The Best Secrets of the New Chevrolet Corvette in 10 Videos

We have picked 10 of the best videos of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette that the brand has uploaded to its YouTube channel, which will reveal a little more about the secrets of the new American sports car.

It has just been unveiled, and the new Chevrolet Corvette already has practically all of this year’s production reserved. No wonder, given everything it promises… and that its price on the American market will be below $60,000.

If not long ago we invited you to configure your own Corvette on the brand’s website (dreams are also a way of living), now we are going to take a closer look at some of the secrets of the eighth generation of the Corvette. To do so, we have selected these 10 videos, from the more than 20 the brand has uploaded about the car to its official YouTube channel.

Let’s go to the video.

The history of the Corvette: a legendary sports car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2078lxDXeo

A three-minute visual overview of some of the most outstanding aspects of the history of the legendary American sports car, going back to the 1950s, when the first generation was presented.

This is the new Chevrolet Corvette C8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k8e0hso8Zo

The presentation video. A sequence of static images showing the new Corvette from every possible angle. The best part? The close-ups, in which Chevrolet tries to demonstrate that the mid-engine layout is nothing new for them.

From front engine to rear mid-engine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bffra1n68Nk

Without a doubt, the most important technical novelty of the new Chevrolet Corvette. It improves dynamic behaviour by balancing weight distribution, but also visibility, and allows for two boots… The brand’s engineers and managers explain it in this video.

The Corvette’s dual-clutch gearbox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0FjkvFQcso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8CgziPg6Xg

Chevrolet’s managers talk about the new dual-clutch gearbox of the Corvette as if they had discovered how to turn lead into gold, when the best European sports cars already have gearboxes of this type. By the way, putting images of lightning to show how fast it is isn’t very original. Well, better late than never…

Two boots: you can carry up to two golf bags!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL17Vaponjw

This video is definitely one to show off. It is not common to find mid-engined sports cars offering luggage space at the rear. The 2020 Corvette, in addition to the small compartment under the front bonnet, has a space behind the engine that fits up to two golf bags, or removable roof panels to turn it into a Targa.

Front Lift mode: “sleeping policemen” will not be a problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0FBZ7x5jng

A system that lifts the front of the car so you don’t damage the bumper or underside on speed bumps and road “sleeping policemen” isn’t new either. The Porsche 911, for example, offers it. What is novel about the Corvette C8’s “Front Lift” system is that it can store the GPS data of where those obstacles are, raising the bodywork before reaching them without the driver having to activate the system.

The new “small block” V8 and the essential dry-sump lubrication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmI4wCniT1k

Nowadays, if you want a sports car that lets you set a decent time at the Nürburgring (because otherwise, it isn’t a sports car), you need the engine, in addition to being powerful, to have a dry-sump lubrication system like those used in competition, to ensure lubrication remains effective even when the vehicle is subjected to high G-forces in corners.

Aerodynamics: fine-tuned in the wind tunnel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIi8xrI068A

Many hours of work in the wind tunnel have allowed the designers to give the Corvette an aggressive look. But it is not just a matter of appearance. The aerodynamics are crucial when it comes to ensuring the cooling of the engine, located mid-rear. And also when it comes to generating downforce at high speed, which helps keep the car glued to the asphalt.

The Performance Data Recorder system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB81iSqowa0

It is called PDR, short for Performance Data Recorder. It is a kind of digital coach that lets you record videos of your track day sessions to analyse the data afterwards and improve your driving skills.

The new 2020 Corvette on the test track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeMfPDURncw

So far it is the most-viewed video in the series. Between the engineers’ explanations, you can see the first camouflaged prototypes undergoing demanding tests on a closed circuit to calibrate and fine-tune all the systems. We expected a bit more spectacle in the images, you know, the car sliding on wet tarmac or climbing onto pianos until it stood on two wheels. But this is what there is.