It was one small step for the automotive industry but a giant leap for General Motors and Chevrolet when the automaker introduced the completely redesigned and re-engineered 2020 Corvette Stingray on July 18, in Tustin, Calif.
More than 1,400 people turned out for the theatrical reveal in a gargantuan war-era blimp hangar, including media, dealers, customers, Chevrolet and GM executives, and two famed astronauts.
Under the seeming full moon of a night sky, the introduction centered on the Apollo 11 moon landing 50 years ago, on July 20, 1969.
Speed, planes and astronauts have a long history at Chevrolet, and helping with the reveal were retired astronauts Dr. Mae C. Jemison and Scott Kelly. Both spoke eloquently of the importance of space exploration and human interstellar space travel.
Jemison, an engineer, physician and NASA astronaut who flew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour STS-47, was the first woman of color in space. Scott Kelly, also an engineer, a retired U.S. Navy captain and pilot, logged 520 days in space and three space walks. He capped his career with the “One-Year Mission” to better understand how the human body adapts to lengthy periods in space. He was at the International Space Station for 340.4 consecutive days. The result, he said, was a slightly altered DNA that still has not returned to what it once was.
GM Chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra was among the entourage, but she left the official speaking to Barry Engle, GM’s executive vice president and president, the Americas. Engle called the new Corvette “a milestone event,” which for the first time would include a right-hand-drive model.
He also gave tribute to NASA astronaut Alan Shepard. Besides being the first American to travel into space (1961) and his 1971 walk on the moon, Shepard owned 10 Corvettes.
Then Engle stepped aside for the main attraction: a high-performance Hollywood-style video presentation that was live-streamed around the world. As the video ended, the curtain lowered and a gleaming red 2020 Corvette Stingray was driven onto the stage by GM President Mark Reuss. A car enthusiast since childhood, Reuss told of tagging along with his father, past GM president Lloyd Reuss, to various GM projects and never forgetting the concept models.
Six-foot-plus Reuss stepped out of the low-riding Vette and began clicking off the facts about this most technologically advanced and drive-by-wire Chevrolet halo.
The traditional front-engine format had reached its limits of performance, he said, necessitating the new midengine layout.
“In of comfort and fun, it still looks and feels like a Corvette, but it drives better than any in Corvette history,” Reuss said. “Customers are going to be thrilled with our focus on details and performance across the board.”
Among the details, there are now three seat options (including a competition grade), more paint colors (12) than ever before, six interior color themes with two leather-upholstery stitching packages and six seat-belt colors.
And finally, he got to the most important part: the drivetrain. America’s sports car would continue as a rear-wheel-drive two-seater with a liftoff roof . At that, the audience — dominated by owners and dealers — stood and cheered.
Then he announced the nonofficial starting price: below $60,000, which brought more cheering. But all those upsell options and accessories will tempt owners to personalize — at a price.
Zora tribute
And, of course, Zora Arkus-Duntov was honored as the father of Corvette. It was his early engineering prototypes for the Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicles (CERVs I, II and III), the Aerovette and others that shaped the Corvette.
Even when Arkus-Duntov retired in 1975, he saw the midengine layout as the future for the Corvette’s handling and forward visibility. But the early concepts had problems of engine cooling, limited enger and luggage space, noise, and they couldn’t configure a convertible.
After an additional 44 years of engineering, Arkus-Duntov could have seen those those negatives turned into positives for the 2020 Stingray.
Tadge Juechter, Corvette executive chief engineer, delivered the technical details.
“This was the right time to move to midengine,” he said. “We’d pushed the limits of a front-engine car.”
The midengine layout allows the car to “rotate around you in a turn,” he said. “The very short, straight (electric) steering system gives an instant response.”
And it has better weight distribution.
“The driving dynamics are better than we thought they’d be,” he said.
He called the new Corvette a track weapon, a daily driver and a grand tourer.
The re-engineered and naturally aspirated V-8, known as the LT2, has 495 horsepower and 470 foot-pounds of torque at 5,150 rpm, when equipped with performance exhaust — the most horsepower and torque for any entry Corvette. (Base horsepower was not mentioned.)
“There is no substitute for the response and sound,” Juechter said.
Every part under the hood, including the exhaust system’s wires, tubes, routing fasteners, coolant hoses, exhaust manifold and even the bolts and fasteners, was built with appearance in mind, he said. Even the heat shields are textured.
A lightweight glass on the rear hatch allows owners to show off the engine.
But for the first time, there will be no manual transmission. Instead, there is a new — and first for GM — eight-speed dual-clutch (automated manual) automatic with up to six drive modes. The double-paddle de-clutch feature allows the driver to disconnect the clutch by holding both paddles for more manual control.
“The performance shift algorithms are so driver-focused, they can sense when you’re doing spirited driving — regardless of driving mode — and will hold lower gears longer for more throttle response,” Juechter said.
Engineers calibrated the DCT with a low first gear to get the car off the line quickly. The close-ratio two through six gears keep the engine near the power peak on track. Tall seventh and eighth gears make for fuel-efficient long-distance cruising with low mechanical stress.
Driver mode choices have been expanded to six from four (Weather, Tour, Sport and Track). A new MyMode configurable setting is keyed to the driver. And Z mode, named after the Z06, ZR1 and Z51 Corvette performance packages, is activated through a “Z” button on the steering wheel. This mode builds on the MyMode configurations to engine and transmission settings.
Special features
The crowd cheered again when Juechter announced the new hydraulic lift system to raise the chin by 2 inches for driveway and speed-bump transitions. The system is GPS-enabled and can 1,000 locations to automatically raise. It lifts almost as quickly as the Stingray can launch to 60 mph, in 2.8 seconds.
- The new Corvette is 2.5 inches longer on a half-inch longer wheelbase (107.2 inches). It is 2.2 inches wider (76.1 inches) with a roofline lowered by 0.2 inch. The turning circle grew slightly to 38 feet, but that can be trimmed to 36.4 feet with the FE4 option for Magnetic Ride Control.
- Two trunks provide a decent amount of storage, including the 12.6-cubic-foot rear trunk, which has space for two medium-size golf bags or an airline-spec carry-on and a laptop bag. A “frunk,” front trunk, adds a couple of cubic feet.
- A rear bumper beam made of carbon fiber, an industry first in a production car, saves weight. An official curb weight has not been announced, but the Stingray’s dry weight is 3,336 pounds.
Ordering
Orders may be placed through Chevy’s reveal website. It includes 23 Corvette Academy videos hosted by the Stingray’s engineers and designers. Other video topics include Quick Tips, Short Answers and long-form Tech Talks on everything from the advantages of the midengine to Corvette history and concepts.
Customer deliveries of the 2020 Corvette Stingray will begin in late January. Until then, there are two ongoing national dealership tours that will include vehicle specialists and interactive displays. The tours will stop at more than 125 dealerships and are expected to extend through early 2020.
Other tour displays will include the Concours d’Elegance of America (July 26-28 in Plymouth, Mich.), Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise (Aug. 17), the National Corvette Museum’s 25th Anniversary Celebration (Aug. 28-31) and the Petit Le Mans (Oct. 9-12 at Road Atlanta).
The first stop on the West Coast tour was July 22-23 at San Diego’s Bob Stall Chevrolet, the top volume-selling Corvette dealer in Southern California and the only dealer in San Diego County on the tour.
2020 Corvette Stingray
- Body style: compact 2-seat, RWD midengine sports car
- Engine: 495-hp* LT2 6.2-liter direct-injection, OHV V-8 with cylinder deactivation; 470 lb.-ft. torque at 5,150 rpm *w/ performance exhaust
- Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters and up to 6 drive modes
- Fuel economy: NA
SPECIFICATIONS
- Front head/leg room: 37.9/42.8 in.
- Length/wheelbase: 182.3/107.2 in.
- Width/height: 76.1/48.6 in.
- Track, front/rear: 64.9/62.4
- Curb weight, dry: 3,336 lbs.
- Turning circle: 38 ft.; 36.4 with optional FE4 Magnetic Ride Control
PRICING
- Base price: $59,900, not including freight charge
- Where assembled: Bowling Green, Ky.
