It has now been over a month since Chevy released
its first C8 teaser video, right around the same time
the release date of July 18, 2019 was stated as official. Right off the bat, we
are shown the Corvette “Godfather” Zora Arkus-Duntov staying “Let's Go” and
then several shots of past mid-engined prototypes and other test vehicles from
the past are spliced together nicely with glimpses of the new C8 in the mix. As
the blistering hot days on the tracks and highways of summer get closer, there
has now been a second teaser video released, and it looks to be a solid
continuation of the first one.
The video's description is “The Next Generation
Corvette teaser video has more than 60 years of mid-engine history and heritage
hidden within its 07.18.19 length”. For many years, Arkus-Duntov was the
advocate for a switch from a front to mid-engine design, and this year he
finally gets to reap the rewards of that wish. Superior chops in the
engineering and weight balance departments are two of the main qualities that
were hard-driving influences for the fascination with the potentials of
mid-engined design.
Arkus-Dontov had always pictured the Corvette as a thriving world-class sports car and going
mid-engined ultimately was essential to fulfill that dream. From where some of
us at West Chevy of Knoxville
are standing, there are some elements of the C8 that seem a bit like it is not
a product for the typical Corvette owner. The new mid-engined platform does a
pretty powerful job of completely changing the car's styling and proportions.
The preview seven generations of the Corvette featured a very traditional GT
appearance, with a very long hood and a cab-back greenhouse. With the engine
placed in the middle of the car, the cab is ultimately pushed forward,
immediately shortening the hood. The car still looks amazing, but with change
comes differences in appearance.
The Vette has undergone some pretty intense
styling changes over the years, such as the great tail-light fiasco of the C7.
The truth about this vehicle that is bound to raise many heart rates is that it
is going to be one of the most thoroughly capable sports cars in the world.
Happenings as of late have yielded the debut of the NSX and Supra from Japan,
the Bugatti Chiron from France, and a pretty awesome new Ford GT, but none of
these bad boys are able to brandish a half-century in the making.
Most insiders stand behind the notion that a new
500-horsepower naturally aspirated 4.2-liter DOHC V8 will be the power source,
and others say that the 460 hop 6.2-liter cam-in-block V8 will preside.
Regardless of which engine is present, shifting is expected to be done by a
dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shift, and the massive excitement surrounding
the C8's robust release begins within just six weeks!
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