As announced back in April this year by driving the prototype through the streets of NYC, the new generation Chevrolet Corvette has made its debut on Thursday in California, with an impressive new design and rear-mid-engined layout for the first time. The photos here showcase the Corvette Stingray with targa top.
The removable roof can be stored in the rear trunk
Naturally, the new layout has resulted in the cockpit moving much forward, about 16.5-inches. According to Chevrolet, the 2020 Stingray’s canopy-forward stance was inspired by F22s, F35s, and other modern fighter jets and F1 racing.
In case you’re wondering, the door release is hidden under the black insert of the air inlet for a clean look and better airflow. Apparently, the front splitter and open two-piece rear spoiler add up to a combined 181 kg (400 lbs) of downforce.
While the front fascia looks significantly different compared to the C7 Corvette Stingray with new headlamps and a reworked bumper with large air inlets, the rear-end’s dual-element LED taillamps are recognizable as a Corvette. The tailpipes are now positioned on either side of the lower bumper insert.
The wheels measure 19-inch at front and 20-inch at the rear, shod with 245/35 and 305/30 tires, respectively. As for brakes, the rotors measure 321 x 30 mm at the front and 339 x 26 mm at the rear; the Z51 Performance Package gets 345 x 30 mm and 350 x 27 mm front and rear rotors.
The car measures 4,630 mm in length, 1,934 mm in width and 1,234 mm in height. Wheelbase measures 2,722 mm. Dry weight is rated at 1,530 kg (3,373 lbs).
The aforementioned Z51 Performance Package also gets performance suspension, front brake cooling inserts, specific axle ratio, performance exhaust, and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Buyers can also go for Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, which utilizes data through suspension-mounted accelerometers.
The car also gets a front suspension lift that raises ground clearance by approximately 40 mm at the front bumper in 2.8 seconds. Chevrolet says that it can operate at speeds up to 24 mph (39 km/h) and be programmed to work automatically through GPS to remember up to 1,000 locations.
There are a total of 12 exterior colors to choose from — Torch Red, Arctic White, Black, Blade Silver Metallic, Shadow Gray, Ceramic Matrix Gray, Long Beach Red, Elkhart Lake Blue and Sebring Orange — plus three new colors: Rapid Blue, Zeus Bronze and Accelerate Yellow.
Availability in both left- and right-hand-drive variants — a first for Corvette
The driver-focused interior layout gets its inspiration from aeronautics as well, with vertically arranged buttons on the central spine grabbing all the attention. It appears that the passenger can barely see the central touchscreen. There are 6 color themes available – Jet Black, Sky Cool Gray, Adrenaline Red, Natural / Natural Dipped, Two-Tone Blue and Morello Red, and 3 seat options — GT1, GT2, and Competition Sport for a serious track-focused driver. The latter two also get heating and ventilation.
Other features include 12-inch customizable instrument cluster, heated steering wheel, driver & passenger seat memory, 10-speaker Bose audio system (14-speaker optional), wireless charging, learn-as-you-go voice recognition, and Performance Data Recorder. The steering ratio has apparently been improved from 16.25:1 to 15.7:1. An electronic limited-slip differential is integrated into the transaxle that modulates torque between the rear tires.
Powering the 2020 Corvette Stingray is the 6.2-litre LT2 V8 naturally aspirated petrol engine with cylinder deactivation technology. It puts out 369 kW (502 metric hp) and 637 Nm (470 lb-ft) of torque when equipped with a performance exhaust.
The engine is paired with a Tremec-sourced 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. As for modes, the familiar Weather, Tour, Sport and Track modes remain, and there are two new modes — MyMode and Z mode. The latter is activated through a Z button on the steering wheel, allowing drivers to adjust the engine and transmission as well.
What’s more interesting is that when the new Corvette goes on sale in the US, it’ll start at less than $60,000.
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