New Corvette C8: American Super-Car!
American cars, one of the most prominent and debated automakers in the automotive industry are popular for the V8 muscles. American muscles are always best suit for clocking quarter miles and smoking the rivals on the drag stripe. There is another group too which is the American sports cars. Powered by the V 10s and V8s they are another unshakable pillars on the automotive industry. The American sports car include the V10 monster Viper and the V8 beast Corvette. And GM has refreshed the Vette, the C8 Corvette is available in the market now. Lets Check more about the C8 and the whole GM and Corvette.
Chevrolet or “Shevrolet” as pronounced is the, also called the Chevy or “Shevy” is the subsidiary of the American automaker General Motors or GM. Founded on the 3 rd November 1911 the Chevrolet was the ship captained by Chevrolet brothers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet. Later after about 6 years they collaborated with William C Durant, the founder of General Motors. In 1919, Alfred Sloan, with his maxim "a car for every purse and purpose", picked the Chevrolet brand to become the volume leader in the General Motors family, selling mainstream vehicles to compete with Henry Ford's Model T in 1919 and overtaking Ford as the best-selling car in the United States by 1929 with the Chevrolet International. General Motors is currently the 6th largest automaker by volume as per 2021 and 4th largest by the market capitalization as per 2021. They produced some of the legendary full size or extra large SUVs along with muscle cars and sports coupes. Their Models include the Chevrolet Camaro, Sub Urban and The Corvette, which are the popular cars and there are many more of them. Lets talk about the Corvette now. Popularly known as the "Vette", Corvette is the rear-mid engined sports car from the American manufacturer Chevrolet motors Introduced to the world market in 1953 and still running successfully in market, it is having 8 generations including the latest one the C8, enough to know the popularity of Vette. Interestingly from the initial stage to until 2019 the car was rear engined and from 2020 it was converted onto mid engined one.
was a convertible which broke the cover in the GM Motorama held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel by the General Motors and that was the first generation. Also called the C1. The production started after 5 months of unavailing, in the June 30. Three hundred hand-built Corvette convertibles were produced, all Polo White, for the 1953 model year. The 1953, 1954, and 1955 model years were the only Corvettes equipped with a 235 cu in 3.9 L version of the second- generation Blue Flame inline-six rated at 150 hp.
Third generation C3 came soon after the second one in a five years gap, in 1968 and it continued for about 14 years, wrapping up the production in 1982. The C3 was architected after the Marko Shark II Concept. C3 coupes featured the first use of T-top removable roof panels. The 25th anniversary of Corvette was celebrated with a two-tone Silver Anniversary Edition and an Indy Pace Car replica edition of the C3. This was also the first time that a Corvette was used as a Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500.The heart was carried down from the predecessor and the new addition was the refreshed interiors.
C4 the fourth gen corvette was complete rebuilt from the old one. The C4 saw the completely refreshed design since 1963. The production was about to begin but the technical errors like quality issues and delay in extracting parts resulted in forfeiting the try for mass market production. All these chaos resulted in producing just 43 prototypes and none of them survived except one with a white exterior, medium blue interior, L83 350 Ci, 205 bhp V8, and 4-speed automatic transmission. That '83 prototype is currently a showpiece at the Corvette Museum Bowling Green Kentucky USA. Regular production of the 4th generation started on 1983 January 3. And the models were equipped with 5.7L "Cross Fire" V8 from the 1982 third gen model.
The fifth generation aka the C5 saw the another refresh in design more clearly the design was completely rebuilt from scratch. The rework in design was the aftermath of the decline in the sales numbers. The production of the C5 was delayed due to the similar issues of that of the C4, after a year long delay the C5 was put up into production and continued until 2004. C5 was introduced with completely new design along with many kind of manufacturing breakthroughs which where carried down to the successors like the C6 and C7.
From the 6th generation, General Motors focused on refining the design and as a result there were some cosmetic tweaks to the update which include fixed head lamp units, the feature coming back since the 1962 model. Also the interiors and engine was given updates with the LS1/LS6 with a displacement upgrade of 0.3L that is from 5.7 to 6.0.The problem with the updates was the loss of relatively good fuel economy from the older generation the C5. The 6th generation was also famous in the Game Need for Speed Most Wanted, the most famous Street racing game from petrolheads, its just cars I will recommend you to Try that!. C6 was the cop car of Cross, the head Cop of the game and also was the ride of Webster the 5th Blacklist rival. Also the C6 was presented in ultimate Junkman Tuned edition for non career costume racing, and believe it or not the silver-yellow finished one has stunning acceleration and highly magnetic. Highly recommended game for petrolheads!. The c6 was wrapped up from production on the year 2013.
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette includes an LT1 6.2 L V8 making 455 bhp or 460 bhp with the optional performance exhaust. The LT1 engine is in the Gen V family of small block engines, which will be used in GM vehicles as the new small V8 option. Originally development for the seventh generation Corvette started early back in 2007 and was planned to be introduced for the 2011 model year. Unfortunately its introduction was delayed for three years and it was finally released for the 2014 model year with the front-engine, rear-wheel drive (RWD) platform which was a tactics to keep production costs lower. The new update was equipped with a bunch of features like carbon fibre hood panels which are removable, carbon nano composite under-body panels. The last C7 Corvette which was also the last front-engined Corvette, a black Z06, was auctioned off on June 28, 2019 for $2.7 million at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction. The auction benefited the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which helps pay off mortgages for the families of first respondents that were killed in the line of duty and builds "mortgage-free, accessible smart homes" for injured service members.
saw drastic changes in design and philosophy, and can be configured as the coupe and convertible models, also it was the first one to be introduced without a manual, damn!. Broken its cover in July 18 2019, the new C8 was completely rebuilt from scratch and the new design included timely bits if changes and improvisations. The C8 was the first corvette to have rear mid engined configuration and the First one of GM after the long gap with their own Pontiac Fiero. The C8 was equipped with the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 engine the iconic American Star, producing 495 HP and almost 640 NM of torque. This beast was unveiled in three launch colors, Red integrated with the Z51 Package and the regular white and blue packages, at event held at Kennedy Space Center. The C8 was accompanied by the 'Evil Twin' the C8R ultimate performance race edition which later took part on the 2020 Dayatina 24hrs race.
The New C 8, is totally refreshed from every aspect. The most impressive and striking thing is the design and stance. The Americans has redrawn the entire design from scratch and every single inch of the new Vette has changed and that change resulted in the all new Ferrari inspired stance of Vette. This American mid/rear-engined sports car is more inspired from the Italian guys the Ferrari the view to the side profile says it all. Ok statuary warning, I will be using Ferrari again and again so never mind if you are a Lamborghini fan!. The front-end is well architected again the Ferrari character is clearly visible. The curved out yet sharp front nose houses the massive central air dam, which looks massive but the major part is sealed with carbon fibre along with two small (Comparatively) air dams on either sides on the bottom. Inside the air dam it is integrated with wide hexagonal grille finished in gloss black with carbon fibre accents incorporated on it and the front lip, front splitter and major part of the bottom air dam is finished in carbon fibre as we see one of the deadly color combo is grey and black along with carbon fibre. Up there on the bottom region of the hood sits the Corvette logo. The hood is more kind of flat like that of a Ferrari (Ooh Again!) but the portion surrounding the logo is sculpted out more like that of the Aventador. The hood is integrated with head lamp units, which are pretty similar to that of the C7 on either sides and the wheel arches bulge out which makes bit like a super-car (thankfully no Ferrari this time!) the hood, sharp with cuts and creases, also houses two character lines which merges out like an arrow head as it reaches the front end and that complements well to the overall design of the front end also they are sharp, which creates an aggressive face pretty similar the Ferrari 488 (Uh Oh! Ferrari again!). Also as per the spec there is a thick bright yellow stripe on the hood which runs all the way through the roof and ends in the top of tail gate, on the roof there is a big corvette Jake symbol finished in Grey as in contrast with the roof stripe.
The side profile is the main point where the whole Ferrari thing comes into place, the angular view of the side profile will show you the ultimate low lying stance of the C8 again super-car character or more accurately 488 character. Side profile is sharp too with aggressive character lines running straight through the shoulder. The sharp wheel arches, also are well integrated or blended into place, houses 20 inch wheels on the back and 19 on the front, yet another super-car character!. The C8 wears black finished penta tradient spoke aluminum forged alloy wheels, 19” on the front and 20” on the rear, the alloy wheel design is pretty interesting with the penta tradient spoke which stands out in. The big disc and the calipers are clearly visible and the calipers are finished with bright yellow in contrast with the overall color theme and is also given the “CORVETTE” sculpted on it in black, the wheels are incorporated with the Jake Logo as the hub caps, the wheels are also integrated with wheel lock kit which is also specked out to black. The window and shoulder portion also houses sharp cuts and creases on the center and bottom panels. The wing mirrors, finished in black and integrated with carbon fibre accents joined with the windows are perfectly put together in such a way that the total look of the upper part of the shoulder line reminds of the Ferrari 488 (Oops!). The right quarter of the side profile houses a massive duct which is not a dummy but purposefully built to feed the air to the engine sitting at the middle, the duct is given thick gloss grey line on the edge and also the vent is drawn sharply with scale, no smoothness in the attitude, there on the duct sits the “C8.R” logo which is specked out as per the package. On to the hip portion sits a crease reminding of some of the models of Ferrari like the 458 and that crease is giving a sharp appeal to the tail end, more accurate for a stingray. Overall the side profile is also giving out a sharp and bold approach with numerous sharp character lines cuts and creases, the wheels which provide pretty low ride also complements to the super-car approach.
The tail end is incorporated with really sophisticated design, which includes sharp cuts creases and lines running all through the rear. On the top of the rear boot, at the middle sits the stingray tail design which denotes that this is a Corvette C8 Stingray, and the badge is given gray finish, attractive. The roof slopes down to the rear boot as the part of a coupe design and the rear glass area is also well integrated and finished in attractive combinations. Up in the top there is a small fin which is a design element and on both sides of the glass area there are three vents in the increasing order of size. The glass area is outlined with thick gloss black finished lines and the air vents too are given black finish, the total presence of black creates an endless window feel to the glass area, the Naturally Aspirated V8, given a red engine cover, is also clearly visible. On the tail end sits the black specked spoiler with some sharp edges and aerodynamic and attractive design, below the spoiler right at the center sits the “CORVETTE” badge written in yet another aggressive font. Between the spoiler and the badge, there is a small black stripe finished in black which is really touching up the aggressive approach on the rear end. There is a sculpted out sharp cavity on the rear end which houses the license plate, which have 4 on the left side and the Jake on the right of the License board is stamped out like an aggressive transformer’s face and the tail light designs are also kind of transformer inspired. The tail lamp design, sharp C also complements well to the sharp back end. Just below the tail lamp unit sits the air vent finished in black and the grille is given a parallelogram pattern great detailing. The bottom panel of the rear end is dipped in Grey cladding. The bottom panel houses the dual exhaust on both sides with the exhaust tips finished in stainless steel and an air vent on the inside and that too is really sharp design. The exterior is magnetic and sharp with numerous cuts and creases running all around and the stance with the low lying feel of the Vette makes it an American super-car by looks.
The door handle is integrated under the air vent on both doors, and as you open the interior is perfectly put together with carbon fibre alcantara and leather finished upholstery. The interior is really pleasant with the dual tone dark Grey and bright white color combination along with acid yellow and carbon fibre accents. The door pad is finished in leather and is integrated with ORVM and window controls which are housed in a carbon fibre pit. The doors are integrated with speakers finished in brushed aluminum and that goes by the side up to the upper deck of the dash. The dash is technically divided into two and the drivers part is finished in a dark Grey and the passenger side light or bright Grey. The drivers cockpit is having the Septagonal round edged steering wheel which is covered in sued microfiber as specced out. The steering wheel is integrated with multimedia control buttons and the central hub is having the Vette logo right at the center and that is given an outline in brushed silver. At the extreme end the steering wheel is embroidered with striking yellow dual parallel stitch lines which runs all around the inside of the wheel. Also there is a thick striking yellow block like finish at the middle on the upper part of the steering wheel.
Behind the wheel sits the meter console which is having really sporty theme and is given carbon fibre finish as the outline of the meter console and on the right of the meter console sits the 8 inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium System with Navigation and 8" diagonal HD color touchscreen. The driver cockpit is really arranged in a driver-centric way so that the driver can reach up to things effortlessly, the character which is the trademark of BMW the Germans. The upper deck of the dash on the drivers side is finished in black leather with the striking yellow stitches. On either sides the dash is integrated with matte silver boards which is as a continuation of the speakers on both doors. On the right side of the driver seat sits the central console, finished in dark leather, which houses the gear nobe, traction control buttons along with a small storage pocket, at the end there is thin line which houses a number of buttons which includes the buttons fore climate control boot operator and many more, on the lower deck of the dashboard is finished with brushed silver and the dash has the striking yellow dual parallel lines and the AC vents are finished in black. The passenger side upholstered with white leather and the dash on the passengers side is pretty plane with minimal design. Although it is minimal the bottom deck of the dashboard is embroiderer with three parallel lines which emerges from the center console and merges out in the right extreme of the dashboard.
This corvette is integrated with competition sport bucket seats with carbon fibre finish and dual tone bright with and striking yellow leather upholstery, and in contrast with the interior theme the seat belts are given yellow finish. The bucket seats are given white finish on the inside and black finish on the outside also it is embroidered with striking yellow lines as the outline along with the yellow accents on the bolsters. The headrests are elegant with the corvette logo sitting right at the center and that feels stamped to it. The space in between two seats is utilized as a storage area, no not that massive thing but a small one and the top is given a brushed silver finish with tiny bulgy pattern and is given two Jake logos one right at the center and just below sits the dual tone Grey black Jake logo which is housed in a gloss black plate. On the top or the roof, the Vette is upholstered with sueded microfiber wraps which is a standard package.
The interior is perfectly put together with small small attention to detail approach and with the dual tone approach which includes the carbon fibre and yellow accents is making it totally aggressive which really complements to the aggressive appeal on the exterior. The interior is pretty similar to the old Vette with the old squarish steering wheel and tight and elegant stitching and upholstery. Nice American and classy. Pretty amazing for a super sports coupe.
This American muscle guy is powered by a Naturally Aspirated V8, another American signature!. This beast is given the 6.2L Naturally Aspirated V8 with variable valve function which spits out 490 HP power and 630 NM torque and makes from null to hundred under 3 seconds. The variable valve function allows you to shut valves in the constant speed cruise reduce the power output which gives better fuel efficiency This profusely powerful engine is coupled with an 8 speed Dual Clutch Automatic transmission with integrated paddle shifts. Vette is given a Short/Long arm double wishbone suspensions and 46 mm mono-tube shocks. The body structure being forged in aluminum along with carbon fibre accents makes the body 10% more stiffer than the previous generation which results in better handling. A strong, stiff and lightweight main structure of 6 high-pressure die-cast aluminum parts, minimizing the number of joint within the vehicle. This beast is kept under control by the Brembo 4-piston/2-piece front calipers and 4-piston/ mono-bloc rear calipers and large 12.6" front rotors and 13.3" rear rotors which makes the high stability breaking in any surfaces also the Vette is decently spacious with about 370 Liters of boot space.
The base price of Corvette C8 is $62,195 for the coupe version and $69,695 for the convertible top version. And as you build your Corvette on the official site of GM you can spec it as high as up to $108,850. Verdict on the new Corvette is that the new C8 is another perfect rebuild in design and the cosmetic changes has made this from an American sports car to an American Super-Car. Exterior design is really aggressive and sharp with many cuts creases and sharp character lines running all around the exterior, another highlight is the stance, the new C8 is having a low lying stance which generate a calm style but things change when the V8 starts growling. The interior too is well put together with comfortable seats and effortless driving dynamics. The C8 is an American super car with a V8 in one way or another. This can be a perfect package with style and performance available at a low cost.
So this is all about the American Muscle Super-car, the Corvette! See you again with another post another day!, Adios! Thank you!, Special Shoutout to Udith Krishnan for the suggestion of the topic thank you for that and I hope you like it! Follow me on Instagram @petrofestauto. Feel Free to comment your opinion in the comment section!.
