Just before the Christmas holiday this year Chevrolet released the second part of their video adaption that tells the exciting story of the new Corvette's in-depth development. The defining process of developing a supercar that provides the best in handling and high-octane enjoyment both on and off the track was told in great detail and then released to the public for viewing on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Expectation levels among us right here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse were high regarding the C8, and this richly-layered story speaks volumes about living up to where the bar was set for engineers years ago.
“From grocery-getting to grand touring”, the need for this specific Corvette to bode well in all driving categories was laid out from the beginning. Part of this video's immediate charm is its footage taken of the famed Nurburgring track, and Autonomous and Electrical Vehicle Engineering VP Ken Morris does a great job describing in detail how the track's 15 corners require the car to be dialed in properly with no detail overlooked. Former Corvette racer Oliver Gavin claimed that this world-class team is truly the “chosen ones” as far as the gifted individuals that push the car's limits here and on the Autobahn.
The crew highlights how prior generations of Corvettes had reached a plateau of sorts that demanded new development methods beginning with the different engine location. They immediately noticed a difference in handling during the challenge of navigating around the track, and the weight in the rear provided a drastic change in rapid steering translation and center of gravity movement. During a beautifully-executed shot of the car taking a corner, one of the head engineers conveys just how different the sensations of driving at breakneck speeds are with more torque sent immediately to the ground.
With the new mid-engined model boasting a balance of 60/40, placement in the corners is not just a wild-haired daredevil's game but offers a whole new focal point with you as the driver as the center. Everything the driver experiences feels toughened and affected with this new design incorporation, and a few of the modeling directors made great points when they claimed avidly that “you can't just move one thing without many more parts being affected”.
It was also stressed here that this was one of the most collectively powerful groups that has ever been involved in the development of a GM vehicle, and many expert sights were set on fine-tuning the razor-sharp edge of the performance envelope. We can't express enough our appreciation for the diligent time engineers spent creating and testing a world-class sportscar, and teaming up to embrace the “single chance you have to do it right”.
