn’t the lightest, but no one should care about that at a $60k starting price.
Read More:
- Wait, the All-New 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is Priced How Much?!
- The First Rendering of the 2021 Chevy C8 Corvette ZR1 Has Us Anxious for the Future
The new Chevy Corvette C7, at 182.2 inches, measures exactly 5.3 inches longer compared to the Corvette C7. If you do carefully examine the pointy front end and the size of the boot opening in the back, I think that the reason for generous dimensions presents itself. It is a three-fold reason.
First, the base C8 Corvette's structure would not allow for the integration of large enough trunk in the back.
Adding much-needed real-estate increased the space in the back, allowing the engineers to form rather generously-sized boot. So much so that you can easily fit the roof of the C8 Vette in there. Neat!
The front end gets an enlargement pill too. I don’t believe that we ever had such a pointy front end on the Corvette. The design decisions required a bit more meat in the front. That’s for sure!
Then, there’s the sheer matter of packaging. The dry-sump V-8 behind the front seats, but in front of the rear axle needs a lot of space. If the GM tasked the C8 Corvette to sit in a garage of the people who are all about turbocharging and downsizing, then the Vette would not have a big boot in the back, it would replace the V-8 with a V-6, and the front end could lose some of its razor blade sharpness. That way, GM could save a bit of space and move the transmission a tad forward, easily shortening the car. Luckily, this did not happen.
All close competitors - the Acura NSX, Audi R8, Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracan EVO, McLaren 570S, McLaren 720S, and Porsche Cayman - have considerably smaller engines in the back. Plus, none of them can match the inside comfort of the new C8 Corvette. That is a big deal!
But, don’t search for added inches in the front or the back overhangs. The Corvette does seem to be a proportional mid-engine sports car in that regard. The added inches hid between the wheels.
At 107.2 inches, the Corvette C8 has considerably longer wheelbase compared to any similar vehicle.
| C8 182.2/76.1/48.6 | 107.2 |
| NSX 176/76/47.8 | 104 |
| R8 174.3/76.4/48.8 | 103.1 |
| Ferrari 181.5/77.9/47.5 | 104.3 |
| Lambo 175.6/75.7/45.9 | 103.1 |
| McLaren 178.3/75.4/47.3 | 105.1 |
| 720S 179/76/47 | 105 |
| Boxster 172/70.9/51 | 97.4 |
The only official number we have for the C8 Corvette’s weight is 3,366 pounds! I believe that this is the weight of the base version, and I know that this number does not include any fluids. Add a Z51 package (all of you will do it, I know it), fill all the fluids, and you are looking at 3,600+ lbs.
That’s some 150 pounds more compared to the Corvette C7.
In fact, the only car comparable car that has more weight is the freaking Honda NSX. And that because of its insane three-electric motor setup and a lot of batteries. If you remove that you would get far lighter NSX compared to the mid-engine Corvette.
The reasons for such heft hide deep within the C8 Corvette’s structure. Instead of using massive carbon-fiber sheets, magnesium, and a smaller engine, GM engineers opted for as much aluminum as possible. Compared to almost all other cars on this list, GM integrated aluminum sheets to increase rigidness of the Corvette. For example, GM engineers formed that central enclosed tunnel between the driver and passenger seat out of aluminum. In the Audi R8, for example, that piece, along with the whole dash wall, is CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic). It is the same story with the Huracan.
McLaren went an extra mile here and formed an entire carbon-fiber monocoque. Ferrari, however, kept the advanced aluminum spaceframe on the F8 Tributo. However, it managed to keep the weight down by adding carbon fiber touches, such as carbon fiber intake plenum, carbon fiber rear spoiler, and building a bit smaller supercar overall.
Then, there’s the engine.
The one in the Corvette is a massive, pushrod, naturally aspirated old-school beast.
Even the naturally aspirated V-10 in the R8 and Huracan have are smaller by one liter in terms of displacement. Don’t even get me started with other engines with forced induction!
So, the Corvette C8 isn’t as stiff, as light, nor does it have some fancy new propulsion toys as the cars noted here. It is a pure, raw machine that makes heavy use of the cheaper tech to go as fast as the newest cars available. The reason for its less than stellar structure is only one - the price. I can live with that.
| 3,600+ pounds with liquids (3,366 pounds dry) |
| 3,803 pounds |
| 3,428 pounds |
| 2,932 pounds |
| 3,423 pounds (3,135 pounds dry) |
| 3,201 pounds (2,989 pounds dry) |
| 3,167 pounds (sub 2,980 pounds dry) |
| 2,944 pounds |
First, let’s get one thing straight! The only performance estimate we have about the new C8 Corvette revolves around its 0-60 mph time. According to GM, the mid-engine ’Vette, equipped with a Z51 package, can do 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. 2.9 seconds is believable.
Let me tell you right away that the 0-60 mph time does not reveal jack **** about the performance. We need to know about the C8’s quarter-mile time, 60-80 and 80-100 mph acceleration, and, after all, a top speed, to be able to draw any real conclusion.
To beat all the cars on this list, the C8 Corvette would have to be far quicker. I am talking about 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds or something like that.
After all, some did clock the Lambo Huracan at that speed. Plus, it would have to be able to get close to a seven-minute pass on the Nurburgring. We are yet to see what the new ’Vette can achieve. I do, however, believe, that the top-end versions of it - the ZR1, Z06, and even the fabled Zora - could match the ferocity of the best Italian supercars. We have to wait for them, however!
All in all, I will estimate the 2020 C8 Corvette’s performance here and compare it with the performance of its physically closest competitors.
| C8 190+ mph (est) | 2.95 s (est) |
| NSX 191 mph | 3 s |
| R8 205 mph | 3.1 s |
| 488 211 mph | 2.8 s |
| Huracan 202 mph | 2.8 s |
| 570S 204 mph | 3 s (est) |
| 720S 212 mph | 2.8 s |
| Boxster 171 mph | 5.1 s |
I will say it - the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is the biggest surprise on the car scene I have ever seen. This comes from a guy who lives in a time when Volkswagen invented DSG, Toyota popularized hybrids, and McLaren became the craziest thing out there. I say this for just one reason - the C8 Corvette’s sub $60,000 base price. That is incredible, to say the least. In an instant, the significance of all other cars listed here somewhat perish.
I mean, the cheapest car here - the 718 - that sells for less than $60,000, comes only with a puny 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine.
That one cannot hold a candle to the Corvette’s V8. On the other hand, for the $252,800 price of the F8 Tributo, you can have four units of the mid-engine C8 Corvette. I know that the Ferrari F8 Tributo is cooler, quicker, smarter, and everything, but four mid-engine Corvettes that go like stink is better than one Tributo (who does share its bones with a ten-year-old car) in my book.
| C8 $59,995 (est) |
| NSX $157,500 |
| R8 $169,900 |
| Ferrari $252,800 |
| Huracan $261,274 |
| 570S $192,500 |
| 720S $293,000 |
| Boxster $56,600 |
[Parts of article were redacted and other parts did not copy]
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