Chevrolet Corvette (C8)
Model Years Produced: 2020 to Current
Summary
Rumors of a mid-engined Corvette have existed practically since the 1960s, and there have even been various concept cars of such an idea throughout the years. Never did anyone think it would actually happen…so when Chevrolet revealed the “C8”-generation Corvette, it blew the collective minds of the automotive world.
Moving the engine behind the driver allowed the Corvette to finally achieve the performance that its engineers so desperately wanted, giving it much better weight distribution – important not only for handling through corners, but improving grip on launches. It also allowed the designers to improve forward visibility, since the front didn’t need to be as long or as high to fit the engine underneath.
To further push the C8 into “next-generation” territory, Chevrolet mounted their first-ever dual-clutch transmission (manufactured by Tremec and mostly shared with the Shelby GT500 Mustang), and they entirely removed the option for a manual transmission – a controversial decision that nevertheless has not been reversed four model years into the car’s lifespan.
The C8 is by far the fastest Corvette ever, wiping the floors with cars that cost 2-3x as much as it, and it also has by far the highest-quality interior of any Corvette – though it still falls short of competitors like the Porsche 718 in that regard. Even so, it’s an impressive feat of an engineering that manages to be livable on a daily basis too.
Primary Criticisms
Major
- Dual-clutch transmission has had a number of reliability issues culminating in 17 (so far) technical service bulletins; a powertrain warranty should be considered a necessity
- The Active Fuel Management cylinder-deactivation system should be disabled in the ECU as soon as the car is out of warranty to keep the engine from exploding
Minor
- Steering feel is lackluster when compared to other sports cars like the Porsche 718
- The Stingray’s handling has been criticized for being “safe” and overly-sanitized in a track environment, especially when the car is not set up with its track alignment settings
Warranty
Information is as of 2022 model year
New
- Limited: 3 years/36,000 miles
- Powertrain: 5 years/60,000 miles
- Emissions: 8 years/80,000 miles
- Corrosion Protection: 3 years/36,000 miles
- Rust-Through Protection: 6 years/100,000 miles
- Roadside Assistance: Yes
- Maintenance: 1 service visit
- Courtesy Transportation: Yes
Certified Pre-Owned
- Repair Deductible: $0 per visit
- Limited: 1 year/12,000 miles extension to new vehicle warranty
- Powertrain: 6 years/100,000 miles from original in-service date
- Roadside Assistance: Yes
- Complimentary Maintenance: 2 visits
Stingray
The Stingray is what most people think of when they hear “Corvette.” It receives a pushrod 6.2L V8 that produces 490 horsepower (or 495 hp when equipped with the Z51 package), and like all previous Corvettes, it can be had in both targa and convertible form factors. The targa roof panel is carbon fiber and can be easily removed by a single person, handily stowing in the frunk, while the convertible is a power-folding hard-top. While the engine is visible underneath a glass cover on the “coupe,” convertible models do not show the engine due to the machinery required to manipulate the roof. Due to the car’s mid-engine layout, the Corvette does not actually lose any cargo space in the convertible version, unlike most cars which are available in coupe and convertible forms.
Option Packages / Trim Levels
- 1LT (+$0): “GT1″ bucket seats, 8-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bose 10-speaker stereo, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus with 8″ display, 12” gauge cluster display, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- 2LT (+$7300): all 1LT items + Bose 14-speaker stereo, heads-up display (HUD), wireless charging, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium w/ navigation, performance data & video recorder, universal home remote, power-folding mirrors, autodim driver-side mirror, digital interior rearview mirror, memory driver and passenger convenience package, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, HD front vision camera, power driver & passenger lumbar adjustment, heated & ventilated driver and passenger seats, heated steering wheel, cargo nets
- 3LT (+$11950): all 2LT items + custom leather-wrapped interior package, “GT2” bucket seats, Napa leather seating surfaces, sueded microfiber-wrapped upper interior trim package
- Z51 (+$6345): performance suspension, electronic limited-slip differential (eLSD), 5.17 rear axle ratio, 4-piston front and rear Brembo brake calipers w/ 345mm front discs & 350mm rear discs, performance exhaust, rear spoiler, third radiator, additional brake cooling ducts, 245/35R19 front & 305/30R20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S run-flat tires
The 1LT trim level is the “base” Stingray. The Z51 package adds an additional 5 horsepower thanks to the performance exhaust, and it can be optioned on any of the 1LT, 2LT, or 3LT trims.
None of the 2LT features are available as optional equipment on the 1LT, nor is the front axle lift system.
Reviews
Specifications
- Body Style(s): Targa, Convertible (hard top)
- Engine: GM LT2 – 6.2L V8
- Horsepower: 490 hp
- Torque: 465 lb-ft
- Transmission: Tremec TR-9080 8-speed automated dual clutch
- Drivetrain: RWD w/ standard mechanical limited-slip differential, electronic limited-slip differential is optional
- Fuel Economy: 19 comb / 16 city / 24 hwy
Coupe (Targa)
- Curb Weight: 3366 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 291.1 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $65895
Convertible
- Curb Weight: 3467 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 282.7 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $73395
E-Ray
The E-Ray, new for model year 2024, is the first hybrid Corvette ever. It adds a 160hp electric motor to the already-potent 495hp LT2 V8, giving it a combined output of 655hp – and also AWD, another first for a Corvette.
The E-Ray isn’t just extra power, though. Almost all the Z51 options from the Stingray are standard, including the electronic LSD, performance exhaust, rear spoiler, third radiator, and brake cooling ducts. The E-Ray also gets standard carbon ceramic brakes.
Although it’s only 15hp shy of the incredible Z06, the E-Ray’s cross-plane V8 makes its peak torque lower in the RPM range than the flat-plane unit in the Z06. The AWD helps pull off incredible launches, though the extra weight of the hybrid system means that the convertible E-Ray unfortunately wins another first for the Corvette when it comes to surpassing two tons. Even so, the extra weight should hardly be noticeable outside of a track, and the thrust is spectacular.
Option Packages / Trim Levels
- 1LZ (+$0): “GT1″ bucket seats, 8-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bose 10-speaker stereo, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus with 8″ display, 12” gauge cluster display, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- 2LZ (+$5500): all 1LT items + Bose 14-speaker stereo, heads-up display (HUD), wireless charging, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium w/ navigation, performance data & video recorder, universal home remote, power-folding mirrors, autodim driver-side mirror, digital interior rearview mirror, memory driver and passenger convenience package, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, HD front vision camera, power driver & passenger lumbar adjustment, heated & ventilated driver and passenger seats, heated steering wheel, cargo nets
- 3LZ (+$10950): all 2LT items + custom leather-wrapped interior package, “GT2” bucket seats, Napa leather seating surfaces, sueded microfiber-wrapped upper interior trim package
- ZER (+$500): performance suspension, 275/35R20 front & 345/25R21 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S run-flat tires
The 1LZ trim level is the “base” E-Ray. The ZER package can be optioned on any of the 1LZ, 2LZ, or 3LZ trims.
None of the 2LZ features are available as optional equipment on the 1LZ, nor is the front axle lift system.
Reviews
Specifications
- Body Style(s): Targa, Convertible (hard top)
- Engine: GM LT2 – 6.2L V8 FHEV
- Horsepower: 655 hp
- Torque: 595 lb-ft
- Transmission: Tremec TR-9080 8-speed automated dual clutch
- Drivetrain: AWD w/ standard electronic limited-slip differential
- Fuel Economy: N/A
Coupe (Targa)
- Curb Weight: 3890 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 336.8 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $104495
Convertible
- Curb Weight: 4056 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 323.0 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $111495
Z06
Chevrolet wasn’t content to rest on their laurels with the Stingray. For only the second time in the Corvette’s 70-year history, they developed a brand new DOHC engine from the ground-up solely for a specific trim level of the car, resulting in the magnificent 5.5L “LT6” flat-plane crank V8. It sounds like a Ferrari – for good reason, seeing as how they used a Ferrari 458 as a benchmark for the C8 Z06 – as it screams up to an 8600 rpm redline, smoking some of the fastest supercars in the world in the process.
Option Packages / Trim Levels
- 1LZ (+$0): “GT1″ bucket seats, 8-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bose 10-speaker stereo, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus with 8″ display, 12” gauge cluster display, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- 2LZ (+$9200): all 1LZ items + Bose 14-speaker stereo, heads-up display (HUD), wireless charging, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium w/ navigation, performance data & video recorder, universal home remote, power-folding mirrors, autodim driver-side mirror, digital interior rearview mirror, memory driver and passenger convenience package, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, HD front vision camera, power driver & passenger lumbar adjustment, heated & ventilated driver and passenger seats, heated steering wheel, cargo nets
- 3LZ (+$13850): all 2LZ items + custom leather-wrapped interior package, “GT2” bucket seats, Napa leather seating surfaces, sueded microfiber-wrapped upper interior trim package
- Z07 (+$8995): Z07 performance suspension, 6-piston front calipers w/ 398mm front discs & 391mm rear discs, brake calipers painted metallic gray, 275/30R20 front & 345/25R21 rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R run-flat tires
The 1LZ trim level is the “base” Z06. The Z07 package can be optioned on any of the 1LZ, 2LZ, or 3LZ trims.
None of the 2LZ features are available as optional equipment on the 1LZ, nor is the front axle lift system.
Reviews
Specifications
- Body Style(s): Targa, Convertible (hard top)
- Engine: GM LT6 – 5.5L V8
- Horsepower: 670 hp
- Torque: 460 lb-ft
- Transmission: Tremec TR-9080 8-speed automated dual clutch
- Drivetrain: RWD w/ standard electronic limited-slip differential
- Fuel Economy: 15 comb / 12 city / 21 hwy
Coupe (Targa)
- Curb Weight: 3500 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 382.9 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $106695
Convertible
- Curb Weight: 3599 lbs
- Power-to-Weight: 372.3 hp/ton
- Cargo Capacity: 12.6 cu ft
- Starting Price: $114195