POWER FILE
PRICE: FROM $59,995 ENGINE: 6.2-LITER V-8 POWER: 495 HP TORQUE: 470 LB-FT TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH 0-60: 2.9 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 184 MPH WITH Z51 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE LENGTH/WIDTH: 182/76 INCHES WEIGHT: 3,650 POUNDS WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE IT OFFERS FERRARI PERFORMANCE AND PRECISION FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE.
an angry Rottweiler, this new mid-engine rocket ship sounds less raucous and more refined, though still authoritative when you dial up Sport+. And it’s an absolute joy to drive. You sit in body-clamping bucket seats, hang on to a rectangular wheel, and feel like you’re in the cockpit of a military jet. Heads-Up Display on the windshield, check. Touchscreen angled toward the driver, check. Switches and buttons everywhere, check, check. While the upcoming Florida-friendly convertible version will be worth waiting for, in Corvette tradition the C8 coupe comes standard with a lightweight roof panel that stows in the trunk. When removed, it’s easy to run at
speeds of up to, say, 80 without too much wind buffeting. For a supercar, the C8 is surprisingly accommodating. With the top in place, the rear trunk can swallow a couple of golf bags. Pop the trunk at the front (the frunk?) and there’s space for two well-stuffed duffels. That’s an excellent 12.6 cubic feet total. Shortcomings? The biggest is the dreadful rear-three-quarter visibility; pulling out of an angled road junction is a real leap of faith. Road roar from those huge gumball tires, especially on harsh concrete, quickly gets old. But here is a true engineering marvel, an all-American performance masterpiece that can hold its head high among anything Europe has to offer— and at a price that seems unreal. Now, remind me how to get to Route 66? «
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FORTLAUDERDALEILLUSTRATED.COM | OCTOBER 2020
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9/10/20 2:31 PM