What will be new for Next Year's Corvette? Slash Gear Outlines Changes

The 2021 Chevy Corvette C8 is getting ready to make its way to many dealerships like ours right here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson, and the word is that several highly-requested tweaks have taken place. The Slash Gear blog provided coverage this past week about the expected changes, as the 2021 Corvette Coupe and Convertible will see adjustments to some of the options and trims. It is fair to say that Chevy as a whole surprised many with the launch of the 2020 Corvette C8 and finally produced a mid-engined model after decades of speculation.

Even though this is a high-powered machine that doles out 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, the modest price was a real winning factor with journalists and car experts alike, as well as decent offerings on a standard trim. Now that it's time for a new model year, it does seem like Chevy is not straying too terribly far from what has already worked so well. The biggest change is in regards to the Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Until this year, if you've wanted this ingenious system, you needed to opt for the Z51 package.

It puts to use magnetorheological fluid which can be altered according to a magnetic field, to make changes to the suspension from soft through to firm. This year the suspension system will be offered as a standalone option, so you can opt to withhold the Brembo brakes, performance exhaust and rear axle ratio, electronic limited-slip differential, heavy-duty cooling system, and performance Michelin tires. Another change of major interest to buyers is the wireless CarPlay support. It will now be standard across the 1LT, 2LT, and 3LT trims, and means that you can now connect directly with your iPhone and use the Apple interface without needing a dangling USB cable.

For the last year's model, wireless charging was only standard on the 2LT trim and above. On the outside, there are a few new color choices: the Blade Silver Metallic and Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat are no longer available and have been currently replaced by Red Mist Tintcoat and Silver Flare. The “Stingray R” package will add special graphics and matching wheel caps, and there will be a new assortment of full-length rain stripes available. There is the addition of a center hood “Stinger Stripe” option, available in Edge Yellow, Edge Red, Midnight Silver, or Carbon Flash.

The 3LT trim will now flaunt a Strike Yellow color scheme with Sky Cool gray inserts, and the other will use Jet Black with Sky Gray inserts. More carbon fiber accessories are coming, and the LPO High Wing and Door Intake Trim will be available in Visible Carbon Fiber. At the beginning of March, Chevy attended the Work Truck Expo and one of the displays featured this 2020 Corvette Stingray doled up as the Gray C8.R. It does make sense for the Chevy to focus on a “C8.R replica” as owners have always been passionate about the race team, and many would like to dress up their Corvettes to appear like those on the professional track.

Hotcars.com Stacks the Camaro up Against the Corvette

The Hotcars.com staff were definitely correct when they asserted on their blog this past week that anyone anywhere who loves cars is familiar with Chevy's two greats: the Camaro and the Corvette. The pair differs greatly from each other in terms of appearance, performance, and character, as well as their target audience. Here are some fine points about both that will help anyone on their way to see us at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson for the holidays to make their decision.

The Idea: The Corvette , by all means, an all and out sports car: with clean lines, a low-riding nose, and other qualities that have it constantly hugging the road. Those who want the Corvette are true fans of the American sports car and are consumed with a need for speed. The Camaro has always been a muscle car, and while eye-popping and masculine, it does not have some of the “topped out” sensations that a 'Vette offers.

Current Models: During 66 years of production, there has never been a mid-engined Corvette,  and so this year's particular model is off-the-charts different and new. It has the best balance and road handling that it ever has, and plenty of added space as well. The current model Camaro is a conventional front-engined build with a muscular front and grille and is going to wow fans that love consistency and a slightly retro feel.

The Power: The base 2020 Camaro is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, cranking out 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This maxes out at all the way upwards of 650 horsepower dependent on trim level, assuring that the Camaro has zero similarities to a snail. Inside this year's Corvette is the 6.2-liter V8 that generates 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, but it's not always JUST about power: this is the very first Corvette that can do 0 to 60 mph in a flat 2.9 seconds! 

The Competition: The closest rivals to the Corvette come in the forms of the Acura NSX, Audi R8, Nissan GT – R, and the Porsche 911. None of these cars are American, and they are all far pricier. The Camaro is a solid rival for the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger, the case of the Detroit Three itself. All of these are tied much closer together in the price range factor, and you simply have to hash out which features do and don't add up for your needs.

Tech Features: It's safe to say for this year that the Corvette leads the way as far as tech innovations. Aside from the first in the mid-engined department, there's a self-raising nose that can be programmed by GPS, and can store 1,000 locations. If you've narrowed everything down to the point where you know the Camaro is your final choice, the Available Technology Package includes the Chevy infotainment system with an 8-inch diagonal color touchscreen and Bose premium audio system.

The Racing: The Camaro is the winner of the 1971 and 1973 Australian Touring Car Championships, and was also featured as the official car of the International Race of Champions. The Camaro ZL2 has nabbed numerous Daytona 500 titles, and next year will be Chevy's racer for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup. The Corvette has been a Le Mans winner as well as at the 24 Hours of Daytona – plus it has been the Indianapolis pace car 15 times. Both of these cars are known for victory on the track: we feel the Camaro's Daytona 500 Titles may slightly nudge it to the lead in this department, but as with anything, it can come down to personal preference when it's all said and done!

2020 Chevy Corvette Motor Authority First Drive Review Highlights Vehicle that “Fantastically Pushes the Envelope”

The Motor Authority testing staff were situated on the outskirts of Ann Arbor, Michigan last week on a crisp fall day on an open road with no one else around. The fantastic and feature-rich vehicle they were getting ready to drive was one that we have been plenty excited about for months here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson: the brand new 2020 mid-engined Chevy Corvette. Mike Hurley is the vehicle dynamics engineer who is along for the ride and gleefully tells driver Kirk Bell to move the mode selector dial to “Track” and engage the Performance Traction Management System before the run.

 

With his left foot on the brake, he expertly pinned the throttle and the 495-horsepower LT2 6.2-liter V-8 revved on up to 3,500 rpm and stayed there for a brief and purgatorial moment. He then gripped the square steering wheel “for dear life” as the 305-mm wide Michelin Pilot Sport 45 rear tires slipped maybe a quarter turn, and the new 'Vette took off brandishing a power level and efficiency that no factory Corvette has ever possessed. As he lurched forward he documents zero pause in power between gears and agrees wholeheartedly that 0-60 mph probably flies by in 3.0 seconds or less.

The perpendicular force that is exerted between the car and the road is now distributed so that 60 percent of the weight is on the rear tires on the new model, the car can exert more normal force on the road with its drive axle capabilities and quicker acceleration. Recognizing the difficulty that exists in making a car that can handle the road as well as track, Mike claimed that both jobs are handled with ease. The V-8's noisy rumble is not quite as loud as the C7s if you are just cruising around the neighborhood, but if you throw the car in Track mode, you get the enjoyment of the orchestral bellow.

Here it is conveyed that the new Corvette steers with true purpose and always feels direct, and the interior takes a high-quality leap forward from the C7's. The gang here had the 3LT package that adds a 14-speaker Bose audio system, front and rear vision cameras, a head-up display, top-line heated and cooled GT2 bucket seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, and the Chevy Performance Data Recorder that records video and reports all sorts of juicy vital stats.

Instead of sitting so low with a high hood and the scoop blocking the view like the ZR1, the driver now looks down the fender line out of a windshield that is much more open. As the crew winded down after their Michigan drive, what they yearned for most was some time of a California canyon road: It is so very exciting that an American legend changed so much for the better in the form of the brand-new C8, and there will be many more tales of taking it down the road for a wildly high-octane spin to come!

2020 Corvette C8 Convertible Will Receive First-Ever Power Hard-Top

Ever since the C8 Corvette was formally introduced to the world in a large California airline hangar, journalists and enthusiasts all over have been able to enjoy a multitude of firsts. The first mid-engined Corvette has wowed people worldwide with its power potential, styling accents, and very sensible pricing. For the first time since 1953, the convertible model's  folding lid does not consist of cloth or vinyl. Every model until now has offered a convertible variant with roof material on the softer side.

The 2020 C8 Corvette's drop-top utilizes the first power-folding hardtop, which consists of two panels that can retract into a handy cubby behind the seats right on top of the engine. The top weighs in at just 80 pounds heavier than the standard coupe, and the panel under the folding roof has two exotic-looking peaks that flow behind each passenger's headrest into the tail. You can specify the roof with matching body color paint, or dark gray Carbon Flash. Chevy's thorough and precise engineers traded the old front-engine Corvette's hydraulic roof actuators for six electrical actuators, which are known for their reliability.

The new top's design allows for independent operation of the glass rear window, so it can be lowered while the roof stays up. The rear window can be raised to deflect wind when the top is down, which will also reduce wind presence in the cabin. Moving it down takes 16 seconds, and you can even do it with the car traveling up to 30 mph. There is also heat shielding around that cubby so the top doesn't roast while being stored, and special attention was given to not have the top contribute heavily to negative drag. The C8 convertible posts the same coefficient of drag as the coupe with the top raised, and the high-performance Z51 trim sports the same rear spoiler as the coupe.

We hope you come to visit us right here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson to inquire about the new C8: the mid-engine generation starts with the 2020 stingray. The coupe is powered by a Mid-Engine 6.2-liter Small Block LT2 V8 and goes from 0 to 60 in UNDER 3 seconds. This is the vehicle that completely fulfills the dream of Zora Arkus-Duntov, and one of the first traits drivers notice off the bat is the difference in handling: having the engine and transaxle be so low in the car is a great help. The steering wheel is on the small side, and if you're over six feet tall, you won't have much problem moving around while learning the ins and outs of this mid-engined and highly-awaited creation!

Business Insider Covers Chevy Corvette's Evolution From Sports Car to Super Car

Starting out by branding the Corvette as one of the most recognizable American sports cars and heralded scene stealers in the history of movies, Daniel Gessner of Business Insider provided a great feature last week about its evolution. He begins his close-up look by acknowledging how the Z06 and ZR1 really cranked up the horsepower in their supercharged versions, but that at that point the car had maybe not quite yet graduated into the same class as the high-priced and high-speed cars like Lamborghini and Ferrari.

For the 2020 model, that gap was closed with one very integral and necessary design change, and it resulted in the creation of a car that has the ability to carry its weight in the biggest leagues. Since its introduction in 1953, the Corvette has undergone many changes, during a well thought-through transformation from a street cruiser into a high-octane racing machine. The 2019 ZR1 managed to squeeze in 755 horsepower under the hood, but engineers bonded together and agreed that the current design was holding it back from its full potential. The Chevy team then spent much time at the drawing board, and finally offered up the mid-engined model that had been thought about for decades.

All of us on staff here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson have marveled over the fact that the time has finally come, and the engine now resides in the space directly behind the driver. This is the layout of choice for some of the most exotic supercars in existence, because of the drastic results that take place within the realm of performance. With the engine in the middle, the weight is more evenly distributed between the front and rear wheels, which allows the vehicle to change direction quicker. In a rear-wheel-drive car, the added weight helps add traction and lets the rear brakes provide more energy for the task of stopping.

When horsepower and torque are added to an engine, the mass sees a drastic increase as well. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, when the beefy engine is sitting on top of the front axle, less weight is distributed to the wheels where your power originates. This is a concept that has been tested in many different ways since the 1960s, utilizing the Chevy Experimental Research Vehicle Series.

One of the reasons that these never graduated from the concept car category was due to engine cooling issues, as well as their limited passenger and luggage space. What the folks at Business Insider honed in and took a close look at here was the Corvette base model compared to the Ferrari 458. They both are very similar in terms of mechanics and performance, but have quite a stretch in price: the Corvette is nearly $180,000 cheaper. This is no doubt one of the most radical changes to happen in the American car industry in quite some time, and it is just one of those instances where a complete reconstruction made the most sense in the world!

Car and Driver Conveys Their Astonishment and Adoration for the New C8's Top Speed, Low Price

This summer right here at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson and across the entire nation, many intense ripples of excitement were felt as the release of the long-awaited C8 finally took place. Since the day of the unveiling, the many press and internet sources for everything auto-related have been eagerly covering every aspect of the new Stingray's performance and prowess. The Car and Driver staff was fascinated with a press release that originated from Chevy over the past month and claimed that while the C8 Corvette starts at under $60,000, the top speed is an astounding 194 mph.

Even though it seems strange off the bat, that top speed only applies to the entry-level 2020 Corvette. Models that are equipped with Chevy's optional Z51 performance package have a lower top speed, because the aerodynamic components included provide more downforce. Even if the Z51 kit does not boost the bottom line in the speed department, it is still going to stop shorter, grip harder, and be able to change direction more readily, and also brandishes additional engine and systems cooling for standing up to the intense wear and tear of the track.

The Z51 C8 Corvette is also the version that nails down the 3.0-second zero to sixty mph time, and all of a sudden, Car and Driver changes their stance for an instant during the article, claiming that since there really is no autobahn in the United States, top speed is not as important a metric as others. We have to admit we admire their sense of deduction: it is correct that the perks of the Z51 package need the buyer to closely pay attention and not just think of nailing down the best top speed stats out there.

The all-new mid-engine sports car is so much more than Next Generation: it has been completely redesigned from the ground up to deliver the optimum in thrills on every single drive. Only one single part has been carried over from the last generation, and the amazing all-new LT2 V8 engine is clearly visible through a rear hatch window. The Available Engine Appearance Package adds ultra-cool fiber components as well as LED lights to illuminate the engine, and stepping up to the 2LT trim adds available GT2 seats in Napa leather.

You can very intensely hone in and tailor your look with a choice of wheels wrapped in standard all-season tires. These very light 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels make for a greatly improved ride and reduced noise, and there are two available designs. When people sit in the new C8 for the first time, they lament that each button is exactly where it needs to be for sensible use, and with three seat combinations to choose from, there's definitely going to be one to be ideal for you!