Hot Stuff.
All new Corvette featured at local dealer.
The first mid-engine Corvette is here, and Denooyer Chevrolet of Albany was selected as one of only 175 dealerships in the country to be a part of the groundbreaking 2020 Chevrolet Stingray C8’s reveal tour on Monday, August 12, 2019.
“We had a great turnout. Great response,” said Beau Mayhew, Director of Operations at Denooyer Chevrolet. “Being that one of our competitors had it the Friday before, we were worried about attendance, but it looks like we tripled our attendance.” Among the attendees were 100 Corvette owners who drove their iconic American cars to the dealership to lay eyes on the fresh new arrival. Mayhew spread the word to the club members at their various events, as Denooyer is one of their sponsors.
Richard Lafleur, Corvette Specialist of the East Coast Tour, pumped up the crowd as they gathered around the black-sheathed car. When unveiled, the angular, Sebring Orange Tintcoat Stingray was met with whistles and cheers. The Corvette lovers could sit in and touch the car, but test drives were not permitted. With a top speed of 194 miles per hour, the 6.2 L LT2 V8 naturally aspirated engine boasts 495 horsepower and 470 pound-foot of torque.
The 2020 C8 model includes just one part from the previous generation, the 2019 C7. Otherwise, the sports car features a completely rebuilt design. “GM feels they have maximized the performance in the last model and that they needed to move to the mid-engine,” said Mayhew. “The big part about the midengine is you now have the ability for different distribution for weight and the ability to push the vehicle further. You can put the power down to the ground better.” The mid-engine Corvette was first envisioned in the early 1960s by General Motors engineer
Zora Arkus-duntov, nicknamed the “Father of Corvette,” who put the Corvette on the map and focused on absolute performance above all else. Having the engine placed behind the driver, over the rear axel, means less weight on the front wheels, resulting in needing less of a boost in the steering and therefore more direct steering. The mid-engine model makes the Corvette a serious competitor with European luxury sports car manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche.
Today’s 2020 manifestation may be a bit fancier than early ‘60s prototypes, with eight leather options and twelve bright yet earthy exterior hues. Drivers can choose from three seats: the GT1, GT2, and Competition. The GT1 seat, wrapped in Mulan leather, is great for everyday driving while the GT2 is new this year and allows for color blocking options and Napa leather. The Competition seat, Mayhew explained, has larger bolsters and sides to hold the driver in better and is meant for track driving.
The supercar, which starts at $59,995, also features a wide range of driving modes. In addition to Tour, Sport, Track, and Weather modes, “My Mode” and “Z-mode” are now offered as options whereby drivers can configure the specific controls of their driving experience themselves, such as engine sound, steering, suspension, and brake response. The car remembers the particular settings of “My Mode” each time it is turned on. Another new feature is a two-position hydraulic lifter that lifts the front of the car almost two inches in less than three seconds. This is helpful for clearing low obstacles in the road such as speed bumps and uneven pavement. The feature can be manually activated or programmed to remember the GPS locations of up to 1,000 obstacles. A dual-clutch transmission allows for uninterrupted acceleration and continuous transmission of torque and power. The car’s shifter is electronic and features a pull toggle to give the driver the feeling of mechanical control when driving the car. The dual trunks, including cargo space in the front and back of the car, allows for storage space and can also hold the removable roof panel. Magnetic ride control and a dry-slump oil system are also integrated in the car.
Mayhew said he took four or five more orders at the reveal event. “We’re completely tapped out on orders for 2020. Only 2021 now.” As for Mayhew, he will be going to Pahrump, Nevada this October to drive the C8 at Spring Mountain Motorsports, Corvette’s training facility.