GM Reveals 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

Based on the reviews, it seems this car was built to be a comfortable cruiser and not a high performance sports car. The only way it beats the C7 is in straight line acceleration.

The initial reviews make it out to be a double off the wall and not the home run everyone expected.

That's the vibe I got. I don't know if it's because the car had unfair levels of hype pre launch or because GM of late has been so good from generation to generation

[AZCamaroFan]

that's not at all the impression i got

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

that's not at all the impression i got

Did you read the Road & track review or the Car and Driver review? The MT review was the only one that was absolutely glowing.

From Road & Track - first words in their review - they were definitely the harshest out of all the reviews

"Let’s get one thing out of the way: the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette is good. It’s not, however, great."

From Car & Driver

"After all that poking and prodding, we have concluded that the new C8 is spectacular, amazing, and supremely capable. Maybe even revolutionary. And we've also come to the realization that, despite its long list of compelling attributes, it's still not quite everything we had hoped it would be. "

They either had to high of expectations for it or just thought it would be better.

I am amazed by the straight line performance and would buy one in a heart beat if I had teh $ or could have a car as a toy lol

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

The C8 Z51 was slower through the figure 8 than the SS 1LE. That’s not a good look for the halo car.

To be fair, the GY F1 SC3 tires on the SS 1LE are a stickier and different class of tire than the PS4 on the C8 Z51.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by shaffe

That's the vibe I got. I don't know if it's because the car had unfair levels of hype pre launch or because GM of late has been so good from generation to generation

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

that's not at all the impression i got

The impression I got is every outlet that has reviewed it except one has given it two thumbs up saying it met our exceeded their expectations. And the one, Road & Track, says it’s good but not great, yet. Pending the arrival of higher performance models. Several have commented that the handling in curves is “different” and possibly a bit under-stated, but still gave it thumbs up. Road & Track specifically calls out handling and braking as areas of concern. Personally, I don’t see a 3’ difference in stopping distance as compared to a world class effort in the prior gen to be a deal breaker, but ok.

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

Originally Posted by shaffe

Did you read the Road & track review or the Car and Driver review? The MT review was the only one that was absolutely glowing.

From Road & Track - first words in their review - they were definitely the harshest out of all the reviews

"Let’s get one thing out of the way: the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette is good. It’s not, however, great."

From Car & Driver

"After all that poking and prodding, we have concluded that the new C8 is spectacular, amazing, and supremely capable. Maybe even revolutionary. And we've also come to the realization that, despite its long list of compelling attributes, it's still not quite everything we had hoped it would be. "

They either had to high of expectations for it or just thought it would be better.

I am amazed by the straight line performance and would buy one in a heart beat if I had teh $ or could have a car as a toy lol

Road and Track is mainly whining about understeer that, in a go-fast sense, exists in a realm that 99.9% of the people in the world cannot drive in. For virtually everyone who is going to buy a C8, if it is understeering it is saving your ass.

[AZCamaroFan]

that's exactly what i took from it. i also watched matt farrah's track video.
i was actually worried that Chevrolet's first effort going mid engine could really come off bad, so the fact that it's really good right off the bat is a big win to me.

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

The impression I got is every outlet that has reviewed it except one has given it two thumbs up saying it met our exceeded their expectations. And the one, Road & Track, says it’s good but not great, yet. Pending the arrival of higher performance models. Several have commented that the handling in curves is “different” and possibly a bit under-stated, but still gave it thumbs up. Road & Track specifically calls out handling and braking as areas of concern. Personally, I don’t see a 3’ difference in stopping distance as compared to a world class effort in the prior gen to be a deal breaker, but ok.

I will respectfully disagree with that all but one said met or exceeded.

MT gave it the best review because that's what chevy trend does lol. All jokes aside though MT was the most glowing review. I don't recall them really having anything negative or to negtaive to say about.

C&D was the most balanced review. They praised a ton about it, but also called out they didn't like and struck a good balance and in their own words "wasn't everything they thought it would be" That to me tells me it either wasn't as good as they thought or it didn't live up to the hype. They loved the performance but still expected more

R&T was the most negative. They praised the acceleration and really harped on the handling, braking and a few other things and said good but not great. Also sounds like R&T car had more than it's share of preproduction bugs.

I would say that most were very impressed by the effort but thought it would be better


I got caught in the hype as well and thought certain things would be better but I am still thoroughly impressed

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by shaffe

I will respectfully disagree with that all but one said met or exceeded.

MT gave it the best review because that's what chevy trend does lol. All jokes aside though MT was the most glowing review. I don't recall them really having anything negative or to negtaive to say about.

C&D was the most balanced review. They praised a ton about it, but also called out they didn't like and struck a good balance and in their own words "wasn't everything they thought it would be" That to me tells me it either wasn't as good as they thought or it didn't live up to the hype. They loved the performance but still expected more

R&T was the most negative. They praised the acceleration and really harped on the handling, braking and a few other things and said good but not great. Also sounds like R&T car had more than it's share of preproduction bugs.

I would say that most were very impressed by the effort but thought it would be better


I got caught in the hype as well and thought certain things would be better but I am still thoroughly impressed

One man’s “balance” is another man’s “all over the place”.
Their headline is “C8 Corvette is More Than the Best Corvette Ever”. Subtitle “Chevy’s mid-engined C8 Corvette could never live up to all the hype that it’s generated, but it comes damn close.”

They then go into how the car hits every mark that they were told it would hit. They mention how it is the “most impressive Corvette ever”. Where it falls short is where they in their own minds thought it could be. That’s like planning for a blind date, thinking that Gabrielle Union is gonna show up, but instead it’s Halle Berry. Or thinking you get a chance to draft Patrick Mahomes and end up with Khyler Murray. How disappointed could you really be? Even R&T based their level of disappointment on comparing to GM’s over-achievements going from C6 to C7 and Camaro 5 to Camaro 6.

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

One man’s “balance” is another man’s “all over the place”.
Their headline is “C8 Corvette is More Than the Best Corvette Ever”. Subtitle “Chevy’s mid-engined C8 Corvette could never live up to all the hype that it’s generated, but it comes damn close.”

They then go into how the car hits every mark that they were told it would hit. They mention how it is the “most impressive Corvette ever”. Where it falls short is where they in their own minds thought it could be. That’s like planning for a blind date, thinking that Gabrielle Union is gonna show up, but instead it’s Halle Berry. Or thinking you get a chance to draft Patrick Mahomes and end up with Khyler Murray. How disappointed could you really be? Even R&T based their level of disappointment on comparing to GM’s over-achievements going from C6 to C7 and Camaro 5 to Camaro 6.

That line right there I think is where it all comes from. That's kind of what I am saying. GM set the bar so high previously that this one while much better than the car it replaces didn't hit it out of the park like C6 to C7 and Camaro 5 to Camaro 6. Especially with the switch to mid engine I think people just expected more.

I still think it's an amazing car and think they did awesome with it. I expected a few things to be better than they are but still think they did awesome

[COmaro]

Familiarize yourselves with the term "snap oversteer", because you are going to hear that a lot with the C8.



It is the bane of every car ever made that has a rear weight bias, and all the electronic nannies in the universe can't change the laws of physics.



All of the magazine tests on glass smooth tracks will just touch on the issue as an after-mention, but when people get these on the street, enter a corner too fast, lift off just as the car hits a small bump or a little moisture that dripped from a previous car's A/C, there are going to be a lot of these put into trees. Given the average 'Vette drivers level of driving competency and age, it is inevitable.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by COmaro

Familiarize yourselves with the term "snap oversteer", because you are going to hear that a lot with the C8.



It is the bane of every car ever made that has a rear weight bias, and all the electronic nannies in the universe can't change the laws of physics.



All of the magazine tests on glass smooth tracks will just touch on the issue as an after-mention, but when people get these on the street, enter a corner too fast, lift off just as the car hits a small bump or a little moisture that dripped from a previous car's A/C, there are going to be a lot of these put into trees. Given the average 'Vette drivers level of driving competency and age, it is inevitable.

The C6 and C7 also had snap over-steer at the limits. This is why the 1LE Camaro's with their Alpha Chassis are better, albeit heavier.

You are also forgetting that down the pipeline in the C8 will be 4 wheel torque vectoring (on performance models), which is a game changer and can alter both oversteer and understeer.

[AZCamaroFan]

i was suprised at the GT2 seats. the side bolsters really wrapped tight around my ribs and i'm lean. didn't seem like they would be comfortable.
also the stitching on the bolster was frayed (back in august). i know people had been getting in and out of the car at shows, but that seemed quick to be coming apart.

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by COmaro

Familiarize yourselves with the term "snap oversteer", because you are going to hear that a lot with the C8.



It is the bane of every car ever made that has a rear weight bias, and all the electronic nannies in the universe can't change the laws of physics.

I think you would be surprised. As a long term national Porsche Club Instructor, I have experienced from the passenger seat how the nannies can take a Bozo driver into competent and that is in a Rear Engined Car.

As someone who has driven a lot of Mid Engined cars, Snap Oversteer really isn't a problem. Now someone that doesn't know what they are doing can get themselves in trouble.