By: Tycho de Feijter for 6th Gear Automotive Solutions.
Beijing, August 2019
This is the new ‘C8’ Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the latest incarnation of America’s favorite sports car. The new 8th generation Corvette is radically different than the old one, and the main reason for that is the position of the engine. Each and every generation Chevrolet Corvette, starting all the way back in 1956, had the engine at the front, usually under a long and sculpted bonnet. The new C8 throws that tradition out of the window. For the first time ever, the Corvette now has the engine in the middle, supercar-style.
This setup allows for a much better weight distribution, with the cabin moved forward, and short rear- and front overhangs. The engine itself is rather traditional, a big naturally aspirated 6.2 liter V8, mounted longitudinally. The engine has an output of 490 hp and 630 Nm. Gearbox is an 8-speed DCT, sending all horses to the rear wheels. Curb weight is a relatively light 1527 kilo.
A new car with so much power needs an advanced braking system. The C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is equipped with four-piston Brembo ventilated brake discs. Diameter at the front is 320 millimeters, and 345 millimeters at the rear. The calipers are available in various colors, including red (pictured), bright red, yellow, and black. Brembo claims that the brake pads are “environmentally friendly”, with a composition using no copper or asbestos. The Corvette is, also for the first time, fitted with an electronic parking brake, supplied by Brembo as well.
But there is more brake news. The Corvette Stingray is standard equipped with a brake-by-wire brake system, called “eBoost brakes” in Chevrolet marketing-speak. Drivers can adjust the brake pedal feel, just like on the upcoming BMW M8. The Corvette has three brake pedal feel settings: Tour, a comfortable feel for daily driving. Sport, a more aggressive brake pedal feel for challenging roads. Track, a hyper sensitive feel designed for best brake performance on the limit.
The Corvette Stingray is ‘just’ the base model of the C8 range. Chevrolet is developing far more powerful versions with bigger brakes, including a range-topping hybrid with regenerative braking. More on these Vette’s if we get it.