Eighth generation Corvette takes on European high-performance sports cars

So why change the thing?

"We were reaching the performance limitations of a front-engine car," explains Tadge Juechter, the Corvette's chief engineer, ahead of Thursday night's glitzy unveiling in a World War II dirigible hangar in Orange County, California.

With a mid-engine, the flagship of GM's Chevrolet brand will have the weight balance and center of gravity of a race car, rivaling European competitors and leaving behind sports sedans and ever-more-powerful muscle cars that were getting close to outperforming the current 'Vette.

"We're asking people to spend a lot of money for this car, and people want it to be the best performer all around," Juechter said.

GM President Mark Reuss said the C8 will start below $60,000, 7% more than the current Corvette's base price of $55,900. Prices of other versions weren't announced but the current car can run well over $100,000 with options, still thousands cheaper most than European competitors.

Corvette sales aren't huge. Through June, the company sold just under 10,000 of them. But industry analysts say the car helps the company's image, showing that it can build a sports car that performs with top European models.

GM says the new version, with an optional ZR1 performance package, will go from zero to 60 mph (96.6 kilometers per hour) in under three seconds, the fastest Corvette ever and about a full second quicker than all but one high-performance version of the outgoing Vette.

The "cab forward" design with a short hood looks way different, but GM executives say they aren't worried that it will alienate Corvette purists who want the classic long hood and the big V8 in the front.

Harlan Charles, the car's marketing manager, said mid-engine Corvettes had for years been rumored to be the next generation so it wasn't unexpected. GM also is hoping the change will help draw in younger buyers who may not have considered a Corvette in the past.

George Borke, a member of Village Vettes Corvette Club in The Villages, Florida, a huge retirement community, said he hasn't heard anyone in the 425-member club complain about the new design. "I think after 60 years it's time for a change," said Borke, who owns a current generation "C7," bought when the car was last redesigned in the 2014 model year.

Source: Dallasnews.com

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