Tuesday, October 9, 2018

2020 Corvette Sporting Mid-engine Muster: Recent Sightings at Nurburgring




Click here to view spy shots.

All of us on sales and service staff here at Jim Butler of St Louis have good reason to get excited when a car that has been under wraps of sorts for decades finally takes a giant and exciting step out into the spotlight! The stakes are upped drastically when the news at hand has anything to do with the Corvette, a high-performing and alluring beast that has blown the mind of many a car enthusiast over the years. Spy shots are still one of the primo methods of seeing some defining characteristics of what a car will look like before official release.



When the car in question is the C8.R-Spec Race 'Vette, there are bound to be many who are peering over any virtual and web-based shoulder they can, looking for clues to be found about just how badass and feature-rich this car will be. In the shots we recently got our hands on, the C8 'Vette had shed some of its loose-fitting camo, which just left a black-and-white wrap to hide the most important details. The engine shifted a considerable ways back behind the driver, but size specs have not changed all that much. Towards the front end, the intakes are very similar to what is found on the new ZR1, while the taillights in the rear reminding us of what you see on the current Stingray model.



The exhaust routing has been changed up a bit, seeing as how it has been more than 20 years since the exit point was situated in any location beside the exact center point of the rear bumper. Currently, engine configuration and transmission pairings are not known, but rumors have circulated as of late that the dual-clutch variety will be the raucous-and-ready resident caretaker. A recent video from Motor1US showed this same model heavily under wraps busting its chops on the Nurburgring, and its performance during the entire trial of the track is nothing short of amazing. The cornering is off-the-charts precise, and the always-abundant and spry on delivery third-to-fourth gear is where things always get pleasantly hair-raising and rebellious.



Dale Lomas of Road and Track knows that lap times at the Nurburgring “seem to be a new kind of cryptocurrency,” and recognizes that lap times are released by marketing teams, in controlled conditions, and slated for maximum effect. It has been said repeatedly that this is a vehicle that could boast 500 horsepower right off the bat, and the new flat-plane crank V8 with naturally-aspirated twin-turbo guises could offer up 600 hp and 800 hp respectively. The basis for the mid-engine platform is supposed to be the C7's aluminum spaceframe structure, and if a twin-turbocharging option ever comes about, output could rise to 800 hp. Production for this monumental and record-challenging number will take place at Corvette's home in Bowling Green, Kentucky: this American-built and always-motivated symbol of pride is going to take the world by storm when it finally rears its head!