Not a Ghost: The C8 Corvette, Bound for a July 18th Debut

Subjected to more spy photography than Princess Diana, the Chevrolet Corvette C8 is very much real. For the first time, General Motors has released official images of the next-generation car, adding a debut date for good measure.

Still cloaked in camouflage, the mid-engined C8 prototype crawled along the streets of New York City Thursday, piloted by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter. GM CEO Mary Barra rode shotgun for the trip, which culminated at the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s annual Footsteps to the Future Gala.

There, GM announced that the final C7 Vette will be auctioned off to the charity’s benefit.

Roaring out of Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2020 model year, the C8 Corvette is the product of decades of fandom, years of development, and one well-publicised delay. We should have seen the car by now. Electrical issues with the car’s new, cloud-based system prompted a pushback in the C8’s unveiling, but earlier this year a report arose of structural issues. According to the report, the car’s aluminum spaceframe exhibited too much flex when coupled with a pair of hi-po engines developed solely for this car.

It’s rumored that the ballsiest of those motors might reach 1,000 horsepower. Whatever the final number, Juechter didn’t exactly take Barra for a pavement-scorching, engine cover-popping ride yesterday.

“GM, GMC and Chevrolet support the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and its commitment to injured and fallen military members, first responders and their families,” said Barra on Thursday. “The sale of this iconic Corvette will help the foundation continue its good work, and pave the way for the Next Generation Corvette that we will introduce on July 18.”

The last seventh-generation Corvette will be a black Z06 model, GM announced. It’s scheduled to cross the block at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast sale in Connecticut on June 28th, which happens to be this writer’s birthday. Thank you for your kind thoughts and bids.

As for the C8, GM hasn’t released specifics, but speculation and reports claim the mid-engined model will appear with a tweaked version of the tried-and-true pushrod 6.2-liter V8, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. And only the DCT, too.

From that modest starting point, the C8 gets wild. As Car and Driver reports, there’s a Z06, ZR1, and range-topping hybrid (possible named Zora) in the works, each powered by a version of an upcoming twin-cam V8 of perhaps 5.5 liters. The loftier models will see a twin-turbocharged version of that engine.

[Images: General Motors]