Corvette C8 designed and manufactured by Chevrolet is what everybody has been talking about at the moment due to the new UK version of the car. Since the original version of the two-seater launched in 1953, Corvette’s has featured a front-engined, rear-drive layout. Therefore, the change to a mid-rear engine and front-drive layout has been a major change for the luxury car. Mark Reuss: President of Chevrolet parent firm General Motors stated that “The traditional front-engined vehicle reached its limits of performance, necessitating the new layout” and “In terms of comfort and fun, it still looks and feels like a Corvette, but drives better than any vehicle in Corvette history.” Showing the extent of changes that Chevrolet has been willing to undergo to achieve progression in the industry.
The Corvette C8 has more of a ‘global’ look. Echoing its two-seater competitors McLaren and Ferrari. The car’s aesthetics feature a driver-centric interior design – setting this car apart from current sports cars is the infotainment screen, driver interior is angled towards the driver and the passenger and driver vertical buttoned divider (where a road car’s park brake would generally be placed) is a lot higher than any other car. The infotainment screen is a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that has the ability to use Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless phone charging, rear-facing camera, head-up display, Bose stereo system, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled seats, and a front camera that doubles up as a dashcam. In terms of staying up to date with technological advancements within cars, Chevrolet has been very inclusive of this. In the 21st century digital era, it is crucial to include these factors in the interior design of the car or reach the potentiality of being rendered obsolete in the car industry. One of the most striking interior features is the vertical divider of control buttons. Chevrolet calls this section the ‘cockpit’, it envelops the driver. Reinforcing a high-performance theme throughout the car.
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Design Features and Aesthetics
Chevrolet wanted to keep aspects of the traditional design intertwined with the new and updated version of the car. A specific example that we noted was that the tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport ALS. The team who worked on the Chevrolet race track tyres are the same team who helped design the Corvette C8 tyres. The exhaust pipes have been transformed into quad exhaust tips and can be located on the vehicles outboard ends. The squared-off design was also transferred onto the steering wheel – a two-spoke, small-diameter steering wheel that allows for an unobstructed view of the cluster display. The similarity and use of the same shapes throughout the car ties the design aesthetics all together for a sharper, cleaner and more professional finish.
The Tail Lamps use a dual-element LED with animated turn signals whilst the headlights use low profile headlamps and are designed around all-new projectors. In regards to the interior, the Corvette sees a brand new Bose stainless steel performance audio system. The stainless steel makes this element stand apart from its competitors but also blends well with the overall house style of the car. Chevrolet has allowed the buyer to design and choose their own seat options: GT1. GT2 and Competition Sport. With extra detail to have hand-wrapped, cut-andsew leather components and detailed stitching to tie this all in together.
The engine, as stated previously, has been moved to mid-rear. This new location is truly the focal point for the car’s design. There’s a large rear hatch over the engine to showcase it – with seven air events designed on it.
Another significant and exciting feature of this car is the drive modes available. The first mode is Tour. This mode is known as the ‘comfort mode’, it switches off half of the mode being Tour. This mode is known as the ‘comfort mode’, it switches off half of the cylinders when cruising creating a more relaxed and smooth driving experience. The second mode is something a little more well-known and wanted in contemporary cars Sport Mode. We see this mode becoming increasingly popular as it ‘wakes the car up’, which is what the designers describe it as. It sounds louder and holds gears longer- a noticeable difference compared to the tour mode. Taking this one step further is Track Mode, which can help to satisfy your race track needs. It firms the suspension and steering up and sets the exhaust to ‘thunderstorm’. Creating the car to “bellow loud enough to shatter windows a few towns over” (Groves, 2021). Another mode that can be very useful to this UK car is- Weather Mode. This mode dulls the throttle, feeds traction control and its Pro Plus in slippery conditions. Coming in as a useful adaptation to this UK version of the car. Z Mode can be activated by a button on the steering wheel and operates as what the designers called ‘maximum attack’. It gives a sliding scale, upon which, it turns down the traction control – similarly to modern cars like the AMG. The most interesting feature of this mode is that you can ultimately get the rear end of the car to perform any trick you would like. From a hip lick to a complex sway. If all of this isn’t enough you can also have a My Mode which is completely customisable to your liking.
Make sure to read our last article about the UrbanRebel concept car predicted to become a production car in 2025 on our page too!
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