Flying Car Mode and Other Neat Features in the 2020 Corvette C8
The engineers behind the 2020 Corvette C8 have done a great job in realizing the company’s eighth-generation of its prized performance-focused sports car. The award-winning C8 has received much praise for its design improvements and impressive prowess out on the road making it the best bar none bang for your buck on four wheels.
What is this flying car mode?!
Let’s first address the whole “Flying Car Mode” option that this car includes. The mode works by having the vehicle’s (optional) adaptive Magnetic Ride Control shock absorbers work in conjunction with the traction control system. This set up allows the car to know when the front tires are in the air (because they don’t have the weight of the car on them); this informs the system that the rear tires will soon be in the air, too. So, rather than allowing the traction control system to slow the drive tires when they leave the pavement, an override instance is engaged which allows the rear tires to continue spinning because naturally, the car’s four tires will soon be back on the ground. It sounds entirely unnecessary, but any slowing down of the tires will, in turn, slow down the car, and this could negatively impact a driver’s lap time. So it’s more of a niche feature, but it’s one that is especially important if the car’s being driven hard enough that all four tires could potentially leave the ground.
A mid-engine design that’s been a long time coming
Almost as noteworthy as the whole “flying car” mode is the fact that the 2020 C8 is the first mid-engined production car in Corvette history. The company’s engineers and designers have wanted to make a mid-engine ‘Vette since at least the 1960s when engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov led to the creation of the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle No. 1, or CERV I, with the belief that such a configuration would afford the car greater power options and improve overall performance.
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If it sniffs out an obstacle, the car will actually raise its nose
While air splitters and low-to-the-ground front fascias look good and can improve performance, they’re susceptible to damage from daily driving. To address this problem, the Corvette’s engineers included technology that informs the car’s suspension on when it should raise the nose an inch to avoid any low height obstacles. What’s more, an optional feature called GPS-based front lift can remember up to 1,000 locations where the C8’s nose was raised. Whenever you approach one of these locations, the nose will employ the system to raise up automatically – even at speeds of up to 25 mph!
>>Join the conversation about the features of the new C8 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
It packs a mean punch
The 2020 C8 is the company’s first production model to feature the all-new 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine, which is available in both the 2-door Targa top and retractable hardtop convertible models. And with it being a Corvette and all, you get exactly the type of performance you’d expect from the engine, with an SAE-certified 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque recording. For those interested, you can also get 650 hp and 600 lb-ft if you go with the 6.2-liter V-8 alternative. However, per the former, it’s been recorded going from 0-60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 11.1 seconds at 123 mph. Impressive numbers for a car whose base starts at a very modest $60K.
>>Join the conversation about the features of the new C8 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
A very popular car so far
Before we get into the awards, it is worth mentioning the early reports that detail which type of C8 is more popular – the coupe or the convertible. While most would probably think the convertible, nearly three-quarters of orders have been for the coupe. Regardless which type you choose, though, you’re going to wind up behind the wheel of an award-winning vehicle: The Corvette C8 has been named 2020 Motor Trend Car of the Year. It was also featured on 2020 Car and Driver 10-Best and has been named the recipient of a slew of other awards like the 2020 North American Car of the Year and 2020 Detroit Free Press Car of the Year.
>>Join the conversation about the features of the new C8 right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!
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