Autoblog's Take On 2020 Chevy Corvette C8: “Leading a New Era For The Sports Car”

As the scorching months of summer are absolutely upon us here at Jim Butler Chevy of St. Louis, many of us are reveling in what is the biggest automotive event in years. The staff on duty at Autoblog were surely right when they heralded the coming of the new C8 by saying that “few things in the automotive landscape have been as long-awaited as the mid-engine Chevy Corvette”. After many long years of illustrations, covers, dreams, and deep speculation, the C8 is finally a reality.

Introduced in a large hanger in California last week by astronauts Scott Kelly and Mae Jemison, the 2020 Chevy Corvette receives a 6.2-liter LT2 naturally aspirated V8 engine that makes 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque with the optional exhaust. Minus the sport exhaust, you are still looking at 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and all C8's operate by use of a dry-sump oil system. You can see the motor through a 3.2-mm glass pane, and the 8-speed dual-clutch Tremec Transmission is the choice for resident gear duty. The unofficial word for most in the auto world is that the 0-60 mph time is under 3 seconds, no surprise for a menacing and track-hungry contender such as the C8.

Addition of the Z51 package adds a suspension that can adjust ride height and stiffness. There is now also Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 as an option with the C8, and the same Z51 package also adds a splitter and large rear spoiler, which brings to the plate an additional 400 pounds of downforce. The Z51's added aero also contributes to a very aggressive look, and many have been happy that in a sense it still has some basic similarities to the C7.

Most important of all is the actual structure of the C8: to assure the price remained on the low end, a carbon-fiber tub was scrapped in favor of aluminum. Everything is constructed from aluminum except for two carbon pieces for the rear bumper beam and an underbody panel that runs along the bottom of the center tunnel. A GPS-enabled nose-lift feature can now be programmed to automatically lift, and we're excited about the trunk space that can contain a TSA-approved carry-on bag as well as laptop bag.

Since there is not a longer hood out front anymore, the cockpit has been scooted forward 16.5 inches further than the C7, and there will be a right-hand drive model for the diehard fans outside of the States. Carbon fiber and aluminum trims are now available, as well as six different interior color choices. The C8 is now slated to go into full production at the Bowling Green plant later this year, and we'll keep you posted right here on any additional pricing as well as other details!

Chevy C8 Corvette Slated to be The Star of the Show During Concours D'Elegance

Car and Driver excitedly provided us the important scoop this week bout the brand new Chevy C8 Corvette's official appearance in Michigan during the Concourse d'Elegance of America. This exciting appearance is part of a public seminar featuring head design chief Michael Simcoe to be held on Saturday, July 27, but you can also see this amazing new car on Sunday, July 28 which is the day of the concourse event. Here the public will get a chance to learn in-depth about the many challenges and long process of development for the C8 Chevy Corvette.

This car that was so long and highly awaited in the making was revealed Thursday in California, and this event in suburban Detroit is likely to be the first opportunity for many to see the exciting new mid-engined work of art. Former Corvette design chief Tom Peters will also be on deck as a guest, and Saturday seminars will also include F1 Mavericks author George Levy, sure to be a thrilling highlight for those in attendance at the yearly concours at the Inn at St. Johns in Plymouth, Michigan. Widely known as one of the top three track and machinery events in the nation, this is the perfect place to provide close-up looks for so many that have followed the progress of the C8 for the past few years.

Show-goers will also be able to feast their eyes on Rolls-Royce motorcars, 6 V-16 Cadillacs owned by collector of the year John Groendyke, and a very in-depth devoted circle covering the history of alternative powerplants such as steam cars, turbine, and electric. There will be other legendary specimens on had such as a 1971 Datsun 240Z and a 2001 Dodge Viper GTS ACR, as well as a “Cars and Coffee” event that drew nearly 1000 cars up for display last year. You can also opt to join the group as they embark on a motoring tour up to Flint Michigan, and check out the all-British car show on site.

During the media preview staged in front of the Michigan Central Station, event chairman Larry Moss spoke of the deep ties in the automotive community in the Detroit area and how economically feasible this particular Concours of America is when compared to other similar events. Grand Marshal Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars will also be on-site participating in select weekend events, and former Car and Driver editor-in-chief Don Sherman will be presented with a Lifetime achievement award. You can check out the website here for the full schedule of exciting events, and we'll keep you posted here on the Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis Blog about the event's success and most memorable moments!

Soon To Be Released C8 Corvette Caught Flaunting its Chops at Famed Nurburgring Track

This is the summer when everything changes in a major way for the famed Corvette, and the C8 roars out of the gate in confidence for good. This video was shot recently of final testing at the Nurburgring, and this past week Motor1.com showed us here some new angles of the model. All of us on staff here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis have not seen any evidence of the car at the Nurburgring since summer of 2018, and being able to brag about how much faster the new generation is on the track would absolutely be a prime asset for the marketing team!

This monumental machine is expected to debut with a 6.2-liter V8 making around 460 horsepower and incorporating a dual-clutch gearbox. It's quite possible that a dual-overhead-cam V8, Cadillac's 4.2-liter twin-turbo Blackwing V8, and eventually even a hybrid variant cranking out nearly 1,000 hp could later join this lightening-fast lineup. The exciting debut takes place on July 18 in Tustin, California, where Motor1.com will once again be present to cover the release. Standing at 17 stories tall and 1,000 feet long, the twin blimp hangars constructed in 1942 here are a few of the biggest wood structures ever made.

Production for the C8 will take place in the plant that consistently brandishes All-American pride with quality in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Prototypes of the mid-mounted 'Vette saw their way onto design tables and other forms of conceptualization as far back as the early 1960s and could have been potentially been cleared for production around 2007 if the Great Recession had not occurred. As early as 1955 Corvette production developer Zora Arkus-Duntov was convinced that a mid-engine platform was preferable. Two years later, the Corvette was forced to drop out of the Sebring 12-hour race in 1957, because driver John Fitch's feet were being burned by the exhaust pipes. Zora then immediately began to ponder the logic of placing the heat source behind the driver.

At GM's Milford Proving Grounds test facility in mid-2016, heavily-camouflaged C8's were first caught in action by photographers on the hunt for spy shots. Sources then told the Detroit News that GM was pouring nearly $800 million into the assembly plant at Bowling Green and another paint facility to successfully create the new car. All of us high-performance fans are so excited about the mid-engined Corvette being able to stay alive and survive the brand's shift in priorities to crossover SUV production.

Next January, the Daytona 24-hour race will see the debut of the C8 racing version, set to do battle with other mid-engine competitors such as the Ferrari 488. In the supercar world of today, we understand fully that purists still have a high amount of love for the manual transmission, but the crazy fast automatics of today simply provide less complication without the need for designing a mid-engine transaxle. A legend will surely be born just six days from now in California, and the C8 will surely have the stamina, stealth aggression, and speed chops to instill fear in any ferociously-sworn rival on the track!

2020 Silverado 2500HD First Drive Impressions: “A Solid Ride, and Mind-Blowing Towing Capability”

As the war between all things truck heats up in dire competition during late summer, the brand-new 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD is going to be sporting many new changes, and the Edmunds.com blog provided an in-depth feature about it this past week. All of us on staff here at Jim Butler Chevy of St. Louis agree that the most exciting order of business is the very first one listed: Last year's base 6.0-liter Gasoline V8 sees its replacement of a 6.6-liter V8 that cranks out 401 horsepower and a whopping 464 lb-ft of torque. There is also the option of a 6.6-liter V8 Duramax diesel: the six-speed automatic has now been replaced with a 10-speed, and the results are a hefty 445 horsepower and 910 lb-ft of torque for specs.

Extra power results in better hauling and towing ability, but there's much more to the 2020 Silverado 2500HD than the shiny new powertrains: all of the frames have seen greater lengthening and straightening, and it's most noticeable in the crew cab's back seat as the rear legroom has grown by 2.5 inches. The bed is much wider than that of the competition inside, and you can get plenty of use out of the 12-standard tie-downs. All four corners of the bed provide easy access to them, and extended towing mirrors are standard across the board on all 2500 HD trucks.

The Advanced Trailering System offers up to 15 views through 8 cameras, including “Transparent Trailer”: this is one that appears as if you are looking back at traffic through a trailer composed of crystal-clear glass. The hauling and towing features are what Chevy has gone after the most aggressively with the incoming 2020, and the extra space in the crew cab will come in handy when you are conducting weekend rec duty instead of weekday work.

The testing team on duty at Edmunds claimed that the way in which the front end stays composed when put to the test of driving over bumps and challenging washboard dirt roads was a key ingredient in this winning and burly engineering formula! The competition in the forms of Ram and Ford incorporate solid-axle front ends, and the Chevy 2500HD now rides on front independent suspension, featuring very long low-mounted torsion springs.

These improvements in suspension also are noticeable in the steering element: the Silverado 2500HD uses recirculating ball steering to handle the craziest of loads, and the LTZ and High Country trim levels us Active Hydraulic Assist, which provides a much more natural buildup, and a very centered feel that is more like rack-and-pinion. One other standout element of this amazingly-built truck is the transmission: the way in which it downshifts to hold speed on downgrades is class-leading, and you really do feel the difference during every inch of the drive!