Could it be I’m falling in love?
By now you all have heard the news: The Corvette C8 was unveiled yesterday to much fanfare. Since the 1950s Chevrolet has been toying with the idea of a mid-engined version of the Corvette for decades, only ever coming close once or twice in the 70s and 80s. Alas, Zora Arkus Duntov’s dream of a World-beating mid-engined Corvette had to wait until now. But the wait was worth it.
Powered by the venerable LT-series 2 engine making 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque mated to a Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (no manual, unfortunately), the new C8 has rocket-like acceleration and great efficiency at highway speeds. Also, the car would be built out of lightweight materials like die-cast aluminum and composite materials. Paired with the optional Z51 package, the car would feature bigger brakes, improved cooling, a performance exhaust, and a performance suspension system.
The new engine layout and performance over the stock C7 are great and all, but the car has a few more surprises. Notably, the C8 has both a trunk and a frunk, and comes standard with a targa top for when you want to blast down the Coastal Highway listening to that LT2 scream. But what’s the most shocking about this car is the price.
Prepare yourself…
Chevrolet has announced that the C8 would only set you back $60,000.
$60,000!? That’s more affordable than anything else on the market! The Alfa Romeo 4C I spec’d out when I wrote about why hypercars don’t excite me anymore costs over $72,000! Chevrolet has dropped the mic in front of the supercar world with an affordable alternative! To understand exactly how big this is, the Corvette C8’s closest competitor is Porsche, with their Cayman and 911. The base 718 Cayman is around $57,000 MSRP, while the 911 Carrera costs around $91,000 MSRP. The new Corvette C8 is faster and more powerful then both cars, around the price of the Cayman!
It’s appropriate that Chevrolet has revealed the C8 near the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo XI mission that landed Neil Armstong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon; The Corvette C8 is a moonshot that has successfully taken off!
