Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray: Eurofighter

For forty years, Chevrolet dreamed of the Corvette as a mid-engined sports car. Makes sense. After all, the arrangement of packing the engine in front of the rear axle is a royal solution for real driving dynamics and they also know how to get around corners as quickly as possible on the other side of the Atlantic. But as it is sometimes, prototypes were built and then pulped again. After all, the long hooded Vette does a pretty good job. And the silhouette is one of the automotive classics. But in the eighth generation, the time has finally come. The Little Red Corvette, so lovingly sung about by Prince, is built according to the mid-engine principle.

Now the American racer looks more like the European sports car when viewed from the side, which significantly improves the clarity towards the front. The technicians have also lent a hand with the body. It is around ten percent stiffer than before. And the C7 was anything but soft bread. In order to achieve this, the Americans do not make any compromises and, if necessary, manufacture parts such as the strut dome plus longitudinal member at the rear using the “dry cast” process To prevent the bodywork as best it can. Finally, you can also remove the roof from the Coupé and stow it in the rear trunk. The weight of 1,665 kilograms is only a logical consequence.

A classic 6.2-liter small-block eight-cylinder vacuum cleaner (internal designation LT2) with 354 kW / 482 PS works directly behind the driver. That is 9.5 kW / 13 PS less than the US version due to the particulate filter and thus the Corvette is within the range of performance of the Porsche 911 GTS. However, the Ami, which will be available from dealers from October, is significantly cheaper with a base price of 86,900 euros. For this you also have to accept hard plastic steering wheel levers. The large aluminum shift paddles and the Z51 performance package, which is subject to a surcharge in the USA (including: coilover suspension, larger Brembo brake discs, improved cooling and a sports exhaust system) are included. The figure eight behind the driver’s back results in a weight distribution of 60.75 to 39.25 at the front. The pilot’s seat has moved 40 centimeters forward and the center of gravity to the rear. It is located directly on the driver’s back and no longer in front of his knees, as was the case with its predecessor. “Now everything revolves around you,” says Chevrolet man Patrick Herrmann, who often rushes the racer over the Nordschleife. When asked how the lap time has changed, there is a short but clear answer: “dramatic”.

We swing behind the steering wheel, which is flattened at the top and bottom, and marvel at the slightly raised seating position. But that will soon disappear, because the mid-engine Vette is a lot of fun. Despite the pouring rain on slippery country roads. For this there are finally the driving modes “Weather” and “Tour” up to tight “Sport” and “Track”. There are also two individually configurable driving programs. With these conditions we use the “Z-Mode”, in which the settings go even deeper than with “My-Mode” and select the Performance Traction Management (PTM) setting wet. Then, as in the Formula 1 racers of the 1990s, the sensors work together and adjust the traction of the rear tires due to the improved computing power. This means that even the rebellious stern remains in check when changing direction quickly.

The Corvette sits comfortably in the hand and the new weight distribution makes it easy for the driver. The freely breathing, full, voluminous cheering eight-cylinder, which has variable valve control, but no turbo tingling is a pleasure. Splendid. The almost rectangular steering wheel sits comfortably in the hand, but the feedback does not quite reach the level of the Porsche controls. Nevertheless, the Corvette can be circled around the corner precisely and fairly lively. A result of the high mechanical grip and the electrohydraulic limited-slip differential integrated in the transmission. The eight-speed dual clutch gearshift developed in collaboration with Tremac does its job imperceptibly. The same can be said about cylinder deactivation, which you only notice because the display in the digital cockpit changes.

The Americans have made real progress with the chassis. The Stars and Stripes flounder is especially comfortable in the Tour driving program and the Magnetic Ride dampers can easily handle bad roads. Even in track mode you don’t have to worry about your intervertebral discs. If everything goes smoothly, the Corvette reaches country road speed after 3.5 seconds and falls short of 300 km / h by 4 km / h. Chevrolet specifies an average fuel consumption of 12.1 l / 100 km. We came to 14.3 l / 100 km in our test drives.

In the interior, the Americans play the jet fighter card and avoid excessive infotainment overstimulation. In the center is an eight-inch touchscreen, via which the smartphone can be integrated via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The virtual cockpit is a bit playful, but the head-up display provides the most important information anyway. Since the Corvette is rather confusing to the rear, the rearview mirror shows the image of a camera, which works well after a short period of getting used to. In addition, Chevrolet is equipping the eighth generation of the Corvette with assistants such as a blind spot warning and a helper that sounds the alarm as soon as cross-traffic endangers parking.