After a (very) long wait, here's the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray . After more than 60 years (the original Corvette dates back to 1953) faithful to the architecture of the front engine and rear wheel drive, in the eighth generation (C8), the Corvette revolutionized itself.
Thus, in the Corvette Stingray the engine is no longer under a long bonnet to appear behind the occupants, in a central rear position, as we are used to seeing in European supersports (or in the Ford GT).
Aesthetically, the shift of the engine from the front to the central rear position led to the typical proportions of the Corvette being abandoned, giving way to new ones, which end up giving some air of models on this side of the Atlantic.
New architecture forced the Corvette Stingray to grow
Moving the engine to the center rear position made the Corvette Stingray grow 137 mm (it now measures 4.63 m in length and the wheelbase grew to 2.72 m). It also got wider (measures 1.93 m, plus 56 mm), a little shorter (measures 1.23 m) and heavier (weighs 1527 kg, plus 166 kg).
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Inside, the Corvette Stingray has been modernized, getting a digital instrument panel and a new driver-oriented center screen (as is the case with the entire center console).
Corvette C8 numbers
Despite having moved to rely on the engine behind the seats, the Corvette Stingray has not given up its faithful V8 naturally aspirated. Thus, in this eighth generation the American super sports car comes equipped with a 6.2 l V8 derived from the LT1 used in the previous generation (now called LT2).
As for power, the LT2 debits 502 hp (far more than the 466 hp that the LT1 delivered) and 637 Nm of torque, figures that allow the Corvette Stingray to reach 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds — we're talking about the entry-level model!
However, it's not all roses. For the first time since the first Corvette, the super sports car will not bring a manual transmission, it is only available with an automatic transmission. In this case, it is an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that can be controlled via paddles on the steering wheel and transmits power to the rear wheels.
How much?!
As for the price, in the United States this it costs a modest 60 thousand dollars (about 53 thousand euros), which, in fact, is a… bargain! Just to give you an idea, a Porsche 718 Boxster “base” in the USA, that is, with the 2.0 Turbo, four cylinders and 300 hp, has an almost identical price.
It is not known if it will come to Portugal, however, as happened with previous generations of Corvette, it will also be exported. For the first time will have versions with right-hand drive, something unprecedented in the history of the Corvette.
This Corvette Stingray is just the beginning, with more versions planned, as a roadster already confirmed; and more engines, which could even be hybrids, guaranteeing a driving front axle, trusting the rumors of the North American media.